Bad Seed

“What email are you talking about?” Though by now I had a pretty good idea which one she meant. But how would Glen know, unless…

“The email he sent you. About how I apparently needed you to come save me. Rescue me. Like some pathetic damsel in distress.”

I squinted my eyes as I took stock of her. The clenched fists. The rolled-back shoulders. The shallow breaths. Not only was Theresa upset, but she was telling the truth.

“Your dad emailed me?” I asked, shock rolling through my system.

“Stop playing stupid, Grant.”

“I swear to you I’m not playing stupid Theresa. I had no idea who sent it!”

“So, it’s true. You did get an email.”

“I did. Short and sweet. It said you needed me, so I packed my shit, got in my car, and drove.”

“Just like that?” she asked. “Without knowing what the hell I apparently needed saving from?”

“I’m sorry, is there an accusation in here somewhere?”

“You lied to me, Grant. About everything. Why you were in town. Why you were spending all that time with me. You didn’t come to town to visit or see Hollis. You weren’t hanging around me because you wanted to be around me. I was a mission to you.”

“Not even close,” I said. “I had no idea who sent that email, but the moment someone told me you were in trouble, I was in my car and headed here. No questions asked.”

“I didn’t need you.”

“I’m sorry, Theresa. But you were being manipulated by an abusive, cock-sucking asshole. Yes. You needed someone to talk some sense into you.”

“And then we broke up. And stayed broken up. Which meant you weren’t needed any longer. So, this is the part where you convince me you stayed to protect me from some attack you just knew was coming.”

“I have a question,” I said.

“This isn’t your forum.”

“Tough. Why in the world would your father send me that email? He doesn’t trust me. Hell, he doesn’t even like me! He threw me out on my ass at eighteen years old and told me to never come back. Why would he, of all people, be the one to reach out to me?”

I watched Theresa’s face soften as she drew in a deep breath. It didn’t make sense. Her father couldn’t have sent that email to me. If anything, I was waiting for Hollis to own up to the damn thing.

But Glen?

Theresa walked over to me and took my hands in hers. A stark contrast to the yelling she had just gotten done throwing my way. She dragged me out onto the balcony and sat us down at the wrought iron table on the deck, and the words that fell from her mouth were shocking.

“When I talked to my dad this morning, I told him everything. How disappointed I was with how he handled things with you and how you would never have touched me like that as a teenager. You just aren’t capable of it. And do you know what he said?”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“He said he felt guilty for what happened.”

“And he should,” I said.

“Mom did, too.”

My heart stopped in my chest at those three words.

“None of this was Laura’s fault,” I said bitterly.

“Dad’s been beating himself up for years over this. Mom gave him hell for it, apparently. Blamed herself partially for not stepping in. My father told me he hated how he left things. How he let things careen so far out of control, and I believe him. He said—”

I watched Theresa fall back into her chair as she turned her eyes out toward the ocean.