CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Leilani pov

She stalked outside the house the cool air a welcome relief, as she took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She really wanted to be gone from here now. She stepped away from the entrance, finding a secluded bench tucked under a large tree. She sank into it, wrapping her arms around herself as she waited for Ella to find her.

“Hey, you okay?” someone asked sitting down beside her. She glanced up wiping at the tears she had been holding back that threatened to spill over.

" Who are you" she asked and he smiled at her,

" Max, and you're Veronica's niece Leilani" he mumbled and she blinked

" You know me but I'm not sure I know you" she replied

" That's fine. I'm a guest of your aunt's. Her husband's lawyer" he replied and she nodded.

They were quiet for a while but then he whispered

" You know, it's ok to cry though" she opened her mouth to speak

" Lani" her sister called for her .

Leilani walked into the house and left the door open so her sister could come through,

" Leilani are you ok" her mother asked and she nodded

" I'm fine"

" No she's not" Ella hissed as she shut the door behind her, she glared at her sister

" Are the twins asleep" she asked and her mother nodded looking to her and then away.

" I put them to bed hours ago" she muttered

" Thank you mom" she mumbled as she turned to leave, she trudged up the stairs

" What's wrong with her" she heard her mother ask

" it's a long story I'll explain later" she muttered jogging up the stairs

Leilani shut the door to her room with a soft click, leaning back against it and closing her eyes. She was glad the twins had been asleep when she got back.

The day had been long and exhausting already, she pressed her fingers to her temples, trying to quiet the noise in her head. She had known coming back would be difficult, but she hadn’t expected it to be this overwhelming.

The whole funeral had been one big ball of annoyance and it wasn’t their whispers about Aunt Veronica many husbands. No, it was the hushed tones and sideway glances when the conversation inevitably turned to Gustin. The whispers about his new wife, the rumors that he had been unhappy, it made her feel exposed.

A soft knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts, Leilani didn’t have to look up to know who it was. Ella’s footsteps were light, as she pushed open the door and stepped inside, her expression full of concern.

“You alright?” Ella asked, closing the door behind her and walking over to sit on the edge of the bed.

Leilani nodded,even though she felt nothing close to alright at all.

She moved toward the vanity and started to unpin her hair, her fingers trembling slightly.

"I’m fine," she said, though her voice trembling betrayed her lie.

"Just tired."

Ella watched her

“You know you can’t listen to those people, right? The things they were saying about Gustin and his new wife… they don’t know what they’re talking about.”

Leilani glanced at her sister through the mirror, her lips pressed into a thin line.

“Maybe they don’t. But it doesn’t change the fact that people always seem to have something to say. About him. About me. About everything.”

Ella sighed, standing up and crossing the room to stand beside her.

“Leilani, you’ve done the best you can. You can’t control what people think or what they say. And honestly, they’re wrong. We don't even know if they're really married or not"

" You didn’t do anything wrong by leaving. You had to protect yourself .”

“I know, but it’s hard not to listen. It’s hard not to feel like… like they’re right. Maybe I am a coward"

Ella frowned, her brows knitting together.

“Why would you even say that?”

“Because they’re right about one thing—I’ve spent years running away. From the husband who didn't love me because it was easier to do that than stay, while he saw his lover"

Leilani said, looking down at her hands resting in her lap.Ella’s grip on her arm tightened.

“You’re not a coward, Lani. You did what you thought was best at the time. You were trying to protect yourself and maybe things didn’t turn out the way you wanted, but that doesn’t make you weak or cowardly. You’re doing the best you can.” the words were flowery and she didn't want to hear them, it changed nothing

She rose from the vanity and moved toward the window, looking out at the darkening sky.

“I think… I think I'm going back to America,” she said quietly.

" Maybe it’s for the best.”

Ella’s reaction was immediate, she pulled away slightly, her expression hardening in disbelief.

“Go back to America? Are you serious right now?” she snapped, her voice rising in anger.

“Leilani, you can’t be serious.”

Leilani turned to face her,

"I am serious. This... this isn’t working. Being here, , around these people and around him when he eventually comes back. It’s too much. I thought I could handle it, but I can’t.”

Ella’s eyes narrowed, her hands on her hips as she stepped closer her voice increasing

“So you’re just going to run? Again! Is that it?”

Leilani flinched

“I don’t know what else to do. I can’t stay here, Ella. Being back here, seeing Gustin… and now with the twins—”

Ella cut her off

“Lani, stop,” Ella interrupted, her voice rising with frustration.

“You can’t just keep running. You go back to America like nothing’s happened! And then what. " She hissed hands thrown in the air

"What are you even running from this time? Gustin? The past? The twins? What?”

Leilani blinked, surprised by her sister’s reaction. “I’m not running—”

“Yes, you are!” Ella snapped, turning to face her.

“You’ve been running your whole life. Every time things get hard, you pack up and leave. First to Gustin–"

" That's not fair, I married him for all of us"

"– And now, when things are finally coming to a head, you’re ready to do it again.”

“You’ve been running your whole life, Leilani. And maybe you did get married for us fine. But how long are you going to keep doing this?"

The tears that had welled up in her eyes, started to fall no matter how hard she tried not to let them fall.

“You don’t know what it’s been like for me, Ella. You don’t know what I’ve been through.”

“Then tell me,” Ella shot back, her voice louder and still just as firm.

“Tell me what you’ve been through, Lani. Because from where I’m standing, all I see is my sister trying to outrun her entire life.”

“That’s not fair,” Leilani whispered, her throat tightening tears filling her eyes

“I’m trying to protect myself, protect the kids.”

Ella scoffed, crossing her arms.

“Are you? Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’re trying to avoid everything. You’ve been hiding them from their own father, and now that he’s found out, you’re ready to run back halfway across the world and from your own family to avoid dealing with it.”