Chapter 14 #2
“Oh, nothing much.” Sarcasm dripped from every word as I told him, “Just had myself a wonderful conversation with Kate, and she dropped a bomb on me that still has my head spinning.”
“Hmm.” His brows furrowed as he sat down next to me. “What did she say?”
“She basically informed me that my whole life has been a lie. Everything I thought was completely wrong.”
“Not sure I’m following.”
“She informed me that I was adopted.” While I sounded mad, I was more hurt than angry as I told him, “So, basically everything I was ever told about my family is a lie.”
“Yeah, that’s a pretty big bomb there.”
“No kidding. You should’ve heard the way she told me.” I dropped my head into my hands and grumbled. “I’d forgotten what a bitch she can be.”
Trying to lighten the mood, he smiled as he said, “She definitely has a strong personality.”
“That’s the understatement of the year.” I looked over to him. “She was just so hateful and mean about it all. It’s like she enjoyed hurting me.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
I picked up the picture of us all at Christmas and showed it to him. “I don’t know how I could’ve been so stupid. It was all right there in front of my face, and I was just too blind to see it!”
Rafe looked down at the picture in my hand. “The mind sees what the mind sees until it doesn’t see it anymore.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You were just a kid, Marlowe. There was no way you could’ve known, but now that you do, it’s up to you to decide what you want to do about it.”
“I don’t know what I want to do. I’m still trying to process the fact the people who I thought were my parents really aren’t my parents!
There’s also the fact that I don’t even know who my real parents are!
Where did I even come from? And why would they adopt me if they were going to treat me like they did?
None of this makes sense.” I accentuated my words as I pushed, “Do you get what I’m saying here? ”
“Yes, Marlowe. It’s a lot to take in, but we will figure this thing out.”
“I don’t get it. Why does it seem like you aren’t all that surprised by this?”
“Because I’m not.” He ran his hand down his throat like he was considering what he should say next. After several moments, he finally admitted, “It came up when Menace did your background check.”
“What?” I gasped. “You tell me to open up and trust you, but then you don’t even tell me something as big as this! What the hell is that?”
“Don’t twist this around to make me the bad guy here. You gotta know I wasn’t trying to keep anything from you, Marlowe. Hell, until last night, I assumed you knew.”
“And you didn’t think about mentioning it then?”
“I was about to, but you shut me down with the whole leaving the past where it belonged bit.”
“And this morning?”
“Well, we were otherwise detained, unless you’ve already forgotten.”
Against my will, a tiny smirk crossed my face as I remembered our little romp on the kitchen table—how incredible Rafe’s hands and mouth felt on my body. “No, I haven’t forgotten.”
“Look, I hate you found out the way you did. I hate it even more that I didn’t press the issue and ask you about it, but it’s out there now. You just have to figure out what you’re going to do about it.”
“That’s just it. I have no idea. I’m still in shock.”
“You just need some time.”
He reached into his pocket for his phone. When he started dialing a number, I asked, “What are you doing?”
“I’m calling Lisa. Telling her she’ll need to cover your shift tonight.”
“You don’t have to do that.” Ignoring me, he told Lisa just that, then slipped his phone back in his pocket. “Thank you, Rafe, but you really didn’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I did.” He leaned over to me and kissed me, then said, “I’m supposed to work my shift tonight, but I could get Widow to cover for me.”
“No, Rafe. You don’t need to do that. I’m fine. I just need a little time to wrap my head around all this, and it’s best if I do that alone.”
“You sure?”
“Absolutely, but thanks for offering.”
“I’m here for you, babe.”
“I know, and it means the world to me.”
Rafe stood as he said, “I’ll be back after my shift. Should be around one.
“Okay, that sounds good.”
I got up and followed him over to the door. He gave me another kiss, long and full of much-needed tenderness, and then said, “This doesn’t change who you are, Marlowe. You’re still the same amazing woman you’ve always been. Don’t forget that.”
After one last peck goodbye, he was gone, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
I considered wallowing a bit longer, but the more I sat there thinking things over, the angrier I became.
I found myself remembering all the times I was made to feel like an outsider, especially by my mother.
All the hugs and kisses she would give to Kate, whereas I rarely received any attention at all unless I practically begged for it, and even then, Mom’s hugs were cold and distant.
I could remember one night in particular when I was sick with a virus.
I was only about nine or ten and had gotten sick in the bed. Panicked, I called out for Mom. It was late, well past everyone’s bedtime, and it was clear from the way she staggered into my bedroom that Mom was still half-asleep. “What’s wrong?”