Chapter 47

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Wyatt's funeral was quite and not many people came. It was just us, the other boys from the gang and the gang that he had joined up with after we had left. I couldn't remember much of it and everything was a blur. All I can remember was watching the casket being lowered into the earth and thinking about how unfair life was. How unfair it was that he had never known love, had only known hatred and violence. How unfair it was that he didn't even get a chance to change that. And how unfair it was that only these people, these tough boys who grew up much the same as he did were the only ones who could pay homage to him. It almost hurt more than anything else I had ever gone through. Even Tessa's disappearance.
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The funeral had been three days ago and now we were back on the road. This time it was just me and Garrett in his car. Jordan and Sierra had decided to stay in New York. I don't think they could handle leaving after loosing Wyatt so recently. Honestly, I don't think that Garrett was either, but he refused to let me go home alone. And I had to get home.
"I'm sorry." We had been driving for almost two hours and these were the only words we had spoken so far.
"For what?" Garrett looked at me in shock. "You don't have anything to be sorry for."
"I know you didn't want to leave." I sighed. I hadn't really been ready to leave either, but something inside felt like I had to get home.
"Tayia, you don't really know what I wanted do you? I made my decision and I don't regret it. I could've sent you off on a plane you know." He shook his head as if he couldn't believe I would apologize like that.
"And I'm sorry for killing Lance."
"What?!" He slammed on the breaks, much to the anger of the car behind us on the highway. He checked his mirrors and then swiftly pulled over to the shoulder, putting the car in park and turning to look at me. "What the heck are you apologizing for?!"
"Well he told you that that was no way to treat the one who raised you. I killed your family and I'm assuming you have no one else if you were raised by him." I explained, feeling like I had to get this off my chest.
"No Tayia. You don't understand this at all." He laughed without humour. "Yeah Lance raised me because I had no one else. But if I had to be honest with you? I've been waiting for a chance to get rid of him for years."
"W-why?" He sighed heavily.
"I suppose it's time to tell you my story right?"
"You don't have too." I whispered. He didn't reply, only stared out the window and took a deep breath.
"My parents died when I was 8. I was left in the care of the only family I had left, my aunt and uncle. Both sets of grandparents had died basically before I was born and my mother was an only child. My father had one brother. And my aunt and uncle were gone all the time and died of mysterious reasons shortly after I was adopted by them. So obviously the only person left to take me was their son Lance, who had just turned 18." He swallowed hard as if remembering something horrible, which I guess he was.
"Lance was already mixed up with the wrong stuff. My uncle William didn't have the best track record and I guess that was something he passed down to his son. After he had to take care of me, Lance was desperate for money and went down a long path of stealing and selling drugs until he finally joined up with a gang. That's where it all started." I didn't know if I even wanted him to finish this story.
"Lance was street smart. He was quick, stealthy, could solve problems in less that a few seconds, and had a cruel streak. He just built his way up, taking me with him. Suddenly he was the gang leader and his gangs started spreading across the country. It was only natural that he had me, his trusty little sidekick, become the leader of one of them. I learned young. I had to fend for myself when Lance was gone and when he was there, he was teaching me to steal, to fight, to kill. I didn't like it, but I couldn't change it. I got to be almost better than him since apparently learning so young from one of the best, will often make you the best." I could see the scared but determined little boy that must of been Garrett in my mind and a tear trickled down.
"He felt threatened by me I guess. By the time I was 16 I was leading my own gang in New York and I was just as good as him. He hated it. He made sure that our gang got a lot of crap, made sure that we had more enemies than we knew what to do with, and made sure I got the nastiest jobs. I guess I just learned to hate him too. I wanted out long before you came along. The only way I could get that was if he was dead and from there came the wish to be rid of him. You just did me a favour." His voice had gone emotionless and he hadn't looked at me the whole time he was talking.
"Garrett." I grabbed his arm and he looked at me. Tears were trickling down his face and it shocked me. "I love you." I drew him into a kiss across the consul and in turn, he drew me into his lap. He held me a long time before we finally got driving again.
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"What are they like?"
"Who?" I asked confused.
"Your parents." We were laying side by side in the room of a cheap hotel we had rented. It would take us about 35 hours to get home I hoped to be home tomorrow evening.
"Well, Dad farms and has his own company so we don't see a ton of him. He works his butt off for us. And Mom, well she's about the best mom you could ever ask for. They both are the best." Tears formed in my eyes thinking about them.
"How so?"
"Mom is just so kind. She was always so understanding and would turn a blind eye on mine and Tessa's adventures. We were always getting into some kind of mischief. She always knew when to comfort me and what to say and also when I needed to just be alone. And Dad, he laughed so much. Joked and made others laugh and worked so hard for others and us. He never had time but he would still take the time to spend time with us and go on trips and to the mountains and camping every year." I sighed, just letting myself remember.
"I wish I could've had that." Garrett said softly.
"What were yours like?" He shook his head.
"Another time." I understood that it must hurt too bad. So I said nothing and curled into him. Soon I fell asleep, thinking of home and Tessa.
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So guys I was rereading this story and realized that in chapter 35 Garrett already kinda tells his story. I had forgotten all about it but I went back and made the two sort of work together. It may still be kinda confusing and this is basically the same thing but I don't want to go back and rewrite the whole chapters! So I'm sorry about that! 😬 -S

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