They called her crazy.
They called him cocky.
She had experienced heartbreak.
He didn't know what it was.
She never imagined finding love again.
He never imagined discovering love.
Ren knew leaving America was for the best. She needed a ch...
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***
"What happened?" Sadie asks me the moment I exit Michelle's house. My head is swirling with thoughts and feelings of what happened in there. I think I need to lie down for a while.
"Nothing," I mutter, stepping to the side so that I can walk past her. I hear her quickly rush over to me, eager to find out what happened inside Michelle's house. Truth be told, not even I know. I set to find out how I can get Kai to forgive me but instead, something completely different happened.
"Ren, wait," Sadie calls, sounding out of breath. She eventually catches up to me and tries to recover from that small bit of exercise. It's not like I was a mile away from her, Sadie is just really unfit. "Ugh, since when did you speed walk?"
Since now.
I shrug my shoulders at her and kick a pebble on the ground. It skids along the pavement and lands close to a parked car. I'm glad it didn't hit the car, I honestly can't be asked to deal with the owners bullsh*t right now. I continue to stare ahead at the path in front of me, my thoughts absorbed with what Michelle said.
Sadie lets out an exhausted breath beside me. "Okay, something is clearly bothering you. Just spit it out."
It feels wrong telling Sadie what Michelle just told me. It's clear that Michelle told me everything in confidence despite the fact she doesn't know me at all. But it would feel like I was betraying her trust if I just went and told Sadie.
Whilst Sadie is my best friend, I don't think I can tell her. Even though I know she's trustworthy.
"I can't," I eventually relent. Sadie arches an eyebrow and gives me an expectant look. "Michelle told me something in confidence and I can't go and tell you. It will be betraying her trust."
Michelle explained everything to me. She told me all about Rose, her beloved daughter. Apparently, Michelle had her when she was only seventeen. Her parents thought her child was an abomination so they kicked her out. Desperate and pregnant, Michelle sought help from Kai since the father didn't want anything to do with Rose.
Kai gave all of his money to Michelle to help her get on her feet. He was present during all of Michelle's pregnancy, including the day Michelle gave birth.
Even after Michelle started settling down, Kai was always there. He babysat Rose every night and taught her how to read. Kai adored Rose.
When Rose was only four years old, she passed away. Rose had escaped from her babysitter one night, while Kai and Michelle were out. She ran into the street, completely oblivious to the traffic, and got hit. She died on the theater table a few hours later.
It broke Kai, according to Michelle. He loved Rose more than anything in the world; losing her took a small piece away from him. Michelle said he was never the same again. He stopped having long-term relationships because he feared the emotional attachment. He didn't want to lose another loved one.
