Final Footsteps (Running Series Finale)

Chapter 2: Bueno

Song for the chapter is: Ben Howard - Promise

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Arlo's POV

           

I didn't sleep much at all that night, so was up early that morning, around 5.30am. Tayte had been tossing and turning from 2am, so I was glad he'd finally settled down. I got out of bed, pulling on a t-shirt and my tatty ripped jeans, slipped on my trainers and then quietly left the room. The corridors were quiet and empty, the hotel was awake though, just not fully functional. I made my way to the bar lounge, it was empty, I took a seat after ordering a mocha, the barman gave me a sympathetic look, as if he knew what I was going through, I just smiled. 10 minutes later there was a voice,

"Do you mind if I join you?" I looked up, it was Joey, he looked tired, he looked worn out, he looked devastated,

"Be my guest"

   "Did you want another?" I looked at my empty mug,

"Can I just have a black coffee please" he nodded. "Thank you" I said after he was seated,

   "Did you get any sleep?" He asked,

"A few hours I think"

"Good, you still need to sleep,"

"By the looks of it...you didn't get any," I told him and he chuckled,

   "Charming," I smiled, "that's something Keane and Noah would say, definitely runs in the family,"

"I wish you were my Dad," I said, he looked taken a back, "I wish that Mum just told you about me, that I could have lived with you from a young age, that you could have adopted me. Even if I still found out who my real Dad was in the end, I wouldn't have cared, because he was just the guy who I share some DNA with, you would have been the one who brought me up, the one I looked up to, the one I loved,"

  "And this is why I don't think you're Mum and I will get back together. Though we've been through a lot, her keeping who you were from me, until it was too late and then completely keeping me in the dark about your father and Keane being taken. I could see in her eyes she still loves your father, in what way I don't know... I just. There's something telling me that he isn't who he says he is. I know your mother, we've been together since we were 21 years old and yes, she does love me, that's a given fact. Therefore I know that she wouldn't love a man who would hurt any of her children, she wouldn't love a killer,"

  "I don't want to break you up,"

"It wouldn't have anything to do with you if we do, it will be a accumulation of things over the years, lies, deceit..."

"So are you not worried about Keane?"

"Oh I'm worried, of course I am, but not about him being with Galviao, because I don't think he'd hurt him. I'm more worried about the fact Keane should still be in a hospital, he is far from healed and if he doesn't get the right care, he'll deteriorate,"

"Maybe my...Maybe Galviao will see to that,"

"Your mother seems to think so, she is very certain that Keane won't be harmed in any way...She's hiding something else from me, from all of us... again"

  "You've kind of put my mind at ease, hopefully you'll be able to do the same for Tayte," I said finishing the coffee.

"Don't discount a relationship with your father, but just know that I'll always be there for you. In terms of Tayte...his mind won't be at ease until Keane is back in his arms"