Paper doll

Chapter 22

Ryan's POV

"How did it go?" She asks me cautiously

"The flight was taking off as I arrived" I tell her awkwardly

"Oh Ryan, I'm sorry" she tells me and I just feel like yelling at the top of my lungs, I don't know if I'm sad or I'm angry or what but I know I don't like whatever it is

"She just left mom, what do I do? How do I deal with that?" I ask her, losing my grip on myself at this point

"You get your ass out to New York and prove that you're something that she needs to keep in her life, you show her you're there to support her, that you wanna be in her life and that little girls life, make sure she knows you'll protect her" she explains to me, rather forcefully

"Mom she said Gracie wasn't mine, what if that's true, what if Jared didn't make her do this? Maybe she just did it herself because she decided that I wasn't what she wanted for her and Gracie?" I ask her

"Ryan stop it, stop being so self destructive, it's like you're deliberately trying to ruin this for yourself, do you seriously think Chloe would ever do any of that? She would never hurt you, surely you know that?" She reminds me

"It's been a year mom, maybe she's changed" I suggest, but the second I say it I feel awful

"Seriously Ryan?" She asks me with a hint of disgust in her voice, I don't blame her, I'm currently quite disgusted by myself as well

"How can I be saying and thinking these things about her? I know who she is, she's the most sweet, kind, caring and absolutely amazing girl I've ever met and I am trying to convince myself she's anything but, why?" I don't even understand myself anymore

"You're trying to make it hurt less, it's okay, but Ryan you gotta go after her, if you don't then she might as well have never been found, you let her leave you and take Gracie away you'll regret it for the rest of your life" she promises me

"So what should I do? Mom she did tell me not to follow her, should I respect her wishes?" I question

"You really believe that was her talking, Ryan you and I both know he'd threaten her if he felt like it, he probably caught her on the way back over here" my mom reminds me

"You're right, I've gotta go after her, check for a flight out or something" I tell her and she nods in agreement

I run upstairs, grab a bag and start packing up some stuff I'll need while my mom checks the flight listings

As soon as I'm done I run straight back down the stairs with my bag in my hands

I run out to my car and put my bag in before locking it and coming back inside to where my mom is waiting for me

Catch this flight in half an hour, then switch and get on this flight after about an hour and you'll be in New York by early tomorrow morning

"Okay, thank you" I thank her and then turn to leave but she grabs my arm

"Ryan, take this" she tells me as she places something in my hand

"Are you sure?" I ask her, uncertain about this

"Of course, now go on!" She hurries me

I hug her and then quickly run out, airport here I come

This is probably really stupid but you know what? Fuck it, I was never the smart one anyways

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What's gonna happen if he goes to find it? Will this all work out? 2 chapters and the epilogue left, also I hope you guys realise you literally get updates as and when Lia is available for them (on this book only) so yeah 😂😂 xoxo