At Dusk

9

"I'm sorry about before, I know this must be confusing and overwhelming for you, so much has changed in such a short amount of time, and you have been given so much information. So who are your friends?" Leilani asks as we sit down on the couch.

"This is Dylan, Hayes, and Oliver. My other friend Weston is at the hospital, he got bitten by a coyote," I fill her in.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry, It's nice to meet you though," She smiles at the guys.

"It's okay, and I'm sorry for running off I just got nervous and scared and I was on information overload," I apologize.

"No, it's okay, I completely understand, I probably would have done the same thing if I was you but I probably wouldn't have come back. I can already tell how strong you are and you have turned into a beautiful young woman," Leilani smiles.

"Thank you, I have recently realized that I am a lot stronger than I thought," I say smiling at Dylan and he smiles back.

"I know you must have hundreds of questions and I will gladly answer them all, so ask away," Leilani tells me.

I ask all the basic questions like why did she send me to Saint Laclade? especially to live with the Griffins. She tells me that she didn't want me to grow up hearing about this scandal so she thought the only way was to send me away to Saint Laclade. She adds saying that the second the contract was signed that she regretted it but it was too late and that she now couldn't see me until I was eighteen. She also says that the Griffins were a lovely couple with a son not much older than me and they had just had a miscarriage so it would be easy for them to pretend that I was theirs. The last thing she tells me is that they would send little updates over the first few years and then they just stopped and she had no way of knowing if I was okay.

"The Griffin's were amazing at first but as I got older it was like they hated me, they started to get drunk every day and then they," my eyes start to tear up again, I look over at Dylan, Hayes, and Oliver and just knowing that they are by my side helps me to continue, "They would hit me and throw things at me, they nearly killed me and sometimes I wish they did, my brother," I pause as it hits me that Beck isn't my brother, "Beck tried to help at first but then he left and pretended like I didn't even exist. I hate him for leaving me."

I wonder if he even knows I left? I look over at Dylan who is just staring down at his feet, he was in the same situation and he left just like my brother but when he does it I understand but when my brother, when Beck did it I hated him, I hope Dylan doesn't think his siblings hate him.

"I'm so sorry Cameron, I never knew they did that to you, I wish I never sent you away," Leilani sighs.

"But you did and in some ways I'm grateful. Growing up in that life has made me who I am, I met my best friends and I learned I have to really work for anything I want, If I didn't grow up there I wouldn't be me," I admit, "I just want to know why you didn't try to contact me."

"It was against the deal," Leilani starts, "they would raise you and I would stay out of your life until it was your choice but now I realize they were never going to tell you, I'm sorry," She apologizes again.

"What's my father like?" I ask wondering why he isn't here.

"Kaleo was a great man," Leilani stutters.

"What do you mean was?" I question.

"He passed away four months ago, I'm so sorry, he really wanted to meet you," Leilani squeaks with tears in her eyes.

"Oh," is all I manage to say.

We sit there for a few minutes in silence. I try to process all this new information but it's extremely difficult. I feel like I am on a rollercoaster of emotions. I have a sense of sorrow about a man I never even met which is bizarre. I miss a man I never even met.