+15 BONUS“Is Noan coming?” my mother asks me.“Not today, mom. I forgot to let Ava know, and I didn’t want to spring this on her all of a sudden,” I tell her as I walk into Kate’s home.It was our monthly get–together. Just like the last one, I didn’t want to be here. The only reason Iwas there was because I’d promised Mom that I would attend.“I’ve missed him so much, and so has Kate. She really wanted to see him.” She pauses. “Now thatshe and Ava are estranged, the only time she gets to see Noah is during these get–togethers.” I wanted to feel sorry for her, but I don’t. That makes me a bastard, sure, but I believe that we wereall getting what we deserved. This was our punishment for how we treated Ava.“Maybe next time,” I say as I walk past her.Mom and Kate have been friends for years. She would do anything for her best friend. The lastthing I want or need is to stand there for almost thirty minutes just listening to how Kate wassuffering.I didn’t need to hear about someone else’s suffering when I was dealing with one of my own.She follows me as I make my way to the backyard. I know Kate’s home like the back of my hand.After all, they’ve lived here for years. This is the same house where Ava and I got married. Thesame house she tried to escape when she found out she was pregnant with Noah.I stop dead in my tracks. Iwho was following behind me, collides with my back.“What the hell, Rowan?” she asks, but I don’t turn around. Nor do I answer.She comes to my front when I don’t answer. My eyes stare at her, unseeing.“Rowan? What is it?”My throat bobbles as I try to form the words.“I just remembered the day I caught Ava trying to escape. Looking back now, I can’t imagine howmy life would have turned out had she managed to escape me.” I tell her.1/5* 15 BOR“Rowan darling. Don’t think about such things. It didn’t happen and we should be grateful to Godfor that ”I sigh, remembering how foolish I had been.“Ava was eighteen and scared, mom. She begged me to let her go because, deep down, sheprobably knew that I would destroy her if she stayed, and I did. I broke her heart more times than I can count. Right now, I don’t know what to even think. Part of me wishes I had let her go becausemaybe she wouldn’t be as broken as she is right now, the other parts is grateful I’d stopped herbecause I wouldn’t have gotten to know Noah or the wonderful woman she is.” The crushing weight that descends on me every time I remember all I put her through is almostunbearable. I should have tried harder; maybe then I wouldn’t have this much regret weighingdown on me.“You’re taking too much on your shoulders, Rowan. Sure, you hurt her, but you forget that we allplayed our roles in breaking her. Both families have a hand in destroying her heart. You’re not theonly one to blame for her broken pieces.” Mom puts a hand around my forearm, trying to comfort
me.
“Your mother is right.” I turn to find my father standing next to the sliding doors. “We all played our part in hurting, Ava. We forgot that she came into our lives as a tiny baby girl.We forgot how much joy she brought us. We forgot how she used to make us all laugh. We forgotthat she was a girl who needed our love. That is on us. We were the parents, and you childrenfollowed our lead. We shunned her, and so you followed suit. If anyone is to blame, then it’s us. Wefailed as adults and that is on us,” he finishes, clasping my shoulder in a tight grip. 1I know what they said was meant to make me feel better, but it doesn’t. The rest mainly ignoredAva and treated her like she was invisible. I did worse. So much fucking worse, and that shit is allon me.I give them a small smile. I didn’t want to dwell on this for long.Mom must have believed me because she takes my hand in hers.“Come on, let’s go before the others start wondering what’s taking us so long,” she says, pulling mealong while dad follows behind.I internally groan when I spot Emma. I knew she would be here, but knowing and seeing are twodifferent things.2/5+15 BONUS“Hey Ro. I’m glad you came.” Kate kisses both of my cheeks“Yeah” it’s the only response I can master, given that I’m not really glad to be hereShe gets distracted by my parents, and I see that as my chance to slip away.I head straight to my brother.“How are things going?” he asks after the initial greeting.“Terrible” I mumble, remembering the fight between me and Calvin the weekend before.It wasn’t one of my greatest moments, but he just reminded me of the time he used to chase afterEmma. That scared me because I was afraid that he was doing the same to Ava. Regardless ofeverything, Calvin is a good guy. That, more than anything, scared the crap out of me because itmeans that he actually has a chance if he were to shoot his shot.“Any progress so far?” he asks. “None. The only progress is that I managed to piss her off even more.”Gabe sighs. “What did you do?”“I got into a fight with Calvin. Turns out he is Gunner’s father”I don’t need to explain who Gunner is. Noah talks about him all the damn time. He tells everyonethat he is his new best friend.“I’m confused. Who is Calvin?” Gabe asks, looking confused as hell.“Nerdy Cal. You remember him?”It takes a while, butit the moment it downs on him.“You’re shitting me!” he yells. “That Nerdy Cal? The one that used to follow Emma around all thetime.”“Yes, the same one”I still can’t believe it. It’s such a damn coincidence that I don’t know what to think.“What’s going on?” Travis asks as he walks towards us.I look behind him, thankful that Emma hadn’t followed him. In fact, thinking about it now, I 3/5far away from Ava, then I didn’t mind at all.+15 BONUS“Just that nerdy Cal is Gunner’s dad, and Ro got into a fight with him,” Gabe answers.“Seriously?” he asks before turning to me. “Why? Was it because of Emma? Before I can answer him, we hear the front door open and then bang shut. Moments later we hearAva’s clear and angry voice shouting Emma’s name.“Emma?” she shouts again as she walks out of the house.“What’s going on?” I turn to Travis.“I have no idea” We step closer. Our eyes on Ava as she stomps towards Emma, who was standing next to ourparents. Before anyone can do anything or stop her, she slaps Emma so hard that she falls to theground.“What the hell, Ava?” Travis shouts as she rushes to help his sister.Emma, just like everyone else, was shocked. Ava, on the other hand, looked wired. She lookeddownright pissed. As if she was ready to rip someone’s head off.“Shut the fuck up, Travis” she says at him through clenched teeth.“What’s going on, Ava? Why would you attack your sister like that?” Kate asks as tears fills hereyes.She was torn. She didn’t know which girl to choose, so she was waiting to see if Ava had a goodreason before picking sides.This just shows how iside.she’s changed. The previous Kate would immediately take Emma’s“That’s what I would like to know.” Ava snarls and then glares at Emma. “I would like to know whyyou would do that, Emma. Why would you abandon your child? Your own son”We all stand stock still. Maybe we weren’t hearing it right. Maybe Ava got it wrong. There is noway Emma had a child. She would have told her family.“That’s bullshit. Emma doesn’t have a child, and she would never abandon her kid,” Travis defends.4/5Ava laughs as if she had lost her goddamn mind.“That’s what I thought at first, but I am not wrong” she asks*15 BONUSSaid wome was now in Travis‘ arms Clutching his arm like her life depended on it. She had tears streaking down her cheeks and fear in her eyes. She was even fucking trembling. Even with allthat, she didn’t answer.Ava continues while looking at Emma like she in the scum of the earth.“You’re Gunner’s mother, isn’t that right Emma or are you going to continue pretending that you’renot?”Ava delivers the final blow. One that none of us saw coming. A blow that none of us were prepared.for.Today’s Bonus OfferGET IT NOW
