Finding Love

Chapter 46

Becca's POV

We all watch as Lynn slowly takes her phone out from her pocket, and she places a hand over her mouth as she sees who's calling her.

Alora looks over her shoulder, seeing who's calling. She turns to Leo at the same time she puts an arm around Lynn. "It's AJ. Can you trace the call?" She asks, clearly thinking a lot straighter than I am right now.

Leo quickly walks into the living room and grabs his laptop off the coffee table.

Alora grabs Lynn's phone and tosses it to him, and it takes him seconds to set up whatever he needs to do.

We all crowd around the living room coffee table as Leo nods his head at Lynn. "Keep him on for a minute," He orders her.

She answers the call with shaky hands and puts it on speaker, holding the phone up.

"AJ?" She whispers, and we hear him sigh through the phone. "I'm so sorry, Lynn," He whispers immediately.

"You tricked me," She blurts. "Lynn I-".

"Why would you do that?" Her voice cracks as she snaps at him. "I had to-". "Bullshit!" Lynn interrupts, cutting him off.

"They were finding us quicker Lynn- and I couldn't fucking figure out how. We barely got out last time. They were a minute behind us" He mutters.

Lynn's eyes widen, and I can tell she didn't know any of this. "What?".

"There was no reason for you to die as well," He says quietly, and Lynn holds the phone tight as she glares at it. "We said no sacrifices AJ".

"I've been expecting this, Lynn. It's okay - I've made peace with it, " He says quietly again, and Lynn goes silent.

"You've made peace with the fact you're going to die?" She stared at the phone in disbelief. "Yes."

I think back to all those times...

At the beach, at the lake- AJs sad looks all make sense now. 'I'm taking in the little things' 'I don't want to go with regrets'. He knew he was going to die.

He didn't want us to get together.

He said he was leaving - and that I didn't understand.

He knew he was going to die. For months- he fucking knew.

And he made it so obvious but I-...I didn't...I didn't realise.

Lynn suddenly cries. "You manipulated me into staying...you- you!-". "I'm so sorry Lynn" He whispers. "I didn't mean a word of what I said".

I stare at the phone in Lynn's hand, all this information becoming too much to process.

I think back to all our conversations, and suddenly every single fucking thing makes sense now.

The scars.

The protectiveness over Lynn.

The secrets.

The random sad smiles.

Everything-

"Goddamn it AJ! We said no sacrifices!" Lynn suddenly yells at the phone, and Alora places a hand over her mouth as she watches Lynn, seeming pained.

"This wasn't a sacrifice. They're after me- not you Lynn. If they find you, you will be killed without hesitation-".

"AJ no- you-.." A sob slips past Lynn's lips, and she covers her face with her single hand. Alora is quick to hug her.

"There's an apartment downtown- I wrote the address on a piece of paper. It's in my locker at school as well as the keys. I already signed the lease" AJ suddenly says.