Chasing Second Chances: Finn & Sawyer

Chapter Seven

Sawyer

The night has been going great. We were laughing, having fun, telling stories, funny stories of our childhood as well as talking about our dreams and what we want for our future. Even though it has been a blast, I knew tonight we also needed to talk about Summer's wedding. I love her, but this is something I was dreading. Not because of them, I'm just not a huge fan...

“So, the wedding.” I said as I pulled away wiping a tear from my eye and handing a glass of wine to Jo, “What’s the plan?”

“Well, I want Ivy and Ellie to be flower girls. Eliana can walk with them and hold a sign that says something cute and sassy.” Summer grinned.

“Sassy like her momma.” Ava laughed, making all of us laugh while Ray rolled her eyes.

“Lucas and Miles can carry the rings and same idea with Trey, because we would be crazy to give him the rings.” We laughed again. “Jordan’s groomsmen go as follows, Dylan being the best man, followed by Finn, Art and Archer.”

“Okay…well we know that Ray is your maid of honor…how are the rest going to line up?” Ava asked and Summer just grinned, “No…no…not gonna happen. I refuse to have him walk me down the aisle and share a dance with him.”

“Well, it’s either him or Finn, take your pick and it would be awkward if you pick Finn since you have been trying to get Sawyer and Finn together sine she moved down here.”

“Finn the fucktard? Yeah, I would rather be with Art.” I rolled my eyes.

“He’s harmless. He was just going through a lot. I know for sure once you get to know him you two will be drawn together like two magnets who can’t stay away.”

“Unless we have the same ‘poles’ then we repel, which is what’s going to happen.”

“You know, I will bet money that you two end up together.” Summer grinned and I just rolled my eyes.

“Even if I wanted to, I am in no mind set to be in a relationship with anyone and no one is going to want to be with me and the baggage that I carry. It’s too much for people to handle. If I could, you guys wouldn’t even be here with me now, it’s too much of a risk.” I got up from the table and went into the kitchen to put a bit of distance between us.

“Talk to us Sawyer. Ava won’t tell us what happened, saying it’s your story to tell. You can trust us. You know that.” Ray followed me and grabbed my hand. I tensed a bit and then soon relaxed. Pursing my lips a bit, I looked at the girls who I call family, friends, sisters and nodded my head and headed back to the table and took a large gulp of wine. Liquid courage is needed because this is a long story.

“My dad, he was a tight end for Buffalo before he met my mom. My mom was supposed to meet some guy on a date and she went to my dad not knowing who he was because he was sitting alone and asked if it was him and he went with it because he instantly fell for her. She hated sports so she didn’t know any better. It wasn’t until a month later she found out and broke up with him because he lied. He took months to win her back and he eventually did. When she was pregnant with Aiden, he retired, wanting to be there for his family. Aiden was on the path to follow dad in his footsteps so when he was eighteen and I was thirteen, he told us he was enlisting in the Marines. Dad was so proud that he was following what he wanted to do and not what society wanted.”

“That’s some amazing parenting.” Ray smiled.

“They were the best. We were happy, until they got into this horrific accident. They were driving on a bridge, on their way home from some event with a truck driver driving one of those huge Semi’s fell asleep and drove down the middle of the bridge. My parents couldn’t get out of the way and they were ran off the bridge and into a river where they ended drowning. I was fifteen and Aiden was almost twenty. He just got home from his first tour when it happened and I was home doing homework. I mean, they were supposed to come home and they never did.” A tear rolled down my cheek as Jo and Summer each grabbed one of my hands.

“I am so sorry Sawyer; we had no idea.”

“It’s not something I talk about. I found out when the cops showed up. I called Ava and Sara and they rushed over, taking the first flight from Texas. Aiden begged his CO’s and he got a transfer up here by being a Marine recruiter, so they set up him up in an office in Buffalo, but that didn’t stop the deployments. I mean, he had a duty and was sure to follow it. I became emancipated so I didn’t go into the system. Later that year, he met this girl and they got super serious and she ended up getting pregnant with Miles. It wasn’t until he was born when she walked out on him, saying she couldn’t do this and she left Miles and Aiden. I stepped up and was there for him every step of the way. You see, at that point, we had the money from my mom and dad and I had my own place as he did, but when she walked out, he was lost, so I opened my home to my brother and nephew. My boyfriend at the time didn’t like that.”

“Why though? That’s your brother, your family.” Summer gasped out.

“I hid it for so long. He was so abusive, physically, emotionally, mentally. He wouldn’t do s**t when Aiden was home or when Miles was around but as soon as we were alone, it was like a flip switched. I’ve called the cops I don’t know how many times. But it was hard to get away from him. I thought I love him. I obviously didn’t know what love was. I was afraid of being alone so I never fully left. When Miles was four years old, I was pregnant with Ivy. He went through anger management and swore he changed, he wanted to be better for Ivy and me, so I was dumb and let him back in.”

“Abusers never change.” Ray’s face fell. She knew firsthand, we all did.

“I wish I knew that then. We got married at twenty and had Ivy a few months later. He convinced me that it was the best thing to do because we were having a child and I was stupid, oh so stupid and went with it. His anger never went away…our wedding night…” I paused and shook my head, “After we got married and Ivy was born, he started into the drugs and alcohol and became a worse person than before. Aiden called the cops one night because he came home with Felix from tour and he was straddling me, choking me. Aiden and Felix pulled him off me, started to beat the crap out of him until he was unconscious, called the cops and Felix and him got arrested while he was rushed to the hospital. It wasn’t until the tested his blood and found traces of Meth and cocaine and the fact that two well decorated Marines were defending family, along with the bruises where he previously hit me when my brother and Felix were released. When he was sober, around the time Ivy was three, I filed for divorce and he signed the papers. He signed everything we gave him. He signed a release of parental rights along with a no contact order, restraining order, everything you can think of. I had full rights of Ivy and can do whatever I wanted without his permission.”

“What did Sara and Ava have to do with everything?” Jo asked, “No offense, just curious.”

“No offense taken. When this was happening, Aiden called them and they rushed up here and helped us pack up our things and get a new place as soon as we found somewhere to house us all. We would have just moved ourselves but my ex, he stole all the money in my accounts my parents left for us and Aiden put his in a CD so he couldn’t touch it for five years.”

“Why didn’t you guys move down here sooner?” Summer asked.

“It’s hard to just pack up everything in your life and move across the country. My parents are buried there. My life is there. But while Aiden did his tours, I took care of Miles and Ivy. They’re four years apart and act like siblings. They are as close as they can be. I didn’t know this but Miles has seen more than any child should have, so he was always protective of us. Ivy would ask about her dad and I told her the truth, well the PG version of it. She didn’t believe me until Miles told her. It literally shattered my heart. And well, you know the story. He got out of jail, found me, beat me up again to the point where I ran here. I thought when I was younger that I loved him. We were supposed to love each other and be there and support one another but I was blinded by everything. Now I know and I will never let another man dictate my life again.” I said in a matter-of-face tone.

“You are so strong. To be able to go through all that and be here, the woman you are today, supporting the kids on your own while your brother is still overseas. You both have gone through so much.”

“But it’s those experiences that make us strong today. I think that’s why I’m so worried about you guys setting me up. I’m afraid to let anyone else in. What if they end up like him?”

“You need to trust us. Anyone we set you up with would never be like that. Finn isn’t like that because if he were, I would kill him with my own two hands.” Summer grinned.

“And we would help. I don’t care if he’s my twin.”

I sighed and pulled my hair up into a messy bun and slouched my shoulders a bit, “How about I’ll think about it. I did meet this guy.”

“You met someone and didn’t say anything?” Jo exclaimed.

“Well, kind of? I was running out of the office trying to get to work when we collided. I was kind of a b***h to him because I was in such a rush and my day was going terrible but one look at him and it was like butterflies. I never felt anything like that before. His eyes were so deep and blue, you could swim in them. He had the perfect brown shaggy hair you can run your fingers through and when he touched me, holding me up because I was about to fall, it felt like sparks throughout my entire body. I couldn’t breathe and when he spoke to me, I’m not gonna lie, it made my lady bits tingle.”

“He is the one!” they all yelled.

“No, I don’t think so. I don’t believe in the one. It was just an immediate attraction.” I shrugged.

“What’s his name?”

“I don’t know…”

“Well…if it’s meant to be…you two will meet again.” Ray smiled.

“Well, it looks like Finn has a bit of competition.” Summer grinned, “I cannot wait for this to unfold.”

“There is no competition. I’m never going to see the mystery guy again and Finn is an ass. If I never meet him I will die happy.”

My mystery man, I can only hope we meet again, because he has been occupying my thoughts every night since we collided. My mind went back to the words that my mom used to tell me growing up, it it’s meant to be, you will find each other again.

My mystery man, let me find you again.