I know what this is; it’s his goodbye. With every movement, every kiss, and every caring touch, I know this is his way of telling me it’s over.
It’s not just physical; it’s emotional.
The next morning, I don’t want to open my eyes. I know what’s waiting for me, or rather what’s not. When I turn over, looking to the nightstand, on it, in his handwriting there’s a piece of paper —
‘It’s just too hard—I’m sorry, D.’
I take a deep breath. It may be too hard, but Dylan’s sadly mistaken if he thinks I’m bowing out. I head downstairs, grabbing my phone out of my purse. I don’t miss that the last of his boxes are gone leaving the cabin with only the furniture. Opening up my contacts, I hit Jordan’s number.
“Velyn, hey!”
“Hey, Jordan, I need a favor.”
“Sure, what is it?”
I exhale a desperate breath—this is my last hope. “Do you have any contacts in the city records department; I need access to Chase’s birth certificate?”
When I knock on the door, I have no idea what I’m going to say or for that matter, whom I’m going to encounter. I’ve never been one to do things on a whim. Never been one to make a move without having a plan. But there’s no longer time for plans.
It takes a moment, but then I hear the light tap and shuffle of someone approaching from behind the door. A breath catches in my throat in anticipation, then even more when the door opens, and the woman before me is the angelic twin of my dearest friend.
“Hello, can I help you?” the woman questions.
I stand there just another quick moment before speaking, and then I look into her eyes. “My name’s Velyn Adler, and I think you may be the only person left that can help me. I need you to explain to my boyfriend why you left him and his brother because I fear if you don’t, I won’t only have lost Chase, but I’ll lose Dylan too.”
Sarah looks to me, a pool of tears now in her eyes. “Come in; I think we have a lot to talk about.”
Chapter 23 -Dylan-
I’m done with this school year, now I’m just counting down the days until I get the hell out of this place. It’s a reminder...one I don’t need. One that every time I walk into a class or through that damn quad, it’s a sickening reminder of everything that I’ve lost. Everything that has been taken from me.
My cell rings through the speakers of my car. Looking at the screen on my dash, I see that it’s Connie. I haven’t talked to her in a few days, so she’s probably getting worried knowing I should put her mind at ease, I answer the phone.
“Hey, Connie.”
“Mi hijo, can you come here?”
“Right now?” I ask.
“Si!”
I don’t bother asking why because regardless of what it is, I’m still going to go over...it’s Connie.
Within minutes I’m pulling up to her two-bedroom townhouse on the eastside. It’s cute, as some would say and in a good neighborhood, so that's a plus, but I still never understood why she didn’t just live at the house. She had her own room there; that’s where she would stay when we were little. Who knows, maybe as Chase and I got older, she needed an escape. Hell, I know I could have used one at times.
Parking the car, I jump out and notice a black sedan in the driveway; I wonder if it’s the realtors. With everything that has happened, Connie’s decided to make some changes. She says I’m grown and feels it’s time for her to move on. I think the memories in the house are just as hard for her as they are for me. She’s staying until we find a replacement for her but then she’s moving to her sister’s in California. It’ll be nice for her to be close to family after all these years, but I’m going to miss her. However, she’s made me promise that I’ll come and visit her; actually, it was more of a warning that if I didn’t, she would hunt me down.
When I walk in the door, I hear the sound of a female voice coming from upstairs. I take the flight of steps two by two until I reach the landing into the living room. When I look in, Connie is sitting on the couch with a look of guilt splayed across her face, and as I move forward, I see why. Velyn and—
“What the hell are you doing here?” I let out in a roar.
From beside me, Connie lets out a gasp and Velyn is quickly on her feet explaining. “I brought her here.”
I look to Velyn, who’s making her way to me. “Why in the hell would you do that? Do you have any idea who she is, what she’s done?” I turn to Connie. “And you, why would you let her in your home? She walked out and left you to raise Chase and me. She didn’t even look back, and you welcome her with open arms.”
Sarah Dandridge, or whatever the hell she changed her name to when she walked out, stands to her feet. Shoulders back, she tries to portray unwavering confidence, but I see right through it.
“Dylan, son—”
In two large strides, I’m in front of her, but Velyn’s also quickly beside me, resting a hand on my arm.
I look at Sarah. “You have no right to call me son. I’m not your son, and I’ll never be your son. You’re nothing to me.”
“I understand you’re upset,” she counters.
I let out a
