Third Person's POV

Tristian was nervous, not as anxious as he had been when talking to his sister a couple days prior but relatively high up on the scale. He felt like he was sweating through his clothes and his hands felt all clammy. But he gathered up all the little bit of his confidence and knocked on the door to his parents' bedroom for the talk they had been needing to have for a very long time.

"Come in." His mother called and he stepped through the door, seeing his parents seated on the couches on the other side of the bedroom. "What's wrong, Tristian."

Tristan felt like crying at the worry on his mother's face, he didn't deserve it. His parents knew exactly what he had done to his baby sister and they still showed him love and care, not as much as they had done before the accident but not enough to make a difference.

"Umm, ca-can we talk?"

The Lawson couple glanced at each other, they knew exactly what this was about. They had received a weird message from Scarlett a few days prior and they hadn't known what it had meant but the pieces were falling into place mentally know for them.

"Sure, take a seat son." Thomas instructed, pointing at the seat facing them. "What did you need to talk about?"

Tristan was sweating bullets through his clothes. He didn't want to do this, he was terrified and a small part of him wanted to dismiss this and go back to playing ignorant about the situation but his conscience wouldn't allow him, not that he would. He owed this to Scarlett more than anyone. And even though there was a chance he wouldn't ever have a relationship with her again he knew he needed to at least make an effort.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Thomas pressed, he knew exactly what Tristian was apologising for but he needed to hear the words out loud.

"For everything, for taking Scarlett out that day and letting her take the blame, and never ever speaking up about it."

Thomas thought when the day came that he finally got to confront his kids about that night that he would unleash hell on them, that he would finally make them realise how messed up what they did was, that all he would feel was anger but he didn't.

All he felt was sorrow, sorrow for the child that lost everything all at once but gained so much more and sorrow for the child that was still losing everything piece by piece. The one who had been weighed down by guilt for years.

Where had he and his wife gone wrong in parenting their children?

"Why didn't you, it's been years, Tristian why come to us now?" Cassandra asks a little less harshly than her husband.

"I don't have any excuse for that. I thought you would hate me and I was scared you wouldn't want anything to do with me. I don't know. I really did want to and almost came to you multiple times but..." Tristan didn't finish his sentence, he didn't have to. They all knew what he was going to say, he was talked out of it by his older siblings. "I don't know, I saw Scarlett those weeks ago and this intense guilt resurfaced. I've been trying to get the others to speak up as well but I don't think they will."

"Tristian, you know we wouldn't not speak to you. Sure, we are angry and disappointed but we don't hate you or any of your siblings. Just extremely disappointed by your actions."

Well that was a punch to his gut. Tristan hung his head low, blinking his eyes quickly to keep the tears threatening to leak out from his forest eyes.

"I have something else to talk to you about." Tristan spoke up and this time the Lawson parents were confused, they didn't know what this was about. "Umm, I was offered a job offer and I think I'm going to take it."

"That's great Tristian." Cassandra smiles softly at him but frowns at the look on his face. "What's wrong, baby?"

"It's a great offer and paying almost triple what my current job is an amazing opportunity but the only problem is it's in Germany."

"And you want to take it?" Thomas asks for confirmation and Tristian gives a slow nod. "Then go, I think this will be good for you."

"Thanks dad, the position wants me to start immediately so I think I'm going to try and get there as soon as possible." Tristan starts getting up but stops as his mother calls out after him.

"Hey Trist, even though we don't like your actions sometimes you know we love you so much, right?"

"I know, I love you too."

"Good, now let's help you pack. Have you found accommodation yet?"

♦

In the days following Tristian's conversation with his parents a lot changed for him. First he accepted the job and was given company housing straight away ready for him to move into. He resigned from his current position working for Calix Radcliff in tech and he also packed away everything he owned into boxes.

The biggest thing though is that he was invited to Wednesday dinner with his sister, parents and his sister's sort of adoptive mother slash boss where he and Scarlett slowly started reconciling again. She seemed happy for him and his new job and that once again made Tristian realise that Scarlett was a better person than he would ever be.

But he was trying to be better.

No

He was going to be better, he was going to prove to Scarlett, his parents and himself that he wasn't a total fuck up and that he could accomplish something great with his life.

Now there were three things left, or rather three people.

Tristan hadn't talked to his older siblings in a few weeks and none of them had even noticed, and that hurt him a little. The four of them had always been inseparable but slowly over the years he had been pulling away from them subconsciously and he never noticed until the gap was too big to bridge up. He hadn't mentioned he was leaving New York to them and his flight was going to take off in a few hours and now they only knew because Kaitlyn had barged into his room finding it completely bare. She stared at him and the room wide eyed, taking in the few suitcases he was taking with him on the flight before leaving the room and coming back minutes later with Hadlee and Elliot in tow.

Tristan hadn't really planned on telling them but he also never planned on up and leaving the country without telling any of them. In fact he never had a plan at all so he was panicking a bit on what to say as all three of them glared holes accusingly into him.

"You're leaving." Hadlee states, it wasn't a question.

"Yup."

"Where are you going?" Elliot asks.

Tristan swings a bag onto his shoulder, he needs to get to the airport. "Germany, got a job offer." He walked forward but was blocked by the line of siblings in his way. "Excuse me."

"You're going to Germany?" Kaitlyn tries to process. "For how long?"

"I don't know. My contract is for a year but might stay longer if I like it."

The three oldest Lawson siblings look at their youngest brother incredulously.

"And you weren't going to tell us."

"I don't know, you know now." Tristan shrugs, truly done with this conversation.

"What has gotten into you?" Kaitlyn raises her voice a little looking at her brother like he had a second head. "First you say you are going to Germany. Second, you don't tell us. Isn't it supposed to be siblings first?"

"That's rich coming from you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means, do any of you realise what we actually did to Scarlett, that we betrayed her when she did absolutely nothing wrong, that we took her trust and shattered it into millions of little pieces?"

"You were there too that night, it wasn't only us." Hadlee points out, standing up for Kaitlyn.

"I know and I hate that I was, I hate that I let my sister take the blame for something I took part in and I hate myself for letting you all talk me out of coming forward to mom and dad and telling them the truth. I apologise to Scarlett, and even though I know she hasn't forgiven me or anything I want to prove to her and mom and dad I'm not a total horrible person and can do something with my life. And that's what I'm doing."

"By going to Germany?" Elliot asks.

"I'm giving myself a fresh start. You might not get that yet but I need to get away from here. I'm sorry for not telling you but I'm not sorry for leaving." Tristan's phone beeps letting him know his uber was waiting to take him to the airport. "I know it's my fault as much as it is yours and I don't blame you and I'm going to miss you all."

Tristan doesn't wait for an answer from any reply, he just picks up the rest of his suitcases and slides into the waiting car.

Heading off to a fresh start.

Two chapters in one day, who am I

I seriously saw how any people are loving this book and had the motivation to write another chapter even though this one is a little shorter.

Dis this chapter surprise you? Well it did me,  I had no idea what to write and this just appeared. Hopefully I can get another chapter out as fast as I did this one.

Do you still hate Tristian?

Let me know your thoughts on the chapter and what you want to see next. Please don't forget to vote and leave me a comment with your thoughts

Until next time

Ara <3