𝚂𝙷𝙰𝚃𝚃𝙴𝚁 [COMPLETE]

Lost

Chapter Ten

I made my way back downstairs to see Tam and the kids looking around.

"I'll be right back," I stepped over some broken glass and made it over to the front door that was coming off its hinges, "I have to check on something."

Tam nodded knowingly and I slipped out of the house, heading down the driveway and towards a new chapter in the ever-changing story of my life.

The house was still there, with it's neatly trimmed lawn and I noticed CJ's Dad's pickup was parked in the driveway as usual though the years haven't been too kind to it. There was a light on in the kitchen and another in the upstairs bedroom that belonged to his parents. Their house was almost identical to my parent's house and I'd been there enough times to know the whole layout.

My chest was heaving and I made my way around to the back, standing under CJ's window. My heart was thudding so hard in my chest I felt like I was going to have a heart attack for sure. I wiped my hands on my pants before pulling myself up and into the room through the open window. The first thing I noticed was the pale blue light coming from one side of the room where a small bed sat. The light was from a blue genie lamp, the one CJ had loved as a kid. As I crept closer to the bed my heart sounded like a drum and I could hear the blood rushing in my ears.

The shape on the bed was bunched up in a blanket but was definitely way too small to be CJ. As I got closer I could see their face. It was a little boy, no older than six. His long eyelashes fanned his cheeks and his curly dark hair fell over his forehead, reminding me of CJ. In fact, the kid looked a lot like CJ. So much so that it took my breath away and I reached a hand out to touch his cheek.

The room had been remodeled to be a kid's room and I wondered why CJ's parents had decided to have another baby after all this time. As soon as my fingers brushed his cheek, the little boy's eyes flew open and he was looking at me with the most innocent eyes I'd ever seen.

"Gramma?" His soft voice startled me a bit and I backed away from the bed in realization as he sat upright and rubbed his eyes.

This was...CJ's son?

"Who are you?" His voice shook a bit and realized I'd better come up with something fast before he started crying 'stranger danger' and woke up his Grandparents.

"H-hey," I crept back to his bedside cautiously, "You might not remember me. I'm Camilla. I'm an old friend of your Dad's."

He was fully awake now and his eyes surveyed me top to bottom, "why are you dressed like a homeless man?"

Excuse me? I looked down at my faded jeans and a baggy sweatshirt. Jeez, this kid is brutal.

"Don't mind that," I forced a smile and crept closer to his bedside once more, "what's your name?"

"Dean."

"Okay Dean well I just need to know where your dad is."

"At work," he answered plainly.

"Where?" I was getting slightly impatient, especially since the need to find CJ was like my need for oxygen at this point.

"A big company!" He started getting excited, "Thay have an elevator and give me apples and-"

I would've rolled my eyes if he weren't so cute but clearly, this kid wasn't going to be much help to me, "Is he coming back tonight?" I asked cutting him off.

He shook his head, "tomorrow."

"Alright," I gently sat on his bed, clasping my hands in my lap as I gazed down at the kid who could've been mine and strange emotions came over me. Was this jealousy? Why did CJ stop looking for me? Who did he meet and how could he just forget about what we had? If my memories hadn't been erased...

"Don't tell your Dad I came to visit okay?" I gently patted the kids head before getting to my feet.

"Why not?" He questioned.

"Because it's a surprise."

"Ohhh," he grinned and pretended to zip his lips.

"Go to sleep."

I slipped out the window once more as soon as he'd closed his eyes and started making my way back across the street. I assumed the kid was just spending the weekend with his grandparents so if CJ was coming to pick him up tomorrow I'd be able to find out where he lived and who he was with.

It would also give me enough time to get everyone settled at the cabin.

***

The cabin was smaller than I remembered, with only two bedrooms, a sitting room, a kitchen, and a laundry room. Both bedrooms had their own private bathrooms and Tam decided we would share the Master bedroom since it had a king bed while the kids would share the room we once used when we were younger. It was already set up as a kid's room anyway, bunk bed and all.

After we'd put them to bed we sat in the living room, hugging cups of coffee and staring out the window into the night.

"Do you think he knows?" Tam spoke up after a while and I glanced over at her. It was something that had been on my mind for quite a while too. I knew Offender would've probably figured that we'd gone by now. I also knew that he wasn't a very patient man and he was probably searching for me as we speak, especially since I took Rose with me.

The first time I'd ran away he'd done such horrible things... at this point, I felt like the question wasn't whether or not he knew where we were, it was when would he come to get us.

"It's possible," I answered, staring into my cup of brown coffee, "but I'm not gonna let that stop me from getting what I came for."

"This doesn't seem like a really good idea, to be honest," Tam spoke up, "what if he made CJ forget too, and even if he didn't, you yourself said CJ has a kid, he probably doesn't want-"

"Don't worry about that," I cut her off before she could finish what I knew she was going to say, "I know what I'm doing."

"If you say so."

We talked for a few more hours before heading to bed but I was so anxious that I could hardly close my eyes. I was going to see CJ again. I wondered what he looked like, if he'd changed any at all. I know I sure have.

At around 5 am I took a shower and tried brushing my hair until it looked somewhat normal. I hadn't worn makeup in ages because it had been so long since I'd had to go out in public where people might actually judge your appearance. Not that CJ was judgey but what if the person he was with was way more attractive than I was?

I sighed and dropped the brush before sitting on the bed, still wrapped in my towel, next to Tam as she slept. I was having second thoughts. Maybe Tam was right but the more I thought about the other option, going back to Offender, the more resentment I felt.

When my memories had returned it wasn't only the big stuff like him removing every memory of CJ's existence, there were smaller things too. I remember seeing him watching me from the shadows for months, long before that night in the woods. He wanted what CJ had, what all the couples he'd ripped apart had. It was like a drug to him, or I guess he was just a natural sadist. He loved to cause pain and suffering so after he'd gotten me after he'd broken me and tricked me into falling for him, that was his mission accomplished. He'd taken something by force, the one thing no one else could; Love.

I could now remember the way he taunted me at first when he was deep inside me, that I'd once sworn to love CJ forever, taunting and mocking me. These were the memories that filtered through right before Zalgo showed up in my dreams. Maybe Zalgo was giving me some kind of warning. Either way, knowing Offender he wasn't going to stay on the sidelines for long I needed to do this quick. I didn't really have a plan for what I would do once CJ and I were reunited but I hoped he wouldn't be too shocked.

I got dressed in a grey T-shirt and dark jeans, then added a black hoodie after some consideration. I'd already told Tam the plan so I left while they were all still sleeping.

There was a part of me that wanted to turn back and just forget him but my heart wouldn't let me. I needed to know if all was lost for me or if there was still even the slightest chance of redemption.

A smaller part of me was telling me not to... To give this all up and go home before it was too late, but I couldn't. Not now. Not when I was so close to learning the absolute truth.