Taking A Chance(Complete)

Chapter Eleven

Sang

“You better come inside.” Declan Franks says, opening his door wider. He doesn’t question the nine guys that follow inside behind me. I look around the space, noting the cream walls are bare and that there is simply a three seater sofa and a large TV in the living room. The little table in the dining area is piled with paperwork and a laptop which is open, the screen blank. I sit down on the sofa, not letting go of Kota and Luke’s hands so they have to sit down with me. The other boys each find a place, either sitting on the floor or leaning against the wall with their arms crossed.

Declan gets a chair from the table and brings it over, placing it in front of me. He sits down, resting his elbows in his knees, running his hand through his hair. His sky blue eyes meet mine. “How did you find out?”

“That’s a question I’ll answer later, I just need to know how you knew and why you didn’t say anything.” I like my confidence at the moment. I mentally pat myself on the back.

Declan sighs, nodding his head. “I have known who my father was since I was about fifteen years old. The only reason I knew this is because I went snooping through some of my mother’s paperwork, trying to find out who he was.”

“Go on.” I urge, thankful the boys are keeping quiet at the moment.

“At first, I couldn’t find myself to care who he was then as I got older, I got curious. I searched the internet using his name, the one I found on the court papers where he signed over his parental rights to my mother.” He sits back in his chair. “I found out he had a wife and a daughter. Michelle and a daughter named Marie.”

My mouth drops open but I say nothing. “Being curious, I went to the house where our father’s wife lived. I was a little shocked to find out that he wasn’t living with her any more and that he was raising another daughter. In the end, I just left it alone but then my mom was diagnosed with cancer and few secrets were told.”

“What secrets?”

He smiles a little at me. “I’ll get there.” I nod my head, wanting to be patient but not being able to find that patience. “So I started digging further. I found out that Phillip liked to move around a lot, so I start tracking it and then just before my twenty fourth birthday, my mother died. I then decided that now was the time to track him and to go and see him. However, no matter how much I tried, I just couldn’t ever find the name of his second daughter.”

I nod once again, confused a little as to why he couldn’t find any trace of me.

“I applied for a job at the school, not thinking anything of it really, not expecting that I would walk right into my classroom to see that mysterious daughter sitting right in front of me. I just wanted to know more about you but you were just so closed off. I decided after a few days that I would simply just be the best teacher I can be to you. You were my star student.”

I shake my head, smiling. “You were my favorite teacher.”

“I’m glad.” He grins. “When it came to you leaving, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I wanted to tell you but was too afraid of you rejecting me as your brother.” He shakes his head. “My fears got the best of me.”