Page 102 of Forgotten Prejudice

“S-Sure.”

“Righteous fuckers like yourself.” With that, he pushed back from his seat, the chair’s legs dragging on the floor, making an awful sound that hurt my ears, and I shrank into myself a little bit.

“Where do you think you’re going?” the guard barked at him, unlike he had with the others who’d left.

“Fuck off,” Camilo swore at the guard before stepping out of the room.

“Damnit, Gómez! You get your ass right back here—” the guard shouted while following him into the hall. And while I was shocked to witness this unfolding of events, the others remained unfazed.

“Don’t worry about it, Ash. Diesel isn’t always patient with strangers,” Andrei said with a soft smile, almost like he was trying to comfort me.

Could it be that he understood I was upset? What a sensitive kid.

“Strangers?” Jessie laughed. “He’s not patient with anyone!”

“Jessie! Stop talking,” Levi muttered, his eyes looking around. “What if Diesel hears you?”

“Then I’ll get my ass kicked.” Jessie once again burst into laughter that felt like a boost of warmth right into my system.

Even though I had completely failed with Diesel, which I now understood was what everyone called him, coming here today didn’t feel like a mistake. In fact, this was the first time in a long while that I felt like I was doing something right. So I kept doing it. Week after week, I went back there and sat in the same little gray room with a group of kids who’d been overlooked by society their whole lives. Sometimes I had more kids in the sessions, sometimes less, but one thing never changed—Andrei, Jessie, and Levi were always there. Occasionally, Andrei brought Diesel with him, but by the time Diesel regularly joined our little group meetings, I no longer cared for my initial plan and simply enjoyed seeing the boys.

Those kids had been through so much in their short lives, and my heart ached to help them. Not because I felt guilty. Not at all. But because they managed to get into my broken heart and heal it in different ways from what I thought was possible. Talking to Andrei was almost like talking to myself, while listening to Jessie’s stories brightened my darkest days. And Levi? He was a brilliant kid who knew so much about the world but was too shy and too scared to share his knowledge.

They helped me much more than I pretended to help them. It was a given fact I didn’t even try arguing with. And even Diesel, who barely said more than a few words to me at a time, was somehow able to shift something in my heart. He was a mystery, an enigma, and despite how hard it was to make him trust me, it didn’t stop me from trying.

“I hope you don’t mind sharing a room with Andrei again,” I told Diesel after showing him his new room. It had been almost a year since I’d first met all four of them in that small group council back in juvie, and today, I finally managed to bring them all back home, with Diesel being the last one.

“That’s fine,” he grunted, then walked into the room and looked around it before dropping his duffle bag on his new bed.

He seemed out of place, standing in the middle of a room that used to be mine, dressed in dark clothes that hung loosely over his already tall frame.

“We’re all going to have dinner soon. Jessie insisted on making pizza. But don’t worry, we used vegan cheese in yours.” I rubbed the back of my head, hating that I still felt uncomfortable around him. “We’re all excited you’re finally here.”

He didn’t answer me this time, but that was okay. Back in juvie, I noticed that Diesel usually only spoke to Andrei. And with the way I walked on eggshells around him, it wasn’t a surprise he didn’t feel the urge to share his thoughts with me.

He wasn’t like the others. Unlike them, Diesel didn’t believe in anyone, including himself, but mostly in me. After reading his file and understanding what he’d gone through in his life, I wasn’t at all surprised that trust didn’t come easy for him. And yet, I hoped to earn it. His trust. Knowing it wouldn’t be simple, I promised myself I’d work for it because, unlike my life thus far, I wasn’t about to sit down and wait for things to happen. I wasn’t about to let life toss me from side to side like a raging wave or allow love to deter my path. From this day forward, I was responsible for those kids who somehow gave me a second chance.

A chance to be something more than just a friend or a lover. An opportunity to earn their trust and help them achieve what I knew they could.

A chance to finally make the right choice.

Soren

Present Day

For some reason, Daniel decided to keep the most hideous grandfather clock in his office. Calling it antique, as he did earlier, would be a disgrace. Because this clock was nothing more than an example of poor taste. It could have been better if it hadn’t been for the grotesque furniture not aligning with the wall. I assumed it was supposed to be centered in order to play well with the other art pieces in his expensive office, but instead, it was positioned too far to the right, completely ruining the balance of the room.

I pursed my lips, eyes narrowed on the damn clock as I counted the passing seconds, when Daniel cleared his throat.

“Soren, have you been listening to a word I’ve just said?”

“Of course I have.” I turned to face my beloved boss. While I did have my fair share of disagreements with him, Daniel Williams Dufort was the best lawyer to work for. Much better than my father, as it was proven time after time in court. I made a mental note to call Father and Mother to ask after their well-being before continuing to talk.

“And while I do understand your concerns, I shall repeat myself and say you’ve got nothing to worry about.” Something occurred to me, and I cocked my head in the direction of the clock. “I mean, nothing other than this hideous clock.”

Daniel sighed, leaning back in his leather chair. “It was a gift from Elliot.”

Oh, Elliot. The sweet husband whom Daniel couldn’t avoid mentioning in every conversation.