Read Redeeming for Free Online Page A

know he did. I loved him too. It’s still hard to believe he’s gone.”
    As Jett spoke, Daniella noticed tears start to pool in Jo ’s eyes. With a sniffle, she attempted to stifle them before they started to flow in earnest. Daniella moved forward to embrace her but Jo interrupted her.
    “No, I… I’m alright.” She said as she pulled a tissue from her purse. “Thank you sweetie.”
    “Are you sure?” Daniella asked.
    “Yes, I’ve cried my share of tears over all of this.” Jo replied. “I’ll probably never stop completely but I suppose that’s what happens in situations of sudden loss.”
    Daniella smiled as she spoke and rubbed her on the arm.
    “Coming up,” David interrupted. “Next turn on the right.”
    Jo turned back around in her seat and faced forward. A couple of minutes later, David drove the vehicle near the gravesite and parked. Daniella had no siblings of her own. She often wondered what it might be like to have a brother or sister. It didn’t matter so much if they might be older or younger than her, it was more about the relationship. Sure, her friends fought with their siblings all the time growing up and sometimes even more as adults. Still, an unspoken bond existed in every one of the relationships.
    Jett opened the door and as he did, David said, “Do you want us to come with you or do you want a minute alone first?”
    “You must have read my mind, Pop.” Jett replied. “If you don’t mind, I would like to have some time to myself first.”
    “No problem,” David replied as he reached over and took Jo’s hand. “Just wave for us when you are ready and we’ll come over.”
    “Will do.” Jett replied. He stepped out of the car and looked at Daniella. “You ready?”
    “Yeah…” she nodded.
    Hand in hand, Daniella and Jett started to walk towards the tombstone after David pointed it out to them. As they crossed the vast expanse of freshly mowed grass, Daniella squeezed Jett ’s hand.
    “How are you?” She asked.
    “Oh, you know…” he said. “About as good as could be expected.”
    Daniella nodded as they continued.
    “There it is…” he said as he gestured to a stone about twenty feet ahead of them.
    A few seconds later, they stopped and looked down at the burial plot. Jett remained silent as they stood together and held hands. She wasn ’t sure what to do until she noticed drops of wetness splash against the flat marble stone on the ground in front of her. They didn’t come from the clouds but rather from Jett’s cheeks. Daniella felt a lump collect in her throat as she wrapped her arms around him. Emotion swelled in his body as the stark reality of the moment hit home for him at last.
    “Fuck!” Jett exclaimed as the grief took hold. He broke free from Daniella’s grasp and dropped to his knees in line with the tombstone. Tears came to Daniella’s eyes as she knelt down and put her arm around his shoulder.
    “I did this to him,” he said. “It’s my fault.”
    “Jett, no… it isn’t.” She pleaded. “You couldn’t have known. There was no way. Wyatt is a victim of circumstances.”
    Jett didn’t turn to face her but continued to stare straight ahead. “Should’ve been me…” he mumbled. “It’s all my fault…”
    “Jett, please, stop saying that…” she begged. Daniella pulled Jett close as sadness overwhelmed him.
    For several minutes, Daniella continued to hold Jett as he wept. When the initial surge passed, he seemed to regain his awareness a bit. As he pulled away from her, he shook his head in disbelief.
    “Why?” He began. “Why did this have to happen to him?”
    Daniella rubbed his back and considered a response of some kind. But nothing seemed appropriate in the moment. Even so, she felt the need to say something… anything… to help alleviate his pain. She started to open her mouth and offer the first words that came to mind but as she did a sudden interruption distracted her.
    “Boy,” A familiar voice said from