The Redemption of Memphis Drake: A Second Chance Romance by Shay Stone

Author:Shay Stone [Stone, Shay]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-04-08T18:30:00+00:00

TWENTY-SIX

Know When You’re Being Played

The gravity of her words hangs heavy in the air. Nyla wrings her hands together working up the nerve to speak while I sit patiently waiting. “Uncle Harrison and I used to be really close. He and Aunt Wendy doted on me a lot because they didn’t think they could have kids of their own. I used to spend at least two weekends a month with them until Katie came along. I think everyone was a little worried I’d get jealous, but it was the opposite. I fell in love with her the moment I saw her. I used to beg them to let me babysit. When I was twelve, they finally did.”

A wistful grin crosses her face recalling the memory. “My dad was out of town, but my mom was there, so they felt comfortable leaving Katie with me for a few hours. I remember how excited I was. The first thing I wanted to do was feed her.”

She laughs. “We made such a mess. There was food all over me … on the dog’s back … it was in Katie’s hair and all over her chubby little face. My mom and I were going to give her a bath when I finished, but then she got one of her bad headaches and had to lie down. I decided to give her a bath anyway, even though Mom specifically told me to wait.”

Blotches of red creep across Nyla’s face and chest and her eyes well. “I should have listened, but she was just so sticky.” She pauses to compose herself. “I’m sorry.”

I rest my hand over hers. “It’s okay, angel. Take your time.” I want to tell her she doesn’t need to go on, but I think she needs to get it out. And I think she needs to know I’ll still love her after I hear it.

She stares at our hands for a moment, running her thumb over the back of mine. “Katie was splashing in the tub laughing when my mom appeared in the doorway. I thought she was coming to tell us we were being too loud, but she got the strangest look on her face. Then she collapsed. Everything happened pretty fast after that. I rushed over and started CPR having no clue what I was doing. At some point I must’ve called 911, because before long, EMTs were pounding on the door. But they were too late. My mom was already gone.”

Nyla stands and begins to pace the length of the couch, hugging her arms around her waist to comfort herself. “The police arrived shortly after. There were people everywhere. Our dog was in the bathroom barking like crazy. I went to grab him to put him outside and I noticed he wasn’t barking at them. He was focused on the tub. That’s when I remembered Katie was still in there. She had gone under water during all the commotion and wasn’t breathing. I screamed and dragged her out. An

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