The Forgotten Child by Lorhainne Eckhart (latest ebook reader .TXT) 📖

toilet. Emily pulled at the hem of her brown coat. Wanting nothing more than to hurry and get the hell out of here—and at the same time needing to see Brad one more time.

Emily sensed someone watching her. She glanced up at the white sheer curtain as it fluttered in the closed upstairs window. She could still feel the heat of burning hatred.

This morning as Emily packed, Crystal had pranced up the stairs and into Emily’s bedroom where Trevor lined up blocks in a straight line, then stacked them in a precise order, while Katy played with her dolly, on the floor.

“Emily, is there anything I can help you with?” Her voice sounded joyfully light. And for a nanosecond, Emily believed there may have been some sincerity in her offer. She smiled to herself; well of course the offer was sincere. After all, Emily, Crystal’s obstacle, had been slain and was on her way out the door. What a generous offer to help hurry her out. For all she knew, Crystal was planning a party.

“No thank you, I’ll be done here shortly. But you’re going need to look after Trevor soon.” Crystal glanced down at Trevor and her smile slipped. She stepped back, once, twice and stopped in the doorway.

It was hard to tell through all that makeup, but Emily was sure her face paled.

“Okay… sure. I guess I can take him now if you’d like.” Crystal shuffled half a step, then another one, her normally fluent moves becoming boxlike and stilted. Her hand trembled as she bent over. She pulled away as if she expected Trevor to jump up and bite. “Hello, boy, come here please.” She dangled her now-stiff hand right in front of him, then snapped her fingers. “Trevor, come with Mommy. You can watch some television. Would you like that?” She reached for his hand; the one holding the block. Trevor shrieked and dropped to the floor, rolling on his back and kicking his legs in the air. Crystal jumped back. Trevor then screamed his “whoop whoop” noise over and over again—the one Crystal really hated.

Crystal pressed her back to the door. “Stop that, right now, Trevor. Stop it this instant,” she yelled.

Trevor held his hand up in front of his face and banged his blocks with his other hand. Katy scooted on the bed. Emily blew out a long breath as she sank down in front of Trevor.

“Hey, let’s build these blocks again; come on sit up.” Emily placed a block in Trevor’s hand, well aware it could fly across the room.

“Crystal, just leave him for now. I’ll bring him down when I’m done.” It was the only way to calm Trevor down, to get Crystal to leave.

Her mouth gaped as if she wanted to challenge Emily, but something softened her hard unfeeling eyes when she glanced at Trevor, relief maybe. Something else—something real, had transformed her, for the briefest of moments, into something human. Turning, Crystal left.

After her last bag was zipped, Emily leaned down and hugged Trevor, who was calmly playing with his blocks. He went into her arms, ripping open a hollow ache in her heart when he gripped her shirt with his tiny hands, “Trevor, I have to go. I love you.” Emily pulled away and held his arms as he stood in front of her, trying to memorize his innocent face, the light freckles and the brown, wavy hair, which hadn’t been brushed today. His eyes appeared distant, unaware, but his face colored. A boy she’d come to think of as her own, stuck in between two worlds. He sensed something, she knew that much. Maybe he did understand that she was leaving.

She held Trevor’s tiny hand. “Come on, Katy bug. Let’s take Trevor to his room.”

Emily left Trevor with his cars and a fringed place mat on his bedroom floor. He hunkered down and drove each car, one by one, over the fringe, lining them up, patting down the fringe, then started all over again.

Emily found Crystal waiting in the living room flipping through a magazine. “Trevor’s upstairs in his room playing cars. You need to go and watch him. Don’t leave him unattended.” Crystal closed the magazine and set it aside, but Emily didn’t miss the way her shoulders tensed. She casually tossed her hair back, uncrossed her legs, and rose with all the grace Emily had once longed for.

“Well, good luck to you.” She paused for a second on the first step. Maybe she had more to say. Except she glanced up the stairs and then flicked her hand in a casual wave as she climbed; her heels clicking on each step.

Emily, returning her thoughts to the present, turned away from the window and took a last look. She took in the sights of the horses grazing in the meadow on the east side of the house, the cattle grazing in the far pasture and all the outbuildings scattering the property. Brad had a thriving business, his life, his land. And that nagging question she’d yet to ask: Why’d he let Crystal stay, when he could have so much.”

When Mac strode around the side of the truck, Emily was buckling Katy in her car seat

“All loaded. You ready to go?”

“Yeah—let’s go.”

She closed Katy’s door and she felt Brad, more than she heard his heavy steps crunch through the gravel. Where’d he been all morning? She thought she’d cried her last tear, but the heaviness in her chest threatened to spout another round. She refused to give in; to give him that satisfaction. This was killing her and she refused to make this easy for him. Except, when he stepped closer, he appeared to have aged ten years overnight. Deepened lines surrounded his bloodshot eyes—eyes that appeared to have seen no sleep. His shoulders hunched; a man defeated. He yanked down the brim of his black cowboy hat so his face remained in the shadows. He said nothing, for what seemed like forever. Even Mac made some excuse and slid away. Emily struggled with a need to make it easier for him. Maybe touch his arm, say it’s okay. But it wasn’t okay at all, so she bit her lower lip, sucking it in to stop herself. Look away; don’t look at him. She couldn’t. She loved the way he looked; his broad shoulders, the way he filled his snug Levis and the wisdom that was always a part of his warm brown eyes.

He turned his head away and squinted when the sun cut through the clouds. He reached inside his jacket and pulled out a thick envelope. He cleared his gruff throat. “Here, Em.”

This somehow made it final. Her lip trembled and tears leaked as she took the envelope. She didn’t know where to look or what to do when Brad stepped forward and pulled her against him where she’d always dreamed she’d be—in his arms. She buried her face in his chest and her body trembled from the sobs she could no longer hold back. She slid her arms around his waist crumpling the envelope as Brad rubbed her back and rested his chin on her head. She breathed him in. How could he smell so good? She wanted to scream at the injustice of being denied a life with Brad and Trevor. Dammit Emily! Suck it up. You’re better than this. His rough fingers brushed away her tears.

“If you need anything, Em, you call me. Do you hear? You call me and, I swear to God, I’ll be there.”

She wanted to kiss him, but fought the urge when he pulled back, and then walked away. She could barely see him through the open floodgate in her eyes as he disappeared around the house.

She wiped her eyes. Emily didn’t know what it was that made her look up, but when she did; Crystal was there, watching her in a way that sent a shiver up Emily’s spine.

It was time to get the hell out of here. Emily climbed in her van and opened the crushed envelope in her hand. It was filled with cash and a check. But it was the amount that took Emily's breath away; a year’s pay, or close. Why so much?

She couldn’t think about it now; so, she stuffed that envelope into her dreaded purse. Mac backed up the truck waiting for her to take lead. Emily pulled in front and headed down the long driveway, saying goodbye to each magnificent tree shading this grand entryway. Emily didn’t look back, not once, no matter how tempted. She let out a hard sigh when she hit the main road, wondering when the pain ripping her soul apart would ease...even just a little.