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Everything crumbles around me. Amelie and I aren’t even related. My parents, my mother and father, the people who raised me.
I’m on a damn rollercoaster that refuses to stop and let me off. I want to scream, to hurt someone or something, but that won’t change the outcome, won’t change what’s already happened. I’m adopted, and the only girl Markus ever loved is my sister. As badly as I want to turn in on myself and disappear from the rest of the world, I can’t. Amelie needs me. After all that she has been through, I have to be there for her. I’ll make sure she is okay first, and then I’ll break down. After a few moments and some calming breaths, I muster up the courage to speak.
“What do we do now? My sister wants to go home soon.”
Markus holds me tighter, like he’s not going to ever let me go, and I almost wish he wouldn’t. That I could be his, and he could be mine forever.
“You and your sister aren’t safe until Timothy is dead. He could come back for you at any time, and I don’t know… If you died because of me, because of something stupid that I caused, I would never forgive myself. I’ve already lost so much.”
“But… you said Amelie could go home after this.”
“I thought Timothy would be there, or at least we’d get a lead to find him. We have nothing, and he might come after you to hurt me. He thought I was the one who killed Victoria, that’s why he wanted the tape so badly. He thought he could put me behind bars with it. Now that he has is, he knows it wasn’t me, but I think he still blames me… and fuck, he isn’t wrong. It was my fault she was there that day.”
I lift a hand and touch his cheek. It’s rough beneath my palm. A mere contrast of how different we are. Rough and soft. Dark and light. We shouldn’t be, but we are, and it feels like our fates have already been sealed.
“It’s okay… we will stay until it’s safe.”
“I was hoping you would say that,” he whispers as his lips press against the side of my head. I know he would tie me to the bed and hand-feed me if he had to. The possessive nature in him won’t let me go, so I wonder how this is all going to pan out in the end. Will he let me leave?
“I need to go talk to my sister. Tell her we have to stay here for a while. I don’t know how well she is going to take it, but I’ll try.”
Markus slowly releases me, like he doesn’t want to let go yet. My heart begs me to return to the warmth of his embrace, but this isn’t good for me. Pretending that we could be a couple when we most definitely aren’t. Now would be the time to start putting distance between us, but the thought leaves me even more distraught than I already am.
I’ve just reached the doorway when he says, “If you need anything… I’m here for you, Fallon.”
I peer at him over my shoulder. “Strange how foes become friends.”
His face falls. “You don’t need anything else added to your plate, but if I could… I would… with you, Fallon. It would be with you. And that has nothing to do with your connection to Victoria.”
I know he’s referring to loving me. How he can’t because he gave all his love to the woman I now know is my dead half-sister. I hold back the river of emotions threatening to break the dam and destroy everything in its wake.
“I know,” I whisper and walk out the door before I cry.
It isn’t until I’m halfway down the hall I’m able to force myself to calm by taking slow and steady breaths. The last thing I need is to project my emotions out onto Amelie. None of this is her fault, none of it, and I’m not going to drag her any deeper into it.
The guest bedroom door is ajar, and it creaks as I push it open a bit more. Amelie looks up from where she sits at the edge of the mattress.
She is wearing one of my nightgowns, and even though she’s taken a shower, she doesn’t look any better. I walk into the room and close the door behind me.
She isn’t going to like what I tell her.
“Did you find out when we can go home?” The look of agony on her face makes me want to turn around and walk out of the room.
“I talked to Markus, and until things with Timothy are over and they find him, we both agreed that it’s probably best for us to stay here. Mom and Dad still think you’re in France.” Her face falls, and she looks like she’s going to cry. I would expect it. She’s been too calm, too quiet for someone who has been held captive for the last two months.
