"A grape flavored kiss.... A boy on your lips...."
Eddie doesn't know what to do when he finally meets Gareth's other best friend. Gareth talks both of them up to each other yet it takes almost a decade to meet...
Do they actually know each other?
W...
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After the trial. Well my world has been a blur. Classes, kisses and oh so much Gareth. I wanted him all the time, we even made sure to have some fun in that stall, the one where he found me. Our spot on that table. Everywhere I could have that boy, well I made sure to have him.
Then after graduation, after Meredith's funeral that I didn't attend. Well Wayne handed me a stack of letters. I thumbed over the handwriting and he just looked at me, "They're from her, she wrote them over the years and one from prison. I haven't read them, but you can if you want."
"You should have burned them." I whispered and he shook his head, "No Mattie, you need this for closure."
I take them home and sit on the couch, Gareth is watching and he keeps asking me if I need anything, I tell him to come sit with me, he climbs onto the couch behind me, rolling my hair between his fingers. He was quiet as I read.
The first few letters were promises she was going to come back for me. That she had plans for myself and her to be a family.
Then there were letter recounting her love story with Rupert, how she was so close to getting me and him back. The idea would have made me happy back then. Now it was revolting, this woman wasn't my mother, this man not my father, and they were planning on keeping me? Was that why he was always so nice to me in private, he assumed I knew.
Gareth sucked in a breath, "She was mad for a while I see..."
Then we get to the last letter, it was dated the day before the trial:
Dear Matilda,
My little Mattie. I wanted to start these letters with two truths and a lie. Truth one is that I do love you. I didn't think I could love a child, they are all snot nosed and pathetic. Take your cousin, I loathed how Wayne flitted around that boy, he got candy and his affections. I was the only one that used to get that attention.
Wayne was my brother. What right did that curly haired mess have to him?
But then you were born. You were small and needed me. Then I could see, I knew, though I would throw you away from Rupert, I still loved you.
My second truth, that I am sorry. I am a horrible woman. I gave into my greed, I gave into the bad things that haunt you at night. I never followed up with any promises.
And the lie. That I wanted to hurt any of you. I did want to. I wanted to make sure you knew who and what you were. Nothing.
So Matilda. I want to tell you I'm so sorry. I can't tell you how sorry because deep down I am not capable of feeling that feeling. I am evil. If you are reading this.. well I got what was coming to me. Death is so much more sweet when is gifted to you by someone you care for.
I love and will always love Rupert.
Stay strong. Don't be like me. Take care of your dad.
