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Twenty-Five
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Finally, Jack’s eyes flicked up, and he noticed me standing there. His expression shifted from relaxed to tense in an instant, and he pulled his arm away from my mother as if he’d been caught doing something wrong. My mother followed his gaze and turned to look at me, a warm smile on her face.
“Hey, sweetheart,” she said, her voice bright. “How was school?”
I forced a smile, trying to ignore the tightness in my chest. “It was fine,” I replied, my voice sounding hollow even to my own ears.
Jack’s eyes lingered on me for a moment, his expression unreadable. I couldn’t tell if he felt guilty, sad, or something else entirely, but I couldn’t bear to look at him for too long. I quickly shifted my gaze to my mother, focusing on her instead.
“I’m just going to head up to my room,” I said, already turning to leave before they could respond.
“Oh, okay,” my mother said, a hint of concern in her voice. “If you need anything, just let us know.”
“Thanks,”
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One Careless Night Forty - Three
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One Careless Night Forty - Two
I left my mother sitting at the table, her hands clasped tightly around her now-cold cup of tea. I didn’t look back as I grabbed my coat and keys, my mind set on paying Jefferson a visit. As I stepped out into the brisk morning air, I felt the weight of her confession still pressing down on me, fueling each step I took toward the answers I was determined to uncover.The drive to Jefferson’s place was a blur, my thoughts racing, fragmented memories of small moments with my mother that suddenly made more sense in a twisted, painful way. Had she always known? Every time I’d asked about my father, she’d deflected, claimed it was “complicated” or simply said, “He isn’t part of our lives.” And all the while, she’d known exactly who he was.Pulling up outside Jefferson’s home, I took a deep breath to steady myself. I needed answers, and I wasn’t leaving without them. I walked up to his door, my hand hovering for a moment before I finally knocked. It took only a moment before the door swung
