Battle To Be Free (z.m) ✔️

Epilogue

Alanna's POV

As I drove down the hectic street I counted the house numbers in my head.

64, 66

I looked at the other side of the road and found the house I was searching for.

67.

I took a deep breath and wrung my hands together nervously. A part of me knew that it was possibly going to be a dead end. When I'd searched the address, after my mum gave it to me, the man in there was way too young to be my father, but I had to know.

I stepped out of the car and into the bitter winter air. I couldn't help but ogle the car I was driving as I got out. Zayn had let me borrow the bright red Lamborghini but not before pleading, "Baby be careful with my baby."

The house itself seemed nice enough; the lawn was green and well taken care of and funny shaped gnomes lined the house. My finger shook slightly as I approached the door. Half of me was screaming at myself to go back, but I knew I couldn't do that. I had to know or it was going to nag at my insides forever. So, before I could stop myself, I knocked gently on the door.

"Wait a minute!" I heard a man's voice call. "Cody would you get off my damn leg for a second?!"

Slowly the door opened, revealing a man in his twenties who appeared to be stressed and flustered. Behind him was a little boy; his little eyes glanced up at me with a curious smile. The man glanced over me quickly before giving me a questioning glance.

"Can I help you?" His voice held a hint of suspicion.

"Erm," I stumbled over my words, having not really thought what I was going to say once I actually got here. "My mother gave me an address b-before she died. She s-said that's where my father was but I can tell she was lying now," I paused a minute and tried to gather myself after the disappointment. "I'll just go now."

I started walking away. "Hey wait up!"

"Yes?" I asked turning around to face him.

"What's your name?" His voice no longer held suspicion and I didn't miss the little gleam of excitement brewing behind his blue eyes.

"Alanna."

He let out a gasp. "Oh my god."

"What?" I laughed a little. "Don't act like you can be my dad. You'd have had to be like 6."

"No but I know who was," He smiled at me and gestured for me to come inside. "Follow me."

Once inside he led me to a kitchen. Cody's bright chatter filled the silence and I was more than thankful for it as it eliminated the awkward silence that I thought would have followed.

"Why are you so small?" Cody asked me.

I smiled fondly. "You're not too tall either kiddo," I held my hand to his head, which showed him that he only came up to my waist.

"Yeah but I'm only little," He protested. "Daddy said I'll grow up to be a big boy didn't you daddy?"

"Yeah I did because you will." He leaned down to whisper loudly in his ear. "Anyone can be bigger than Alanna over there."

Cody fist pumped the air dramatically. "Yes!"

I just laughed at his adorableness. "So who do you think was my dad then?" I asked his nervously.

"I think my dad was your dad," He started slowly. "He would always talk about two little girls who he never got to meet. Told me stories all the time about the times he tried to get you to live with him, but couldn't."