Dark Endings by Bec Botefuhr Page A

last name has always been Lawrence?”
    “Because that’s not my last name, it’s my middle name. Your mother was too afraid to use my last name because she was scared your father would hurt me if he found out.”
    I feel a little bad for my father at this point, but I’m glad he never knew it was someone he trusted so much. Strangely enough, I also understand why my mother had an affair. I remember how lonely it was without him.
    “Ok,” I say, shaking my head. “What about Jagger? How does he fit in all this?”
    “Well, when Jagger and his gang originally got busted by your dad and the cops tried to take him down, I helped him. He had information on something I needed, so I made a deal with him. If he gave me the information, I would help him and his gang out of any trouble they got into. Jagger’s been good to me, and he’s helped me out a lot with my own personal battle. I owe him.”
    “So you bribed him?”
    Huck nods. “It’s how it works, isn’t it?”
    “Fine, whatever, I don’t even want to get into that right now. All I want to know is if you’re going to help us?”
    Huck nods. “Yes, I am.”
    “And Jenny?”
    He looks me right in the eyes. “I was hoping you would help me out with that...”
    “She’s going to be heartbroken.”
    “I know, but I want to know her. Now your mother is out of the institution…”
    “Wait,” I say, cutting him off. “You know she’s out?”
    He nods. “Yes, she contacted me and told me she was out. She told me more about Jenny and how to contact her.”
    “And you didn’t?”
    He looks sheepish. “No. You have to understand, it’s quite daunting for me too.”
    “Should have thought of that before you started having an affair with my mother behind my father’s back,” I mutter.
    “Your father wasn’t a saint, Willow. This isn’t just on me.”
    I shoot daggers at him. “My father wasn’t a saint, no, but he gave his life for me in the end. Will I ever forgive him for what he did? No, but his part in this is over. Yours isn’t. Two wrongs don’t make a right, Huck, and this mistake is on you and you alone. You can’t blame him for it because in the end you made the choice, you made the choice to be with my mother and sneak around. You…no one else.”
    He nods, looking down.
    “Um, Willow…”
    I look over to where Ava has said my name in an odd tone. I follow her gaze and see Jenny standing at the door, bag full of groceries, staring at Huck. I know she can see it, I see the exact moment it registers and the bags drop from her hands. By now he’s looking at her and slowly standing. Ace steps closer to her, but she’s already backing out the door shaking her head. Then she turns and runs.
    “I’ll go, watch Cody please.”
    I rush out after her and catch her only when we hit the beach down the road. By then I’m panting and I double over, putting my hands on my knees. Damn girl can run. She drops to the sand and covers her face with her hands, sobbing madly. I drop down beside her and pull her close, rocking her while she cries and trembles. When she pulls back to look at me, tears are streaming down her cheeks.
    “Did you know?”
    I shake my head. “Just found out then.”
    “All along…oh god…all along.”
    I nod, swiping her tears away with my thumb. “I’m sorry, Jen.”
    “Did he know?”
    “Only for a few years.”
    “How did this happen?”
    I rattle the story off quickly and her eyes widen. “I don’t know who I hate more - him, your father or our mother.”
    “Don’t hate any of them Jen. It was a bad time, and they all made mistakes. He wants to see you, to get to know you.”
    “He wasn’t around!” she cries.
    “I know, but he is now. Don’t hate him until you at least hear him out.”
    She blinks at me. “I…we’ve talked about him so many times and all along he’s been that close.”
    “I know.”
    “What if I’m not what he expected?”
    I know how she feels. It’s normal to wonder if