The Nerd And The Biker

Chapter 24 Forgiveness

I got released from the hospital a few days ago and I could not be more thankful to be home. Well I should say Axel's home. He refused to take me back to my house spouting something along the lines of needing me close. Whatever. I've been going to therapy and slowly but surely I begin to feel like myself again. We've had countless people in and out of the house that I can't think straight. There is a knock at the door and Axel yells that he got it.

"Babe can you come to the kitchen?" He calls from the kitchen.

"Axel I swear to god that if this another one of your brothers I might go crazy." I push myself the living room couch and enter the kitchen to see dad sitting at the kitchen table. "What in the hell?" I growl. Axel crosses to me and pulls me into his arms.

"Love, sit down and talk to him," He kisses me and pushes me toward the table and leaves the room.

"Traitor," I hiss at his back, I throw myself into the chair across from my dad and cross my arms over my chest. "What do you want?"

"To talk." His phone beeps and he ignores it.

"I have nothing to say to you." I stand.

"Sit your ass back down Sage." I comply for shits and giggles. "Do you want me to apologize? Fine I'm sorry. I'm sorry I thought I was doing something right by you." He runs a hand down his face, and I smile.

"What exactly are you sorry for? Hmmm? Are you trying to apologize to twelve-year-old Sage who had to find a drug dealer at three in the morning because her mom was going into withdrawals? How about fourteen-year-old Sage who was already working two jobs to help pay for her habit? That was also the same year that she put me into a coma because she was convinced that I was doing her drugs and not her. Did you know the longer you use a drug the less its potency is, and you have to have more to achieve the same high and even more to surpass that? Do you know how hard it is to find a dealer that would sell heroine to a child? I can tell you from experience that it is nearly impossible. Did you ever consider that by leaving me there that you were condemning me to death?"

"I never realized it had gotten that bad." He sits back into his chair as his skin gets pales. "If I could have taken you I would have."

"You could have. I biologically a relative of you and have no blood ties to Jennifer. You could have taken her to court to gain custody of me." I tell him.

"It isn't that simple." His phone beeps again and he checks it and scowls at it.

"It is. Please feel free to leave if there is something more important." I roll my eyes.

"Your brothers are blowing up my phone telling me to leave you alone and whatnot." He presses a few buttons and drops his phone on the table. "There now they can't interrupt again."

"Cousins." I correct and look over his shoulder.

"Excuse me?" He asks.

"You said 'your brothers' but they aren't my brothers, they are my cousins. And you are my uncle so why should I listen to a thing that you have to say?" I fold my arms over my chest and stare at him.

"They will always be your brothers. I might be a terrible one, but I am the closest thing to a dad that you have. The reason I wanted to sit down, and talk was so you could yell at me."

"I don't want to yell at you." I suppress my temper and glare at him.

"Bullshit. I left you. I abandoned you. I chose your brothers over you. I left you in that house to die, and from what I read and heard from your brothers you did die in that house. You had to grow up so fast. You never got to be a kid. You are the person who held your friend group together by pure luck. You were kidnapped and beaten within an inch of your life because of who your dad was, because of who I am. Aren't you a little pissed off."

I close my eyes as tears stream down my face. "Of course, I am mad. I'm so mad that I had to be the strong one my entire life. I did everything the right. I made the grades, I was one semester away from having my bachelor's degree. I was one year away from renovating my building to make it a bigger hit than it already was. I had dreams. I had a life. And now? I don't have my degree and I probably lost my bar because I wasn't there to make the payments for it." I sigh. "I may not be a child anymore, but the scars are there. I lost ten months to those freaks. One of my best friends got married and is now pregnant. One had a baby and is now engaged. The other two are fine the way they are. And Axel is treating me like fine china. I love that man so much, but I swear to god I want to choke him."

"Your bar is fine, and we started on those remodels you wanted. You have a whole army at your back SJ. I know you don't want me there supporting you, but our of all of my kids you are probably my favorite. You know what you wanted in life and you went for it regardless of how you are. I am by no means asking forgiveness, but I just want you to know that I am here, and the club is here if you need anything." He stands and walks around the table and kneels in front of me. "You will always be my little girl peanut. You may not be mine by birth, but you are mine in all the ways that count. Axel has my phone number if you want to talk." He leans forward and kisses my forehead and I sob as he stands and walks to the front door.

"I forgive you." I push out. I scramble from my chair and follow him. "Dad?" I whisper.

"Yes baby?" His emotions thickening his voice.

"Be careful." I plead with him. "I need a real dad in my life, and I don't want anyone else to fill that gap, so I need you to be careful."

"Yes ma'am," He climbs onto his bike and leaves the house in a flurry of gravel and grass.

"Love come inside," Axel calls from the porch. I turn a glare at him.

"That was sneaky babe." I wipe the tears off of my face and trudge up the steps that lead into the house. He pulls me into his arms, and we fit like two puzzle pieces.