Seb

It's been three days since Ari has been home. Today is the first day prez is back at the clubhouse.

"How is she?" I ask when I enter his office.

"I don't know." I give him a questioning look "the night she got back she yelled about how mad she was we all gave up on her and moved on with our lives. She hasn't talked to me since. Peyton set up appointments for her and charlie to get checked out yesterday. They are fine physically. The only time ari leaves her room is to get food and something to drink. Other than that she stays locked in her room with charlie whenever im home."

My heart fucking breaks for the only girl I have ever loved. "I'm sorry prez. If I would have known I would t have, well I wouldn't have done allot of things."

"I know seb, I don't blame you."

"Maybe I can try to talk to her?"

"Worth a shot I suppose" He shrugs "I don't know what to do. I can see the pain in her eyes, but she won't talk about it. I know she went through hell because of me."

"I guess I'll head over there, can you let peyton know I'm coming?"

"Sure" he sighs

When I knock on the front door peyton opens it with a sad smile. "She's out back at the playground"

When I get to the back yard I see ari sitting at a picnic table watching charlie play. My angel and her mini me. I take a seat next to her keeping some distance.

She doesn't even look my direction "ari?"

"Hmm?" She answers not taking her eyes off charlie who looks to be having the time of her life.

"Can we talk?"

"I dont really have anything to say" she tells me.

"I do, so maybe you can just listen" the only answer I get is a shrug "I'm sorry I gave up angel, that decision will be my biggest regret for the rest of my life."

"Doesn't change anything sebby" she says under her breath "you moved on without me."

"I didn't know you were alive ari."

"I know everyone gave up on me" she nods theres no emtion in her voice, like shes hallow or detached.

"I never stopped loving you ari, you know that right?"

"I'm not sure what we had was love, we were just kids afterall"

"Don't do that ari, don't diminish what we had, you know damn well you own my heart"

"Its easier this way Sebastien. You can leave"

"Ari please look at me" when she turns her head to face me I see those big green eyes I love so much hold nothing just emptiness. "You own my heart"

"Not anymore"

"Yes, always." I tell her

"You moved on, seb. You found other woman to be with. You replaced me."

"How can you hold that against me Ari? You were with other men too.you have a child now" I regret those words as soon as they leave my mouth. I say dumb shit when I'm mad, but this was by far the dumbest thing to ever come out of my mouth.

She jumps to her feet and stares daggers into my eyes her fists clenched at the sides like she's ready to punch me "you think I wanted those men seb? You think I asked to be chained to a filthy cot and be raped and beaten? You think you think I enjoyed having a knife on my neck or a gun at my temple when I tried to fight them off? You think I wanted to give birth to a child by myself in a dirty basement. Fuck You, Sebastien. I didn't choose for those men to put their hands on me. You chose to put your hands on other woman though that's the fucking difference."

"I'm sorry Ari. I shouldn't have said that. I didn't mean it."

"The thing is seb, I don't care what you think. You think you know what happened in that basement you don't even know the fucking half of it. For you to compare what happend to me to your choices is bullshit. What happend to me was not my choice. Do you know how many times I just wished I was dead? After I gave up hope that anyone was going to save me the only thing that kept me alive was that little girl. I refuse to regret her, she is the reason I'm alive. I think it's time for you to leave now seb"

"Ari please" I shake my head at her begging for her to talk to me.

"Who is she?"

"Angel, it doesn't matter"

"Tell me seb or leave" she says looking to check on charlie then moving her eyes back to me

"Daisy"

She laughs a humorless laugh "Yeah, should have seen that one coming"

"It's not like that ari"

"Get home to your ol' lady seb"

"She's not my ol' lady Ari. She's a club whore."

"It really doesn't matter to me either way. I have one focus and that's charlie. I need to get her used to her new life. I need to figure out what's left of my old one."

"I'm here ari. I'm here for you."

"No thanks" she let's out a humorless laugh. "Do me a favor? Do what you did the last three years and pretend I'm dead."

"I can't do that Ari, don't you get it? I used those woman"

"How many were there seb?"

"Angel" I sigh internally kicking myself.

"Yeah that's what I thought. Look seb, we're not the same people we were before. You and I, well there is no you and I. So please just pretend I'm dead. I don't think we will be sticking around here long anyway so shouldn't be too hard."

"What the fuck do you mean you're not sticking around here?"

"Once the club takes care of Marcus, charlie and I are leaving. For good."

"Where are you going?"

"Not sure yet, peytons going to help me ger my GED and license, she kept my car for me, at least someone never gave up hope right?" She laughs "I need to be strong for my daughter and I can't do that here."

"I'll go with you. I'll transfer chapters." I rush out quickly, because I would do anything to be with this woman.

"Seb you're not listening to me. There is no you and me. There never will be. Please just go back to the club. Don't burn bridges with daisy over something that's never going to happen."

"There's not bridges to burn ari. She's a club whore."

I feel a tug on my jeans look down and see charlie looking up at me "hi" she smiles

"Hi charlie" I smile back at aris little twin.

"You?" I look at ari with question because I have no idea what the little girl is asking.

"She's asking what your name is" she tells me with a sigh.

"I'm seb"

"You sebby?"

"Yeah" I say with ny eyebrows furrowed. Ari was the only one who was ever aloud call me sebby.

"Yayyyyy, mommy wook sebby" she cheers which causes farther confusion. I look to ari for answers.

She wrangling her fingers in nervousness before she answers. "I didn't have books to read her so I used to tell her stories, about how sebby would rescue us and take us far away." For the first time today I can hear sadness in her voice.

"Yayyy sebby" charlie cheers again and Im having a hard time keeping the tears back trying to swallow the lump in my throat down.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there sooner charlie"

"It otay" she tell me with a smile before wrapping her arm around my leg.

"I'm going to take her in for a nap. I hope you found the closure you were looking for seb, and I really do hope you find happiness."

"No such thing without you angel" I tell her honestly as she picks up her daughter and makes her way back into the house.

The pain in my chest won't go away. I just sit here for I don't know how long looking out into the yard. She told charlie stories about me. She held onto hope all that time. that I'd come rescue her and I fucking failed her. I failed them both.

I know i should let her go. I know i dont deserve her or that sweet little girl, but i wont. Im not giving up on her this time. Im going to fight with everything i have to get her back and keep her and charlie forever.

It doesn't matter that charlie is not mine, she's Ari's and that's enough for me to love her more than life.