THE TRUTH HURTS ✔

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ғᴏᴜʀᴛᴇᴇɴ

Gray started to ramble on that as soon as he placed his head down on his pillow, sleep hit him instantly before he drifted off to a place that he remembered so clearly going with Lia when they started dating.

He couldn't believe how real it felt as the cool, crisp breeze from the wind touched his skin. The way the waves would crash as they arrived on land from the ocean.

Everything felt so real he kept saying. Gray then went on that waiting at their special place was Lia.

She turned back facing him with a smile that could light up a room as soon as she walked. Gray couldn't believe it. He was hesitant in regards to walking over but something told him that everything was alright, there was nothing to worry about.

And, so that's what he did. Gray paced himself and headed over to Lia, and sat down next to her.

She smiled and faced Gray, placing her hand on top of his. Gray stated he jumped which made Leigh laugh then he nudged him. "I'm serious," he said. "I almost jumped out of my skin when she touched my hand. It was warm to the touch as if she was real. I mean really, really in the fresh."

Leigh nodded her head. She understood exactly what Gray meant. When Lia touched her hand, the feeling was unreal. She also couldn't believe it herself, and probably will never will.

Moving on, Gray talked some more about how Lia stated to him that everything was alright. She's happy and he should be too.

"But even if things are alright with you, how can move forward. You were my everything. Our child, you, I'll never see, " he said.

Lia sighed as she glanced out into the ocean. Watching some of the waves crash onto land. "I'm never gone from you Gray. Your memory of me will always be there. But despite it all, you will need to gracefully take each day one day at a time. Maybe you will find someone new, get married, and have a child with them."

"I highly doubt it," Gray scoffed, clenching the beach sand in his hands. He truly didn't believe he will ever find someone that he could ever love the way he loved Lia.

"You will. It won't be tomorrow but in time, you will Gray. Because everyone needs happiness," Lia said.

"But you were my happiness," Gray admitted.

Lia turned to face him. Her smile illuminated as the sun's Ray capture her in a moment Gray would never forget. "As you were mine. Not a day goes by that you always made me happy. Our kisses gave me butterflies. When we were together, you made me so happy. Sometimes I wish, we could've told Leigh everything before I got pregnant but in the end, things happen. And of all must live with the aftermath. But no for a fact, I wouldn't change my love for you. I love you, Gray, and always will."

Right after that, Lia leaned in and kissed Gray on the cheek. She pulled back revealing tears streaming down Gray's face. She chuckled before wiping them away then Gray started to chuckle as well, remembering her laugh that he loved so much.

He stared up at the sky as he drew in a deep amount of air before exhaling. He then turned his head to face Lia. "So how long do we have?" He asked her.

Lia turned her head with a smile before a call out grabbed their attention. Looking over Lia's head, a young boy came running over.

Gray watched the interaction as the little boy threw himself onto Lia before she kissed him on his forehead.

She held him for a moment, whispering in his ear before the young boy glanced over to Gray.

The young boy smiled as he stood up and walked over to Gray. "Hello, I'm Samuel," he said, introducing himself to Gray.

Samuel bowed before surprisingly wrapping his arms around Gray. It startled Gray until Samuel whispered one word to Gray that once more sent the grown male into tears. "father/appa."

Gray looked over to Lia and mouthed the word appa to which Lia nodded her head. That was all Gray needed to know before he tightly gripped Samuel as if he didn't want to let him go.

Then, Gray pulled back Samuel, making sure that he got a good look at the young boy. He wanted to make sure that he remembered every detail, every mole, the color of his skin, the way he acted, and so on.

He didn't want to miss any details from Samuel.

"Why don't the two of you go and play," Lia suggested.

Shocked, Gray looked over to Lia. "Are you sure?" He asked.

Lia nodded. "He likes the beach, and enjoys making sandcastles, just like you."

That's all that is needed to confirm the truth. Gray and Samuel stood up and Gray took Samuel's hand as they walked down further by the water to create the ultimate sandcastle together.

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Time progressed, and Gray and Samuel enjoyed their time together building the biggest sandcastle until Lia called out to them. "It's time."

A gloomy feeling fell upon Gray as he looked to his son and then over to Lia. "Can't y'all stay a little bit longer?"

Lia walked over placing a soft touch on Gray's cheek. "I wish we could but we have to return. But even though we're leaving, we are still in here," she said, pointing to Gray's heart.

Gray hugged his son for the last time. "Take care of your mama, okay?" Samuel nodded his head. Then he grabbed Lia's hand pulling her close to him and holding her in his arms. He leaned down, bringing his lips towards his as Lia welcome the final touch between them.

Gray broke away from Lia, her image along with Samuel's disappearing, leaving him alone by the sandcastle that was by his side.

After hearing Gray's story, Leigh was full of fledge crying her heart out. That notebook she was tightly holding in her hands was soaked.

"But you wanna know what's even more surprising?" Gray asked, running his hands together before leaning back on the bench.

Leigh shook her head.

Gray nervously chuckled. "Once I woke, I quickly got dressed and drove to that beach, maybe thinking that I would see them there, Lia and Samuel. It was wishful thinking. Well, I didn't find them there."

Gray then faced Leigh with a look that would bring chills down her spine as what he was about to tell her. "However, I did see the sandcastle that we built."

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ғɪɴᴀʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴘᴏsᴛᴇᴅ sᴏᴏɴ