radicalducati 2.68
2.68
Angelina’s POV
Jenny held my hands softly and said gently “Isn’t there any part of you that understands the reason behind his reluctance to share that secret with you? A part that is able to give him, and even you a second chance here? Diana feels absolutely devastated that you’re insisting on leaving today. She doesn’t want you to put yourself in danger just because you’re mad at them. They really like you Angelina. And for the record, I do too. Even though this is the first time we’ve seen each other, but I feel like we’re so much alike. Do you know that I threatened him that I will come to Snow myself and kick his ass if he doesn’t apologize to you for calling you a hooker and almost treating you like one even though he knew you weren’t? I gave him hell for that stupid behavior of his. Oh and I cannot describe how much I laughed my ass off when he told me you almost unmanned him! You had my total respect right at that moment” she chuckled and I couldn’t help myself from smiling at that memory, now. Even though it was so not funny under that circumstance back then, but now that that part was over and everyone knew who I really am, I can laugh about that physical fight now.
“You have no idea how freaking satisfying it was to knee him in the balls like that. God! He had it coming from the moment I laid eyes on him” I said intently.
“Oh I know the feeling, trust me. Everyone in the family probably does” she said jokingly.
She squeezed my hands a little before she said a little more seriously “Please tell me I convinced you to stay here and not leave Snow? At least today? Lucas told me your fake ID will be ready in eight days. If after eight days you still feel like leaving this town, leaving us, no one is going to stop you. We will be sad but at least then, we can let you go with our minds at a little bit of peace knowing you’re not using your real name where you can easily be tracked by anyone and endangering your life”
I avoided her gaze and pursed my lips.
I had my decision made up since last night and was not going to let anyone change it for me. But I also wasn’t expecting Jenny to leave everyone who was dying to see her again after that long separation and come talk to me herself on behalf of her lying, deceiving brother in law.
Did he ask her to talk to me?
Of course he did. He wants forgiveness, a second chance, but I’m not sure I’m able to give him either of those things right now. My wound is still fresh. It is still bleeding, maybe not as severely as last night, but it is still bleeding till now.
I looked up at her and said gently “I appreciate you coming to talk to me yourself and explaining the situation Jenny, I really do. But I have made my decision and I’m not going to change it. Yes, maybe I understand Lucas’s intentions a little better now but it still stings, watching me suffer with guilt over causing both your deaths and not giving me the relief he knew damn well was going to help me get past the fact the I am the main reason this family has been through unbearable pain. Even though you guys are still alive, their father is still dead, and it’s still mainly because of me. I don’t put my trust in just anyone, Jenny. It takes a lot of time for me to trust anyone but I trusted him. Out of all people. And he already broke that trust once. For someone in my situation, that one mistake is all it takes for me to walk away and never look back. I’m leaving right after the meeting”
She gave me a very sad look that almost made me feel guilty for letting all her efforts go to waste like that, but she didn’t press more on the matter, thankfully.
“Can you at least come down for breakfast with us one last time? It would really mean a lot to Diana” she said softly.
I had no appetite, but I also didn’t feel like turning her down a second time. She was very sweet to me.
“Ok” I said in a small voice.
She got up and I followed suit as we walked out of the room and descended down the stairs.
Everyone was gathered in the living room, I could hear the chatter before I entered inside after Jenny and the room became quiet.
I looked up and saw them all looking between me and Jenny with hopeful expressions.
My eyes landed on Lucas and Alex sitting next to each other.
Alex looked nothing like Lucas in the sense of appearance. Alex had grey eyes like April and dark brown hair with a stubble beard. However, despite the difference of appearances, they carried around the same fearless aura around them. That aura that emanated dominance and power.
They were both looking at me. Lucas had that guilty, pained look in his eyes that I saw last night, while Alex had curiosity in his narrowed ones. I don’t know if he shares his wife’s belief that I can really be trusted or if he was still wary of me and my intentions.
Diana stood up and walked towards me with a lot of sadness in her eyes that made my heart clench in pain for being the cause of that look.
She put her hands tenderly on my shoulders and said sincerely “I’m really sorry for making you feel untrusted and hurting you so deeply, Angelina. For what it’s worth, I truly saw the real you from the moment our eyes met in this same spot for the first time. Unfortunately, my very smart, intuitive sense didn’t get passed down to my two idiot boys over here. Because if it did, they would have seen the pureness of your heart and the great light inside your soul, just like I did. Will you be able to forgive me?”
My eyes watered involuntarily and I found myself sobbing intensely as I hugged her tightly and said very emotionally into her chest “There’s nothing to forgive Diana. You’re the only one who saw me for who I really am, the only one who loved me despite everything that happened, you stood in your son’s way just to protect me even though you had no idea who I was back then. Even after you did, your kindness never changed towards me even though someone else in your place might have thrown me out a long time ago. Without you, I would have died from grief over losing mom, the only person I had in this world. But having you, gave me the strength I needed to keep breathing, to keep living, and I am forever grateful to have met someone as extraordinary as you. I love you so much and I want you to forgive me if I hurt you with my words last night, I’m truly sorry”
She tightened her arms around me and said softy “Like you said, there is nothing to forgive dear. I love you so much more, from the bottom of my heart, Angelina. That’s why I need you to do something for me. If you really carry all that love for me, don’t leave Snow. At least not today, not like this. For me?”
Her words drive a thorn deep into my heart, because I will have to refuse her request, possibly hurting her more than she already is, but it was the right thing to do. While I carry a lot of respect for her, that doesn’t mean I carry the same respect for her son, he’s the main reason I’m leaving in the first place.
If I want to salvage the pieces of my broken heart, I have to get away from him.