Chapter 9

MOTHER OF THE YEAR

LEXI’S POV

Manny stared at me in shock. 

“A hex?” he echoed in disbelief. 

“Yes,” I sighed as the guards let go of me

He looked from Dexter’s unconscious body to my tear stained face and then sighed. “What do we need to do to save him?”

“All I know is that Dexter has to meet his twin as soon as possible or we will lose him forever,” I explained.

Manny gave me an unreadable expression before he relented. “Come with me then,” he said, turning away and I ran after him.

He took us to a bedroom, placing Dexter softly on the bed before he turned back to face me.

“You were gone for all these years, taking my son with you and now you are bringing him back half dead to me,” Manny hissed in anger. “I swear if anything happens to him I am going to—”

“I don’t have to argue with you Manny, send for his twin brother,” I replied, feeling a surge of panic.

We had wasted enough time as it was.

Frowning, Manny turned to the guards behind us. “Go and get Wayne from his room.”

My heart warmed immediately at the mention of Dexter’s twin. 

“Wayne?” I echoed. “Is that his brother’s name?”

Manny ignored me, sitting beside Dexter and checking his temperature. “How did my son even get hexed in the first place? What danger have you been putting him in?”

I scoffed at his question, taking offense. “I have never put Dexter in any danger—”

“And yet, you have jumped from a cliff with him,” Manny replied, giving me a knowing look.

“That was only to escape you,” I fired back.

“Clearly you didn’t do a good enough job because you are back here,” Manny retorted and I sighed admitting defeat.

I had made a promise to never come back here and here I was, standing in the presence of the man who had failed me. 

“I don’t know how he got hexed, one minute he was fine, the next he wasn’t,” I said, lowering my head. I felt like a failure. 

Manny was right, my actions had Dexter’s life in trouble somehow. I had no idea who I had offended in Rogue Haven that would do such a thing to my son.

“Dad,” a small voice called out from the doorway and I turned to find the exact copy of Dexter, walking towards us. 

“Wayne, come over here,” Manny replied, stretching a hand towards him. 

I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I could feel joy and excitement at seeing my son again, but at the same time I could feel guilt because I had left him behind.

“What is going on dad?” Wayne asked, looking around the room. “Who is that woman?”

I opened my mouth to reveal the truth when Manny raised a hand, shutting me up. 

“There is someone I want you to meet,” Manny said, leading Wayne towards the bed. 

Wayne’s features crinkled in confusion. “Who is that dad? Why does he look exactly like me?”

Manny smiled softly, taking his small hand in his. “This is your twin brother, Dexter.” 

“My twin?” Wayne asked, looking from Manny back to Dexter’s unmoving face. 

He curiously reached down to touch Dexter’s cheek, “He looks so much like me.”

Suddenly, Dexter began to cough, turning slightly. 

I rushed to his side immediately, with tears of relief streaming down my face. 

“Oh my sweet boy,” I carried Dexter into my arms, “Are you okay? How do you feel?”

Dexter blinked softly, looking up at me. “..Mo…Mom?”

“Yes sweetheart, Mommy’s here,” I replied to him happily, as more tears fell to my cheeks.

“Dad, who is this woman?” Wayne asked, giving me a strange look. 

I smiled at him sadly, hating myself for splitting up my boys. “I am your mother, Wayne.”

Wayne gave me an incredulous look, turning back to his father. “Dad, why is this strange woman lying?”

“She isn’t lying, Wayne,” Manny replied with a deep sigh. “She is your birth mother and the boy beside her is your twin brother, Dexter.”

Wayne turned back to me, giving me a cold look. 

“I am your mother son,” I said with tears streaming down my eyes as I held my arm open to him. 

Wayne stared at my open arm like he had just been slapped, “I have no mother!!” he yelled suddenly, shoving me as he climbed out of the bed.

The guilt in my heart turned into pain immediately as I stared at him.

I had run from Manny at the expense of my child and now he didn’t want me as his mother.

“Dad, didn’t you say that I have no mother, so why is this woman lying to us?” Wayne asked coldly.

“I am your real mother Wayne,” I said, wiping the tears from my face. “There is no way I would lie about that.”

Wayne stared at me coldly, “My mother died when I was born, so how can you be my mother?” he asked.

I turned from Wayne’s face back to Manny in disbelief. 

He did really think I was dead all this time? 

“What are you saying Wayne? I never told you that your mother was dead,” Manny asked.

Wayne’s indignant expression was locked on mine. “But there is no way my real mother would have left me behind, she is dead, meaning that this woman is an imposter,” he said, firing the last bullet into my heart.

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me in pieces.

Manny stood up from the bed, glancing down at Dexter who was breathing better now.

“I will let you stay here to monitor Dexter for now, when he has fully recovered, then I will decide what I want to do with you,” he said, walking out of the room.

I looked from the spot Wayne had once stood back to Dexter. 

This was going to be harder than I thought, I realised sadly.

“I heard you were back,” An all too familiar voice said from the doorway. “I hoped you were dead, but I suppose cockroaches like you always have an extra life.”

I wiped my eyes quickly as I looked ahead only to find Manny’s mother in front of me.

The witch that had haunted me back when I lived here was here, probably back to haunt me again. 

But I was no longer the girl I once was.

I smirked at her coldly, “Did you miss me, Sophia?”