It All Started With a Diary

truth|part 1

"The pay was fantastic," he told me. "I could pay for Kacens' needs, and I could add extra hours in for our neighbor to babysit him. She never asked where the money was coming from, and neither did my parents, so everything was going fine to me."

"I started going to an actual gym, too. The owner was fond of Susie, so he let me in despite my age. I trained, and trained until I couldn't anymore. It wasn't completely for the cages, either. It was to learn how to protect myself, and Kacen better."

"A couple of days later, I ran into the man...uh, your father, again," he paused to catch my reaction. I wasn't sure if I managed to wipe the shock off quick enough before he continued.

"I was being careless, walking around the place without a shirt. He noticed the cuts and bruises, and started asking me all sorts of questions. Obviously, I lied about it all. He could see right past my bullshit, though. He used to be one of the top fighters at the cages, but he stopped and started training newbies. He was the one to teach me everything there is about that place, about fighting."

My mouth was hanging open after his sentence ended. My father. A cage fighter...it was hard to comprehend.

"What?" was all I could mange. "H-how?"

"The cages are all over, just under different people and different places," he told me. "Your dad. He'd been one of the best."

My shock only intensified. I tried to form words but none came out.

Kade noticed it, too. "I know this is hard to believe, but I hope it doesn't fuck with your image of him. Back then, he was genuinely the only father figure I'd ever known. He's a good man, and a good father.. No matter his past."

I agreed with that. I just wondered why my father had never brought it up, or if he'd even consider talking about it if I asked.

Kade allowed me a minute to get myself together before he added something else to make me choke, "Ryland was the guy I first fought in the cages," he admitted. "And, in the park."

I couldn't hold it back any longer. I gasped before I knew it. It was hard to believe that my dad used to live that life, but my brother?

I pinched myself to ensure that I wasn't hallucinating. When the pain rang through the skin, I pulled my eyes up.

"That's crazy," I said with disbelief.

I wanted to run home, and ask my dad and brother an abundance of questions. But, I had a mission here. I wouldn't run, nor would I make it look like I was when given the opportunity. The questions could wait.

I placed a hand on top of Kade's. "I want to hear your story, please." I refrained from saying 'rest' since his life story was not over, and I could only hope to be included in it.

He nodded his head, avoiding eye contact with me. "Things got worse before they got better, if they even did get better, honestly. It was a repeating cycle. I would get Kacen ready for daycare, which was half way across town. I'd drop him off, head back to my school, get out, pick him up, take him to the babysitters, go to work, come home, make him dinner and get him ready for bed, get the shit beaten out of me for simply breathing, go to bed, then repeat. And, during all of it, Susie never stood up for me. Not once. She was a fuckin' coward, she was—"

"Afraid," I cut in before I could evaluate over my trade.

His gaze pulled into a glare. "Being afraid and being too pussy to protect your own children aren't the same thing."

I wanted to smack my hand right over my mouth. It definitely wasn't my place to say that. Kade's blank stare only worried me that his wall would be rebuilt in a matter of seconds. I blew out a sigh of relief as he continued.