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CHAPTER NINE

Leilani POV

Leilani' s world was spinning off its axis or was it a crashing plane. She wasn't sure which of these two scenarios fit in this situation, maybe both of them.

She stood there a bit dazed and her sister grabbed her arm

" Are you ok" she asked and Leilani nodded,

" Then let's get out of here before the children decide they want to get back in the plane" she mumbled, maneuvering their bags. She grabbed their hands while she and her Ella shuffled the children and their bags out of the airport.

Once they were tucked in their car seats she slid in the backseat of her sister's car,her heart racing and her mind at a thousand mile per minute and as they drove away from the airport, all she could think of was Gustin's look of betrayal when he had seen the children, and his anger and resolve as he had walked away from her.

The problem was he shouldn't have been angry, it had his choice to leave her for another woman but the emotions were not logical and she couldn't help it, the worry.

"Are you okay?" Ella asked, glancing back at her with concern etched across her face.

Leilani forced a nod, adjusting the children's car seat one more time,before moving her hands clenched tightly into her lap.

"I just... I need some time to think." She looked out the window and groaned

" Oh god what have I done"

" You did nothing wrong " she hissed and I scoffed slamming my head against the headrest

" What did I think was going to happen when I showed up unannounced after all these years? With a child– scratch that two children in tow"

“Leilani,” Ella said, her voice soft but firm,

“you need to breathe. You’re going to hyperventilate right out the window " she muttered and Leilani huffed. Ella wasn't lying, she felt extremely hyper now. All because she was frightened by her ex-husband.

" I can’t believe I ran into him like that. What will he think of me? He probably hates me.”

“No, he doesn’t hate you,” Ella reassured her, glancing at her sister as she navigated through the busy streets.

“He’s just shocked. Give him some time. It’s been years since you’ve seen each other.”

" Besides, it was his choice to divorce you, he doesn't get to put the blame on you now "

" That's a very small comfort and you know it" she mumbled Ella, sighed but remained silent, clearly sensing that pressing further wouldn’t have helped her. Leilani couldn’t shake the knot in her stomach, so she tried to distract herself even for a little while the twins, were, oblivious to the storm brewing around their mother. They were happy, giggling and playing with the toys she had brought along, for their trip. Aiden was drawing on a notepad while Allison toyed with her stuffed animal and occasionally she'd give her input on her brothers drawing. The sounds of their laughter made her smile and forget for a little while that she was in trouble.

The longer her sister drove through the familiar streets of London, the more memories flooded her mind.

It reminded her of her life before Gustin, with just her family when she had been happy, before their family had been on the brink of starvation and marrying Gustin Winchester the biggest billionaire in the whole city.

"Mommy, when are we going to see that man again?" Aiden piped up from the backseat his face lighting up with curiosity and expectations.

Leilani glanced back at him,her heart sinking forcing a smile she replied

"I don’t know, sweetheart. Soon, maybe he must be very busy,”

“But he said he was your friend,” Aiden chimed in, his large, innocent eyes fixed on her mother

Leilani didn’t want to answer him, or promise him anything not until she and Gustin met and talked.

"Will he play with us?" Allison added, her big eyes with hope, even though she had been quiet around him she seemed to have opened up.

Leilani bit her lip, glancing at Ella for support but her sister just shrugged, she was on her own then.

“He… he has a lot going on right now. We might see him again, but it could take some time,” she mumbled trying to sound reassuring. But even as she said the words the truth gnawed at her. Gustin was not just a friend to them he was their father

" I thought you didn't like him" Leilani asked and Allison shook her head packing up the dolls ponytail

" He's nice" she murmured biting at her lips

Leilani's heart sank, she would have to prepare them for the inevitable reunion. They would be no two ways about it.

The thought of seeing Gustin again filled her with longing and the ever present dread, it was a ping pong table feelings she was not willing to tackle.

" We're here " Ella muttered parking in the curb almost immediately, and she sighed , she got out of the car and unbuckled the children from their seats

" I thought I'd have more time" she mumbled and Ella scoffed

" Darling sister, you do have more time, at least until he gets back from the business trip, you can think about what you want to do then"

The door opened and their mother called

" Do you want girls not want to come inside"

Ella turned to wave and so did she, the children were bouncing on their feet and she let them free

They walked to the door and her mother

" You were letting these children catch a cold you brat," she mumbled

" They're my children mother, I know what I'm doing, they were barely out there for more than five minutes" she mumbled and her mother grumbled

taking the children inside the house. Leilani loved her mother but she was a pain in the butt more so after her divorce.

She didn't like the fact that her daughter was not the wife of the biggest billionaire in the city.

" Did you see, Gustin " she asked

" Where would I have seen him mom"

" Where's dad" Ella asked

" He went to the pharmacy" she replied then turned back to her

" If you had just stayed with him , you would know where he is now "

" Mom please just stop your money grubbing for once. I ruined my life for you once but not again"

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