No Man Left Behind: A Veteran Inspired Charity Anthology by Elizabeth Knox (black authors fiction TXT) 📕

“Well, I see your mindreading ability is still sharp as ever,” I mutter, trying to avoid eye contact with him. It’s odd, how I feel ashamed for the fact he’s helping my mom while I’ve been across the country.

“I hated you. That’s why. I fucking hated you for what you did to us. Hated you for years . . . and then after a while I felt guilty about it all, so . . . since you weren’t around, I decided to check in on your mom once every couple weeks. For a while everything was good with her, but you know she can’t get around like she used to. When going to the grocery store became a huge task for her I offered to help, and in return she’d make me her famous sloppy joes and banana pudding. It was a good deal, help a sweet old lady and get a nice homecooked meal.”

At his admission I find rage storming through my body. Taking a step forward I push my hands against his chest and curl up my lip. “You had the audacity to hate me for breaking up with you? We were eighteen, Kaden. We were practically children, trying to figure out what to do. One day you were telling me you wanted to spend the rest of your life with me, couldn’t see your life without me, and the next you enlisted in the Marines without so much as a conversation with me. You didn’t even talk to me about it. I wanted a life with you, not one without you.”

He licks his lips as he sinks his hands in his pockets and begins pacing. “I don’t think we should be diggin’ up old shit, Charlee. Not when we both have a ton of shit we never said to the other.”

“Yeah, I think that would be best,” I grit from where I stand, glaring at him, ready to rip his head off for being the biggest dick on the planet.

We were kids. Kids who didn’t know what we wanted, who had horrible communication issues, two people who tried so hard to make what we knew would eventually come crumbling down, last longer than its expiration date.

“Your mom told me you were married, but I don’t see a ring on your finger,” Kaden says as he leans up against a post, crossing his arms over his chest.

Immediately I glance down, realizing I haven’t been wearing my ring. I shake my head. “I’ve recently become separated. Going through a nasty divorce.”

Kaden’s eyes go dark for a moment, like he’s off daydreaming. But suddenly he begins chatting again, “Sorry you’re going through that.”

I scoff, “I doubt it. You’re probably happy I’m getting divorced. You forget, Kaden Kelly, I know you. I know how that brain of yours works.”

He cackles lightly. “A lot has changed, Bailes. You knew how things worked. I’m not the same boy you knew back then. After all, haven’t you been able to tell? I’m a man now.” He comes walking over, invading my personal space and bears his eyes into mine, looking over every feature. “And it looks like you’re a woman.”

“Mom, the TV isn’t working.” I jump, startled by her voice coming out of nowhere. Turning back, I look at my darling daughter, about ready to crap myself.

It takes me a minute to gather myself. “Um, what do you mean?”

“The signal is out, I think. It said something about not finding a connection on HDMI three.” She presses her lips together, not understanding what that means.

Before I realize what’s happening, Kaden is pushing himself past me, offering his help. “Luckily for you, kiddo, I’m great with technology. I’ll have it fixed for you in no time.”

As Kaden walks beside Vivi, I try not to freak out.

My daughter’s father is walking beside her, and I have no idea if he knows.

God.

I’m fucking terrified.

Chapter Four

Kinetic

Seeing Charlee after all these years, I didn’t know what to expect. Sure as hell didn’t expect the tightness that builds deep inside me, knotting itself around my gut like a snake constricting its next meal.

I didn’t know how much seeing her would affect me. Didn’t matter, I helped her mom out all this time when she needed it. Shit, I’d been pissed to find out Charlee moved to New York, leaving her mom out here alone with no one to help her. I get she wanted to go to college, become someone. I didn’t think she’d forget about her mom, or anyone else in town for that matter. At least she still called to check on her.

As much as I’d been furious with Charlee for leaving me the way she did, left me without even hearing me out, I was down-right livid to find out she’d gone off and married some jackass. The day I found out, it wasn’t pretty, my brothers tried to get me to calm my shit.

Hawk, my Prez, ordered me to the ring that we had set up in the back of the clubhouse. In the ring, he got two of the prospects at the time, to spar with me. They both ended up not making the cut when it came time for them to earn their votes.

‘If they can’t hold their own against my Enforcer, they have no business being in this club,’ Hawk had said when he’d given them the boot.

Later that night having calmed down, I’d spent the night in my room with a bottle of Jack and three of the firecrotches, trying to erase the memory of Charlee. Shit didn’t work. I still felt it. For years.

At the sound of Charlee’s daughter talking, I’d looked around her to find the most beautiful kid I’d ever seen, hair like her momma’s but the kicker was the eyes. Eyes I know all too well since I look at them every day. This right here is the only confirmation I need to know she’s mine. The kid looks about eleven, or twelve