Saving Calen

Epilogue

5 years later..

Calen's POV

"Please, dude. Let me come with you." Caden begs as I throw clothes into a bag.

"No. I need to get the fuck away from here. This place. It's fucking haunted." I grind out.

He paces by the door, not sure of what to do. I continue packing.

"She wouldn't want you to-" before he can finish his sentence, I slam him against the wall.

"Don't. Don't you fucking dare." I growl. I look into his eyes and see the sorrow there, but I just can't bring myself to care enough. I can't bring myself to care about much of anything these days.

"I'm leaving."

With that, I sling my bag over my back and stalk out of my room. In our house.

"Calen!" Ellie yells as I walk past her.

"Please, Calen stay. You don't know how sorry he is. It wasn't his fault. There were too many and he almost died defending her. Please, he needs you."

"And I needed her!" I roar back, not bothering to hide the fury in my eyes. "I needed her and they fucking gutted her under his watch. He doesn't get to be sad. You don't get to be sad."

Tears spill down her cheeks, but they only serve to make me angrier. "We loved her too, you know." She says as she stares down at her feet.

"Not like I did. She wasn't even yours to love." My hands shake with rage as I say something that would break Caden. Right down the fucking middle.

"She was pregnant, you know. We were waiting to tell you. She was pregnant, and they murdered her."

A strangled sound leaves Ellie's mouth as I see Caden round the corner.

"What?" He says, voice like gravel. "Why- I would've-"

"You would've what? Tried harder? A little too late for that." I say as I continue out.

"Lose my fucking number." I yell behind me as I slam the door to the house she made me buy. The life she made me want.

I don't know if I actually mean it when I tell him to leave me alone, but I'm too blinded by grief to control anything right now. I load up into my jeep and just sit.

I pull down the visor and two things fall out. An ultrasound picture and a note that reads: Congratulations, daddy! We're pregnant <3

I take a shuddering breath in and shove every single fickle emotion down. If I start crying now, I won't stop.

I slam the keys into the ignition and tear down my stupid fucking driveway, away from my stupid fucking house.

...

I end up at a bar in some city. I don't know which, nor do I really care. I just want this pit to be filled, alcohol should do the trick. I stalk into the bar and some men in suits eye me the entire time. I assume they're guarding the very large and rather intimidating man sitting at the bar.

I glare at them back and take a seat a few bar stools down from the man.

"What're you drinking?" The bartender asks.

"Anything. Doesn't matter." I growl out.

She nods and turns away.

"Rough night?" The man asks, his dark voice laced with amusement.

"Not now, buddy." I snap. I'm really not in the mood.

I guess my tone sets alarm bells off in the heads of the men guarding him because they all shift slightly more towards me. Just casual enough that anyone without training wouldn't know the difference.