My feet move without permission, following behind my ex and his win like a lost puppy. We round a corner and, as if I’ve suddenly regained all brain function, I stop. What am I doing?
“Someone better explain what is going on. What is wrong with him?” I demand.
Callen looks over his shoulder at me. His face strained as he tries to keep Ryder upright.
“Paige, please just trust me and follow us. I will explain everything I promise, but not here, not now,” Callen pleads, and I almost tell him to piss off, but Ryder is really struggling.
“Is he sick?” I ask, a tremble in my voice.
I can’t have found him after all these years just to have him taken by some terminal illness. That’s cruel.
“Kind of, but he will be okay if we just get him home,” Callen says
“Where does he live? I can run ahead and get my car if it’s far,” I offer.
“That won’t be necessary. It’s not much further,” Callen says as he moves forward again.
Two men jog down the street towards us, their expressions panicked and… identical. More twins?
“Get him out of here, quick,” Callen says, and they move to either side of Ryder, taking him from Callen.
Ryder lets out a groan as the two men run with him hanging between them. Callen lets out a breath and turns back to face me.
“Sorry about that. I take full responsibility,” he says, holding up his hands in surrender.
“What happened? Is he on drugs or something?”
“Or something,” he grins, and I huff, pushing past him. I’m done with whatever is happening here.
“Go look after your brother, and keep away from me and my son. We don’t need people like you in our lives,” I snap.
“Ouch, that one stung, Freckles,” he says.
I turn back to face him with fury, finally hitting my limit. “Paige, my name is Paige Wilson and almost seven years ago, I let your brother trick me into sleeping with him. Then, straight afterward, he left me to wake up alone in a tent. I never saw or heard from him again. What kind of person does that? Since then, my life has fallen apart, and I’ve struggled to raise my son alone. I finally found him again and this is what he has become? If this is who he is now, then me and Jaxon were better off without him the whole time. Now go away and keep the f*ck away from my son
“Sh*t,” I hear Callen breathe as I storm off towards my house.
When I get home, I slam the door closed and lock it behind me. With my back pressed to the door, I slide to the floor, finally allowing myself to break.
Fat tears roll down my face as the last bits of hope for Ryder leave my body, Why had I spent so long hung up on a man like him? Had my marriage failed because I’d secretly always held on to hop that Ryder would come back for me? Had I ever given myself a chance to truly love Greg? I’ve made such a mess of everything, and it’s all been for nothing.
I pull myself together and push to my feet. I need to get Jax and get the hell away from this place. My heart hurts for my son. He had been so excited about starting this school, and now I’m taking him away, but it’s better than letting him get hurt by his father.
I grab the bags we had arrived with and, for the second time in a week, I throw our essentials in to flee with Jaxon. I take a glance around the house. We could have been happy here if Ryder hadn’tined things yet again.
When I pull open my front door to run to the car, I come face to fac with Callen.
“Get out of my way,” I sneer, and Callen steps back, raising his hands again, allowing me past
“What are you doing?” He asks, following me to the car.
“Getting the hell out of here.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do that,” he says with a sigh, like heven has a say in what I do.
“Try to stop me,” I laugh incredulously, tossing our bags into the boot.
“Do not get in the car, Paige,” he warns, his tone becoming serious.
“Or what?”
“Or… look, we don’t have to do this. Just give me one day to explain everything, please,” he says, his voice softening and his shoulders sagging.
I don’t want to give Ryder a chance, but I want answers before I leave. Maybe then I’ll finally be able to move on with some closure.
“You have one hour,” I say, crossing my armis over my chest.
“Fine, let’s go,” he shrugs and gestures for me to walk ahead.
“Where are we going?”
“To my house. It’s not far.”
“I have to pick Jaxon up soon.”
“Then we better hurry,” he smiles, the same smile he had yesterday.
We walk into the woods and my landlord’s warning flashes through my mind.
“Are there wolves out here?” I ask.
“Who told you that?”
“My landlord, and I thought I saw something from my window when I first arrived,” I explain.
“That was Remy you saw,” he sighs.
“Is Remy your pet?”
“You could say so,” he laughs. “Look, I’m going to tell you some things you will not believe, but please keep an open mind. It’s really important for Jaxon that you try to accept what I’m about to tell you.”
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