“It’s nottrue.”
My father forgets that I have spent years learning to read lies on a man’s face the way I read words in a book. And his poker face has lost itstouch.
“I wouldn’t expect you to admit toit.”
“I can’t believe that you would take his word overmine.”
He can lie if he likes, but there’s one sure way to end thisdebate.
“Conrad’s accusation is easy to disprove. All you have to do is take a DNA test and we can clear all of this up in no time at all. We can take the test tomorrow to prove yourinnocence.”
He looks at me for a moment and then shakes his head. “No. A test won’t benecessary.”
“Because you admit it? You are my biologicalfather?”
He looks away because he’s a coward. He can’t even look me in the eye when he admits it. “Yes.”
Inside, I had hoped that he’d demand the DNA test to prove that he wasn’t a sick bastard like Conrad said. But Conrad isright.
“How could you?” He stares at the papers on his desk, saying nothing. “How could you do that to her?” Iyell.
“Because I loved her. I loved her in a way that no one could accept orunderstand.”
Fuck, I don’t think he has any idea how sick he sounds. “People couldn’t accept or understand because it’s wrong for a brother to love his sister in a romantic way. It’s not normal or natural. Why can’t you seethat?”
“I didn’t care what people thought. And I would think that you of all people would understand that; the things that you do aren’t normal oraccepted.”
I can’t believe he has the gall to compare what he did with what I do. “Nothing I do is illegal, and I do it with a consentingadult.”
“It doesn’t matter what I say about my relationship with your mother. You’ll never understand. No onewill.”
“Did you hold her down and force her, or did you brainwash her into believing that what you were doing to her wasokay?”
“I didn’t force your mother to do anything, Tristan. She consented to everything we did because she loved me the same way I loved her. I know you don’t believe me, but what we shared was beautiful despite not being accepted. It was a love that most people never get toexperience.”
Sick, sick fucker. He was an adult preying upon a young girl’s vulnerability andinnocence.
“It’s difficult to believe that my mother loved you so dearly and was so happy when she committedsuicide.”
“She struggled with the dynamics of our relationship. She carried a lot of guilt and shame, as did I. After a while, that weighs on a person mentally andemotionally.”
I don’t think he has an ounce of guilt or shame about what hedid.
“She killed herself because of you and because of me—a child fathered by her own brother. Do you hold yourself responsible for her death?” I know Ido.
“Every fucking day. And you can take comfort in knowing that I’ve spent the last thirty-five years in misery, grieving for her. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve considered joining her. You’re the only reason that I haven’t blown out mybrains.”
“Well, don’t let me stop you.” I get up and move toward the door, pausing in the doorway to issue a warning. “If you ever put your hands on Emma Lia again, I’ll kill you, and you won’t have to worry about blowing out your ownbrains.”
“I know you’re angry, but I love you, son. You’re the only part of Lisette that I stillhave.”
“Wrong. You don’t have me. Because I never want to see youagain.”
I sit in my car and stare at the steering wheel. Numb. The one person in my life that I trusted and needed the most has turned out to be one of the sickest human beings on earth. I’ll never forgive him for what he has done, and I must cut him out of mylife.
Emma Lia is it for me. The one and only person that I need in mylife.
I can’t lose her. I have to do whatever it takes to hold on toher.
