Chapter 24 024
Chapter 24. Thalia’s POV
"Honey, I made chamomile tea. Would you like some?" My mother poked her head through the open door, waiting one second for my reply before continuing. "And I made some biscuits, too. Your favorite kind."
"You can, Mom," I said, barely able to get even that word out. "I just want to be alone right now, please."
She hesitated at the door for the longest time and then finally made her exit with the words, "All right, but call me if you need anything. You know I’m here for you."
When she said that, I bit into my bottom lip. Instead of fighting the tears like I had been doing for months, I just allowed them to pour down like a waterfall, soaking into my childhood bed. To think that I would still find myself here, on the same bed I used to sleep in when I was a teenager, now as a full-grown woman, broke something inside of me. It felt like I had not moved an inch in my life since that moment.
It has been almost five years now, but I still remember how Varian came into this room just two weeks before my delivery. I was already heavy with children, yet I slept on my childhood bed, staring at a drawing I had made of myself as a kid dressed up like a typical healer. It was a dream I had held for so long, and now the chances of me ever going back became slimmer every day.
I was just staring at the drawing when Varian came in and snatched it out of my hand. As playfully as he could, he folded it up and tossed it to the other side of the room.
"Varian!" I called out, rightfully upset.
He shook his head, still wearing that playful smile. "This is for your own good. You need to stop thinking about it, okay? Being a mother is the most fulfilling thing in the world. I should know, because that’s what my mom told me too. She also said that being Luna is wonderful. You won’t have any regrets, I promise you."
He came and sat next to me, giving me a kiss on my forehead. A tear escaped my eye. "But what if you stop loving me, Varian?" I said, my voice beginning to shake like a stack of cards about to crumble. "What if you wake up one day and suddenly I’m not good enough for you anymore? What if there is another woman that catches your eye?"
He grabbed me so hard by my shoulder that I stopped talking and just looked at him. His face had gone pale. He either didn't know how much pressure was spilling into his grip or just didn't care enough about me to do anything about it until I winced and told him he was hurting me.
Instantly, he pulled away as if he was hit with a spark of electricity and began to awkwardly rub his fingers together. "Talia, I was just so shocked when you said that."
He came even closer until there was not even enough space for me to breathe unless I was also inhaling his scent in the process. Back then, it was so calming to me, so I just did.
"Talia, I love you more than life itself. If I ever lost you, I don’t know how I could stand to remain on this earth."
My younger self had melted at those words. He had hidden all his tracks perfectly back then. There was no reason for me not to trust him, not to pit my future with him. But now that I think about it, his response never actually said that there wasn't someone else in the picture.
If anyone had told me that in a couple of years we would be launching into the process of a separation, I would have laughed in their face and told them that they were ridiculous and delusional. But now, all of my most precious belongings are back in my childhood home. I wanted to take Lily with me, but Varian said he would hold me for kidnapping.
To say that he was infuriated when I told him I wanted a divorce was an understatement. I had never seen someone's eyes cloud so quickly with darkness. It was like every moment that separated me from the one where I meant something to him was gone. Since he had been lying to me and sleeping with my best friend, a new, horrible side of him would show up right in my face.
"Are you sure you can really go down this path, Talia? Do you think you can live without me?"
Funny enough, he actually released Shelly to step toward me. His hand had snaked around her waist earlier, and he would not have been able to march over to me if he was still holding her. I gulped down a huge lump of spit and said, "My life will definitely be a million times better without your lies. I don’t need you anymore feeding me nonsense and deceiving me. I’m leaving, and I’m going to make sure I do so with the kids."
Liam was at the hospital and only Lily was here. I was already marching over to her room when Shelly came from behind.
"Talia, please think this over. Right now, do you want to get the kids involved in this? How are you going to explain to them that they are about to lose their entire family? Do you want to break everything up?"
I snapped at her. "You and Varian are the ones who broke up my family! Don’t talk like you care!"
Varian had stepped forward, as always defending her. I decided to leave. As much as I despised Shelly, she was right—I was about to uproot Lily’s life and her brother's too, as soon as he got out of the hospital.
I already left Lily in the care of a trusted maid that had worked for my mother in the Beta household, taking care of me before she came along with me when I became the Luna of the pack. I told her to inform me if Lily was being mistreated.
I was thinking about Liam and wondering if I had jumped ship too soon. Should I have stayed for the kids? As my thoughts were beginning to spiral, the doctor taking care of my son called.
"Luna Talia, there has been a new development. Please, can you come over to the hospital now?"