If || rsl & r5 (SLOW UPDATES)

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Charlotte's POV

The bouncing wasn't what woke me up. I had grown accustomed to it, having to deal with it on a daily basis. I fought back a smile when I felt his tiny hands on my face, his fingers grabbing at my nose and poking my cheek. "I know you're up, momma." His boyish giggle filled my ears, and I could no longer fight back my smile. I opened my eyes and immediately attacked his face with my kisses, grabbing his small body and hugging him close.

When his laughter died down, I hoisted him in my arms as I climbed out of bed. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"Waffles!" He exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air. He flashed me a toothy grin, giving me a perfect view of his missing tooth.

I ruffled his blonde locks, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Waffles it is."

I occupied my little man, Ian, with a coloring book while I made the waffles, the delicious aroma filling the air. Frozen waffles were a no go for us. Nothing could compare to homemade waffles.

Halfway through breakfast, Melissa, my best friend and roommate, came home, sweat trickling down the side of her face as she ripped her earbuds out of her ears. "Hey, munchkin," she greeted Ian breathlessly, kissing the top of his head. She ripped open the fridge door and grabbed a water bottle, chugging down half of it in mere seconds.

"Have a good run?" I questioned, cutting into my waffle. She nodded, flashing me a thumbs up. "There's some waffles on the counter if you're hungry."

"Thanks, girl."

Melissa had been my best friend from the moment I moved to New York five years ago. She was my rock when I was stressed and on the verge of a breakdown. She kept me grounded and gave me a pep talk whenever I needed one. She was more than just my best friend; she was my sister.

Once we finished eating and I gave Ian a bath, syrup covering his hands and face, he scurried off to his room to play. I was always amazed at the amount of energy his small body had.

"Day off?" Mel questioned, as she watched me collapse on the couch, relaxing against the cushions. I nodded. "Want me to take Ian to the park so you have some time alone?"

I sent her a teasing smile. "Are you actually thinking about me, or do you just want some time with him?"

She grinned. "Both. You know how much I love that kid."

"I do. And I also think you love him more than me."

"Hmm, maybe." She winked.

I chuckled, reaching for my phone that was placed on the coffee table. Bored, I opened up Twitter and scrolled through the random feed. But when I saw the notification that I had a message, I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. No one ever messaged me, especially since Melissa was the only person I knew that followed me. I never really tweeted, just followed random celebrities.

Curious, I opened up the message, my heart stopping in my chest when I read the name: rossr5.

"Holy shit," I breathed out, my finger hovering above the message, just waiting to be clicked.

"What's wrong?" Mel asked.

"Ross messaged me,"

"Ross as in..."

"Ian's father." I finished, my mind racing. How did he find my account? I made sure I had no personal information on it, wanting to disappear from the life I had before. I left Los Angeles to get away from it all, away from him.

"I wonder what he wants," she mused, coming to sit down beside me.

"I'm afraid to find out," I chewed on my lower lip, nerves bubbling up in my stomach.

"Are you gonna read it?"

"I don't know." He had hurt me so badly, taking my heart in his hands and breaking it in two. I had never truly recovered from the discovery of his cheating, and spending that one night with him only made it worse.

It made me realize that I hadn't truly gotten over him.

"It's ultimately your decision, but maybe reading the message will give you some closure." She patted my shoulder comfortingly, raising off the couch and exiting the room to give me some privacy. I hoped she would keep Ian occupied so he wouldn't come running in here. I needed to read this message. I needed to move on.

So with a sigh and a trembling finger, I clicked on the message.

Hey, Charlie. Uh, I know it's been years since we last saw each other, but I ran into your mom the other day, and she mentioned that you had moved to New York. I hate that I never got to tell you how truly sorry I am for everything I've done to you. Cheating on you was the dumbest thing I have ever done, and I regret that decision everyday of my life. But one thing I don't regret? Spending that one night with you? It was the greatest night of my life. I miss you, Charlie. I never stopped loving you. I still love you. You were the greatest thing in my life, and I hate myself for letting you go. I know you probably never want to see me again, but if you do, I'm staying at the Hilton in New York. And just an fyi, I'm here on business. I'm not stalking you, I swear. Did I get you to smile? I really hope I did, because your smile lights up a room. Okay, I'm done now. I'll be in the city for a week, so I hope I'll see you before I go.

My heart hadn't stopped pounding as I read the message, and I wasn't sure it ever would. He was here in New York? And he wanted to see me? Oh, my god, why? Why was this happening? Hadn't he hurt me enough?

"Momma, momma!" Ian's little feet padded down the hall until he reached me, throwing his body right on top of mine. I put Ross' message to the back of my mind, wanting to have all my focus on my boy. "Auntie Mel says we can go to the park. Can we go to the park, momma?"

I looked at Mel who mouthed sorry, but I shrugged, telling her it was okay. I pushed Ian's hair out of his face, leaning forward to softly kiss his forehead. "Sure, baby. Go put on your shoes and we'll go."

He gave a little cheer and ran to get ready. I buried my face in my hands, barely noticing when Mel sat down beside me, her hand on my back. "What's wrong?"

"He's in New York," I mumbled, rubbing at my temple. "He wants to see me. I don't know what I'm gonna do, Mel. I don't want to see him, but I do at the same time."

"How does he even know you're here?"

"My mom," I shook my head. "She knows why I moved here, yet she still told him."

"She probably didn't even realize what she said until it was too late. Don't be mad at her."

"I'm not." And that was the truth. I wasn't mad at my mom. I just wished she would've told me that she let it slip rather than me finding out from his message. It was totally unexpected, like a sucker punch out of nowhere.

"Are you going to see him?" She asked quietly.

I shrugged, not having an answer. Seeing him could either give me some closure, or leave me with a broken heart yet again.

Except now, there wasn't just my heart to break.

I finished school today for the next 2 and a half months so I'm going to have a lot more time to write and update