The question has my heart pounding in my chest. I keep my head down when I answer quietly. “I just needed a change.”
Not wanting her to question me further, I get to my feet.
“I need to feed Elijah. Do you have a room I could use?”
“Of course.”
She pushes her chair back to stand, but Trouble beats her to it. He grabs the diaper bag from the floor and slings it over his shoulder like he’s done it hundreds of times before. “I’ll show her to the spare room.”
I avoid everyone’s eyes as Trouble leads me from the kitchen. I’m sure it wasn’t his intention but feeling his hand at the small of my back as we walk down a hallway sends comfort through me.
“Sorry for all the questions. Mae can be quite intrusive at times.”
The questions actually weren’t that bad, at least not under normal circumstances.
“It’s fine.”
We stop at a closed door and he pushes it open. The room is small with two twin beds, a table between them, and a dresser. Several boxes line the wall beside one of the beds.
“Is there anything you need before I go?”
I lay Elijah down on the bed. “No. I’m good. Thanks.”
He sets the diaper bag on the bed, nods, and backs out of the room, closing the door behind him.
It doesn’t take long before Elijah is latched and nursing. I lean my head back against the headboard and close my eyes. A few minutes later, I switch him to my other breast. When his mouth falls away, I recover myself and check to see if his diaper needs to be changed.
Needing a minute to stretch my back, I place Elijah in the center of the bed and set pillows on either side of him. He’s way too young to roll over, but I’m still paranoid. I stand and stretch, letting out a little moan at the small pinch of pleasurable pain the move causes.
My eyes catch on one of the open boxes. There’s a framed photograph sitting on top. I pick it up, and my lips crack into a smile when I realize I’m looking at a teenage Trouble. It’s not just him in the picture. If I had to guess, I would say the three other teenagers are JW, Judge, and Emo. I frown when I notice none of them are smiling. There’re all in a line, side-by-side, their expressions grim. An ache starts in my chest and works its way into my belly.
Why aren’t they smiling?
I set the picture on the bed, now curious if there are more. I don’t like the picture I just looked at. It looked sad. I want to find a happier one. Instead of another picture, I find an old New York Times newspaper clipping dated twenty-three years ago. Recognizing Malus Town Hall in the image, I pick it up and sit on the edge of the bed.
My eyes widen at the headline.
Child sex ring found in Sweet Haven, Texas. Fifty-five suspects arrested, twelve found dead, thirteen still at large.
The paper crinkles in my shaky hands and tears blur my vision.
“What are you doing?” A deep voice startles me. The paper falls from my hands and lands on the floor. Looking up, I find Trouble looming from the doorway. His brows are slanted into an angry line as he looks from me to the newspaper.
“I-I’m sorry,” I stammer. I have no excuse for plundering in Mae’s house, so I don’t even attempt to come up with one.
The muscle in his jaw jumps, and I can tell he’s mad. His eyes close for a moment before he opens them again. The anger is still there, but he’s working at calming it down.
His eyes flick to Elijah sleeping behind me. “Are you ready to go?”
I swallow thickly and nod. Bending over, I pick up the newspaper and place it on top of the framed photograph.
I turn and pick up Elijah. I’m reaching for the diaper bag when a hand appears and grabs the strap. I turn and face him to apologize again, but he’s already leaving the room. I follow his tense form. We say a brief goodbye to his family before he’s leading me out the door. The walk back to Susan’s is quiet.
My thoughts keep going back to the newspaper clipping. My heart bleeds for the children involved, but what sends excruciating pain through me is knowing that Trouble must have been one of those kids.
TROUBLE
THE PAST