Charlotte

28 // epilogue pt. 2

28 // epilogue pt. 2

"Don't do anything too crazy," Wren warned me once we'd pulled up to the large brick house that belonged to Noah. However, as soon as the car came to a halt, both of our car doors swung open simultaneously.

"What are you doing?" I asked Wren once he'd got out of the car.

"I'm going in there," he said angrily. 

"No you're not!" I replied. He had every damn right to be furious at Noah and I was too but I could already see what would happen if I let Wren inside. 

"You have to stay here with Charlotte," I told him. I leaned down and peered through the window at our daughter who was fast asleep in the back of the car. After being away from her for all those months, I didn't want to be away from her for another second. However, there were a few loose ends that needed to be knotted up before I could begin enjoying and adjusting to this new life.

"I only need three minutes, Lesra," Wren explained. His tone of voice was eerie and dark. "Stay out here with Lottie," he closed his door, making sure not to stir her. 

"Don't do this," I reasoned with him as he rounded the car and got closer to me. I stepped in front of him and was a barrier between him and the house. "I need to straighten things out and end it with him," I explained, although I wasn't sure what I'd be ending since Noah and I weren't anything officially. "Let me go in there, talk to him and pack my stuff." 

His chest rose and fell as he breathed out a long strain of warm air.

"Please," I added.

With his now relaxed features and eyes clouded with sadness, he looked at me. 

"For 6 months, he let you believe that I didn't love you. He let you believe that I didn't come back to see you when that's far beyond the truth."

"I know," I nodded, looking down at the vibrant green grass underneath my sandals. "And I was so stupid to believe him..to even think that you wouldn't come back. I should've reached out to you to at least confirm it for myself. It would've saved us from all this time spent apart."

"And I," he began lowly. "Should've went to the hospital that very day they told me that a Ms. Wright died. I just couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it, Lesra. So when they sent me an urn with ashes, I thought they were yours, not your mothers. Don't think that the reason why I didn't go to the hospital that same day to confirm it was because I didn't love you, because believe me, I love you."

"I believe you," I gave him a half a smile.

Slowly the pieces were falling together.

When I was admitted to the hospital, everything was put under Wrens name. Anything that was supposed to come to me went to Wren and so when my mom died, they called Wren, of course. There was a mix up and they didn't clarify which Wright had passed. Just weeks before, Wren had put in enough money to keep me on the ventilator for an additional four months. Thank god he didn't come back for a refund because that was all the time I needed before I woke up.

When cremation bills came in, Wren paid them. He believed that those ashes were mine. Too distraught, he couldn't  bare answering the phone whenever Shay or Tone would call. If he had, he would've known the truth. Noah had lied when he said that as soon as the baby was born Wren didn't come back because he did, daily most times. The only truth was that Wren didn't come back the last month I was in a coma because he thought I was dead. 

"Go on," he said, motioning towards the brick house. 

"Thank you," I replied. I took a stack of unfolded cardboard boxes from the trunk and proceeded to the front door.