Chapter 1 - Stranger’s Offer

The coffin went lower…and lower….as I stood there clutching the sunflower’s ,

because they were her Favourite’s.

I looked around, and I could barely see anyone. When you’re a struggling, dying woman, you don't get to have many friends.

Except for two of her co-workers, and our favourite neighbour, no one was present…the priest spoke but I was unable to drown out his words as a sob ripped through Alice, but unlike the others, I stood there, and not one grief escaped me.

They said letting emotions out was better than keeping it locked up inside, but letting it out wouldn’t bring her back.

Not when she made me promise that….I wouldn’t cry.

I stood there holding it in as the ceremony came to an end.

I watched as everyone dropped their flowers into the grave.

Grave….the scene hit me so bad…my hands shivered as my eyes watered…

But my grief had been so great, far too great, that keeping it buttoned up inside could not be compared to what I did, how I treated her, not knowing she was dying.

I didn’t know how long I stood there. Miss Alice said something, but I couldn’t hear her. Maybe I was too lost in my element. It was getting dark when I finally walked to the grave and dropped the sunflower into it. I flinched as I caught sight of the roses.

She didn’t like roses.

But it didn’t matter, they didn’t care anyway…. I stared at the gravesite, she was gone, was never coming back, not now or ever.

Standing up to my feet, I walked home.

Home.

Was it home…..

The entrance of the house seemed like its usual safe self, just a cramped-up apartment, with thousands of dollars to pay in lease. The landlord was always nice to Mum, but I guess now she’s gone, it wouldn’t matter…keeping any of this, not when I’ll be handed to social services, I guess they will throw me back to prison. I had no living family members I knew of…I didn’t even know my father. The asshole bolted on me and Mum when I was still in her womb.

And never came back.

Suddenly my hand shook as I reached for the door, but it was already open. I flailed because I knew I remembered closing it this morning, or did I?

Opening the door, I froze as I saw two men inside. One of them wore a suit and a pair of glasses, and the other was a tall man, so tall the roof of the house hovered over his head.

He wore a T-shirt, his arms were covered in tattoos, and he seemed to be in his forties if I was correct, though he did look young, very young. His eyes were green.

Like mine.

“Miss Stone, we’ve been waiting for you. It’s a pleasure to meet you, I am…..”

“What is this? What do you want?” I snapped, slowly. No need for being nice.

My eyes stayed on the man with green eyes.

I knew who he was.

Of course I knew.

Why wouldn’t I, when Mum, for the seventeen years of my life, had always kissed his picture night after night? I wondered how she never hated him, how he never disgusted her. The man who abandoned her, her first and only love, the man who broke her heart and left her with a burden.

Me.

“Ah, I see, straight to the point. This is…”

“Lyon Stone,” I hissed through my teeth.

The man seemed shocked, just as the older man stepped forth as he glanced at me.

“I see your mother kept you informed. Nice to meet you, Rya.”

“Get out…!” I snapped, opening the door that was barely a door as I pointed to the hallway.

He didn’t seem shocked, no expression as he stared at me.

“Miss Rya, I’d love to inform you that your mother has handed your custody to your father, Lyon Stone. As of this moment, you’re expected to be his ward, and….”

“No! That man isn’t my father. I’d rather go to foster care. He is nothing. I’ll not go with him,” I hissed.

I understood one thing.

Mum called him.

Of course she did. She probably did it on her dying bed. She adored the asshole.

“Let me make one thing clear, Rya. Social services are just going to fuck you up. Unless you want to return to juvenile detention, no foster home will take you in, not out here, in Brooklyn. Not when you’ve been accused of a felony on multiple counts, expelled from more than three schools, possession of drugs, and worse, a suspect in a murder case ,” he hissed at me, as if disappointed.

But instead of sinking back into my chair,

I chuckled at his words.

“I did what I had to do! I did what I had to do to afford Mum’s medication, and I’m fucking proud of it!” I gritted out as I glared.

But he stared at me.

“It doesn’t matter, it….”

“No! My mother mattered! You didn’t give two shits about me when you walked out on us. You didn’t look back. You never cared, and now she’s dead. You didn’t even show up at her funeral. You didn’t even give a fuck, and now you’re here for what? Claim me? You think I’m going to go with you after everything you’ve done to me and my mother…no!” I snapped.

I was sure the neighbours could hear me…but I didn’t care.

“Miss Rya, I’ll inform you….” the old man started, but Lyon beat him to it as he raised his hand, silencing him.

“I’ll make you an offer. I know you don’t like me, which is understandable, but the only reason you’re out of that jail is because of me. I got you out, and I cannot keep the police  at ease anymore,they hovered around waiting to take you back into custody, I'm the reason you're out here so it leaves us with one choice.” He stated..

i was surprised he was behind my release, but i dint show it, i dint owe him any gratitude.

“I live in Canada, a remote location. No one will find you there, so I’ll offer you asylum for a year, and after you turn eighteen, I’ll let you go wherever you want to.So think,Which option will you take?Rot here in a town where no one will offer you a job, be homeless, or worse, end back in jail…Or come with me.That’s my offer, and you have less than thirty minutes to give me an answer, else if I walk out of here, you lose that offer forever.”