A tentative knock on the door that’s still partially open behind us has us all turning to see who it is. Dawn, Sammy, and Evan’s house manager is standing in the hall, her lips twistedinto a flat line. “I’m sorry to interrupt, Sammy, but Mrs. Hartley and Mrs. Morris are insisting that you be fetched.”
Sighing, Sammy tips her head back and stares up at the ceiling. “Dawn, could you arrange a car to take me to the airport, there’s a plane I need to catch to the remotest island ever.”
Smiling, Dawn’s shoulders slump a little. “I can arrange that for you.”
“No, you can’t,” Evan says, handing Lysander to me as he steps past us and into the hall. “I’ll come and tone down the moms. Sammy, you get dressed, and I’ll send the makeup woman up when she gets here. Little Sis, you stay up here and watch the baby and my wife. Bastian, you come with me.”
Nodding, Dawn walks away, and Sebastian reluctantly follows Evan, leaving Sammy and me with the baby.
“Can you believe I’m going to have one of these in a few weeks?” Sammy says, reaching out and booping Lysander on the nose.
“I really can’t. But then how is any of this our lives? We live in mansions, are married to psychos, and are now basically sisters,” I say, bouncing the fidgeting infant in my arms, while Sammy coos at him.
Closing the bedroom door, Sammy lowers herself slowly to sit on the edge of the bed. “You’re good with him,” she says, nodding at me and my half brother.
“It’s hard to hate a baby,” I admit. “Plus, he’s as much Harry’s as he is my mom’s, it’s not his fault she gave birth to him.”
“She asked me if I thought you’d ever forgive her last week,” Sammy says.
“What did you say?”
“I asked her if she thought she deserved to be forgiven.”
“And,” I prompt.
“She gave me some bullshit about only wanted what was best for you, and that she could see how much you loved Sebastian,and that she didn’t think it was fair that even though she was right, you still blamed her for everything.”
Scoffing, I nod sadly.
“Yeah. I told her if that’s how she really felt, then no, I didn’t think you’d ever forgive her.”
“Let me guess, she started crying.”
“Yep. Harry took her home after that.”
“She doesn’t get why what she did was so unforgivable, and I don’t think she ever will.”
“Are you still seeing a therapist?” Sammy asks cautiously.
I nod. “I’m not sure if it’s helping, but I don’t feel as conflicted as I did.”
“What do you talk about? Have you told her everything?”
“No.” I laugh. “Even with patient-doctor confidentiality, I’m guessing she still has some kind of duty of care to report abuse. If I told her Sebastian blackmailed me, locked me in a room, drugged me, then put a tracker in my skin and stalked me for years, she’d definitely report it to the police. I’ve told her the gist, without getting into the more fucked-up details.”
“I get it. If it were me seeing a shrink, I could hardly tell her all the things I’ve done or the messed-up way I ended up like this,” she says, motioning to her belly.
“But you’re happy about the baby, right? I know it was a shock, but still, now?”
“I’m happy. I wasn’t planning on having a baby before I even finished college, but it’s classic me and Evan. We’re both so fucked up, it shouldn’t really surprise me.”
“True,” I agree with a grin.
“I’m surprised Sebastian hasn’t tried to lock you down with one of these yet.”
“I’d kill him.”
“Like that would stop him. Have you talked about babies?”
