Page 72 of Going Home

"Well, we both know how well she can keep a secret, don't we?"

"I know you're pissed at me, Felicity, but you have to let go of being pissed at Lex. It's my fault. All of this is my fault, and she's not doing so great. She's lost weight again, and she looks like a shell of herself. Sometimes, I catch her just staring off with this vacant look in her eyes, and even though she puts on a good show, we know better. The weight of the world finally crushed her last night."

"Ky—"

"She slapped the shit out of me after she pushed me across the room the first night you confronted her. Yelled at me because she's been telling me for years that I needed to come clean to you. Even though you pissed her off, she told me I was an asshole for it. Which I am. I know you think she was never your friend, but she was. She still is, if you can rise above all this shit."

Shaking her head, Felicity looks at her glass. "You might believe that, but I don't."

He downs his drink before setting the glass on the table. "That's your decision to make, but I think you really need to be at the wedding on Saturday. It's probably one of the last times we'll see Lane. Might as well be there for the happy memory."

Pushing the chair back, he stands and walks towards the door. He turns and looks at the living room again, his eyes staring where the wedding picture used to hang.

"I've been redecorating," Felicity says as she walks up beside him. "Trying to figure out what works and what doesn't."

"That kind of tells me what I already assumed," he says, his eyes never leaving the spot on the wall.

"It didn't feel right to have it up after everything."

"No matter what happens, I love you, Felicity. Always have, and I always will. You're the mother of my children, and I'm always here if you need anything. I made a mistake, and it sounds like you've made a few yourself, but I will never regret what we had. I loved our life and our family, and I didn't want to lose it. But no matter what, I wouldn't trade a second of our time together for anything."

Walking outside, he doesn't give her a chance to respond because he can't handle hearing her tell him she regrets their life together. It's painful enough to have to live without her every day, and he just hopes it's not really the end. Even though that's exactly what it feels like.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Griffin's Beach

Colt

Thenextnight,Coltsits in Church while everyone else filters into the room. The bombshell dropped on everyone yesterday makes the air heavy, and no one comes in laughing or joking.

"I talked to Felicity last night to tell her about the wedding," Ky says, sitting beside him. "I don't know if she's coming or not, but I think my marriage is really over."

"I'm sorry, man," he says and slaps a hand on Ky’s shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. "It might not be. I had papers served to me, and I'm still married. She might just need more time."

He shakes his head. "I don't think so. She took down our wedding picture. I think she's done."

Venom sits down across from Colt with Shep right beside him. "Guessing Zane's still not gonna be here?"

"Probably not," Colt says. "I don't even remember the last time I saw him."

"It was the night VP had to pull him out of here after he dragged Lex in and probably screamed in her face."

I fucking love Venom.

"Are we really going to sit by and let Zane scream at Lex?" Shep asks, leaning forward.

"It's going to take everything in me not to step in, but I'll be watching. I wouldn't put it past him to smack her, and when he does, I plan to give him the whooping he never got growing up," Colt says, his voice low as Jenning walks in after TK and VP.

The lack of parenting VP did with Zane has become a point of contention lately. It always has been, but it's gotten to the point where it can no longer be ignored. He's a toddler throwing a tantrum, and VP needs to be shown his failings. Neither Dalton man has ever really had to face true consequences of their toxic family dynamic before, but it needs to change soon.

Jennings bangs the gavel to start the meeting. With everything going on, it makes sense now why business has taken a bit of a backseat. No decision has been made yet about whether they should switch suppliers from the RIO to the Irish, and Jennings was able to get a surplus of guns before everything went down with Ivan. The man who was the true mastermind behind the issues between the Drifters and the Savage Slashers as well as Lex's kidnapping by an obsessed sociopath. At the moment, the shipments are still on time and fulfilled, but they're going to need to make a decision soon before their inventory runs out.

"I know everyone's still a little shocked about the news yesterday, so I only have one topic to discuss today," Jennings says. "It's not easy to bring up, but it's time."

Colt's head shoots up to look at him. It's been weeks since Jennings and he talked about passing the President patch to Colt, and it hasn't come up again since.

He wouldn't do thisnow, would he? Without giving me a heads-up?

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