Chapter Eighty Five

CADEN'S POV

Richard was a portly man, a little too young to be imagined a close friend of my dad's and always overly excited with his beady eyes and warm hugs.......but I don't tell her this.

I don't say a word about how I hate the smell of musk and spice to this day because of him and I don't mention how terrifying I find anything served unsealed or in a glass.

I dont say shit to her anymore than I already did because even that is too fucked and too much to dump on someone.

There's no point burdening her with the whole story now of how he'll come home from work early every other day, always glad when he finds me home alone.

He'll always smile like he's the good guy and ask how school was, even though I never bother to answer any of his questions.

All I wanted at that point in my life was for my mom to not be.....gone and for my dad not to always be gone, not some man always prying into my business every now and again.

Her sobbing, faint now but still there, racking through her petit