I couldn’t. But I sure as hell was going to try.
“When I graduated high school, I was forced to leave her behind. She had a really hard time with the transition, but in some ways, I think I struggled more. As much as I wanted to be out on my own, forging my own path, I wasn’t ready for the loneliness I felt. Robin and my guitar were the only two things I wanted to take into my new life with me.
“I went out on a limb and asked permission from my social worker to keep in contact with her. Thankfully, it all worked out and we got to talk on the phone a few times each week. While it wasn’t the same as seeing her every day, it definitely helped us both. I visited her for birthdays and such, but it became harder and harder over the years when she started being moved around foster homes. In the name of full disclosure, I feel the need to tell you Robin was always a good kid. But the girl hit puberty and I swear she became a different person.”
I chuckled. “Teenage girl. I can imagine.”
“It was bad, and I knew she wasn’t getting the emotional support she needed to feel worthy too. The day she turned sixteen, she called me crying. She’d gotten into it with her new foster father and he put his hands on her. I lost my fucking mind. I’d already made it big in music and had been trying to figure out how to get her out of there, but that one call sped up the process. The very next day, three attorneys were at Social Services, filing adoption paperwork on my behalf.”
My head snapped back in surprise. “You adopted her?”
“Well, I tried. I canceled a month of tours and threw every resource I had into getting her placed into my custody. But the state of California wasn’t keen on giving a sixteen-year-old girl to a single twenty-six year-old guy. Besides, it would have taken forever to jump through all the hoops required to adopt, and I wanted her out of foster care immediately. That’s when my attorney’s came up with another idea. A few days later, I transferred a large sum of money into a trust fund in her name and we petitioned the courts for her emancipation. With the money to support herself long term, it was an easy win.”
He paused and the light in his eyes dimmed. “It was the greatest day of my life when I moved her into my house. Now, five years later, I wish she’d stayed in foster care. I had no idea what the hell I was getting into with her. That money I gave her may as well have killed her. She was young and suddenly loaded. I made her get her high school diploma, but she didn’t have to work. I travel all the time, and though I hired people to be there with her, she was still alone a lot. With a virtually bottomless bank account, she turned to drugs to keep herself entertained. And, for the rest of my life, I have to live with the fact that I’m responsible for that.”
I ran a soothing hand over his thigh, unsure what to say. He didn’t want my opinion, I was sure, but to me, it didn’t sound like Robin was the only young, dumb kid with too much money in that equation. But his heart was in the right place. I didn’t have any siblings, but it was easy to understand how Henry thought he was helping her.
Now, I just had to figure out how to help him.
“You aren’t responsible for her decisions, Henry.”
His pained gaze lifted to mine. “I gave her almost a million dollars.”
My eyes bulged as my mouth fell open.
“Yeah.” He laughed without humor. “On top of that, I bought her an apartment when she wanted to move out of my place and gave her credit cards for whatever she wanted to buy. And yet, three years later, that million was gone. I have no fucking clue where it went, but the resources that were meant to set her up for years, if not life, are completely tapped out. And I have no fucking idea what to do about it.” His sad, blue eyes searched mine, but I held no answers. All I had to offer was comfort.
“Come here.” I gripped the back of his head and pulled his face into my neck. “We’ll figure it out.”
His shoulders shook as the emotions fought their way out. “I can’t give her any more money, Evan. It’s killing her. Every fucking dollar, she pumps into her arms. She’s been through rehab four times. I can’t keep doing this with her. I’m killing her. Just being in her life, I’m killing her. But I can’t tell her no. I’m all she has…” His voice caught. “She’s all I have.”
“That’s not true,” I quickly said. “Not anymore.” Tipping his head back, I guided his gaze to mine. “You are not alone anymore, Henry. I swear to you I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”
“You will,” he whispered as though it were a promise.
“No, I’m not,” I said adamantly.
Even I was surprised by the ease with which it had left my tongue. There was no longer a fight—my mind and my body were both finally on board. The walls had crumbled and I was clambering over the wreckage with only him in my sights.
I was in it with Henry.
Plain and simple.