Loving Ashlynn (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 42 - Dire, Dire, Falsifier (Danny Conrad POV)Pt.2

A/n: Uhm... enjoy :)

Chapter 42 – Dire, Dire, Falsifier (Danny Conrad POV)Pt.2

"I say we call the Elders, send them on her trail, and we get the hell out of Bend before they show up." My life was spiraling. "We need to you to come in, we have an incoming of causalities – all hands on deck – explosion at Hampton Inn-"

Explosion at the hotel Cynthia and I had just checked out of? Swallowing, in no place to do more than Cynthia had planned, in shock, I only gaze at Andy and Leslie.

"Look I need to go-" my brother Trevor says distracted, "It's fine Trevor," Cynthia eases his worry. I nod, though he's behind me.

"Leslie, go back to the house-" Leslie turns to Cynthia ready to protest, "Now!" she adds while I stand processing what's going on. Who the hell is this woman?

Could all these years be an act?

Was Faith doing this? Before coming here and see the girl Cynthia was my complete package. She's a wonderful mother, loving, nurturing and patient. She never rushed my daughters to fall for her, or tried to take Tina's place. All she did was show them that she could be there for them.

Had Faith cast a spell on the family? On my Cynthia? Replacing her with this woman that I hardly recognized?

Andy scoffs in front of me, standing tall, our eyes level, all I see is disappointment. I check the room and find that Cynthia is in my brothers' kitchen, while Andy and I stare off at one another. "How can you even forgive her for what she's done?" he asks me. For a moment, I feel like the little boy asking for his Fay, is gazing right back at me.

It's just us, and when my phone buzzes, I quickly pull it out sending one more text.

"If your mother left-"

Andy's green eyes, identical to Faiths, widen. "If?" he spits taking a step back shaking his head.

"Wake up Danny!"

"What does she have to do? Kill someone and ask you to help her hide the body?" Andy roars sarcastically. "She didn't just leave some random child, she left a child-"

"Leander Conrad!" my wife booms. "Watch yourself!" Cynthia warns.

"We're a family Andy... if your mother left Faith behind, I have to rationalize that it was for a reason. You were a child-"

He steps back and away form me. "So. Was. Faith."

The kettle behind me is almost near whistle, and I hear Cynthia opening the kitchen cabinets, closing one. Then another.

"Andy..." she says with a calmness that I know is her, "You were just a child when I left Faith," his eyes widen and he motions towards Cynthia. His gesture a definite meaning of 'See? What did I tell you? How can you be okay with this?'

"But if you think that you can be rational and listen to everything that happened, I will treat you like an adult and explain. Answer all your questions." Hell I wanted those same answers.

Breathing heavily, Andy shakes his head at me, side stepping me to go straight to Cynthia. "What excuse do you think you can possibly give me that I would ever be okay with what you've done mom?"

"Not only did you leave Faith behind, but I – you made me think that I had somehow made up this other child that held me when you were gone-"

Cynthia spins to face Andy, her eyes wild. "No," she shakes her head, blonde hair frizzing out around her face. "No, I wasn't gone. I was being beaten because those people thought I knew the answers to unlocking her potential. We were starved Andy, because of her, they thought I surely knew and somehow had trained myself to beat their ways of getting into my head," Cynthia jabs a finger at her skull.