Second time lucky

16

Britts pov.

You know the feeling when everything you thought was perfect in your life suddenly crashes down on top of you? That's how it felt when I heard his voice, saw him walk towards the children he never knew.

I had ran up to his room for some reason. Perhaps it was because it reminded me of better times, the fond memories we had shared together within these four walls. Perhaps it was because no one would think to look for me in here, or because it was the easiest place to hide.

"Why now?" I asked, barely a whisper when I noticed him standing in the doorway. "Why did you suddenly decide to come back now?"

"Britt I .." he began as I put the pillow down on the bed.

"No." I said standing and wiping my cheeks. "You've had four years. You didn't reach out once in four years Riley! You know what, I can't do this." I running my hand through my hair. "I need to go."

I walked past him as he grabbed my arm, spinning me to face him. We were close enough to where I could smell that homey wooden scent radiating from him. I closed my eyes as the tears kept falling silently.

It took everything I had not to fall into him. To let him hold me, tell me it was okay and he was sorry. It took every ounce of my being to remember that he left me, twice. That someone else had stepped up in my life to do the job I had trusted him with. The job that he had abandoned all to easily.

"Let go of me Riley." I said without looking him in the eyes.

I felt his hand let go as I turned to walk away. After a couple of steps I heard what sounded like "I'm sorry" come from his mouth before I walked downstairs.

"Come on guys it's time to go." I said hastily as I grabbed their things and loaded up gifts into the car. I let them say a quick goodbye before Ava helped me buckle them up.

Once the doors were closed I noticed that everyone had followed us outside.

"Britt you can't leave like this." My mom said with a worried expression on her face.

"I'm sorry mom, but I can't be here. I can't do this right now." I cried.

"I'll follow her, Brett stay here and I'll call you?" Ava interrupted before giving Brett a quick peck on the lips and getting in their car.

Connor and Emelia seemed confused the whole ride back, asking questions that I couldn't answer without the knife digging deeper in my chest.

"Is that really our daddy?" Emelia asked.

"Yeah." I sighed.

"Is that why you're crying?" Connor added.

"No baby, mommy is just having a bad day." I said.

"Can we see daddy again?" They both asked as I took a deep breath.

"We can talk about it later okay?"

"Okay,"

"Okay."

I had never been so relieved to live so close before now. Ava pulled in behind me and without a word helped me get the kids and gifts into the house.

"Alright you little terrors, let's get you ready for bed." She smiled before she ushered them upstairs while I just sat on the couch and cried.

When she returned about fifteen minutes later she had two full glasses of wine in her hands. Carefully she set them on the small table before sitting beside me and pulling me into her.

"So today went as well as a truck driving in the ocean." She sighed.

"Ugh!" I groaned, "Why is my life such a mess. Kyles mom hates me, she made that clear. I just don't know what her problem is. She was so nice at graduation but today she was a bitch." I blurted out, "I'm sorry I know she's your aunt."