Prior to me fucking Mikaela, Juliette had mentioned she’d started Mikaela on birth control during one of her check-ups. When had that changed?
He scraped a fingernail over his jaw. “Given she’s not showing, I’d say around three or four months. We’d have to run tests to be sure. She didn’t want me to.”
Wishing he was wrong; I wasn’t ready for his words. Every vein in me breathed ice, my nails digging deep into my palms, likely to draw blood.
Why are you angry? You sent her away, remember? You told her to experience life?
How did she find happiness so quickly when she’d resisted my suggestion to leave with such vigor? Perhaps it was her way of getting back at me. I could probably stomach that, but seeking the arms of my nephew. That knowledge had bile creeping up my throat, ready to splurge through my pursed lips. Would I be able to watch her make a life with him?
I’d rather die.
Oblivious to the panic attack sprinting through my body, my brother continued, “I told her there’s nothing to worry about and if she...” he trailed off, drawing my gaze that had stayed riveted on the window while he spoke. “You’ve gone positively pale, brother. Is everything all right?”
“I’m fine,” I muttered.
“Father?”
I swung around. Saint stood at the door, his expression indicating he’d heard Dane.
“Well, isn’t this another lovely surprise, nephew? Two Sinclairs in one day. I must attend more get-togethers then.” Dane chuckled before I could respond, my shock forcing a strained smile. Saint stepped further into the room, allowing his uncle to hug him, his eyes still pinned on me, his concern apparent. “When did you get in?” Dane asked, once more oblivious to the tension I shared with my son.
“A few days, but I followed Father here,” he said, his laugh belying the matter-of-fact tone beneath.
How had I not noticed him following me? I accepted Saint’s hug as Dane reached for his phone.
“Xavier, Saint, I have a patient I need to see. Can we catch up over dinner?” Dane reached for his white coat, slipped it on, grabbing his stethoscope off his table.
“Yes, uncle,” Saint answered for the both of us. After Dane walked off with a quick goodbye, Saint and I left his office. Silence descended between us until we stood outside the rental. “What are you doing here, son?”
“You’re hurting, Father.” He ignored my question. I swallowed the ball lodged in my throat as his green eyes roved over my face. “After our chat, I decided to stay behind and follow you. You’ve been stalking her, haven’t you?” I nodded, seeing no reason to lie. “She’s pregnant,” he said, sliding his hands into his trouser pockets. “And judging your reaction, you know who the father is?”
“Rhett...” I gritted the name without meaning to and leaned against the car door.
“And he’s not here right now,” Saint’s tone belligerent while still pleading for me not to give in. “You need time alone with her.” He gave my arm a gentle squeeze. “Go see her,” he repeated Juliette’s words.
“When did my son become the elder between us?” I joked, feeling no mirth ride my words.
“When he fell in love with a girl half his age and couldn’t fathom why,” he replied so quietly I wasn’t sure I heard correctly. “You were there for me. Through it all.”
I suffocated on his words, briefly remembering how I’d been the one to send him down that path he never saw coming. “She loves you, Father, not Rhett. That baby is a product of unprotected sex, not love.”
“He had his eye on her since that first meeting,” I grumbled, hating the jealousy spinning through me, hating that I loathed my nephew right now. He was family. He came first, always. “After the miscarriage, Mikaela wanted a baby. I practically told her I was too old for a child. Rhett’s giving her what she wants.” My gaze drifted skyward, my thoughts caught by a girl who had my heart in a cage I’d never be able to unlock, even if she gave me the key. Family before friends, wisdom before haste, loyalty before ego. The motto rang in my ears. Selfishly, I silenced it with my next words. “Is it wrong that I’m willing to break our family code for her?”
“She is family,” Saint’s unarguable tone had my breath stalling in my throat, pulling my eyes back to him. “She’s a Sinclair. You gave her that right despite the limitations you placed on her.”
“Saint,” I sighed, dragging a hand through my hair. “You and I both know she can never be mine.”
“Bollocks,” he scoffed. “Forgive my rudeness, Father, but I beg to differ. Fight me all you want, but like Levana and me, Mikaela had you by the throat the second you set eyes on her. You and me,” his finger drifted between our chests, “we fuck hard, but we love harder and remain true to the women who hold our hearts prisoner. By our choice. That curse was cast upon us for one simple reason. Sebastian Winthrop broke a woman’s heart. Don’t do that to Mikaela.” Slowly he shook his head, his eyes pleading. “We only get one chance at true love. This is yours.”
“I didn’t intend on breaking her heart. I did what I thought was right for her.”
“By whose standards? Society?” he ridiculed. “Those that judge and criticize are the ones with the most to hide or lack in something they desperately want or can’t have. Levana went through that shit but came out stronger in the end because she allowed herself to choose what affected her. Do you think Mikaela didn’t hurt when you sent her away without an explanation that made sense? The truth is it did hurt. You told me she was the strongest person you’d ever known. You’re right. In dire contrast to your wish for her to live, she slowly died on the inside while respecting your decision.”
I frowned. “How—”
“I visited her about a month back?” he said, his tone lacking apology.
“Why?” I didn’t keep the surprise out of my voice.
