Gotta Be You [Complete]

Chapter 41

Isla’s POV

I had listened to my parents talk as they told me about how things have been going on in their lives since I moved out. They were still working a lot but have started to take vacations together to take a break and travel the world. I was glad that they did, they deserved it. They told me how they renovated the house but they’ve kept my room exactly how it is for when I visit them. I was really touched that they did and that I would have somewhere to stay if I did decide to visit them. It was my home away from home.

“And yeah, we’re almost done the garden in the backyard and after that, we’re done everything,” my mother explained. “Enough about us, how are things with you? How was your job opportunity in Presteigne?” 

I had lied to them about the reason that I moved to Presteigne. I had told them that I had a job opportunity as a journalist there and that I had to move there but that I didn’t know how long I would be there. I had told Niall this this morning before we left Presteigne. That’s probably how they knew I was back but they still didn’t know the truth. So I took a deep breath as I prepared myself to tell my parents everything. I told Niall that I would be okay talking to them myself and that he should just enjoy the party with everyone else in the backyard while I was inside with my parents. 

I cleared my throat, looking down at my fingers resting on my lap. “There…there was no job opportunity.”

Silence.

“What do you mean, dear?” my mother said.

“I wasn’t in Presteigne for a job.”

“Why were you there then?”

I then explained to them what had happened after the accident. How everyone had kept the truth from me, how they went along with it for a month, how I found out the truth the day that I was cleared by the doctors, how hurt I was, how I couldn’t handle things anymore, how I decided to leave to get away from everything, how I moved to Presteigne and cut off all connection to everyone I knew.

I stayed strong throughout the whole speech but I saw that my mother had tears in her eyes and my father’s face was filled with sympathy. 

“Oh, baby, I’m so sorry you had to do that,” my mother said, resting one of her hands on mine and wiping her tears with a handkerchief my father handed her with her other. “But I’m sure they had a good reason for what they did, they care about you and they would never want to hurt you.” 

I nodded. “I know, mum. I was just too overwhelmed when I found out and I didn’t know how to handle it, I didn’t know what to do. I thought that leaving was the best answer…but it wasn’t.” I put my head down and I felt my composure breaking down. 

“I regret leaving. I really wish I never left. I shouldn’t have left them.” My voice started to break by the end of the sentence and I felt the lump in my throat as I tried to hold back the tears. I felt a finger rest under my chin and then my head being pulled up. I looked into my mother’s eyes and found myself breaking down for what felt like the millionth time in the past four months.

Tears streamed down my face and worry filled both of my parents’ face.

“What’s wrong, pumpkin?” my father said. 

My mother moved to sit beside me and started rubbing my back as my father took her old spot and grabbed my other hand.

“Please promise me that you won’t think of me less once I tell you what happened,” I sobbed.

“Oh, sweetie, we would never,” my mother said. “You’re our daughter and we will love you through anything. Please tell us what happened.”