Chapter 7

Building trust

Kyle's POV

I walk Jessi to her room and offer to wait outside and then walk her to the Pool. She tells me that she can hear the shower, and that it is probably Roger, they will walk to the swimming pool after she gets ready. Then she kisses my cheek and goes in.

I am left in the hallway, with mixed feelings, jealousy one of them. I know I have no right to be jealous. I just have to concentrate on winning Jessi's trust. I am thankful she is giving me a chance.

I decided to go back to my room and take a shower, I will call Tom after, we need to talk.

After I call Tom he tells me we can talk in his room. He is waiting for me, as always I cannot read his expression, his heart is racing. This is not easy for me to do, after all Tom is the man that has protected me my whole life. But it has to be done.

I start, Tom first I don't want you to think that I am ungrateful. I know that you have saved my life countless times, and I am thankful for that. I really care about you. I need to know Tom why did you try to kill Jessi when she was pregnant?

Tom looked at me and said, she told you. I am not going to denying it Kyle. I did it for you Kyle and for Adam, I have always been loyal.

Why ? Tom, Why? I demanded.

I did it for you Kyle, so the Trager's would never find out that you killed Cassidy, for you not to lose their trust. I did it for Adam, he never planned for y….Jessi to be pregnant, not like that. That was Professors Kern plan. Latnok never planned it either, Jessi was only an unapproved experiment, she should have died when I bombed Zzyzx, it would have been much easier. It is too late now, Latnok now approves of all that Professor Kern did, they have the evidence to prove his theories. Brian is now the Latnok Chairman, and Jessi is on the board. They have accepted her as Brian's and Sarah's daughter with all the rights and privilege that it entails.

I was in shock, I could not believe that Tom just sees Jessi as an experiment, and had no problem trying to kill her twice. The other things he said, I did not understand, I was going to ask him to get out of my life, but loyal to me as always he said, Kyle, I am going to make this easy for you, I am leaving, you don't need me anymore, and Declan is fully trained to take may place. I also now know that you are never going to be happy without Jessi. Good luck Kyle, if you really need me you know how to find me, and don't worry I will not hurt Jessi or the kids. I walk to the door and say, By Tom. There is nothing else for me to say, Jessi comes first.

I realize that for me to be able to gain Jessi's trust, I need to make things right. I need to correct my mistakes from the past. I call each member of my family and we all agree to meet at Mom's and Dad's room as they have a little living room there. I am anxious wondering if I will be losing my family. It suddenly dawns on me, I am their son, they might be upset but I am not losing them. Tears come to my eyes and my guilt only increases.

All of my family is gathering at mom's and dad's room, Declan is here too. I ask them to sit down and I sit too. I start, Guys is time for me to come clean with you. I should have done these years ago. It was me who killed Cassidy, not Jessi. I was just too scared to tell you, I was selfish; I just let Jessi take the blame. Everyone is staring at me in disbelief. Lori says, look Kyle I get it that you are in love with Jessi, you don't have to lie for us to accept that. What if you are in love with a murderer, it is your life Kyle. Am I too late to correct my mistake? I say, I am telling the true, I don't care if you approve of my love for Jessi or not, but Jessi deserves for you to know the true, you deserve to know the true. I still get looks of disbelief, and then Declan says, Kyle is telling the true I saw how Kyle killed Cassidy with my own eyes. He had good reasons, I helped Tom dispose of the body. Then Andy says, I knew too, before Jessi left I asked her directly, she did not give me an answer, she just looked away and tears came down her cheeks. Jessi always use to answer direct questions.

Nicole is the first to speak; I see disappointment in her eyes, but nothing like the way she looked at Jessi so many years ago. She starts, Kyle why did you not tell us the true? you are our son, nothing can change the way we love you and feel about you. Why did you let us blame Jessi? We were so unfair to her.

Then Josh says, but she did kill the man in the woods, that was cold blooded murder. Declan intervenes, Before Tom left he gave me this video for you to watch. Declan inserted it in the DVD player. It was Jessi's trial, including the footage. Jessi is there completely naked, and covered in pink gel. It shown how the man was drunk and trying to take advantage of Jessi. It shows how the man attacked her with the knife and Jessi tried to avoid confrontation. Finally she had no other choice but to kill the man. The man happened to be a convicted rapist and murderer that was on the run. Then Declan says, The media did not make a big deal of the story that proved Jessi's innocence, because Jessi was a minor and they could not reveal her name. It was not as big as a story as the first one. They barely made any mention.

Lori said, I really misjudged Jessi. I never gave her a chance.

Stephen said, we hurt Jessi so much; she wanted so badly to know the love of a family. We really never loved her or accepted her. I am glad she is doing well in life. I am glad Jessi found her way back to her father. I can see they have good relationship now. Kyle as of you I am disappointed you did not tells us the truth. Would you at least tell us why you killed Cassidy? I am sure you had a good reason.

I started, The first time Cassidy entered the house, I was ready to kill him, he was threatening all of my loved ones, my family, Jessi. Jessi stopped me from killing him that time. She told me I could not kill my brother. She did not want for me to feel the pain that she was living with for killing the man in the woods. Then as you remember everything was quiet for a few months, until Cassidy managed to kidnap Jessi when we were out at the movie. I followed, and when I found Jessi unconscious and beaten up, I could not control myself and I just snapped Cassidy's neck. I could not let him hurt anyone else. Then I brought Jessi home and that is when everyone assumed Jessi had Killed Cassidy. The way you looked at her, the way you told her she could stay only until she graduated High School, and that she should stay in her room when she was at home. It made me scared and I was not brave enough to face the consequences of my actions, I let her take the blame, and I let her die a little each day, until she could not take it and left.

Nicole took the lead and said, Kyle, what we all have done is wrong. Is going to take a while to trust you again, but know that we all love you. Every one shook their heads in agreement, and each one came and gave me a hug. I realized how wrong I had been at keeping the truth from them for so many years, I had betrayed them too. I was family, Jessi had never been family. I was so unfair to her. I told them, thank you for your love, I understand it will take a while before you can trust me. I am sorry that I lied to you.

Josh looks at me and says, man Jessi really loves you, to take the blame of a murder for you. You really need to make it up to her, if she lets you.

I smile at Josh and tell him, I had a chance to speak to her and beg her for forgiveness; she is giving me a chance to earn her trust.

Lori says, and what about the kids Kyle, have you thought about that? Do you really want to raise the children of another man? Judging by their age she probably got pregnant in juvie.

I don't bother to tell Lori that Jessi was only detained for a few hours. I just say, If Jessi decides to take me back I will love her children as my own. That is if I am that lucky.

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