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Far too many things. But how do I tell them about me seeing Ryan when I now know he has an identical twin—when it’s likely the man I’ve been talking to and engaging with, the man who followed me from my old town to this one… is the very man wanting to take my daughter from me? All the differences I see in Ryan, all the changes in his attitude and behaviour that I put down to him being dead could actually be the fact that he’s not Ryan at all.
I’ve been thinking I was special. That I had powers and abilities to see the man I lost. That I could bring him back in small doses to see his child.
That he died, but there’s still a chance for him to bond with her.
For her to know him.
But I think I’ve been played a fool. It’s far more likely I’m seeing Ethan Grey, the man consistently disappearing from his pack, than my dead fiancé.
“There’s one thing,” I say with a small shrug as they all frown. Just like their cheeky grins, their frowns are identical in everything but the eyes. “But… I need time.”
I need to figure out how to tell them without them losing their shit. I need to try and break it all down, to remember when I saw him and where. I need to figure it out so I can give them the full story because then they can help me.
They’ll figure out what’s been happening. You know, whether I’ve been seeing the dead fiancé I love so much, or his identical brother. The idea of not telling them, of keeping something so monumental from them, makes me ill. But I can’t let them jump the gun with something this huge.
We’ll need to plan, and tonight, their emotions are already running high.
And honestly, a tiny part of me also wants to have a confrontation with this Ethan. I’m not stupid enough to do it, not with Phoebe’s safety hanging in the balance, but I can admit that I need this closure, no matter how it comes.
There’s two growls, one reluctant nod, and one sigh.
“We took three weeks before opening up to you,” Topher says, making the decision for the group. “Take your time.”
A small part of me wished they pressed, wished they forced this issue here and now. I’m a coward and a hypocrite, and I think my omission is building so big I’m not going to be able to escape the downfall.
“But not too much,” Ben pleads, clasping his hands together again. “This tension is giving me a stomachache, and I’ve not eaten since we sat down to talk.”
“Wait, when did you have time to eat?” My brows furrow, and I latch onto this change in subject to try and hide my anxiety. I’m not sure how well it works when Seb narrows his eyes at me, but Phoebe makes a little whine, and his head snaps back over to giving her attention instead.
“In the time it took you all to get home, I ate a couple sandwiches,” Ben says with a shrug. “So, the faster we can order food and get on with it, the better. Your feelings are really cutting into my eating time.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose and move to sit back down. I’d also like to move on. “Where do we go from here?”
“What did you learn from Dr Thomas?” Topher asks, looking over at Seb.
He’s cradling Phoebe in his arms, and it’s such a sweet sight. My heart—and no other body part—flutters at the devoted look in Seb’s eyes. He drops the softest kiss on Phoebe’s head before a blankness fills his face. He turns so that he’s facing us, although his eyes are still focused on Phoebe.
“He’s gone.”
“Gone where?” I ask, a hint of panic in my words.
“Back to the pack,” Alex supplies, and Seb nods. “Which means that he’s going to be admitting his failure to my aunt and uncle.”
“And what happens then?” I ask.
“Depends, little love,” Seb says.
“On?” I’m frustrated that he doesn’t elaborate.
“On their grand plan.” Alex’s lips are tight together, a grim expression on his face.
“We’ve got more than just them to handle, though,” Topher says with a sigh. “We asked him if he knew who killed Ryan.”
“What?” I demand, snapping my head up to look at him. My legs are trembling, my heart pounding so loudly that I don’t even think I’m going to be able to hear his response.
“He claims… he claims my mum is responsible,” Topher says.
And I think that’s when my heart gives in, and the world goes black.
