CHAPTER FOUR: LEO

"Your father? I thought you said he was dead, " I asked as I stared at Austin in disbelief as I tried to make sense of the revelation.

"Well it turns out the one who died was not my biological father but my stepfather who was used as a means to an end because my real father's family didn't want me" Austin explained, his voice filled with emotion.

"Wow," I responded, unable to find the right words. It had only been a few days since I woke up, and so much had happened in Austin's life that I wasn't aware of. "How are you taking all this? Be honest with me, Austin."

"I don't even know how to feel about all this," Austin said as he ran his hands through his hair in frustration, "the fact that she lied to me my whole life isn't what is pissing me off. it's the fact that she let that bastard who she called my father beat me up to the point that i had to go to the hospital every other week. "

"I'm sorry, bro. That must have been tough. It takes someone who was raised by an abusive father to know how it feels to be in your shoes,"

"Your dad was abusive?" Austin asked, his curiosity evident in his tone.

"Both of them were," I confessed. "My mother was emotionally abusive, while my father was both emotionally and physically abusive. I did everything I could to keep Shane away from all that negativity."

"Which means you took all the abuse to protect Shane?"

"Not entirely," I replied. "I said I tried to protect him, but there were times he got to him when I wasn't around."

"That's fucked up"

"Yeah which is why I'm glad they're gone"

"I wish i had a sibling like you growing maybe if I did I wouldn't have grown up so fucked up in the head"

"Hey, look at me, Austin," I said, locking eyes with him. "You're not messed up in the head. Trust me, after everything you've gone through, you grew up into a good person. So own it and don't let anyone say otherwise."

"Thanks Leo"

"No problem, Austin. Now, back to your father. Are you really sure he's who he says he is?"

"Trust me, when you meet him, you'll be skeptical. I look like the younger version of him."

"Wow that's some messed up shit"

"Yeah it is" Austin said as my thoughts went back to what he said about living with his father which made me wonder what he meant by that.

"What are you thinking about so deeply?" Austin asked as his worried gaze focused on me.

"It's nothing."

You've got that look in your eyes, which means it isn't nothing. Tell me what's going on in your head," Austin pressed.

"Well, you said something earlier that had me thinking," I admitted.

"What's that?"

"You said that your father is doing all this so you can go with him to California to run his business. What did you mean by that?"

"Oh! I hoped I would have more time so I can come up with a way to tell you guys. "

"What did you do, Austin?"

"I kinda made a deal with my father,"

"What does this deal entail, Austin?"

"Well, in exchange for him doing all this for us, I will have to go with him back to California after I graduate to learn how to run his business."

"Why is he asking you to do this when he was never in your life?" I asked as I felt my blood boil. Who the hell does he think he is? What right did he have to demand such a thing from Austin?

"He is dying Leo, and he as no one to take over that's one of the reasons why he came looking for me"

"He is dying?"

"Yeah, he had stage three cancer, and the chemotherapy isn't working for him."

"I'm sorry to pry, but he should have kids of his own. Why does he want you to take over?"

"Because his family died about the time I went to juvie, so he wanted to make amends by coming to look for me since my mother never told him about me."

"Your mum didn't tell him she was pregnant?"

"Not exactly, she told his mother, who thought my mother was only trying to trap him into getting married, so she told her to leave and never come back."

"Wow! That's some telemundo shit right there." I said, causing Austin to chuckle at my response.

"Then, because she couldn't go back home, since her father would have disowned her if he learned she was pregnant, she chose to run away, and that's where she met my stepfather, Malcolm. I don't know how she got him to accept me as his kid, and I don't really care. So that's basically the rundown of everything that's happened while I went back home. You were still unconscious at the time."

"Wow, I don't know what to say. That must have been a lot to take in one day,"

"It was a little, but the funny thing is that I'm glad that I know it's better to know and be heartbroken than bring me in the dark for the rest of my life."

"Well, I can't argue with that, but it's still a lot. How are you holding up?" I asked for the second time today.

"To be honest with you, I don't know, man," Austin admitted, his uncertainty evident

I gently placed my hand on Austin's shoulder, offering a reassuring smile. "Austin, remember that you don't have to carry this burden alone. I'm here for you, no, we're here for you, so it's perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed. We will take it one step at a time."

Austin looked at me with a mix of gratitude and uncertainty. "Leo, I appreciate your help in all of this. I just... I never expected any of this."

"I understand, Austin. Life can be unpredictable, and sometimes it feels like we're caught in a whirlwind. But you're strong, and you've already overcome so much," I reassured him. "You don't have to face this alone."

Austin managed a weak smile. "Thanks, Leo. I'm lucky to have you as a friend."

"We're in this together, Austin," I said, offering a reassuring smile in return. "Now, about your father's offer to join him in California... Have you thought about what you want to do?"

Austin sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Honestly, I haven't had much time to think about it. I didn't expect all of this to happen so suddenly."

"Well, it's a big decision, and you don't have to make it right now. Take some time to weigh the pros and cons, think about your future, and what you want. Your father's health is a concern, but you also need to consider your own dreams and aspirations."

"Yeah, you're right," Austin agreed. "I'll need some time to figure things out."

I nodded. "And when you do, we'll be here to support you, no matter what you decide."

Austin's expression shifted from uncertainty to determination. "Thanks, Leo. You've always been there for me, and I appreciate it more than you know."

"Anytime, Austin," I said sincerely. "Friends stick together through thick and thin, and we've certainly had our share of challenges."

"We have, haven't we?" Austin said as a small smile made its way to his face as he stared into the distance.

"What's up? You look like you have something on your mind," I remarked, my gaze fixed on Austin. He let out a sigh before meeting my gaze.

"Well, I've been thinking about a lot of things," Austin admitted.

"Apart from the stuff with your father and mother?" I inquired.

"Yes." He replied

"Are you going to tell me?" I asked, chuckling softly.

"I'm coming to it. It's not like I want to pry or something, but you getting shot had me thinking," Austin confessed, his face devoid of emotions.

"Okay? You're scaring me, dude, out with it, " I said

"We have suspects for Athena's accident, but you, we don't have an idea who hurt you, so is there something you're not telling me?" Austin asked.

I always knew this day would come, but I didn't expect it to be so soon. He had the right to know about my old life; maybe it could help us figure out who hurt me, because a voice in the back of my mind suggested Mickey, my old boss at the void, could be responsible.

"Austin, what I'm about to tell you was my old life. I'm not that person now, so I hope you have an open mind. I'm not proud of that life, but I had to do anything to protect Shane," I explained, a soft sigh escaping my lips.

"Okay, I'm listening," Austin said, his gaze devoid of emotions.

"It started when.." I said as I began to tell him about my story.