Chapter 0178
I haven’t seen him since the last time he was here. Gunner is here almost every day and Noah sometimes goes to their house, but I’ve hardly seen or interacted with Calvin. It’s like for some unknown reason he
was avoiding me.
“Do you want to come in?” I ask him when I see him shuffling from one foot to another looking rather
undecided.
“Yeah, if you don’t mind”
I move to the side to let him in. he looks unsure at first but he finally crosses the threshold and enters my
house.
Leading him to the kitchen, I motion for him to sit down while I prepare the boys their snacks.
“Theard what happened to you, just wanted to make sure you’re okay” he says after a while.
It wasn’t news in this city. Someone got wind of it and by evening, Emma and I were all over the news. No one knew that I was a Howell, and I wanted it like that because I wasn’t ready for the scrutiny that came with the name. They all still believe I was a Sharp and now everyone was speculating on why someone would want to kidnap both Sharp sisters.
“Uh- thanks” I respond. It all felt so weird and awkward.
“How’s the face?”
“Better” I simply answer.
The swelling had gone down. All that remained was the ugly purple–blackish color around my cheek.
We are quiet for a moment. Both of us not sure what to talk about. I even wished that he could leave. I hate awkward situations. They usually make me feel sweaty and out of balance.
“I’m sorry” his voice cuts through the tense air, making me turn to face him.
“For what?”
“How I have treated you. It’s not fair when you’ve been nothing but kind to me and my son. I just…” he leaves it at that, but he manages to shock me.
I stare at him not sure what to tell him. This time it’s not out of weirdness but out of shock. When I invited him, this was not what I was expecting.
You have to understand, I haven’t had the best experience when it comes to us
I swallow, realizing that I had it wrong all this time.
“It’s safe to assume that you were hurt by Gunners mother and not because she died, right?”
The emotions that play on his face tell it all. Whoever Gunner’s mom is has done a number on him, and from the looks of it has continued to do it. He’s a man that was drowning in pain. If he wasn’t careful, it
would consume him.
“Yeah, but I don’t want to talk about it. It’s too fucking painful” he whispers while trying to mask the pain.
that was chocking him..
I
I feel for him. Maybe it’s because he looks so lonely and lost. Maybe it’s because I see myself in him.
Maybe it’s because I can relate to his pain. Whichever it is, I want to help him. I want to show him that
there is a way to co–exist with the pain.
I can’t promise it’ll heal. After all, mine hasn’t, but there is a way to live with it without it drowning you. Calvin just hasn’t figured that out, and instead of living, he is merely surviving. Existing. Those are not ways to live, especially if you have a child.
“I get you Calvin, Fuck, do I understand you so I am going to accept your apology and I am going to give you’re an offer of friendship” I tell him sincerely. 1
He looks at me in doubt, but finally he nods his head. Though a bit reluctantly.
I don’t know much about him now, but what I can tell is that he doesn’t have a support system. That’s what he probably needs. Someone or some people in his life that will bring him out of his shell. Ones who’ll show him life is to be lived.
Isn’t that what happened with me? Letty and Ethan came into my life and basically showed me the light. Sure, what Ethan did was fucked up, but I will always be grateful to him for showing me that there was more to life other than pain and heartache.
“Friends?” I ask pushing my hand forward for him to shake.
“Friends” he gives me a small smile. 1
Even as we shake hands, I can’t help the uncomfortable feeling running amuck in my chest. I don’t sense danger from him, but something tells me that Calvin was meant to move here. He has secrets which were bound to come out and when they did, they would shift everything.
Synopsis
Ava: Nine years ago I did something terrible. it wasn’t one of my best moments but I saw an opportunity to have the guy I’ve loved since I was a young girl and I took it. Fast forward to years later and I’m tired of living in a loveless marriage. I want to free both of us from a marriage that should never have taken place. They say if you love something…. It was time to let him go. I know he’ll never love me and that I’ll never be his choice. His heart will always belong to Her and despite my sins, I deserve to be loved. Rowan: Nine years ago, I was so in love I could barely see right. I ruined it when I made the worst mistake of my life and in the process I lost the love of my life. I knew I had to step up in my responsibility and so I did, with an unwanted wife. With the wrong woman. Now she has once again flipped my life by divorcing me. To make matters even more complicated, the love of my life is back in town. Now the only question is, who is the right woman? Is it the girl I fell head over heels in love with years ago? or is it my ex wife, the woman I never wanted but had to marry?
