Chapter 3: The Truth Will Leave Me Free


    “Caleb, can youe pick me up?” I sobbed as soon as he answered the phone. It sounded like he


    immediately snapped to attention.


    “What’s wrong?” he asked. I swiped under my eyes as I tried to calm down.


    “My dad… he isn’t my dad. We were arguing and things got out of hand. Mom got really upset and


    went to her room. Dad followed and eventually I went to go apologize, but they were arguing and I


    overheard my dad say that he wasn’t my dad. And I think something happened to my actual dad


    because my parents were saying something about an ident. I think I was that ident,” I rambled.


    “Calm down Hayden. You’re going to give yourself a heart attack. I’m on my way to get you, okay? You


    can stay with me for a few weeks or until you’re ready to go back. We can figure this out back at my


    ce,” he said. I let out a breath to try and calm down as I hung up.


    I started packing. I wasn’t paying attention to what; I was just stuffing everything I could into my


    suitcase. I felt my phone buzz and made a mad dash to the back with my bag, phone and charger. I


    threw my bag into the backseat and slid into the passenger seat. I was still pretty shaken about the


    news but that was the great thing about Caleb: he knew when I needed quiet. I curled up on the seat


    and let out a breath.


    “Thanks for picking me up, Caleb,” I said softly. He put a hand on my shoulder gently.


    “Of course,” he said, just as we pulled into his driveway. “Come on, I need to go tell my mom that you’ll


    be staying for a bit,” he said. He grabbed my bag and we walked inside. It waste but his mom was


    still working on something in her office. After dropping my bag off by the stairs, Caleb dragged my over


    to his mom’s office.


    “Hi, sweetie. Oh, Hayden, honey, what are you doing here sote? What’s wrong?” she asked,


    standing from her desk. It was then that I realized that my eyes must’ve been blood-shot and puffy. I


    stood with my arms crossed over my stomach, slightly hunched over.


    “Mom, can she stay with us for a while?” Caleb asked. Caleb’s mom’s lips set into a hard line as she


    sped her hands in front of her.


    Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    “Hayden, does your mother know that you’re here?” she asked. Caleb’s mom’s office phone rang just


    then. I sighed.


    “I’m guessing that she just found out,” I muttered. Caleb’s mom answered the phone.


    “This is Lydia… uh huh… um, yes,” she said as she turned to look at me. “Um, yes, you can talk to


    her,” she said. She held the phone out to me. I sighed and looked at Caleb before I stepped forward


    and took the phone with a shaky hand. I put the phone up to my ear.


    “Hayden, why would you just leave like that? We’re looking everywhere for you? Your dad is on his way


    to get you,” my mom said. The more she talked, the angrier I got.


    “And who would that be because it’s not the man I’ve been calling ‘dad’ my whole life,” I said through


    gritted teeth as angry tears stung my eyes. I heard my mom take a breath as she hesitated.


    “Hayden, you have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said softly. She sounded hurt but I couldn’t


    bring myself to stop.


    “I heard you! I heard you two arguing. How could you have lied to me my entire life?” I blurted before I


    could stop myself. I heard the door close gently.


    “Hayden, stop… just stop,” she said defeated. I let out a breath and closed my eyes briefly.


    “Don’t try to make mee home… It’s time for me to go to bed. I don’t want to bete for school in


    the morning,” I said softly before I hung up the phone. I stared at the phone lost in my own head. I


    jumped when I felt a hand on my back. I turned to see Caleb.


    “Come on,” he said softly. I followed him up the stairs and to a guest room. Caleb set my bag down in


    the corner and let out a breath as he stuck his hands in his pockets. “Are you going to be okay?” he


    asked me gently. I shook my head as my gaze drifted to the floor. I felt his arms wrap around me tightly.


    I broke down. Everything I’d been trying so hard to keep inside came pouring out. My hands gripped his


    back as I squeezed my eyes tightly. He shushed me as he pushed my hair out of my face gently. After


    a major sobbing session, I finally passed out from exhaustion.