Taboo: Bittersweet Revenge (Sequel)

The Illusions of Salvation

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24 hours earlier

A silence rung through the cold, well- lit neighbourhood. It was not unlike the one I grew up in, yet always felt out of place. It was seemingly picturesque, the All American, apple pie, white picket fence, dream. I wouldn't have pegged her for gated-community girl, Tara that is.

I haven't seen her since I seemingly chewed her up and spat her out. A part of me knew it was cruel and harsh to put her in that position. I get her trying to prove herself more than what meets the eye. I was that girl. But I also knew I didn't want her to turn into me. I figured scaring her off was the only way she would never follow my footsteps.

I don't want her to have nothing like me. After the damage was said and done to Austin's lab, I knew that bridge was past the point of repair. I had no home to go back to after this. But I knew that as soon as Raeven was in my arms, I would endure anything.

I hear the sounds of a basketball bouncing against concrete, which led me to the basketball court just a few yards away from the car. She practises her dribbles before aiming her shot from the free throw line and dunks the ball with ease.

"Sloppy", I commented, folding my arms front of me. She glances up at me then immediately lowers her gaze. Guess I deserved that warm reception.

"How the hell would you know?", she snapped back, which took me back and little though I couldn't hide I was impressed.

"Wow, did I really used to sound like that", I whispered to myself, remembering when I had that rebellious streak. "I get it kid, you're pissed off. I never should've pressured you. But that's for your own good. Trust me", I reasoned.

She maintains her faded gaze off in the distance before she turns her warm brown eyes at me. "I know". To my surprise she found herself agreeing with me. "I know I went too far. With more than 1 thing actually", she eludes. "It just seemed like you had it made...", she reasons. " I looked at you, and I saw someone who had it all figured out".

I felt the disappointment she was feeling. That constant cloud dreading over you like you're not good enough, by everyone around you. "You're not a burden Tara, and I'm sorry I made you feel that way".

"What happened to that guy...", she questions. "The one with the kiddie cancer daughter?". I felt my heart drop. How the hell do I begin to justify my actions to a mere teenager. Though I guess that's what others felt while trying to reason with me 5 years ago.

She took my silence as an answer. "What happened to that little guy", I questioned back, pointing at her now empty belly. I knew I had struck a chord in her, I just needed to hear it from her.

"You can't judge me for that...", she raised her voice before I cut her off. "You're right. It's not my place", I hesitated. "I'm not judging you for what you chose to do with own body. I never even had that choice. You did what you could".

I guess the only thing that gave me comfort in that is knowing that's one path of mine she won't go down. "I know I doesn't seem like it now, but one day you're going to look back at the life you thought was so boring and wish you could go back to that. Take the second chance that I was never given".

She holds a look of defeat in her eyes. And I felt exactly what she was feeling, again, I was that girl. "You wanna know where I was this past month? Federal Prison, for killing that guy. I stuffed his ass in a fucking trunk and rattled him with AK bullets. Wanna know why? Because he lied to me. I just signed off on a plan that's going to ruin my entire life. I'm a severe alcoholic that can't function for more than an hour without a drink. I have no friends or family. I promise you, there is nothing to glamorise about my life, or the path I took, or the decisions I made...".