The Contract

Chapter 27

When Donovan told me he wasn't a good person... I now know he was talking about this.

"That's..." I start feeling dizzy. "I don't-"

If this was true, and Donovan was telling the truth right now... that would explain why the police and investigators couldn't find anything.

Not a single bit of evidence as to who killed my dad.

The hurt I feel right now was like I had lost him all over again.

Standing up and moving as far away from Donovan as I can, I put try to wrap my head around everything he said.

Alex... drugs... hiding evidence.

That would mean he knew all this time, since the beginning.

I believed him, Donovan and his parents had the means and the money to hide something of this scale.

"Is that why you gave me a chance, because of this?" I ask sd my voice wavers.

"Is that why you gave it to me, gave me an apartment and expensive gifts? Because you felt fucking guilty?" I shout loudly, glaring violently as my hands start to shake.

"Of course not, I didn't even know who you were until three months ago." He stood up and tried to touch me, making me whack his hands away from me. "I found out because my... parents mentioned seeing you on TV once."

Donovan sank to his knees in front of me, held onto my waist with his hands, and rested his head against my stomach as his body started to shake.

"I never should have gone along with it, the times where I've..." He clings to me harder. "I hate myself for covering for her, after all, she's done, I knew what I did was wrong."

"I stopped seeing my family because of what they did, as long as I kept silent, they swore to leave me alone, I- I was selfish."

His words turn to static as the picture of Alex smiling is glued to my mind, her smiling, laughing, leaving my dad dying in his car as she drove off.

Donovan... he knew about it, yet still came here.

I almost... fell for it.

"I thought you loved me."

Donovan looks up at me, his face serious as he gets up off his knees and puts his hands on either side of my face.

"I do love you, I wanted to tell you... but i-"

I whack his hands away from my face.

"Don't, just don't." I snap angrily, gripping the bridge of my nose as I try and calm down.

"Your sister killed my fucking dad and left the scene, your fucking family hid her for what? To protect your precious drug addict sister?"

"My dad never did a bad thing in his life, he was a teacher, he volunteered... he-" I wipe my eye as the tears fall. "She should have stopped, if she did... he'd be alive."

My world broke when I heard he was alone, for hours bleeding out in his car, if she had stopped... called someone, anyone, he would've lived.

"Evan.." Donovan's face fell into despair. "I don't know what else to say other than I'm sorry."

He's sorry... he's fucking sorry...

"My mom..." I feel humiliated. "Did you know she turned to drugs after losing her husband? My dad?" I ask, as Donovan slowly nods his head.

"Sorry doesn't cut it anymore Donovan." I spit out. "Your parents should be in prison."

The room falls silent aside can't even look at Donovan, it makes me furious to know he knew all this time, for three months and said nothing

"I agree." He finally says, making me look at him.

"They should be in prison, and I should be right there with them." He laughs bitterly. "I was selfish, to be rid of my family felt like a good deal rather than justice for your father's death."

"That decision has haunted me every single day since."

Donovan... he had to deal with that type of family, that hiding something so big to escape them felt like his only option.

Just what kind of horrible, evil people are his parents?

"Is there..." I swallow hard. "Is there any evidence left?"

Donovan shook his head. "No." He said. "It'd be impossible to prove anything in a courtroom at this point."

His eyes go wide as he grabs his phone from his back pocket, swallowing hard his fingers type on his phone.

"My sister... Alex, before she died, she wrote a letter to your family..." He says slowly, watching my face. "She wasn't the best of people Evan, but at the end of her life, she couldn't live with what she had done."

He hands me his phone. "I took a photo of that letter before everything was destroyed."

"I've held onto it, hoping that one day I can ask for forgiveness, and redeem myself for what I did to your family."

I take the phone and stare down at the screen.

To Mrs. Beckett and family,

My name is Alex and I killed your husband almost a year ago now, if you're receiving this letter, it's because I couldn't live with what I had done anymore.

I won't ask for your forgiveness, I'm past being forgiven for the hurt I've caused, not only to your family, but to my own too.

If I ever by some miracle get to heaven and meet your husband, I can only hope that I can too tell him how sorry I am.

I have caused so much pain, and hurt, I wish I could say this to your face, and pay for my recklessness, but I'm selfish and have nothing left to live for.

Please never forget that your husband was a great person.

Alexandra Marie Steele