𝘿𝘼𝙈𝘼𝙂𝙀𝘿 // 𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙥

Chapter 26

Lainey and Mitch walked in quietly, they walked through the tore down kitchen and over to the basement door. Lainey looked at Mitch "do it" she told him

Mitch nodded and took a tight grip of her arm, Lainey opened the door and it awoke with squeaks.

Noah bounced up from the Mattress in the corner of the basement, it had been 3 days since he left her that voicemail and the second he heard that door open he knew it was her. He would finally get to see his wife, after all this time. They would be reunited

Lainey reached the last step, she walked in and seen Noah stood in the corner of the room. He looked just as he did when she last laid eyes on him.  His thick brown locks of hair puffed up just like always, he only ever gelled it for important meetings. That smile, that smile that convinced her to say yes when he asked her to dinner for the first time and the smile that convinced her of many things after. His ocean blue eyes that could be swam in, in those eyes Told a million stories, In those blue eyes were a million memories that Lainey had buried away till just now. The silly memories she never wanted to relive, the days she and Noah spent under the blanket binging movies, the days they spent arguing over little things that made no sense, they days they made up. The days when it felt as if they were the only ones left to exist. All those memories laid in his eyes when she seen them.

Noah looked back at his wife and felt his body warm at the sight of her, how they only thing that had changed was the life that once lived in her eyes no longer there. He blamed himself for that, he regretted it every day that he planned what he did. Everyday he wished he could be there and the only thing keeping him from going back was knowing they had a daughter to keep Lainey company... or so he believed

Lainey's heart rate picked up and she felt her breath become uneven, panic and shock fell upon her shoulders as she seen her dead husband standing in front of her.  She blinked rapidly, thinking if she kept doing it he would disappear. Hoping if she kept doing so he would disappear. Lainey soon realizing this feeling was not panic, it was rage. Pure rage towards the man whom she stood in front of. All the time she spent worrying she would feel that love she felt towards him years ago when she seen him. And now as she stood in front of him, all she could feel was hatred towards him, hatred for leaving her the way he did and hatred for getting her daughter killed. She despised him, a feeling she never thought she could have towards him.

Mitch watched as laineys chest moved faster as her breaths became uneven, how her eyes looked at Noah like it was the first time she had seen anything. He began to sense her panic and squeezed her arms a little to reassure her.

Lainey felt the small squeeze that Mitch gave her arm, she took in a breath and released it. In her head telling herself to play it off as fear, fear of Mitch not Noah. She mentally collected herself and continued to pretend as if she was the victim

"I'm so sorry baby" she spoke feeling sickened by the words she had to use. She managed to force a tear down her face "they.. they made me" she sniffled a little

He nodded "It's okay sweetheart, you are here now and that's what matter" he smiled

Lainey cringed as Noah called her sweetheart. "Don't you see Noah.. it's over" she shook her head "they are going to take you away" 

He sighed "Oh Lainey, I would never let that happen"

Lainey had been watching carefully whilst she spoke to him, she watched as he would slowly bring his hand behind his back. As he distracted them just enough to not he noticed. She knew his tells, this was one. He pulled out a gun from behind him and in a split second the bullet left the chamber with a loud bang,

Lainey watched as it flew towards Mitch, without hesitation she found herself jumping towards the bullet. She felt her body jolt as the bullet punched it's way through her upper stomach. She fell to ground and watched a blood poured from her fresh wound.

Noah's eyes widened "no!" He cried. He ran towards Lainey and pulled her body into his arms "oh god no" he cried quietly

"I-...I'm sorry" she spluttered

He shook his head "Oh no, no it's not your fault" he tried his best to reassure her.

"El-..el" she breathed

"Ella" he smiled

She shook her head and tears ran down her face "she.." Lainey let out small uneven breaths "never... never m..made it"

"She died?" He asked

Lainey nodded painfully. Thinking back to that day when she lost her most favorite person in the world "the.. the day you.. I.. I was s-sho-.."

Noah's eyes widened "she.. oh god" he cried "I'm so sorry Lainey.. I never meant for any of this to happen to you."

Lainey brought her hand up to his face, she held his cheek and smiled softly "I-..I" she stuttered
"I.."