Caged Birds ✔️

Chapter Thirty-Three

Sam's P.O.V

I take a seat back at my table beside Jenna where I find a slice of red velvet in front of my chair. I search my surroundings where I notice everyone is now at their tables, eating dessert. Looking around the room, I can't help but feel like an outcast amongst Anna and Fred's family. Most of the people I have never met and those that I do know, hate me.

Jenna snaps her head in my direction and says, "Hey, what was all that about?"

"What was what about?"

Everyone at my table has also returned from the dance floor and don't seem to be paying attention to me and Jenna's conversation.

"Well first you get into a heated fight with the bartender then you storm out crying and Matt follows you, then you two come back in together" she rants.

"You saw all that?" I lower my voice.

"You'll be surprised what these eyes see" she folds her arms, "now spill"

"Okay" I sigh, "I may have left out a part of the story"

"You've got to be kidding" Jenna cries.

"But it has nothing to do with Matt...its Bobby" I admit.

"Please tell me that you didn't sleep with him" she looks deeply into my eyes which makes me shrug. "You slept with him!"

"Shh" I beg, "You're making it sound like a one night stand or something"

"Well was it?" Jenna crosses her arms and raises one of her eyebrows.

"No" I shake my head, attempting to hold back my tears. "We've been dating for almost a year"

"You what!" She throws up her hands, "I thought you said-"

"Jenna, he proposed" I admit, "that's why we're fighting"

She widens her eyes then sighs.

"And I take it that you said no" Jenna assumes.

"I didn't say no" I look down at the slice of caking.

"But you didn't say yes either, huh?" she guesses.

"I can't marry him" my voice cracked.

Suddenly anxiety built within me, my heart begins to burn. I struggle to continue this conversation but I know that I have to. My eyes begin to tear up so I keep them glued to the cake.

"Why?" She asks softly, without any anger or blame in her voice.

"Because I...I don't love him" I admit, "at least not how he loves me"

"Oh," Jenna nods in understanding. "How's Bobby taking it?"

"Well, I told him that I need time to think...so he's confused" I explain, "he doesn't know if we're broken up or..."

"Well, are you?"

I nod slowly "yeah I think so"

"I'm sorry, Sam" Jenna softens her gaze.

"He deserves a girl who won't hesitate to accept his proposal...someone who will love him as he loves her" I admit, "I was never supposed to be his future...being with Bobby felt like I was going against God's will"

"Oh, Sam" she frowns, following my actions and standing up from her seat.

"I'm fine, really" I assure as she wraps her arms around me. "I'm actually gonna head off now...I'll talk to Bobby when we get home"

"Do you have to go so soon?" Jenna's voice is low and emotional.

"Jen, let her go" Johnathan cries, "if she's got to go, she's got to go"

"When will I see you next?" Jenna asks.

"Soon, I promise" I whisper, pulling away from her bear hug before looking to my friends whose eyes are all on me. "bye, guys" I wave.

"Bye, Sam" Angie waves me goodbye as I take my bag and begin to walk through the venue.

When I approach the bar to say goodbye to my team, I see a group of people from my past that I never thought I would see again. My cousin Noah stands in front of the bar, talking to Henry and little Gabe as well as another man that I didn't recognise.

That's when I see her in a blue dress and six-inch heels. Noah's eyes meet mine, making Kiley turn around to face me. She's a woman now, I haven't seen her since she was a kid. Her hair is darker and shorter and she wears a full face of makeup. My baby sister looks so much like Diana. That's when I notice the diamond on her left hand and the blond man beside her.

The loud music suddenly goes silent and everything and everyone freezes like someone hit pause on my life. My eyes well up with tears as Kiley and I take a few steps towards each other.

For the last ten years, I've treated Kiley as though she were my captor, I didn't realise at the time that she was trapped with me in that cage. She's my sister. After all, that's what siblings are, right? People with shared trauma? She was a raven and I was a sparrow. I was small enough to escape through the bars, she was big enough to defend herself against our father.

Kiley and I wrap our arms around each other simultaneously.

We are the Caged Birds, reunited at last, from girls destined to live under their father's hold, to women ruling our worlds.