My Stolen Identity (Complete)

Chapter 52 - Regrets

***** Blakely's Point of View *****

You knew my father?" Knox asked with scrunched eyebrows.

I stared at him for a couple more seconds before nodding. "Yeah. He was actually ummm. He was my boyfriend back in college," I laughed awkwardly. "Man that seems like a million years ago now."

"What?" Knox asked, with scrunched eyebrows. "Are you serious? That's crazy."

"Yeah," I nodded. "It really is a small world isn't it?" I laughed, shaking my head.

Elodie shook her head in disbelief. "Yeah it really is a small world. So how long did you and Knox's Dad date?" she asked me.

I let out a sigh, thinking. "Oh, about three years. We started dating at the end of our freshman year of college and broke up right after graduation. There was no big fight or anything. We just realized we wanted different things out of life and went our separate ways. Story of my life I guess," I shrugged, with a pained smile, trying to laugh it off but in reality it hurt more than I cared to admit.

I knew when I found out who Elodie's boyfriend was that we'd have to meet eventually, but I hadn't expected it to be so hard. I didn't think he would look so much like Charlie did back then when he was my first love. His Dad was the love of my life and I gave him up to chase my dreams and my career.

Eventually, a few years later, I realized what a mistake I had made and tracked him down on Facebook. I wanted to see if he would be interested in giving us a second chance. He accepted my friend request and when I scrolled through his page I saw pictures of his beautiful wife and three kids and I was heartbroken. I had missed my chance.

I stayed friends with him on Facebook for a couple years, seeing his family vacation pictures, his kids sports achievements and all that. Eventually I decided I was just torturing myself. It was too hard to see him with someone else so I unfriended him and haven't talked to him since.

"It's been a few years since I've talked to him. How is your Dad?" I asked hesitantly. I really hoped by some miracle that he was going to say he was divorced and single now.

A sad look came over his face and Elodie rubbed on his arm and answered for him.

"His Dad passed away a few months ago. He was in a car accident," she said sadly.

I felt like I had been punched in the gut and all the air left my lungs. I suddenly felt dizzy and needed to sit down. I sat down in her chair with wide eyes, feeling stunned.

Charlie was dead. My Charlie.

He was the one that got away and I always felt Ike we were going to get back together eventually because I had no doubt we were meant to be together.

I sat there in disbelief, not even sure what to say. My eyes started to burn and fill with tears and the next thing I knew I was sobbing into my hands. Even though I hadn't seen him in years, it broke my heart knowing he was gone and I'd never have a chance to tell him how much I regretted my decision to leave him back in college.

Elodie sat down in the chair beside me, rubbing my back and looking at me with sympathy.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

I looked up and saw the sad look on Knox's face and I realized that seeing me cry was probably making it hard on him.

I stood up and sniffled, wiping my tears away and straightening up my business suit. I looked at Knox one more time, still amazed at how much he looked like his Dad. It was like seeing a ghost from my past.

"I ummm. I need to go, but umm. Elodie, text me when you've had the baby so I can bring some gifts by the hospital. It's never too soon to start spoiling him," I said with a forced smile, trying to act like everything was okay, when in fact my world felt like it just collapsed.