Escape

Epilogue Part Two

I knock on the door. A portly woman in her thirties opens the door.

"May I help you?" she inquires.

I smile, adjusting my shirt. "Is Aaron home?" I ask. "Or Lea?"

"Oh, Lea's at her boyfriend's." The woman shakes her head. "Aaron's in his room. Who are you?"

"Oh, excuse my manners," I say, smiling sheepishly. "My name's Bryna. I'm an... old friend of Aaron's."

Her eyes widen and she steps away from the door to let me in. "Upstairs, second room to the right," she whispers quietly, suddenly very solemn.

I smile politely. "Thank you."

I walk through the house, noting the tasteful decor quietly as I make it to Aaron's bedroom. I knock on the door after a small hesitation.

"Yeah?" a gruff voice asks. It sends chills up my spine, both good and bad.

"Can I come in?" I ask.

I can imagine his frown. "Who is it?"

"Why don't you open the door to find out?" I ask sarcastically, leaning against his door frame.

There's a small silence, and then the door opens. Aaron's on the other side, his dirty blonde hair much longer than I remember it, and his gorgeous, mahogany colored eyes peering at me wide-eyed. He's more muscular than I remember, and I notice a tattoo peeking out under the sleeve of his black t-shirt. His mouth pops open as he flounders for something to say.

"Bryna?" he croaks out, finally.

"The one and only," I respond, tilting my head. "You look well, Aaron."

"I-I... We thought you were dead," he whispers.

"Yeah, I know. Justin told me when he found me. I'm alive, though. And I'm here."

He seems stunned, staring at me. "How... How long have you been...?"

"In Rhode Island? A day. I had to clear myself and get a place to stay. Justin's couch'll have to do until I can get my own place." I shrug. "You and Justin are the only ones who know I'm here. You're the first person I came to."

He inhales sharply. "Why?"

My lips curve into a small smile. "Because I couldn't just sit there knowing that you're moping over me when I'm alive, well, and thinking about you pretty much every waking hour."

Aaron seems shocked, but then his gaze hardens. "You left us," he whispers coldly. "You just left us and you made no attempt to contact us. Do you know how goddamn worried we all were for you? And you just come back like you can just be here and everything's okay again. It's not okay, Bryna. It's not okay, and I hate you for being so damn ignorant and not finding a better way to get us out of this mess. I hate you for leaving us, and I hate you for not caring enough to try considering how we'd feel if you left. I-"

He cuts himself off when he sees my expression. Then he's grabbing me by the wrist and pulling me into his room, shutting the door behind him and wrapping me into a hug. I hug him back, my fingers clutching at his shirt and my head buried into the crook of his neck.

"I hate me too," I whisper. "I know it's not an easy fix. I should have tried harder. But I thought about you and the twins, and Lea, and even Justin every day. And I thought about how torn apart you all should have been because I left you, and I didn't fight, like I should have. That was so goddamn stupid of me, and I beat myself up every day because of it. Letting you guys leave was the worst thing I ever did, and I can't forgive myself for it. And I'd tell you I'm sorry, but sorry doesn't encompass how utterly heartbroken I feel every time I think about how I let you guys go without fighting. I didn't fight. And that kills me every waking moment, because you guys are the only family I have left, and I so stupidly let you guys go. I'm sorry, Aaron. Even though it fixes nothing, I'm sorry. And if I never leave your side again, I'd be the most content person in the world, because you all are everything to me."