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Angie frowned “So, what did you do?”

“I tracked the to hide Not frooal was simple: they wanted to be rid of him

“Your parents?” She glanced at the family dinner picture on his wall and then back at hi had it been since you’d seen them?”

“Fifteen years” He looked at the floor as he remembered that horrible day He usually tried not to think about it, or relive that sense of absolute rejection and fear “One day I had returned hoone”

She blinked and leaned forward “I’m sorry, what?”

“My mom and my stepdad had left me” He rubbed the back of his neck as he felt the heat flood his skin “There was no note or any contact information They had taken all their stuff and took off while I was at school”

Her eyes narrowed “I don’t understand”

“I wasn’t a runaway, Angie,” he said gruffly as he felt the dark e up inside him “I was a throay They kicked me out of the family because they didn’t want me They left and started another life”

She stared at him “What did you do? How did you survive?”

“My friends helped hts when I had to live on the streets I kept going to school because it arh jobs and could support myself”

“Why would your parents leave?”

“My stepfather and I always fought He was bigger than me and would hit me often One day he hit me and I hit back hard” His mouth twisted as he remembered hoerful he had felt He had believed that his stepfather couldn’t hurt hi he had been “The next day one”

“It’s taken you this long to track your mom?”

“No” He went and sat next to Angie on the sofa He felt weary and old Thinking about that tied hio but I didn’t go searching for the for me”