Passion

Chapter 34

Casey   

The following morning I came downstairs, TJ in my arms getting ready to make him a bottle when I heard Tomas and his dad talking. I sat on the stairs not wanting to interrupt their conversation. I looked at TJ who fell back to sleep, I took a deep breath.

Rob spoke after a moment of silence "So I have something to tell you and you may not like it." Tomas sounded agitated "What now?" Rob took a second then exhaled "Your mom is getting released on probation but the guy she was with is dead. She wants to try to have a relationship with..." He cut him off, startling me "I want nothing to do with her!"

I stood up and went down to calm the situation as best I could, Tomas turned once he saw me come around the corner "I'm sorry did we wake you up?" I shook my head "No. I was coming down to make him a bottle." Tomas stood up "I'll make him one." He grabbed a bottle knocking over the others, he paused taking a deep breath. He picked them up and went to the freezer. He grabbed a packet and thawed it in warm water.

I sat beside Rob "Good morning." He looked up from his laptop "How are you feeling this morning?" I looked at Tomas who leaned against the counter looking confused but back to Rob "Sore, tired, regretting my life choices." I giggled trying to lighten the mood but I got a scoff from Tomas.

Rob looked at him "I need to head out to work, give me a call if you need anything." Tomas stood up from the counter once the front door closed "Are you hungry?" I shook my head "No. What's going on?" He sat where his dad was a second ago "My mom's out of jail." I looked up at him, and he looked away "She wants to make things right."

TJ woke up and stretched but fell back to sleep. I looked back to Tomas "People change. You should give her a chance but don't jump into trusting her. Keep your mind open." He closed his eyes gradually "She's going to hurt someone else. She could hurt TJ or even you. You don't remember what she did to me."

I became upset "Of course I do but you are the person you are today because of that. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for." He stood grabbing the bag of milk and pouring it into the bottle "A damaged drug addict who can't love anyone." He handed me the bottle and sat back down.

I try to give TJ the bottle, he takes it immediately. Tomas looked at me "I don't deserve any of this, I don't deserve you or him." I look down at TJ "I wish you'd see that you do. You aren't damaged." He stood and went upstairs, at that moment. We fought a lot, what was meant to be a happy time turned into a bad one. I went back home with my mom as a final resort.  TJ didn't need to be around that.

Tomas

A few days after Casey moved back to her mom's, I went over to see TJ; she handed him to me, I noticed she lacked sleep "Get some sleep, you look tired." She kept looking at my arms, and she frowned "What are those?" I avoided her question "I'll take him tonight so you can sleep." She got angry "I asked you a question! Why are you doing that again?" I started shooting up again after I heard my mom was getting out. I had no idea how to deal with it and our fighting.

She took TJ from me "Tomas." I frowned knowing I disappointed her once again "I'm trying." She walked out of her room and took TJ downstairs to her mom, she came back upstairs "Sit down." I sat on her bed, she sat in the window "Why are you doing that again?" Our relationship was falling apart because of my addiction, I never really stopped. I got better at hiding them. Lately, I didn't care, I needed help; I know that.

Casey handled it a lot better than Amanda did, she was calm and collected. She tried to help me through my problems, but it got worse. It led to bigger things, I began drinking and staying out late at parties. She didn't have to help me through this, but she did. Not only was she raising our son, but she was taking care of me, it wasn't fair to her. I promised her I would stop, but it was harder to do even with making a promise.