A/N:
Aww! Guys, it's the last chapter! I love you all so much, and I have never had one of my stories become so popular in a specific duration before. Even if 7k isn't 70k, it's still A LOT to me. Ily all!
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QOC: On a scale from 1-10, how much did you enjoy this story? And PLEASE be honest. I'd like to hear your short overview if you actually want to put the time into writing a sort of long but not too long comment. It's cool if not! 💙
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- Anna's POV -
Sometimes the world doesn't need heroes. Sometimes the world needs monsters.
My father, believe it or not, helped me become who I am. I have to give him some credit for making me strong. Because of his hatred and mistreatment, I learned how to take care of myself. Noah helped take a part in my development too. He taught me how to stand up for what I think is right in the face of fear. When he had me pinned against the wall with glass threatening to break through my skin, I still told him off. Mr. Owen's sheer dislike for me gave me the ability to remain calm when people are jealous of you. Don't worry about the haters. And the person who left this baby boy taught me that there are others with problems out there other than me. And that with my bad experiences, I can help people get through their own.
Also, the monsters inside my head taught me that I can overcome the self-hatred I sometimes have within me. If I got through them once, I can do it a million times over again.
These people - and myself - are monsters. But without them, I wouldn't be who I am today. I wouldn't of learned any of these lessons I've learned without them. I probably wouldn't of learned to love Aiden or to trust the ones I need to trust.
First we decided to pick up Dakota since his courtroom was nearest to us. My excitement couldn't be contained, but I had to be careful with this child in my hands as I tried not to run toward him. So I settled for speed-walking.
When I rounded the corner, he was leaning against the outside of the door, typing something on his phone. There are two police officers by his side, ready to take him away. Little do they know what I have with me. My eyes light up, and a smile breaks out onto my face. I turn to Nico, who is standing right beside me.
I hold the baby out for him cautiously. "Hold him," I say.
His eyes widen as I begin running toward my brother. I hear him say, "Wait! I don't know how to do this!"
I just continue on, knowing he'll figure it out as I approach Dakota. He must've heard Nico's call for help because his head immediately snaps up and his eyes find me. He grins and opens up his arms as soon as I am at hugging length.
I throw myself into him, burying my head into the material of his shirt. "I'm so happy, Dakota. I'm so happy you're okay."
He chuckles. "Well I don't see why I wouldn't be. A few days in jail won't be too bad anyway."
I pull away, smiling widely. "You're not going to jail."
My brother raises a brow, along with the dark-skinned police officer to his right. "What do you mean?" Dakota questions.
I hold up a finger and use my other hand to pull out the white piece of paper out of my back pocket. I hold it out for it him and he slowly takes it, opening it up.
As he reads over it, I explain. "You know Sarah?"
He glances up from reading. "Our attorney?"
I nod. "Yeah. She said it was jail time or a one thousand dollar bail. Lyma paid it."
He widens his eyes and lets the paper hang by his side in his hand loosely. "Are you serious? But she already paid fines for—"
"It doesn't matter," I interrupt. "Everything's fine. We're all good."
I'm pretty sure you could smell and taste the happiness radiating off of me. But I bet it smells and tastes pretty damn good. I would only know now, if it were possible. Because I've never really known this feeling. Complete tranquility.
"Hallelujah!" He shouts through a laugh, throwing the paper in the air. It has our attorney's signature, my mom's, and the judge's. It's official. Aiden and Dakota are free.
I laugh as he scoops me up over his shoulder and jumps around in a circle. It's hard to see, but I can recognize one of the coppers snatching the paper out of the air and reading it over with the other. One nods just as Dakota sets me back down, and I take a deep breath before letting it out with a laugh. Everything is just so good. I'm good.
"Alright then...uh..." Officer Danes, I could read his name tag, says. He scratches the back of his neck as the other cop stands with his hands on his hips. "I...guess you're free to leave, Cardale."
My smile grows wider, if possible, and I have to clasp my hands together to keep them from flailing all over the place. I bounce on the balls of my feet excitedly.
The same officer who just spoke strokes his chin. "This hasn't really happened before. Usually we take them to jail and then they get bailed. But...you have it all signed." He waves the paper in the air. Then he pats my brother's shoulder. "You've got a family that cares, bud. Don't let it go."
I beam up at the officer and he offers me a smile and a nod before turning around. The other cop grins before following his commanding partner out. I face Dakota and finally let my small hops out, squealing.
He laughs at me. "I can't believe you got this done so quickly."
I shrug. "You've got a family that cares, bud. I'll get stuff done for you."
He grins and then yanks me into himself, gently wrapping his arm around my neck to ruffle up my hair. I release a short strangled sound. "Lemme go, dingbat."
He snorts and does what I told him to do. "Dingbat?"
I nod. "Yeup."
His eyes search behind me, looking for something. I raise a brow and turn around, but see nothing. "What?" I ask, facing him once more.
He shrugs. "Nothing. I just thought you'd get Aiden before me."
I scoff. "Ha, yeah right. I saved the best for last."
He gives my shoulder a small shove as I laugh and then wave as a gesture. "C'mon. Let's go get him."
He shakes his head, but he can't resist a smile as I walk away quickly back around the corner, where everyone was waiting for me to return so we could get Aiden and leave. Everyone greets him happily, and I leave them to do so, too thrilled to get my soulmate back. I hear him questioning about the baby and Nico explaining the story just as I disappear from earshot.
The walk seems like it takes hours to take, and my heart increasingly skyrockets as I get closer to courtroom three. I don't see him outside the doors with police officers like Dakota. Instead I spot him on a bench across from the doors, elbows on his knees, hands clasped together, head hung low. His right leg bounces impatiently as he stares rabidly at the linoleum ground.
I slow my approach and let my lips part a little in order to inhale enough air at the sight of him. He's still as breathtaking as the first time I decided that I wanted him. He was and has been the one thing that hasn't changed. He's always been by my side. And since the first time he's met me, he's cared about me. Wanted to be near me. Love me.
"Hey," I say quietly, my voice seeming to bounce loudly off of the rich walls despite the fact that I whisper. His eyes immediately snap up to me, and he practically leaps from his spot. The crazed expression from impatience vanishes, and a softness replaces it.
"Hey."
I walk over to him - at a normal pace, which I'm very proud of - and stare up highly into his gorgeous green orbs. They search over my own body with just as much adoration and need. I know he misses me, but I can bet my bottom dollar that I top it.
"You look lovely, Dimples," He says quietly, almost a whisper.
I raise an eyebrow and glance down at my outfit. I'm wearing Dakota's hoodie, which, due to my shortness, reaches my knees. And as for bottoms, I'm wearing spandex. Although because of the length of the grey hoodie, you wouldn't know I have anything on underneath it. Then I have on a pair of long neon green Nike socks with black slides. Put short, I look absolutely hideous. And my hair thrown into a messy bun doesn't help it.
"I wouldn't say lovely," I say uneasily through an unsure laugh.
He smirks, holding my chin up with his index finger. And even though I'm sure he did so to look into my eyes, his irises land on my lips. And they don't leave.
"Extra lovely then?" He questions, nearing my lips with his own.
I suppress a furious blush. "Maybe in your eyes."
"Good," He says, his voice now definitely a whisper. I can feel his hot breath on my lips, and the green shade of his eyes is extremely dark with lust. "I'm the only one that needs to see you looking lovely anyway."
Aiden presses his lips onto my own gently, but there's enough passion in it to be considered too much of a public display of affection. I kiss him back with the same energy and need, regardless of security cameras and the two business-looking people walking by. My hands wrap around the back of his neck and my fingers roll through the bottom of his hair. There's a slight stubble from not shaving still, but I like it.
This kiss isn't like the others we've shared. It's fiery but loving and tender. It's beautiful but toxic. But I think the one thing that makes it unique is the reason. This kiss seals the finality in our relationship. Aiden is free from the law. From the gang. I'm free from the grasp of my father. From self-hatred. We can finally be together without anyone stopping us. And that's why this is so special.
I feel so intoxicated by him that I forget we are even in a public area ran by the government. Realizing this now, though, I break away and remember that I need air to breathe. Aiden glares at me for moving away, however I know it's playful.
I bite my lip and blush, knowing what I'm about to say won't be a norm, but is definitely something I want to spout. I lean into Aiden's ear and whisper, "There's the better stuff saved for later." When I stand back at a normal conversation distance, his eyes are wide and his pupils are dilated largely. I nibble on my bottom lip and laugh at his reaction just as footsteps are heard arriving behind us.
I turn around and see the whole gang approaching, the baby boy now in Dakota's arms. I look at him in awe before holding out my arms for him. My brother obliges and hands him over to me. I rock him gently in my arms.
"Who's baby is that?" Aiden asks quietly behind me. I can hear the slight pain in his voice, and I can guess why.
I shrug and look into the child's hazel irises. "I saw him on the street on the way here. I'm going to take care of him."
Aiden steps around so he's in front of me and so the baby's in between us. Aiden cranes his neck down to look at him and frowns. "He's not been fed."
"I know."
"And he's quiet."
"Yeah."
There's a pause. And then—
"Can...I...try to hold him?" He asks softly.
I look up at his nervous expression, my insides melting into many puddles. I carefully hold out the baby for him. "Yeah here," I say. When Aiden seems to not be sure of what he's doing, I laugh. "Have you not held a baby before?"
Aiden glares at me. "It's been awhile, okay? And...this is different." He looks down into the baby's eyes.
I raise a brow. "Why?"
"Because," He says simply. "This little guy is one you're taking care of, meaning I am too. I have to be extremely careful this time, not just careful."
I feel like my knees might give out on me because of his fondness to this baby I just found on the street.
Maybe it's because he's spontaneous just because he got out of jail. Maybe it's because everyone around us are gushing like idiots. Or maybe it's because Aiden feels the same about this child as I do: an obligation is there to take care of it since the one we were supposed to have is gone. Whatever the reason for his openness to this idea of raising an abandoned baby boy is, I don't care. I'm loving this. I'm loving the thought of Aiden and I taking care of a baby together.
In this moment where Aiden is cuddling a baby to his chest, where Hayley is giving me a thumbs-up, where Nico is slinging an arm around Aiden's shoulder and laughing about something Dakota said on the other side of him, where Lily is asking me to hoist her up to see the baby, where Lyma and Dana begin spit-balling name ideas, all in a government official building, I know that this is my family. These are the people that I love and the ones who love me back.
I smile at it all while Lily reaches her small hand out for the baby's. He curiously reaches out for it and wraps his whole hand around her two tiny fingers.
I relax my shoulders and body entirely for the first time since I've slept peacefully. It took eighteen years, four months, thirteen days, two hours, twenty-one minutes, and five point three seconds to reach this moment right now. It took
eighteen years, four months, thirteen days, two hours, twenty-one minutes, and five point three seconds for me to finally be happy.
Finally.
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A/N:
I'm not crying. You're crying. 😭
Thank you so much for sticking with me through this wonderful story. I've grown so fondly attached to these characters like I do in all of my stories I write (inside and outside of Wattpad). So it hurts to part with them just as much as you must feel (if you do, lol).
I want to give thanks to all of the readers who were here since chapter one, commenting, giving insight, being a super cool grammar pal that I needed, and voting! I'll give my special designated thanks to the specific ones who were really really significant to the continuation of this story next update, along with acknowledgments and a goodbye!
Love you all! ❤️❤️