Darkness Before Dawn

smile as I listen to all of his suggestions, thankful that he's willing to help me find what's right for me. I don't know what I did to deserve this man in my life, but I'm glad I have him. We spend the rest of our night on the computer, researching social workers and attorneys that work with them until I decide that I am going to take the Bar exam, and I'm going to pass it.
    The next morning as Cole and I shower together, he tells me about some sports gala we have to go to next week. He suggests I call Becky and talk to her about wardrobe since she's gone in the past and will be there as well. Once he leaves for the day, I start splitting up the box of memories that I have. I leave the things I actually want to remember and look at in one, and toss the things I don't care about in the other. I sort through the photos I got from Aunt Shelley and examine all of the faces carefully. I empty out one of the manila envelopes on the floor, seeing her family photos in a different light now that I know they're my family too. One by one I put them in the box of things I don't want, pausing when I hear three loud knocks on the door.
    As I unfold myself from the floor, I idly wonder if it's Spencer telling me he's going to lunch. Instead I see a man wearing a fitted black T-shirt with brown scruffy hair. His hazel eyes look serious when they finally look from the floor to the peephole, and I wonder what the hell he's doing here. Opening the door slowly, I stick my head out to look around and see Spencer at the end of the hall.
    "What are you doing here?" I ask with wide eyes.
    "Can I come in?" he asks, tucking his hands in his pockets.
    My eyes trace the black outline of the tattoo on his left arm, squinting as I try to figure out what it is. Seemingly reading my mind, he takes his hand out of his pocket and turns his arm over, giving me full view of a crest with three lions in the middle. I nod in appreciation, making him chuckle.
    "I don't think Cole would like it if you and I were alone in our home," I respond.
    "Don't blame him," Dean says with a shrug. "I'll be quick. I feel bad about leaving you hanging like that."
    "Just talk."
    "Alex freaked the fuck out after you left and when he found out what happened...what Benny did to you, Alex kicked him out," Dean starts, nodding in confirmation as my mouth drops open. "Yeah. He said he doesn't want him around, period. So I've been trailing Benny and…I dunno, Blake, I just have a really bad feeling about this shit.
    "Dean, why do you work with these people? Why? You said they were family, but why?" I ask quietly.
    "My mom married Jamie O'Brien when I was little, chick. I don't know anything else," he says with a shrug. "This is my life. Alex and Benny were long gone by the time I got to their house, but still...they're family."
    I raise an eyebrow. "What about your sister?"
    "Sandra's safe," he replies quietly. "My other sister..." his voice trails off.
    "She's the girl? The one you couldn't help?" I whisper.
    He nods, his eyes looking grave, as if I opened up a wound he thought he'd covered.
    "I'm sorry," I whisper.
    "It was a long time ago," he responds.
    "What does it have to do with me though? Why does Benny still want to get to me?"
    When he exhales I catch a whiff of the cigarette he smoked before getting here. "Word is, Liam screwed Benny over and took the money. Benny wanted revenge and you were it...are it, really."
    "Liam doesn't want me. He doesn't care about me," I say with an eye roll.
    The side of Dean's mouth turns up. "Trust me, chick, he wants you. He raised you for four years—you don't have memory of that? That man loves you, B. I'm not a father, so I don't have firsthand experience, but even as an uncle, I know that once you have a kid under your wing, you're not gonna do wrong by them."
    "Not everybody feels that way."
    Dean shrugs. "True."
    "Whatever," I mumble. "Are we done?"
    Dean searches my face before tucking my hair behind my ear. "Yeah, we're done." My breath hitches when he leans in close to my ear. "Don't trust those cops, Blake. And be careful with your guard dogs."
    I look from Dean's serious eyes toward Spencer at the end of the hall and shake my head, exhaling a shaky breath before saying goodbye to Dean. I head back inside my place and lock the door behind me. A cloud of doubt consumes me for the rest of the day as I think about everybody in my life and how little I can trust the ones I thought I was safe with. I decide to bury my thoughts