Redemption

CHAPTER 4: Think About It

The ride home was silent. Kylie sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window in angry silence as Matt drove down Fairview Ave, leading to the outskirts of town where they lived.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Matt asked gently, not wanting to upset her even more.

Kylie shook her head. “It’s just ironic, isn’t it? They had no problem leaving me alone to fend for myself when I was 16, and now his life has been turned upside down so much that he needs my help. I mean, I’ll give him credit, it took balls to even ask me. But they are high if they think I am going to lift a finger to help.”

Matt nodded in agreement. He and Kylie first started dating about 8 months after she was kicked out of her house. She had just moved into her 2nd foster care home and things were crazy. She had given me snippets of the things that had happened to her family, but there were lots she kept to herself. Over the years, he learned more as she trusted him, and he didn’t blame her for being angry. But at the same time, maybe this could be a chance for her to finally put the past to bed and move forward with her life. Yes, she was very successful for her age. She was a personal trainer with a large client list, both online and in person. She ran a successful fitness center and was in the process of opening another location. She was tenacious, strong and one of the most level-headed people I know. But he knew there were still demons that lay just under the surface.

“I will support you in whatever you decide, but I was just thinking... do you think this could maybe be a second chance for you to mend fences with your family? To maybe get some closure?” he asked.

“Oh my God! Are you siding with Paul?!” Kylie glared at him from her seat. Paul pulled into their driveway, Kylie jumped out of the jeep as soon as he killed the engine and stomped inside. Matt followed quickly after her.

“I am not siding with anyone but you. I am just trying to make sure you think about all aspects of the situation.” He finished. Kylie rolled her eyes. She was so sick of this. It was perfectly okay for everyone to do things that completely f*cked her, but heaven forbid she reacted like anything but what the situation called for. No, she had to be responsible, be selfless, and care about others. Matt grabbed a beer and sat down at the island in the kitchen. He could see the internal monologue taking place while Kylie busied herself prepping her lunch for tomorrow. When she finished, she grabbed a beer for herself and sat down next to him.

“Look, I understand and appreciate you thinking of me and wanting to make sure I am okay and make the best decision for myself. But do you know how exhausting it is to always act like the grown up? To be treated like s**t time and time again, but then when I react, I get told I am selfish and cruel. It’s exhausting Matt.” Kylie sighed. Matt pulled her close to him, rubbed her back and he felt her tension ease up a bit. He knew how hard this was for her.

“I am not going to pressure you to go one way or the other. I fully support whatever decision you make. If you help them, it’s not necessarily a gesture of forgiveness. And if you don’t, that is okay too.” Kylie sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled in.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice muffled. “I don’t know what I could do without you.”

Matt smiled. “I love you” he whispered.

Kissing his neck, Kylie whispered back “I love you too, Matt.” Then standing up, she grabbed his hand and led him to their bedroom so she could show him just how much.