The Way Back | ✓

9.5

note: the next update will be on Saturday. Uni is eating away at all my free time unfortunately and I'll be super busy this upcoming week with a few things. 

Lots of Andrew and Aurora time in this chapter. I loved writing this one and I hope you love reading it as much. Please don't hesitate to drop your thoughts in the comments and vote if you enjoyed this chapter. Happy reading xo 

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Chased out of his daughter's room, Andrew lounged in the living room that Friday evening, a bottle of beer in his hand as he watched whatever was playing on the television with a preoccupied mind.

The early December air was harsher this year and he snuggled closer to the cushions of the couch, adjusting the blanket over his legs. February was when he decided to file for sole custody. It had been a long, hard and gruelling nine months but the custody battle had come to an end. He thought it would go on for longer. He wasn't ready to give up and Talia hadn't been either. But the custody battle must have worn her out because the next thing Andrew knew, she was giving up. She was still allowed visitation rights but it had been three weeks since the custody issues had been settled, it had been three weeks since Aurora moved back to Porte Orlands with him, and Talia had not come to see their daughter. She was all talk, no action.

Talia and Simon were still engaged, which Andrew had to admit was truly strange. Perhaps they worked well together, better than him and Talia did anyway, but the ex-wife he knew and the ex-friend he knew would never have gotten along so well. Maybe it was Andrew that had been blind to their true characters.

Whatever was going on with that couple, Andrew still had to attend their wedding which was to be scheduled in spring. Talia had always talked about getting a spring-themed wedding before they had Aurora and got married, and now was her chance. Andrew worried about their relationship. Despite the bitch that Talia had become to him, he still cared for her wellbeing. He only hoped she was doing what was best for her.

Talia had told him he was free to bring a plus one to her wedding and Andrew's thoughts had instantly jumped to London. But he hadn't seen her in months. No, that was lie. He hadn't talked to her months. He had definitely seen her two weeks ago at the Golden Quaff, a cafe he no longer frequented in fear of bumping into her. But Aurora had wanted to go to the cafe and get her favourite drink and cake because Noah Watson, the owner of the cafe, was known to be the best with cakes, and how was Andrew supposed to turn his daughter down when she'd finally returned home to him?

Ever since he decided to file for sole custody, Aurora had been his priority and though Andrew thought of London a lot, his mind would never dwell on her. It would only make him sad and make the heartbreak all the more painful. But ever since he saw her at that cafe... he just couldn't stop thinking about her.

A part of him was lost when she broke up with him. He understood why she broke up with him. He knew it was because of his doing, his insecurity, but it still hurt. Because he loved her. He'd been too afraid to say it, too afraid to even acknowledge it because there was that small part of him that clung to the past. His and Talia's relationship had been a whirlwind from the get-go. He wanted calm and easy with London. But every relationship was two-way, and he'd realised his love for London Liang only after she broke up with him.

He twisted the old wedding band ring on his finger. It had been a habit to wear it. Habits were hard to break but now when he looked at the ring he felt nothing. Perhaps it was time to take off the ring. Time to finally let go.

"Ba!"

He startled when Aurora yelled, jumping onto the couch beside him.

She grabbed his upper arm, looking up at him eagerly. "Can we go to the post office tomorrow? I want to send letters."