Let Love Win

Chapter 16 - Zeek

"Hadley," I said quietly. "Why are we at the orphanage?" She winced slightly and turned her head away to look out her window. "Hadley—"

"This is where I live, Zeek," she said forcefully, but not in a menacing way. As if she was trying to get it done and over with. "I'm a 17 year old orphan, I live here with Ms. Montgomery and 9 other boys, and I spend most of my time helping Monty by taking care of them which is why I can't go on dates during the week and is also the reason why you've had to pick me up at Mel's house every time we go out."

I stayed quiet, both out of shock and to give her some time to compose herself. It looked like this was really hard for her to do, bringing me here and giving me a part of her past all at the same time. If it were me, I would have a pretty hard time too. It was weird to hear it from her too. I mean, sure I'd only known her for a couple months, but you would think that a genuine person like her would be gone the minute someone came looking for a little girl. It makes you wonder how long she'd actually been here.

"Out first date—" I started after a minute.

"Monty called me and asked if I could pick up a couple of the boys from the orphanage because she had the younger ones at the doctors," she finished.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know you. I wasn't sure how you would react. No one knows but Mel and that's why she's been so understanding about you always coming to her house to get me, because she knows how weird this might be for someone."

"Hadley, I would never think you're weird."

"How would I have known that? You just moved here and all of a sudden asked me—out of everyone in the world, me on d date. Out of nowhere." She looked down and I saw the shame she had hidden in her eyes.

I lifted her chin to look at me. "There's nothing to be ashamed of. I was just asking if maybe we took a wrong turn. I have no problem at all with you living here, it's part of what made you the girl that I'm dating now. But now I've dressed up for nothing."

"What?"

"Well, I thought I was going to meet your parents, but I guess not." She glared. "Ok, bad reference, I'm sorry."

"It's fine, but you shouldn't assume that," she said as she unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out of the car.

"Why? What do you mean?" I climbed out after her.

"Just because I don't have parents doesn't mean that you don't still have to work for approval. There's still quite a bit of impressing you have to do around here."

I gulped and I guess she saw because she smirked and winked at me over her shoulder. She led the way up to the front door of the orphanage and waited at the front door for me. When I reached her, she kissed me long and hard before pulling away and assuring me that I'll be fine. After a moment of waiting, she gripped my hand in hers and opened the door. I held it open for her while she stepped in and almost instantly, I heard little voices screaming her name. From a door on the left side of the hall directly in front of us, 9 little boys ran out and tackled her.

"Hey guys," she said happily. "What are you doing?"

"We're drawing pictures while Austin and Michael do homework," one of the younger ones, who was wrapped around her ankle, said.

"Cool, cool. Is Ms. Montgomery here at all?"

"In the office talking to an old person on the phone. I think we're getting a new person today."

"And we're all going to be nice and let them be our friend, right?" Hadley asked in a soft but stern voice. All the boys nodded. "Good. I'll be right back, I'm going to go and talk to her and then I'll come and hang out with you guys ok?"