Unity

I'd graduated from Yale

3 years later.

I'd graduated from Yale and even landed myself a job back in California. I hadn't wanted to go back but after being away for three years and missing out on so much with Noah I'd decided going back would let me actually watch him grow up. Sierra had been doing so much better since she'd been hospitalised and we had regular FaceTime calls, I'd be moving into the house that Axel had bought because I'd rented the apartment out to a young couple.

I hadn't wanted to let go of there because I had so much of Axels stuff I never wanted to say goodbye to but I knew I had to move on. The last three years without him were ... odd. I'd feel okay until I'd see something that reminded me of him and it was like loosing him all over again. Sierra had helped me when I'd flown back for spring break, she had a collection of Axels stuff and so did I. We tried to keep them sentimental but Sierra had argued she wanted Noah to have his choice when he was old enough.

Tahlia was engaged to the doctor, Chris, that she'd started dating before I'd left and I couldn't be happier for her. I'd seen them both a handful of times, the both of them seeming more and more loved up each time. She'd asked me to be her maid of honour and I was ecstatic until I realised how stressful it all was. Her hen night was this weekend and I'd just about made everything perfect for her. They'd been engaged for well over a year wanting to wait until John was released from prison so that he could walk her down the aisle.

All of the members from the club had gotten a minimum of three years for the transportation of assault weapons. They'd been released from prison a little over a month ago, I had no idea how Ace was doing. When I'd left California I changed my phone number and never asked Tahlia or Cain how he was doing. What I didn't know couldn't hurt me, that chapter of my life was closed and I no longer had any affiliation to the club.

That's exactly how I planned to keep it now that I had returned. Tony was pretty much the only family I had left and he'd taken on the role of what I imagined to be fatherly. Him, his wife and a few of the other club members from the New York charter had been invited to Tahlias wedding which meant they had come back with me. Tony had told me it was a lot better this way because he'd be able to look after me while I eased back into life here.

Ronan and I had also kept in touch, maintaining our friendship. He'd been busy with the club while I'd been gone but we regularly texted and I saw him last Christmas when I'd visited, spending it with him and his family. He had let it slip to me the last time we'd spoke on the phone that he had started seeing someone, I'd be lying if I said I hadn't felt a little disappointed. I'd finally started to admit that there had been a connection between us two but too scared to say something because of what had happened with Ace.

During my time at Yale I kept to myself, I made a few friends but nothing worth holding onto. I'd lost trust in a lot of people, people that I thought would never hurt me and I wasn't going to risk it again with people I barely knew. This meant I hadn't even thought about dating, men were completely at the back of my mind. Apart from Ronan but now I knew I needed to let that go too.

I'd felt a little jet lagged after my travelling for nearly three days. I'd of flew back home but Tony had insisted that I drive with Nancy. The plan had been to switch driving halfway but Tony had failed to mention she had no idea how to drive. Driving was something I already knew how to do but with the inheritance money I'd gained from Axel I decided to finally get myself a car and she was my baby. I finally understood how Axel had felt about his bike.

I'd been napping for most of the day until I heard the front door open, Noah clearly back from preschool. "Don't go in there Noah, your aunt Ava is sleeping." I heard Ronan warn and I nuzzled deeper into my bed, hoping Noah would listen. He'd grown to be very mischievous, not listening to anyone but his uncle Ronan. My eye lids had just been closing when I heard the excited patter of feet and my door was thrown open.