Page 94 of Free

"Is that really the issue?" Jeremy asked.

"What? Of course, it is. They shouldn't have kept that secret. I get they might want to make sure that other kids aren't abused, but seriously, we don't keep track of other cities very often. At least not unless it's a big case. They had no reason to keep tabs on my parents. Even if they did, they should have told me about it." D turned, leaning his back against the railing.

"So you're pissed off that your friends were trying to protect you and other kids?" Jeremy raised a brow. "That's not you, D. You'd do exactly the same thing for any of us. Look at how you've started surveillance on Jessica's attackers and you just met her. Why would your friends do anything less for you?"

D pursed his lips.

Jeremy kept leaning toward the backyard, his arms on the railing. "How does it make you feel hearing he's dead?"

D didn't answer. He wasn't sure he could. There were so many emotions going through him at the moment. He wanted to celebrate the man was dead, but then he would remember little things with his dad, mostly before the abuse started, and he wanted to mourn the loss. That was completely stupid because the abuse should have caused all the good memories to fade and only the bad ones to remain. He should hate the man, but then, there was a part of him that was saddened by his death. How fucked up was that?

Jeremy sighed. "Would you rather they hadn't told you?"

D closed his eyes. "I don't know."

"Before you get mad at Xander and Carter for checking up on things behind your back, I think you need to answer that question. Would you rather not know he'd died? Would you always rather wonder where he was, what he was doing?" Jeremy turned to face D. "I imagine there are a million things going through your head right now, but when it comes down to it, I don't think your anger is at Xander and Carter. Just make sure you're focusing that anger where it belongs before you go ruining friendships over it, okay?" He leaned in and kissed D on the cheek. "I'll be inside if you need me." Jeremy quietly walked inside, leaving D alone in the darkness.