Truth Undressed (Exposed Series, #3)

by Kelly, Hazel

  So by all means keep in touch with the people that matter to you, but don’t let yourself forget that there’s a lot more to life than keeping your status updated.

  Have you ever heard the story about the goldfish in the tub?

  Basically, the owner of the fish decides to clean its bowl, so it puts Goldie in the bathtub. But even though Goldie has the whole tub to explore, she just keeps swimming in a tiny circle no bigger than her bowl because it’s her comfort zone.

  I don’t think it’s supposed to be a horror story. But it scared the shit out of me the first time I heard it. And when I did, I promised myself that if anything was ever going to hold me back in life, it wasn't going to be me.

  And that’s my hope for you. Don’t hold yourself back. Be bold. Be curious. Never tread water when you could be moving forward.

  Finally, Kate, I want to thank you. For showing up at my door, for sticking by me in the end when I couldn’t bear to be around anyone but you, and for being my greatest source of pride.

  I can literally see the grim reaper from where I’m sitting. And let me tell you, it feels good to be unafraid, to know I don’t need to come back and haunt anyone.

  I don’t have any unfinished business. You are my greatest life’s work.

  I will rest peacefully knowing I brought you into this world, and I will rest gratefully knowing that you were there to help me out of it.

  But above all, I hope you’ll be happy. Because I’ve no doubt you’ll be loved.

  Love Always & Courage, too,

  Dawn

  Epilogue

  Packing for school wasn’t as emotional as I thought it would be, but I think that’s just because I was running on adrenaline. And because I avoided Carol as much as possible. She was weepy and cranky for the entire week before I went to school. It was confusing. Like she kept appearing at my door with little things she got to make my dorm room more homey. But when she gave them to me, she’d act kind of pissed off.

  I think it was just separation anxiety so I decided to be strong for both of us. Plus, I was worried if I stopped acting tough for even two seconds I would turn into a pile of shaking leaves and be unable to go through with it.

  Danielle and I said goodbye to Annie two days earlier. Annie acted like she was sick of us and couldn’t wait to get away. Then she sent a bunch of “I love you whores” apology texts to us the moment she was out of sight. But by that point Danielle and I were already both bleary eyed with tears. Then we got lunch and said our last goodbyes to each other, too, because neither of us could face going through the whole exhausting ordeal again.

  When I went over to Kevin’s to say good bye, he squeezed me so hard I wished he’d never let go. I felt so safe in his arms. I didn’t know how I would be able to replicate the nice feelings I had when I was with him, feelings that felt so precious and right.

  He promised he would miss me and that he was going to put a curse on all the guys in Maryland that would cause them to suffer from chronic acne and jock itch. I said I hoped we could keep in touch, and I actually held it together until he gave me his favorite t-shirt. It smelled like him, and I held it to my face and used it to dry my eyes the whole way home.

  My brother, Chris, had been pretty cool since the whole “surprise you’re adopted” debacle. Or at least he hadn’t changed his behavior towards me in the slightest. Then again, I think he was going to say something to me about it once because he made this weird face. But I grabbed his cheeks before he could speak and said it’s okay. We’re cool.

  I knew I was going to miss his totally inoffensive presence and I told him so. He’s planning to come visit me as soon as I get settled. If his girlfriend will let him. He is truly my father’s son.

  As far as my Dad- the one who wanted me- I’ll be forever grateful to him for how he handled everything. Like I was a little distant for a few weeks. But he just kept shopping for the perfect shelves for my dorm and printing out extensive Google maps so I could find my way to class the first few days.

  Then one night we ordered pizza, and he was changing a light bulb when the delivery guy showed up. He told me his wallet was on the counter and asked me to pay for it. Of course, the moment I opened his wallet, I saw a school picture of me from when I was in first grade. I had a bow in my hair and I was missing my two front teeth. After that, my anxiety melted away and it was a non-issue. He was my Dad. Always had been, always would be.

  As far as my other Dad, for a while I was determined to do great things. Like that would really show him. But then I started thinking that if I wasn’t enough back then when I was a dependent little baby, he was never going to find me interesting. In the end, I decided fuck him. I never needed him before, and I didn't need him now.

  Carol and I were doing fine. She never once let me forget that I had been truly wanted and always loved. And her commitment to sending that message- as much as it was annoying when I wanted to sulk- made it impossible for me to pity myself. I guess it was just a big confidence boost seeing that she didn’t give a shit whether I thought she was my Mom or not. She was going to carry on as she always had, looking out for me, believing in me, and encouraging me.

  So after being difficult and standoffish for a while, I realized that wild horses couldn’t drag her away from me. Even though I had never been in her womb, she was a crazed animal when it came to being my Mom for better or for worse. It kind of reminded me of those stories about when a mother cat raises a duckling or a dog raises a deer. Family is family is family, and if a duck can accept a cat as its Mom, I was crazy not to accept Carol.

  Finally, as far as Dawn- Aunt extraordinaire, lousy Mom, and first class therapist- well, she’ll always be part of me. And something about coming to terms with the fact that I was part freedom loving rock star made me feel surprisingly grounded.

  But in the end I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her behind. I wanted to keep her close. So I mixed her ashes in with the dirt at the bottom of a hardy house plant, and decided to take her to school with me.

  Tina said she’d be thrilled to go back to college, that she’d never been to Maryland.

  I hoped I could show her a good time.

  Thanks

  Dear Awesome Reader,

  Thank you for taking the time to read this story. I hope you enjoyed it.

  If you have a spare moment, PLEASE give me some honest feedback by leaving a review on Amazon OR send me a note directly at HazelKellyBooks@gmail.com so I can thank you personally for giving my work a chance. It really means a lot to me, and I would love to hear from you.

  Until next time, happy reading,

  Xo Hazel

  Ps- If you liked The Exposed Series, check out The Devoured Series. The first book, Licked, is FREE! http://amzn.to/1vX45nZ

  And if you’d like to keep in touch and get news about my latest releases, just “Like” my page @ Facebook.com/HazelKellyAuthor.