SCARS - WOLVERINE X READER FF

FIFTEEN

It had been a few hours since everything had settled down, and the mansion had returned to its usual quiet. But inside my room, my thoughts were anything but calm. I sat on the edge of my bed, my knee bouncing, replaying the events of the night over and over in my mind—the fight, finding my brother, and... the kiss. My heart raced just thinking about it, and every time I tried to push the memory away, it came rushing back, stronger than before.

A sudden knock on my door jolted me out of my thoughts. My breath caught in my throat as I quickly stood up, smoothing my hair and checking my reflection in the mirror. A part of me hoped—no, expected—it to be Logan, coming to continue our conversation, or maybe even something more.

I swallowed the nervous flutter in my stomach and called out, "Come in."

The door creaked open, but it wasn't Logan who stepped inside. It was George.

"Hey, you busy?" he said.

"Not at all, come in." I replied, still happy to see him despite my brief moment of disappointment. He offered me a soft smile as he closed the door behind him.

He walked over and sat on the bed beside me, his posture relaxed but his eyes holding a depth of emotion I hadn't noticed earlier. I studied him for a moment, taking in the subtle changes in his face—the lines of stress around his eyes, the way his broad shoulders seemed to carry a weight I hadn't noticed before.

We made small talk for a while, but there was something hanging between us, something that needed to be addressed.

Finally, after a moment of silence, I took a deep breath and asked the question that had been gnawing at me ever since we found each other. "So... how are Mom and Dad?"

George hesitated, his eyes flickering away from mine as if he was searching for the right words. "They're... doing good," he said finally, though his voice lacked the conviction I'd hoped for.

I pressed on, unable to let it go. "Do they... do they ask about me? Talk about me?"

He hesitated again, and I could see the conflict in his eyes. He didn't want to hurt me, but he didn't want to lie either. Finally, he nodded, giving me a faint smile.

But I knew better. I didn't need to read his mind to know the truth, though the faint echoes of his thoughts confirmed my worst fears. They hadn't talked about me. They hadn't asked about me. They'd moved on, and that realization hit me like a ton of bricks.

I quickly forced a smile, not wanting to let George see how much the truth had hurt me. "That's good," I said, my voice a little too bright, a little too forced. "That's... really good."

An awkward silence settled between us, and I could feel the tension in the air, thick and suffocating. I needed to change the subject before I broke down completely.

"So," I said, clearing my throat and forcing my voice to sound casual. "What have you been up to? You know, all these years?"

George's expression softened, and I could see the relief in his eyes as I shifted the conversation away from our parents. "I'm actually a lawyer now," he said, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, his dimples showing. "And, uh, I'm engaged. Her name's Sam. We're expecting a baby in a few months."

My jaw dropped in shock, a rush of emotions flooding through me. "What? George, that's... that's amazing! Congratulations!" I pulled him into a tight hug, overwhelmed with happiness for him, but also with a deep, aching sadness. I'd missed so much—his life, his successes, his love, and now, his future family. Concern etched through me as I held him close. "I bet she's worried sick about you," I said over his shoulder, still embraced in his arms.