Chapter 24
Zachariah
For the next two days, I followed Avidya. I followed her to the store, the park, and even to the post office once with a box of something that was being mailed out. I stayed out of sight, not that she seemed to know, nor think, she was being followed.
Avidya had hardly changed from the girl I fell in love with. I was still trying to process the idea that she had a child.
My child.
I knew that was why she left. I just couldn’t figure out why. For so long? And alone? Did she fear what I would do as I had told her I would if she told me she was pregnant? Was that why she ran?
I know I said things that I may not have meant, but surely Avidya would have would have told me. She should have given me a chance.
I wasn’t thrilled with my family at the moment, since they had kept this huge secret from me for a full nine months. I had no idea how everyone kept it from me. Would they have continued to do so for years?
It was something I wouldn't put past them.
My father was a master at keeping secrets, but anyone else would have surely told me. Or maybe I just hadn’t picked up on the fact that clues were dropped all along the way.
When I called Melio this morning, since he was the only one of my family members I was willing to talk to without blowing up, I told him to let everyone know I’d be back sometime soon. They probably would know where I went to, and none of them would do a thing to stop me now. Not if they knew what was right.
It was bad enough that they hid behind their secrets, all because they thought it was the best thing to do at the time. I knew I’d have a few choice words with all of them when I got back. That could be counted on.
Now, I just had to figure out how to announce my presence to my wife. I had no idea how she’d take it. Would she ignore me?
I wouldn’t allow that to happen. She was welcome to try, but I would not be leaving without her. I’d face her, toe to toe, to make sure that she knew that I loved her more than life, and that I couldn’t live without her.
I couldn’t return without her beside me. I couldn’t fucking live without her, and she had to see that.
She couldn’t stay here, and I couldn’t leave her.
I knew there would be a few choice words between us, most likely more on my part than anything else. I would get my say in, and she better listen to me when I did. I’d tie her to a chair to make her listen if it came to that.
When Travis called on his way back just a week ago, I wasn’t sure what I would be finding here. I didn’t know for sure what made him even come here at first. Now I understood. Everything became clear now.
Still didn’t change my anger and the situation, though. Nothing would.
“Keep an open mind,” he stated over the phone. “And don’t jump to conclusions.”
Yeah right.
“How long has she been there?” I asked after he gave me the town name. I knew he had known where my wife went to for months, and just now told me her location. A few months too late in my opinion.
“Long enough,” he answered. “So you can’t just go in and drag her away. People would notice if she just up and left without a word.”
“Who says I’d do that?” I huffed, running a hand down my face.
“I know you,” Travis laughed in a mumbled way. “Who even knows if she wants to come back to that kind of life. She’s not the same girl from a year ago. She knows what she wants, and she’ll stop at nothing to make sure she gets to keep what she’s worked so hard to achieve.”
He paused, thinking about how to say what he needed to get out. I wanted to demand answers to so many questions.
“I know you want her back with you, by your side. She should be, but give her a chance to explain her side of things. She deserves a choice in her life. And this one you cannot take away again. She’d hate you if you tried to do that and force her to go back with you.”
“As long as she’ll listen to me, too,” I sighed. I knew he was right; didn’t mean I had to like it.
“She likes to hang out at the main park on nice sunny days with a friend. She won’t be hard to find,” Travis said before ending the call.
Avidya wasn’t hard to find, just like Travis had stated. It was almost too easy. That made me question myself was if I should have come sooner. Should I have demanded to know her location sooner?
