Page 29 of When We Collide

“Sorry Ash, I can’t control the bloody traffic.” Oz grumbles in response and pushes his keys into the back pocket of his black jeans.

“What’s going on, son?” I hear my dad ask him.

“Yes, please, do tell what’s so urgent that you had us all call in sick and gather here at the arse crack of dawn on a Thursday morning, dearest brother?”

“Uhm, well…” Oz looks back at me over his shoulder and takes a step to the side as I push my hood down and walk into the living room.

“Actually, I think I might be to blame for that, Ash.” The room falls silent instantly. It’s so quiet you can hear a pin drop. I stare at the stunned faces of my family members one by one, starting from my mother who looks as though she’s seen a ghost. Ashlyn gasps and presses her hand to her mouth, her eyes widening in bewilderment, and filling with tears.

The colour drains away from her face, and she stares back at me with wide, unblinking eyes.

“Dean?” I hear my dad choke out as he pushes himself up to his feet, his hands trembling with disbelief. “Oh my God… how…” His eyes scan over me in shock and then flicker to my brother for confirmation before they settle back on me.

“It’s a very, very long story,” I say, my voice thick with emotion. “But I’m alive, and I have been this whole time.”

“Jesus Christ,” my dad utters, his voice cracking as he takes two long strides towards me. He pulls me into a tight hug, and I can feel the strength of his arms as he sobs into my shoulder. My own eyes start to prickle with tears as I close them and like a child, I let myself sink into the comforting warmth of his embrace. “Thank you, Lord, for bringing our son back to us.” It's a rare sight to see my strong and stoic father break down like this, and it tears apart my heart knowing that I have caused my family so much pain and suffering already and if this operation goes tits up, they will have to endure it all over again.

My dad and I pull apart and the way he smiles at me with such love and pride, while his eyes still brim with tears stings more than I could have ever imagined.

Next up is Ashlyn… literally the other half of me. “Dean,” she whimpers, throwing her arms around my neck. My arms circle her small waist and I lift her off the ground, holding her while she sobs unconsolably. “Oh my God, I didn’t want to believe you were gone. I prayed so hard for it to not be true, for you to be alive and find your way back home, and you did. I can’t believe you’re here.”

“Come on, of course I am. You didn’t really believe I could stay away for too long, did you? How would I ever function without annoying you?”

Ashlyn smacks my shoulder and half laughs and sobs as she speaks, “God, shut up, it’s not funny, you idiot.” We pull apart and I wipe away her tears with the back of my fingers.

“I’m sorry I missed your wedding, Ash.”

Ashlyn shakes her head, more tears streaming down her cheeks. “You’re going to be sorry when my shock wears off.” Her eyes open, rimmed red and puffy from crying she looks at me. “If you’ve been alive this whole time where the hell have you been, Dean?”

“I’ll explain later,” I gesture to my mum who is now standing a few feet from me, and she nods, stepping back to allow me to turn and face our mum.

“Hey, Mum.”

My breath hitches in my throat when my eyes lock with my mother’s, and I see a mixture of emotions staring back at me.

“Dean,” she whispers, walking over to me slowly, every step wary as though she is afraid if she moves too quickly, I will disappear. My insides ache when she steps close, and her hands cup my face. “Oh, God, are you really here?” she asks, her eyes doing a quick sweep over me to ensure that I am in fact real and not just a figment of her imagination.

My hands curl around her wrists and I turn and kiss each one. “I’m really here.”

And then she breaks down. Her knees buckle like someone just ripped the floor out from under her. I catch her and keep her upright, holding her against me as she weeps, repeating the words, “Oh God” and “My baby boy” repeatedly while her entire body shakes with hoarse sobs.

“They told me I had lost you forever.” She cries, stroking my face in that affectionate ways mothers do their children. The harder she cries, so do I.

This moment right here is worse than any punishment I can ever endure.

God, please, don’t make me put the ones I love through this hell all over again.

I’m so sorry, Mum.

Please forgive me.

After what feelslike an eternity of explaining, Oz and I finally manage to sway my hesitant parents and reluctant Ash to pack a bag and seek refuge in a safehouse until the threat is dealt with. Though I know deep down that Viktor wouldn’t target my parents, I can’t take any risks. A man like Viktor Lukin cannot be underestimated, his reach and power extend far beyond what meets the eye. As they hastily gather belongings, I can't help but feel a sense of urgency and fear creeping up inside me. I can’t seem to shift this feeling inside.

Just as I help my parents pack their bags into the unmarked car sitting outside the house my phone starts ringing. I reach into my pocket and take it out.

I recognise that the number is from the military. “Hello?”

“Afternoon Captain Reyes, Chief of Air Scott Marshal here.”

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