Before He Lied

Hardin Chapter 74

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The girls order their food and Tessa makes Sam laugh. I put on a happy face but I'm completely crumbling inside.

I've been in Sam's place so many times, to be neglected and not feel cared for. The only difference is that Sam actually has someone and she's rich, I never had anyone or money. I never even knew what day my birthday was until I went snooping around my foster home and found my birth certificate.

There were never any candles or gifts or friends with party hats and parents with warm smiles, it was always the same thing each year. No one cared, no one even knew, I would sit alone at school wearing the same dirty shirt I wore the day before. I would get "home" and the drunken man and woman would be hitting one of the other kids or each other, I knew better than to say anything. I just went up to the room I shared with the girls, I stared out the window and wished for more............for a better life.

I've never had a birthday cake or a party or anything, I don't even think anyone knows when my birthday is. I never celebrate, even to this to day I never celebrate my birthday. When I told Tessa that the lighter was a gift from Kim and Gavin I lied, I stole it a few years ago. There's no need to celebrate the day I was left, no need to blow candles and make wishes that will never come true.

And plus, I already have everything I need. All I need is Tessa.

"Babe? Are you ok?"

I snap back into reality.

"I'm ok."

"Are you sure?" She whispers.

I reassure her by placing a soft kiss on her lips.

"Are you guys gonna be doing that all night?" Sam questions.

Tessa smiles.

"What? You mean this."

I pull Tessa in for another kiss and place my hand on her cheek and subtly slip my tongue in her mouth.

"Ewwwwww I'm gonna throw up."

Sam covers her eyes again and we both laugh.

I drap my arm over Tessas shoulders and pull her chair closer to mine, Sam scribbles in her coloring book.

"Oh yeah, I just remembered I brought you guys something." Sam says.

She reaches into her backpack and pulls out two tickets and hands them to me.

"They are for my dance recital............if you guys still want to come." She says quietly.

"We would love to come Sam, we wouldn't miss it." Tessa says with a smile.

I hand her the tickets and she puts them in her purse.

I watch Sam as she draws, this is a really fancy restaurant and Sam is the only kid here. Couples look at us weird and I already know they are talking about us, they must assume Sam is our kid. I hate people.

I look at Sam's wrist and see a diamond bracelet, holy shit.

"Sam, where did you get that bracelet?" I ask.

She looks at her wrist before she looks at me.

"I found it on my pillow this morning, I assumed it was a gift from my dad. It's sparkly and pretty, too bad the only thing I wanted was his time. But hey, diamonds are a girls best friend, that and shoes."

Tessa and I both look at each other.

Poor Sam.

Tessa grabs her phone, she clicks a few buttons before she shows me the phone. It's a picture of Sam's bracelet, underneath shows the price $42,100. It's a Cartier bracelet, who the fuck gives their 9 year old daughter a bracelet that the price of a house.