Dawn in Vancouver

Chapter 57: "Freedom to Love"

"I wonder how, I wonder why, I wonder where they are. The days we had, the songs we sang together"

My Love from the Album "Impossible" by Dinah Jane Hansen

2/6 OF THE MARATHON

"Ryan," Normani said as she followed him down the hallway without him turning to look at her. "Ryan, what are you doing?"

"I don't want to talk to you," he whispered. Please leave me," he said walking down the stairs and meeting Dianna in the living room with her purse on her shoulder.

She watched him for a moment and Ryan took a deep breath looking into her eyes...She had witnessed everything.

"I'm sorry for what happened Dianna," he said softly. "I apologize and Normani will take care of talking to Lauren so there won't be any problems with your payment."

"Don't worry about it sir," Dianna whispered. "I already have my things and I was just about to leave."

"You don't have to go" Ryan looked down at Buster who was running around him. "Lauren is going to need help. Don't worry, I'm the one who's leaving."

"But where are you going?" Normani said softly, "Don't you think it would be better to stay here?"

"Stay here?" Ryan said angrily turning to Normani who looked at him worriedly. "Stay here for what exactly? To stay here to see how my wife is unfaithful with another woman, and how my best friend hid the whole truth from me. No, thank you very much."

Silence reigned in the room as the three of them looked at each other. Normani looked at Ryan sadly, not knowing what to do to make him feel better. She didn't want to let him go in that state. He was pale and his eyes were red and full of anger.

"Ms. Hansen took Mrs. Jauregui's car," said Dianna softly. "Her car is gone, sir."

Ryan took a deep breath knowing Jason had taken it. A car? What did a car matter when his life had just been shattered into pieces.

"I'll get a cab," Ryan whispered quickly, heading for the door. "Tell Lauren I'll talk to Thomas," he said, referring to his personal attorney. "So he can start the divorce proceedings. It's a mutual agreement so she'll have no problem getting rid of me to make her life with that...with that woman."

Normani said nothing as she watched Ryan open the door and quickly leave the house. She and Dianna looked at each other and Normani's smile faltered a little. What could she say? She understood Ryan perfectly. And despite what had just happened she could see that there was still concern and respect for Lauren, and that spoke volumes about the man he was.

"If you're leaving and you have a car," she said to Dianna. "I think it would be good if you gave him a ride," she whispered. "I don't know if you could do that for him."

"Of course," Dianna nodded and quickly walked out the door. Normani sighed as she watched the puppy sit by the closed door and begin to howl sadly. Tears filled Normani's eyes as she learned what had just happened and she felt pain in her heart. Many times life was very unfair.

Jason smiled as he handed over his plane ticket, and entered the boarding area. He was going back to Miami and the moment he set foot there he was going to spread everything he knew about Lauren Jauregui and make a lot of money. Camila had never mattered to him but there was his pride, he would be the wounded husband who had found his wife with another woman. And he would sell himself as a victim of circumstance in order to justify his divorce and make the most of the idiot Camila Cabello. She was going to divorce, of course. But she would have to pay to be free to live her life with Lauren Jauregui.