CHAPTER 27

River was left frozen in his spot as his mouth went dry. He had thought that he had known pain in his life and he had faced as much regret as he could but he was wrong. Watching Cammy break down in front of him as she told him about her daughter was worse than any wound that anyone could have inflicted on him.

He tried to find a way to compose himself as he struggled to find the right words to say but the truth was that what was there to say. He couldn't tell her that he waS sorry because that didn't mean much.

“What? What do you mean? How ''. He sputtered. He watched as tears streamed down her cheeks and he instantly shot up from his chair as he made haiw ay over toward her.

He wrapped his arms around her as he allowed her to cry into his chest. He had done this to her. He had broken her like this .”i found out a month after you had kicked me out. I was a blubbering mess and i didnt know what to do. I was struggling to keep a roof over my head and the last thing that I wanted or needed at this moment was a baby”. She said to him And he felt his heart sink.

“Did you..” he started in a whisper as he feared the answer she would give him .”i didnt abort her if that is what you meant. I stayed with Rachel and she and Nathan helped me through the pregnancy and the labor pains. They were the only reason that I was able to get through it and when my little girl was born she made all of the pain worth it. To hold my little Rosie in my arms``. She said to him in a dreamy whisper.

He couldn't help but smile softly at the name. Rosie. He had always wanted a Rosie. “Why didn't you tell me? I could have been there. I would have never-” he started but she shook her head at him in response. “No, I had promised myself that I wanted nothing from you ever again and I was not to be bribed. I would be the parent she needed and you didn't deserve her. And for two good years our lives were perfect. Maybe even a bit too perfect”. She said to him in a mutter.

He dreaded what would come next as he knew it wouldn't be good. “What happened?” He asked hier in a whisper as he hoped that maybe if he said it quietly it wouldn't reach her ears. He didn't want to say it out loud because that way he could continue to delude himself into thinking it wasnt true. That he still had the chance at getting his happy ever after. That he could still live in w world where he was a father to two beaUtiful children even though he waS grateful for the one that he had.

“Then she got sick and she died." she said to him coldly. It felt as though a knife had been pierced through his body and was twisted around. He felt the need to cry out in pain and to hise. This was his fault. It was all his fault. He was the reason that all of it had happened and he could have easily avoided it all if he had just told her the truth instead of pushing her away.

It made him feel sick. He was a sick man after all and he couldn't believe that she was even able to look at him after what he had done to her. He was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt her hand against his chest as she pushed him back slightly. He wanted to shake his head and protest against it. She didn't want to let her go but when she out more pressure he had no choice but to do so.

“I am so..” he started but he had watched something change inside of her at that moment as she shook her head at him bitterly. “I don't want to hear it. You have already heard me far too much and there is nothing that your apology will do for me now”. She said to him as she made her way to stand up.

“I know that but Maybe if I had known. If you had told me at least then things would have been different. I Would have never let you go and I would have-” he started to say but she cut him off. “I am glad that i didn't it was my decision to make

After all and after what You had done it had opened my eyes to reality. It made me see that life with you wasn't a fairy rake and I could stand on my own two feet.” She said to him.

She watched as he appeared to be labeled but she was relieved when he didn't say anything. The last thing that she truly wanted from him at that moment was to have an altercation with him. “Let's just go. Grab your kind and I will meet you in the car”. She said to him coldly. He looked as though there was lore that he wanted to say. Most likely he wanted to blurt out another apology towards her but she was done with it. She was done with everything.

Most Especially she was done with him. The rest of the car ride was silent as it seemed AS though they had grown further apart from each other inthe time that they had spent together. She didn't know how that Was even possible but it seemed as though River always managed to find a way.

When they made their way back she let out a sigh of relief as she rushed towards her own room.

She couldn't wait to get Out of there. She would find a place to stay for the next few days and she hoped that It would have all died down by then. She didn't want to have Any more drama.

As she was finishing packing up her bag she heard a voice call out from behind her. “What are you doing?” He asked her . She turned around to see River with a pained look on his face.

“I am leaving. I can't stay here any more and before you try to talk me out of it. If you are still intent on keeping me safe you can track me but i will no longer sit around and be hurt by you.”