US

+ p a r t s i x: 30 +

Vin walked me to my car  handed over to me Olly's and I's baby album "There is something you might like to see that's inside it"

Inside it had been the stick drawing we had done so many years ago.

Of me, him and Louis.

And Jamie.

I had told him about Jamie.

It must have been when I'd began sendig Jamie go him.

And a letter.

His suicide letter.

I don't know if this would ever reach you, Sis but if it does. I hope you forgive me, but I'm not as strong as you. I love Mom and Dad very much and the thought that I could disappoint them. That they would look at me and act the way they do when Father brings up your name during dinner. It killed me.

It killed me because I loved you very much too. It killed me because I wanted to belong in their life and yours. I knew it was selfish but all I ever wanted was all of us together.

I know that this might make you hate them, but I know they miss you, and if… if for whatever reason you forget that you're the bravest and most beautiful person I've ever seen, I'd never forgive you.

I want you to keep smiling, Skyler. I want you to keep punching boys and I want Jamie to keep making you laugh.

I want you to be happy, even if I can't.

I want you to love.

More importantly, Skye. I want you to live.

I promise to always keep watching you.

~ Your art buddy, Olly.

I cried again.

I drove to the hill now, the drawing and letter in my hand as I looked around, my voice low "The last time I came here, I'd said so many mean things to you and I can never take them back. I won't because I had meant them"

"I loved you, Olly. I did. I hated the fact you could leave me like that. I hated the fact that everyone I loved treating me like that. Like my opinion didn't matter. I hated the fact you didn't know how beautiful you were and yet—"

I laughed "All this time, I never wondered about how much it'd have hurt for you to have seen me the way I was. The way I am. How it must have tormented you too. I'd always been so selfish, Olly. I forgot— I forgot that you loved me"

The tres whistled and the wind blew as I tried to smile "But I promise, I promise that one of us will be happy. That I will make us a family again. I won't be a horrible person anymore. I will love, and I swear on my life, I will live"

After that, I drove to the Cullen's.

Rob had been on his way to pick Penny from school when he spotted me parking in the driveway.

He looked surprised "You didn't tell me you were coming"

I laughed. it was a thing of shock for him and hugged him "I love you"

He shoved me away, black eyes peering at me through his glasses "Are you dying, Skye? You look like you're dying"

I told him I wasn't.

Holly squeezed the life out of me when I was inside the house "What are you doing here, love? I thought you had a movie production going on"

"Oscar gave me a week off" I said "And I needed to see my family"

Her eyes widened "You went over to your place?"

I smiled "Yes, them. I had.meant you, Rob and Peanut, but yes, I went to see them as well"

"What made you do that?" She asked.

I showed her my baby picture album with Olly. She had tears in her eyes when she went through them "You looked so carefree then"

"I missed her for a very long time" I said.

Penny arrived home some minutes later, running into me as she held me tight. She was crying when I saw her face "Don't go away again"

I held her "I'm so sorry I left princess"

She nodded and them began to remove a necklace from around her neck before she held it out to me "I kept it safe for you"

I stared at it, the key moving on it. It made me smile a little as I took it and pulled her into a hug "What would I do without you?"

That day, we spent it with all of us going through my pictures before I put her to bed, telling her about Olly "He liked boys?"

I nodded "He did"

"Is that bad?"

"No baby" I said "He couldn't control how he felt. Sometimes there are no reasons for why things happen when it comes to love"

"Just like you and Daddy?"

I tensed a bit but I said "What do you know about me and Daddy?"

"That you both love each other but there are reasons things happen. Like you both not being together anymore" She said "I don't remember the last time I saw you together"

I smiled at her "I'm sorry about that"

"Are you sorry about Uncle Olly loving boys?"

"No"

"Then don't be sorry about this"

This kid.

I kissed her. I told her I loved her more than words could explain.

"I love you too, pom pom"

"Pom pom?"

She was blushing when she spoke "Because you're a pop and a mom, and because I think Pom poms are really cool to play with. Just like you"

I attacked her with kisses that night.

When I returned back to the sitting room, Holly and Rob had been waiting for me at the dining area "Jamie told me what happened"

I began to make coffee for myself "I'm not surprised"

"Are you divorcing him?"

I walked to them on the dining table, sitting as I twirled the spoon around the cup "It's been years since I'd felt so unhinged. I don't know if I want to think about that right now"

"Skye—"

"We rushed into it, Holly" I sighed, taking a sip from the mug 'A relationship is not just based on love but respect, mutual understanding and support. We love one another but we can't understand why we do what to do to one another"

There stayed quiet for a while before Rob spoke "When I was younger, there had been this legendary fire in the town where I lived. It was believed it never went out"

I was looking at him "Why?"

"We don't know why" He was shrugging "It was always burning. Ever so brightly, although we did eventually find out someone had a thing for adding some gasoline, but that was just to make it burn brighter. The flame itself was stable on it's own. Kinda scared us that one day it'd take down the whole town"

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm trying to say that sometimes in a relationship, there is a fire. It's not just there to burn everything but to keep you warm when mistakes happen, when you both act so cold with one another. Sometimes, there are other external things that come in and make the fire burn brighter, either from the past, or the future, but we don't necessarily need those things.

"We just need us"

I was staring at him and so was Holly.

It was the longest sentence I had ever heard him say.

"I have no idea what it means but I hope you get my drift" Then he stood, smiling at me "I feel like this is the first time I've actually been a Father to you, Skye, and that makes me very happy"

Them he walked off to his room, whistling.