Chapter 383
Austin’s voice was soft. He said, “That was the first time I was left behind. Even though I was just a kid, that feeling is something I’ll never forget.”
When he spoke of being left behind, the calm mask cracked. Bewilderment and fear flashed across his face, as if he had not idea what he’d done wrong yet still had to pay the price.
Austin continued, “The second time I was left behind was when I first came to the Pierce family. It was by someone who had offered to be my friend-Calvin.
“At first, I think he did see me as a brother. But his mom hated me, so eventually, he did too. He would have loved nothing more than to push me into the pool himself and almost drowned me.
“For a long time after that, I couldn’t even go near water.”
As he spoke, Austin seemed to remember something and warned in a grave tone, “Calvin is a very dangerous man. Not just because he has the whole Pierce family backing him, but because his methods are vicious.
“He might look all polished and mature on the outside, but in reality, he’s a master at all sorts of cruel tricks. So, Emily, you really need to keep your distance from him.”
Maybe he was making it sound a bit more serious than it was, but Austin knew exactly what he was talking about-he’d experienced those methods firsthand.
Emily didn’t say anything, but she nodded. Even though she still thought Calvin was weird, she was already having a hard time dealing with the Bennett family-there was no way she could handle the Pierce family right now.
She figured staying away from Calvin was the smartest move.
She dropped the subject and asked, “What about after that?”
Austin continued, “After that, I didn’t want to go through the same thing again, so I pushed myself hard to get over my fear and secretly learned how to swim.
“And then it was Aaron and Dylan. I’ve been left behind too many times. I hate that feeling.” He squeezed Emily’s hand tightly, as if trying to draw some warmth from it.
In that moment, Emily saw why Austin feared she’d let go-he’d been abandoned too often to believe it wouldn’t happen again. But even after all that, he still kept his heart pure, giving back ten times the kindness anyone ever showed him.
Emily thought, ‘How could I ever let go of someone like him?’
She squeezed his hand tighter and said, “If they left you, that was their loss-they just couldn’t see how amazing you are. When the Bennett family threw me away, I was hurt.
“My first reaction wasn’t to blame them, but to wonder what was wrong with me. Was I not good enough? Did I mess up somewhere? Was that why they didn’t want me?
“Those questions haunted me every single day. Then someone told me: they left because they were the problem, and I
deserve so much better.”
Those words got her through the hardest days and helped her finally let go of all that bitterness and obsession with the Bennett family.
Thinking of him, Emily glanced at the slightly worn-out hoodie draped on a nearby shelf. She didn’t wear it anymore, but
she still took it out almost every day just to look at it.
Only when she saw it did she feel as if her friends were still with her, as if she hadn’t left St. Gabriel Reform Academy all
alone.
Austin noticed her looking at the hoodie and understood just how much it meant to her. He could tell it was tied to her St. Gabriel Reform Academy days-and probably to the story she always kept to herself.
He didn’t
Instead, he smiled and nodded, as if her words had comforted him. He said, “You’re right, Emily. If they left press. us, it’s their loss-they couldn’t see our worth.”
Emily’s lips curled up in a gentle smile.
