Rejected But Alive

twenty-three

Chapter 23

Leo suddenly looks down, obviously not wanting to answer my question. "Leo?" I say.

"Can we talk about this at the house?" He says looking up, his eyes glistening with tears. "Ok." I say grabbing LB's hand, taking him with me.

The car ride home was silent. Leo was driving and the only sound you could hear was LB in the back, trying to take his football pads off in the back seat.

"Leo sweetie, I'll help you take those off when we get home." I say turning in my seat to get a better look at him. "Ok mommy." He stops struggling and just sits there, looking out the window.

"Who's Xavier?" LB asks quietly.

"My brother" Leo says, speaking for the first time since we got in there car.

"Oh ok, Dad." I see Leo smile at the sound of LB calling him 'Dad.' But, it quickly goes away when we pull up to the pack house.

"LB, sweetie, can you go find your Aunt and tell her that I sent you to her." I say getting out of the car, going around to LB, and pulling off his football pads.

"Yes, mommy." He says running into the pack house, calling Emelia's name.

"Let's go to my office," Leo says, obviously not wanting someone else to hear.

When we get to his office, he takes a seat behind his desk, me sitting in front of the desk. He sighs before talking.

"We don't know," He says quietly.

"What?" I say, obviously confused.

"We don't know where Xavier is," he says, looking into my eyes. I could already feel the tears in my eyes. "How," I finally say after 60 seconds of silence.

"The day you left, he woke up and saw your note. He said he would find you, even if it took forever. We tried to stop him, we had guards watching him for three days. Then he took off, he tried to sniff you out. We have never found him and I doubt we ever will." He says with sorrow, quieting down by the last sentence.

"We have to find him." I say suddenly. "Kaily it's been 5 years, he's probably dead by now."

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT ABOUT YOUR BROTHER!" I yell, standing from my chair, "just because he's been gone for 5 years does not mean he is dead. I'm not dead, am I?" I say calming down a bit.

"I'm sorry." He whispers looking down, "I really am." He says before walking out of the room.

~later that night when everyone is asleep~

"It's ok sweetie, I'll be back as soon as I can." I say to LB, Emelia looking down at us.

"I don't want you to go, mommy," LB says through tears.

"It's ok sweetie, tell Daddy that I went to visit some friends, ok?" I say getting on one knee. "Ok, mommy" he says hugging me, tears landing on my shoulder. "I love you" he whispers into my ear. "I love you too, Leo" I whisper back. I break the hug and walk to the door.

"Be good for Aunt Emilia, ok?" I say smiling a little. "Ok, mommy. Be careful, please."

"I will sweetie, I will."

"Bye mommy."

"Bye" I say, blowing a kiss, then walking out the door. I lied, it won't be 5 days, it will be how ever long it takes to find the only person who treated me right at that house.

Xavier.