Chapter 2: The House Full of Secrets
I don’t remember the drive home.
I remember pieces.
A truck horn behind me.
My hands shaking on the steering wheel.
The sound of Derek’s voice repeating in my head.
“Your son wasn’t the only one hiding something.””
When I finally pulled into my neighborhood, there were already two cars outside my house.
Derek’s truck.
And a police cruiser.
For one second, I couldn’t move.
Then I jumped out.
The front door was open.
I ran inside.
“Noah!””
“Dad!””
That voice.
That tiny voice.
I followed it into the living room.
And there he was.
My son was sitting on Derek’s lap, wrapped in a blanket.
His face was covered in tears.
The moment he saw me, he reached out.
I crossed the room faster than I thought possible.
I picked him up.
He grabbed my shirt so tightly his little fingers turned white.
“Daddy…”
“I’m here.””
“I knew you’d come.””
Those five words nearly broke me.
Because he shouldn’t have had to wonder.
A child should never have to wonder if someone is coming.
I looked at his arm.
There was a dark red mark near his elbow.
Not a broken bone.
Not the worst thing I had imagined.
But enough.
Enough to prove something happened.
Enough to make me sick.
Derek stood behind me.
His jaw was tight.
“Where’s Travis?””
I looked around.
The house was too quiet.
“Where is he?””
The officer stepped forward.
“He left before we arrived.””
My head snapped around.
“He left?””
The officer nodded.
“Your brother called us after finding your son.””
I looked at Derek.
“What did you find?””
Derek didn’t answer immediately.
He looked at Noah.
Then at me.
“Your bedroom.””
My stomach tightened.
“What about it?””
“He wasn’t just hurting Noah.””
The room felt colder.
“What are you saying?””
Derek reached into his jacket.
He pulled out a small envelope.
“I found this hidden behind the dresser.””
I stared at it.
“What is it?””
Before Derek could answer, Noah whispered something.
“Daddy…”
I turned.
“What, buddy?””
His eyes filled with fear again.
“Travis said Mom would be mad if I told you.””
I felt something inside me break.
“Why would Mom be mad?””
Noah looked down.
“Because she knows.””
The words hit harder than anything else.
“She knows?””
He nodded slowly.
“She told Travis nobody would believe me.””
Nobody spoke.
Not me.
Not Derek.
Not the officer.
Because suddenly, the baseball bat wasn’t the only thing I was afraid of.
I opened the envelope.
Inside was a photograph.
And a handwritten note.
The photo showed Travis standing in my house.
Holding something in his hand.
Something I recognized immediately.
My spare key.
The note had only one sentence.
*“He’s been inside this house before you knew he existed.””*
I looked at Derek.
“What is this?””
He stared at the photo.
Then at me.
“I think you need to ask Lena why her boyfriend had a key to your house three months before she admitted they were dating.””
My phone buzzed.
A new message.
From Lena.
I opened it.
May you like
There were only six words.
*“Don’t trust Derek. He knows everything.””*
