Mirabelle will be twenty-one in February, but this doesn’t make sense? Dad couldn’t have been engaged to someone else.
I brush my long blond hair back and out of my eyes, scanning over the tiny print. “How do I know they’re real? You could have made these with Photoshop or something,” I argue, not wanting to believe it could be true. There’s no way my father, who has always preached to us about the value of honesty with those you love, would do this.
Carter’s face has softened when I glance up at him. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t. You can look it up on your phone. Type in ‘Kiera Davis and Sebastian Walker engagement.’ They’re old, but they’re there, I promise,” he says, and I swallow the lump in my throat as I type the names into the search bar.
There’s a series of articles that load a few moments later, and I skim through them, my heart stopping when I read the one about my dad leaving his pregnant fiancée for my mom. At the bottom of the article, I see the words stating my dad and his press team had “no comment.”
Not a denial, butno comment.
Those two words are damning all on their own.
An old video is suggested, and I hesitate before tapping on it, turning the volume up to listen.
An image of my dad sitting at a table, looking twenty years younger and so much like JJ, appears on the screen. The quality is fuzzy, but it’s him. He clears his throat, leaning in to speak into the microphones in front of him. “Hi, everyone, thank you for coming today. Before taking any questions, I’d like to start by offering an apology to the Blue Panthers organization and my teammates, as my personal life has been overshadowing what is supposed to be an exciting time before a new season. Playing football is everything to me, and I’m grateful for the opportunityto clear the air regarding the controversy surrounding my engagement to Kiera Davis that ended last month.”
Dad points to a reporter at the front, ignoring the clamor of questions in the background. “Why did the engagement end?”
“The engagement ended because, ultimately, we weren’t right for each other. I believe we will be happier without being in each other’s lives romantically, and I wish Kiera all the best.”
The next question rolls in fast. “Are the rumors that you left her for a different woman true?”
“I left Kiera because I was unhappy. I did it for myself, not anyone else,” he says, and I feel like I’ve been swept up by a wave over the side of a sinking ship.Why didn’t Dad just answer the question?
“What about Thalia Lewis? Isn’t she your teammate’s sister who you dated a few years ago?”
My fingers tighten around the phone, clutching it as if I can hold together the crumbling pieces of the pedestal I’ve placed my dad on. “Yes. Thalia and I were in a relationship that ended four years ago. Her brother, Owen, is my best friend and teammate. We all grew up together,” Dad says, using the same tone I recognize from when he’s trying to keep his temper in check.
It’s not a lie. Dad really was engaged to someone else, and he and Mom have lied to all of us for years. Unless . . . does Mirabelle know? JJ or Hunter?
In my head, all I can hear is the echo of my father telling me promises are meant to be kept.
He said it himself. They were in a relationship that ended four years before the interview took place. Why the hell would they lie to us if Carter wasn’t Dad’s kid he abandoned?
My vision blurs for a moment, an acidic taste forming inmy mouth. How am I supposed to go back to a home built on a foundation of lies?
“—don’t know how many different creative ways you can ask why my engagement ended. The answer doesn’t change.” I suck in a sharp breath, hearing Dad’s voice grow more irritated, and a sense of wrongness settles in my gut. “The truth is that I am in love with Thalia. We arenottogether because I want to focus on my career, as does she. Not at any point during my relationship with Kiera did I cheat on her with someone else, nor did I leave her because of another woman. Kiera and I are no longer together due to personal reasons that will remain personal. Who I am with romantically has no impact on my ability to play football and should not distract from the hard work everyone in this organization has put in to get ready for the upcoming season. Now, I hope that you can respect this ismylife and offer me and my loved ones some privacy. Thank you for your time.” Dad stands abruptly from the table and exits the camera frame, a new video beginning to load a second later.
I shut the phone off, blinking rapidly to pull myself together.
“I was born six months after that interview,” Carter adds, his deep voice gentle, and I want to wake up from this nightmare.
“It doesn’t make sense,” I mutter, knowing how many times Dad has shown up for all of us. Even when he was in the thick of football season, he still did his best to make time for everyone. He wouldn’t abandon a kid he knew he had. It’s not who he is.
But maybe this is proof I don’t know my father at all.
I wipe at my eyes, but I shouldn’t be near tears in a diner over this. It’s fucking embarrassing.
“Hey, it’s okay to be upset. This . . . this has changedeverything for me too,” he says, and I wish I was just upset. I’m so fucking angry, I don’t even know what to think.
“I’m sorry,” I say, my words slow while my brain struggles to adapt to this alternate reality where everything up until tonight could be a lie.
“Listen, I know this is a lot to take in, and I’m sorry I bombarded you with it. I can’t tell you how grateful I am you took the time to hear me out. If you need space to process, I get it. I’ve had a couple weeks to do that. I only want the chance to get to know you and make up for lost time . . . if it’s something you’d want too,” Carter says, pulling cash out of his wallet.
I’m not sure how to wrestle with this, but if he’s really my half brother, then I want to be able to see him again. I want to get to know him after all our stolen years.
“Can I have your phone number?” I blurt out, terrified if Carter leaves, I’ll never get the answers I didn’t know to look for until now.
He smiles, his shoulders relaxing. “Yeah, you can call or text me any time.”
