The Truth About Kian

21. People couldn't believe what I'd become

:: C H A P T E R  T W E N T Y - O N E | PEOPLE COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT I'D BECOME ::

We all stood in stunned silence. None of us expected him to be so open about Kian, especially when he'd sent such a horrible letter. "You were happy when Kian contacted you?"

Karter was frowning before I even finished the question. "Of course!"

"We thought ..." I trailed off, suddenly seeing Karter in a new light. He was the man who had sent that horrible letter to Kian. I was looking at the man responsible for Kian's death.

I wanted to throw up.

Liam seemed to be thinking the same thing. "Maybe we should get some coffee," he suggested in a tight voice. "Is there a coffee shop nearby?"

"Across the street," Karter inclined his head. "Shall we?"

"He makes me sick," said Davina quietly as we trailed after him. "Acting happy about Kian when we know he doesn't want him. I don't know what he's playing at."

I shook my head, watching as Karter ordered us coffees. My fingers brushed his as he handed me my cup, and I shuddered. Karter gave me a strange look.

"Is Kian here to see me?" he asked, his face alight with curiosity. "I was so excited when I got his letter. I mean, I knew that I had a son — the girl I was, um, involved with during high school told me that much, but she chose to put the baby up for adoption."

It was a testament to the power of Liam's last name when a normally-private man would spill his thoughts to four teenagers without worrying if we were just looking for a good story.

"My dad said that you stole the girl he liked and ditched her when you knocked her up," Liam said coldly.

Karter winced. "It wasn't like that!" He fiddled with the paper sleeve on his cup. "I loved Lor, but she wanted nothing to do with me once she was pregnant. Said I'd messed up her plans."

We said nothing. Even Meg was subdued.

He stared at us earnestly. "Believe me, I would've married her. I would've made sure my son had a father." He sighed deeply, glancing down at his hands. "Hel and I were so excited when we got Kian's letter."

"It didn't matter that Kian was the result of a mistake when you were a teenager?"

A small smile appeared on his mouth. "No! I wanted to get to know him. I missed out on my chance once, but I've got a second one, and I'm not going to give it up."

I glanced at Liam who looked at confused as I felt. He shifted in his chair, took a tentative sip of coffee before looking at the actor. "Did you write back to Kian?" he asked lowly.

Karter nodded. He looked so eager, so excited. It was getting harder and harder to believe that he could be so cruel to Kian. "I've been waiting for 18 years to hear from my son. I told Cody to make sure I get all of the mail with the Scire postmark. Hel helped me write it, and Cody took it to the post office the next day."

"You knew he was in Scire? Isn't that not allowed when you give the baby up for adoption?"

He looked sheepish. "Well, um, that's the nice thing about money ..."

"Nice." I scowled in disgust. Rich people were all the same.

"I didn't find out until a couple of years ago. I guess Lor knew too, but she never told me."

"Did Cody send the letter for you?" Liam frowned at me, but I didn't shut up. It was easy to tell what group Karter had been part of while growing up in Scire. He was an Inheritor, through and through. "Do you always get Cody to do things for you?"