Just an FYI there will only be a few more chapter before I break for a sequel. I'm not sure what it will be called but I'll let you know in one of the last chapters. :)
I didn't know what to think. It was like a total overload. All I wanted to do was drive by and see what the address held. Then Jack had to use the bathroom so all we wanted to do was use the restroom. Then they make me sign in and then they call me back and tell me that they have been waiting for me.
What the hell?
On top of all of that, they send me back to a room and tell me to go find out why Evelyn had been here.
I was far passed confused but so curious as I walked to Room 201.
"Em?" Jack whispered as we walked down the hall. I knew that tone in his voice. He was worried about me. He didn't even have to ask me if I was okay. I looked over at him and smiled.
"I'm okay." I whispered back. I wasn't entirely sure if I was though. This was completely unexpected and I'm not good with the unexpected. I need time to prepare and deal with things that are going to happen to me. Of course, like is always throwing unexpected things to people and that's why me and my life don't get along half of the time.
It was a few more steps until we reached the door and we both stopped.
"Jack?" I looked up at him and he grabbed my hand. He knew what I wanted.
"I'm here." he promised. I told you he knew what I wanted. I wanted to make sure he was with me. I couldn't do this on my own. I'll admit it, I was scared.
I took a deep breath before slowly pushing the door open.
The room was tiny and white. I could see the small television and dresser when I walked in but the bed that held my mystery person was hidden behind a pale pink curtain. I looked around the room more closely and noticed that there weren't any flowers. There was no pictures, balloon or gifts that I could see. It was like no one visited this person.
And that actually made me kind of sad.
The thought of being in a nursing home and not having people to come see you, it was sad. Lonely. I'd hate to be alone like this.
I squeezed Jack's hand as we got closer to the curtain and right before I reached it, he stopped. I looked at him and he nodded for me to go on. He wanted me to do this part by myself. He couldn't hold my hand all the time. I was a grown woman, I needed to face things alone sometimes.
I slowly reached the edge of the curtain and pulled it to the side. From the feet and finally to the head, the person was finally revealed and I was shocked.
All these months of holding this address, all the dreams and the mystery...it was all revealed in this moment. It was this person. This was who Evelyn tracked down. This is who she wanted me to see.
But why?
Tears threatened my eyes now.
Now I understood why she left it at the lawyer's office. I wasn't ready. I would never be ready. This is why it was a secret. She knew I wouldn't come here on my own. If I had it my way, I'd live the rest of my life without seeing this person again.
"Em?" Jack whispered, apparently he saw the tears spill over and run down my cheeks. I was not sad, I was not upset. I was beyond mad and pissed off.
I was fucking livid just at the site of this person.
This woman. This evil woman.
She ruined everything for me. She kicked me and stepped on me like I meant nothing. Like I didn't spend most of my life with her and her family. She easily let me go and smiled as she left my life and took the only family I had left.
My Aunt.
"Em?" Jack asked again and I turned around. He winced when he saw the anger etched into my face and he nodded.
"We're leaving." I seethed but before I could get my foot moving, a rough voice spoke up.
"Please. Don't go yet." it said. I turned around and glared at her.
"Why?" I asked. I wanted to feel bad for her and the look of pain and hurt on her face but I couldn't do it. Was it selfish and cruel that I wanted her to feel some of the pain I felt over these years?
"Just stay." she asked and pointed to the couch beside her bed. Jack's hand went to my shoulder and slowly pushed me to the chair. We sat down quietly and I looked back to her.
"What do you want?" I asked. I watched as she slowly pulled the plastic nose tube from her face and laid it on her chest.
It was now that I noticed how sickly and frail she looked. I couldn't see her body but I was bones jutting out from under the blankets. Her eyes were sunken in and she was paler than ever.
"I want to talk." she croaked and I sat back, crossing my arms.
"Then do it before your breath runs out." I hissed and felt a sharp pinch in my ribs. I didn't bother to look over at Jack to see the shock on his face.
"No, I deserve it." she spoke up and Jack sat back. "I deserve every bit of it. After all the pain and hurt I caused her, I deserve far worse than some bad words."
"Well, I'd induce bodily harm but it seems life took that from me." I smirked and she nodded.
"It did. Lung cancer." she told me and I pursed my lips together. "Caught up to me real quick."
"Don't care." I declared and got another pinch from Jack. I could see the shocks till on his face but didn't care. This woman cause me hell. She deserved hers now.
"Did Evelyn tell you about this?" she asked.
"Evelyn died before she could give me the address and explain. I got it from her lawyer." I told her quickly. I didn't want to talk about Evelyn now. It was bad enough that I saw Jack flinch when he heard her name.
"I'm sorry to hear about that." she whispered and looked at me. "Did you come here to find out what it was?"
"No. I wanted Jack to see my old home and I wanted to see my parents." I said and she nodded again.
"I'm sorry." she apologized.
"For what?" I asked. "There are far too many things for you to be sorry for, so you might want to explain."
"For taking Richie from you. For letting you go. For splitting you up." she rattled off. "For everything."
"Why?" I asked, feeling the tears again. The images of my brother and our last day together flooded my mind and nearly killed me all over again.
"Why what?" she asked.
"Why are you sorry now? It's a little too late, don't ya think?" I nearly yelled but calmed down when Jack wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
"This isn't a recent thing, Emilie. I've been wanting to see you for years now. It really hit hard when I found out about the cancer." she told me.
"Just spit it out already. I'm tired of getting bits and pieces of information from you." I said and felt Jack's hand rub my back. A weak smile formed on her face and she nodded.
"When Richie was 17, he moved out. You'd be happy about this part, he hated me. He absolutely hated me. He hated me for who I was and what I did to you two. He missed you every second of each day that you were gone. He screamed and yelled and hit me for days. So when he was able to emancipate himself, he did. He moved out and I didn't see him until 7 months ago when I was diagnosed with the cancer. The doctors called him to see if he'd let me live with him. He said no so I was sent to a nursing home. I was moved to this one when it opened. He's the only family I have left and eh won't come and see me. All because of you. Because I took him away." she explained. By the time she finished this I was hunched over in Jack's arms crying.
My brother loved me. He missed me. He hated her for separating us. He felt what I felt. This was all so much to take in.
"I underestimated the bond you two had. I underestimated the bond you had with your mother and father. You weren't blood related, you were closer than that. And when you and Richie needed each other the most," her voice cracked. "I took that away from you and him both. And for that Emilie, I am eternally sorry. I realized my mistake far too late but that does not mean that I don't regret it. Each day I spend in here alone, it makes me regret my decision more and more. This is my punishment though and I understand that." she finished.
JPOV
I couldn't look at her Aunt. She looked so frail and sickly. Her face was shallow and her skin was pale. She looked like death, literally. She had tubes hooked up to her from each side of her bed and numerous beeps and buzzers were going off.
I doubted that this was bothering her or Emilie though. Her Aunt was used to the sound by now and Emilie was too out of ir to care. The look on her face was calm the whole time, except a few tears that fell, but I could tell she was angry. She was shaking. Her tiny fists were quivering and her legs were too. She was ruthless too. I knew Emilie hated her for doing what she did but never did I expect her to be as verbally cruel as she was. I had never heard Emilie talk that way before. Though I was sure she wasn't saying nice things about me when I was gone.
I was quiet the whole time we were in the room but the only time Emilie was quiet was when her Aunt was telling her what was going on. I didn't have anything to say but if I did, I wouldn't be able to say it. I was speechless.
Richie Ravin had abandoned her because she abandoned Emilie. He didn't want anything to do with her and even though I felt bad for her, she deserved it.
Now I was just waiting for Emilie to speak. I could see her face twisted with something but I wasn't sure exactly what it was. Confusion? No. Looked more like she was thinking really hard but didn't want to have to think about it.
"I forgive you." she blurted out. My eyes widened and I swear her Aunt's heart monitor stopped for a second.
"What?" I asked, shocked still. Emilie grabbed my hand and nodded.
"I forgive her." she repeated.
"Why?" her Aunt croaked. Emilie smiled a little and shook her head.
"I don't owe you that much. Just know that you aren't worth my worries anymore." she told her honestly and she nodded. I watched her stand up and followed suit. "I'm not sure what Evelyn wanted me to do here but I don't think there is anything else to say or do. So we're going to be heading out now."
I took her hand and lead her to the door but the croaking came back.
"Wait." We turned around and I saw that her Aunt was pointing to a notepad next to her bed. I dropped Emilie's hand and walked over to pick it up. She smiled a little when I handed it to her and then a pen. "I was just one stop that she wanted you to go by." she spoke as she write. She ripped off the paper and handed it to me. "Go here."
"What's here?" I asked but she just smiled.
"Just go." she repeated and Emilie grabbed my hand. "Goodbye Emilie." I felt my hand being tugged and without another word we were gone.
We left silently. No one tried to stop us or talk to us and even if they did, Emilie wouldn't have stopped. I was very surprised when she by passed the passengers side door and crawled into the driver's seat.
"Let me see it." she demanded softly. I handed her the piece of paper and she read it.
"Do you know where it is?" I asked.
"Yeah." she answered and handed it back. I waited for more of an explanation but got none. We rode about 15 minutes in complete and utter silence. Not eve the radio was on. I was starting to get a little uncomfortable and turned to look at her.
She was crying.
"Em, babe?" I asked and reached over for her hand.
I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you
A soft sob escaped her lips and she pulled over to the side of the road. I jumped out of the car and reached in to pull her through the front seats and out to me. Her feet touched the ground and she was in my arms, holing me just as tight as I was holding her.
"Diddle." I whispered and she sobbed again.
"I forgive her." she cried and buried her face in my chest.
Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you
"Why?" I asked. She was silent for a minute and then she looked up at me with a huge smile. It was teary but ti was hers.
"You don't get it do you?" she asked and I shook my head. "I can't hold it against her. I can't blame her for leaving me and wish that she could take it back. I don't want to change it or want her to want to take it back."
"But why?" I asked, still not understanding. "She hurt you and put you through hell. If she hadn't left you, you'd be with your brother right now."
I think about the years I spent just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You've been there you understand
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true
"Yeah but not you." she added and I gaped at her. "I wouldn't have met Abigail or you. I would have missed out on all the good times me and Abi had and I would have missed out on you. Jack, to think of a life without you and Abi in it, it's just not a life. Her leaving me was the best thing that she could have done because I met you and you helped me see who I really was. You let me know that there was still life out there and that, though it ay be tough, it's worth living and loving."
"Em, I-I just."
"You don't have to say anything." she smiled and tapped my nose.
"But what about your brother?" I asked.
"I knew I'd see him again one day and I know I still will. I love and miss him and now I know that he misses and loves me too. We have a bond, Jack. It's not blood and no words can describe it but its there. I lost him so I could find you and I'm okay with that. Life handed me a bunch of bad turns, yes. But only so they could lead me to my path. The path where I met you."
Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you
I was speechless. For once I had nothing to say. I almost couldn't move.
"I love you, Jack." she whispered. She moved up to the tip of her toes and placed a gentle kiss on my lips.
But it wasn't enough.
I pulled her back to me as soon as she pulled away and kissed her back. I kissed her with every ounce of love and passion that I was feeling in that moment. The feelings that she made me feel. My hands tangled themselves in her hair and she wrapped her arms around my neck.
"God, I love you too." I breathed when I let her go. She smiled at me and wiped the tears that were now falling from my eyes.
Now I'm just rolling home
Into my lover's arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you.
"That was the house we were going to move into." she said and I was confused again. She giggled and I smirked. "The address she gave you. I heard that she and Richie moved into it after I was taken away but it was going to be our new home."
"What do you think is there?" I asked, still holding her to me.
"I don't know but we're about to find out."
Bless The Broken Road by Rascal Flatts