Tears burn my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. I’m not sad. Not heartbroken at the loss or betrayal.
No. I’m fuckinglivid.
“She’s my aunt.” I release his hand, pulling away. Distancing myself from everyone. Everything. “My parents are Miles and Charlotte, and they’re dead. Am I right?”
Chapter 24
There are no audiblegasps of shock. No cries of outrage or tears of confusion. I slide my gaze around the room, taking in their pitying expressions. They knew. Every single one of them knew. It should hurt, should stab me in the gut, but these strangers are just that. They mean nothing to me.As sad as it is, even Madeline’s deceit doesn't hurt the way it should.
Maybe I’m broken. Numb. After everything that’s happened in the last twenty-four hours, maybe I’ve lost the capacity to care.
But as I finally find the courage to turn my attention to Daniel and Evelyn, I know I’m a liar. Red-hot pain spears me in the gut, twisting and throbbing like a knife. For years, they’ve been my only family, the only two people to truly have my back.
And they knew.
Knew who my parents were. Knew about Madeline and my past. They knew, and they said nothing. Did nothing. Why? Was I some sort of sick pet project? An experiment?
Did they ever really care about me at all?
“Isabella,” Daniel murmurs, his voice cracking. “We’re so sorry, sweetheart.”
“We would have told you if we could.” Evelyn wipes away at her tears and nods, giving me a look full of so much devastation, my heart cracks. “If it were safe for you to know, we would have explained the second we took you into our care.”
And goddamnit, despite my anger, my heartbreak, I feel bad for them. More than that, I believe them.
“Wait, wait, wait,” Hunter shouts, shoving to his feet.
My head snaps his direction just as he sways, gripping the table for balance. I scramble to drag him back into his chair, but he gently bats me away.
“Hold the fuck on. Are you saying that not only are you not her actual mother…” He gives Madeline a look so severe, I actually wince. Then he turns that anger to Daniel and Evelyn. “But you two have known this entire time who she really is? Where she came from? And lied to her?”
“We didn’t lie,” Daniel corrects softly, glancing at Madeline. “And we were sworn to secrecy.”
“For your safety,” Evelyn quickly tacks on. “Ella. Everything we’ve done since you were born has been to keep you safe.”
Hunter chuckles, but there’s no humor to it. “Safe? You think she was fucking safe all these years? You know nothing!”
Oh, shit.
“What are you talking about?” Madeline asks, speaking for the first time in minutes. She clears her throat, her brows drawn in tightly. She flicks her gaze from Hunter to me. “What’s he talking about, Skye?”
I let the name slip, not having the energy to correct her. Not anymore.
Reaching out, I grip Hunter’s arm, dragging his attention to me.
“Hunt,” I whisper, emotions making me dizzy. “It doesn’t matter. It’s fine.” Telling them won’t solve anything, won’t make the past hurts disappear.
“It’s not,” he growls. “You went through hell and they were right fucking here. Doing what? Waiting until you were finally happy to snatch you up and ruin everything?”
A few arguments start up around the room, but I’m too busy struggling to breathe to pay attention. My heart hammers in my chest and whooshes through my ears. He’s right. Fuck. He’s right. God, I was so happy.
Breathe, Ella. None of it matters right now.
A bottle of water suddenly appears before my hazy eyes and I blink up at the person who delivered it. I’m surprised to find the man from before with a heavy accent. He smiles, pressing the drink into my palm.
“Hold in there, love,” he murmurs. “Their voices will grow weak long before yours.”
And then he’s dropping into his seat and leaning in to speak quietly with Steve. I pick the bottle up and take a slow drink,using the distraction to calm my racing mind. The man shoots me an approving smile, and his friend winks at me.
