Hidden Past – Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Hidden Past

In the waning hours of darkness, Austin drifted into a light sleep. Having resolved that for the time being, he would not bring up the encounter with Fredrik Werner with Angela, not until he found out what this Rosen woman wanted.

Angela never had the good fortune of falling asleep. She knew Austin was awake for a long time, probably mulling over and over the Fredrik Werner exchange.

She hoped Austin would never ask about it, never bring it up. If he did, she had no idea how she would handle it.

She could tell the truth, or she could lie. Maybe she could tell some of the truth but hide parts of it. Austin already knew quite a bit about Kenny, who had been her first and only real boyfriend, but Austin didn’t know the kind of hold Kenny had had over her. Nor did he know the kinds of things Kenny had expected her to do.

Angela totally loved Austin. He had been a savior, having helped her start over with a new life. He knew he had helped her improve her life—he just didn’t know how bad it had been or how deeply the shame from her life before him permeated her soul.

Angela finally decided that if Austin asked her about why someone had called her Marie, she would tell him part of the truth. She would hide those pieces of the past that could be most damaging to Samantha and to their three lives together as a family.