Page 60 of Rogue’s Reckoning

His words bring tears to my eyes. "Why didn't you believe me?" I whisper, voicing the question that's haunted me for years.

I hear Rogue sigh heavily. "I was stupid," he admits. "I let my loyalty to the club cloud my judgment. I convinced myself that you must be lying, because the alternative—that Storm was torturing an innocent woman—was too horrible to contemplate. You said you had a sister, but Storm had people look into you and there was no mention of one. But deep down, I think I knew you were telling the truth. I just couldn't bring myself to face it."

His honesty is both painful and oddly comforting. For the first time, I feel like I'm getting a real explanation for what happened that night.

"I've regretted it every day since," Rogue continues. "Letting you down, failing to protect you... it's the biggest mistake I've ever made. And I know saying sorry doesn't fix anything, but I am sorry, Willow. More than you can ever know. I wanted to find you. Right away, I wanted to go to you, but I listened to my brothers and stayed away. That’s the second biggest regret of my life, Little Flower."

I wipe away the tears that have started to fall. "Thank you for telling me that," I say softly. "It doesn't change what happened, but... it helps to understand."

We sit in silence for a moment, the weight of our shared past hanging between us. Finally, Rogue speaks again.

"Can I ask you something, Little Flower?"

"Go ahead," I say, my heart racing at the tenderness in his voice.

"Do you think... Do you think you could ever forgive me? Not forget. I know that's impossible. But forgive?"

I close my eyes, considering his question. Can I forgive him? After everything that happened; all the pain and fear I've lived with for years?

"I don't know," I answer honestly. "I want to. For Wren's sake, and maybe for my own. But it's not easy."

"I understand," Rogue says, his voice gentle. "I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you, if you'll let me. Not just for Wren, but for you too, Willow. I never stopped loving you."

His words hit me like a physical blow, stirring up emotions I've tried so hard to bury. "Rogue..." I start, but trail off, unsure of what to say.

"You don't have to say anything," he assures me quickly. "I know it's not fair of me to dump this on you. I just... I needed you to know. I love you, Little Flower. I always have, and I always will. Even if you can never forgive me, even if we can never be more than co-parents to Wren, that won't change."

I feel tears sliding down my cheeks. Part of me wants to tell him I love him too, that I never stopped. But I'm not ready for that. Not yet.

"I can't... I'm not ready to talk about that," I say softly. "It's too much right now."

"I understand," Rogue says, and I can hear the mixture of disappointment and acceptance in his voice. "Take all the time you need, Willow. I'm not going anywhere."

We fall into silence again, but it's not uncomfortable. There's a sense of something having shifted between us; a new understanding.

"Thank you for listening," I say finally. "For explaining. It... it helps."

"Anytime, Little Flower," Rogue replies softly. "Day or night, I'm here if you need me. For anything."

As we say goodnight and hang up, I feel a strange mixture of emotions. The nightmare left me shaken, but talking to Rogue has brought a sense of calm I wasn't expecting. For the first time in years, I feel like I'm starting to understand what happened that night, to see it from all angles.

It doesn't erase the pain or fear, but it does make it feel less overwhelming. And Rogue's words, his declaration of love... it stirs something in me that I thought was long dead.

As I sip my now-cold tea, I realize that forgiving Rogue isn't just about him, or even about Wren. It's about me, too. It’s about letting go of the anger and fear that have been my constant companions for so long.

I'm not ready to forgive him fully, not yet. But for the first time, I can see a path forward. A way to heal. Not just for Wren's sake, but for my own.

EIGHTEEN

ROGUE

After hanging up the phone with Willow, I'm wide awake, my mind reeling from our conversation. Hearing her voice, thick with emotion as she described her nightmare, brought all my guilt and regret rushing back.

I light a cigarette with shaking hands, taking a long drag as I replay her words in my mind. She saw the conflict in my eyes that night. After all these years, she's starting to understand that I wanted to help her, even if I was too much of a coward to actually do it.

It's more than I deserve, this glimpse of understanding from her. But it gives me hope that maybe, just maybe, there's a chance for us to move forward.

I think about Wren, about how much she's grown to trust me over the past month. Every time I see her, I fall more in love with my daughter. Her quick wit, her infectious laugh, the way her brow furrows in concentration when she's drawing—she's perfect in every way.

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