Page 91 of Broken Vows

Theo drags me outside, and Dr. Astor casually follows a few steps behind like he’s on a Sunday stroll. On the sidewalk, Theo’s dark, fiery gaze burns into his father. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Theo snarls, then turns his gaze to me. “Do not listen to him, okay? This is what he does. He’s a sick bastard who loves to torture people. You block it out, you hear me?”

I shake my head as my brain flickers, fuzzy and hazed. Dr. Astor’s holding my shame up to the light, and he’s not wrong. Do I sabotage myself? Am I the reason to blame for everything that’s happened—now and then? Maybe I didn’t steal the tests at school, but did I somehow invite it anyway?

“Don’t do this, Lexie,” Theo begs, his frantic gaze searching my face. “Do not let him get inside your head.”

Dr. Astor crosses his arms, his face still so passive it makes me uneasy. “I see that years-long flame you carried for Gemma still burns bright, doesn’t it, son?”

None of this makes sense. Theo has never acknowledged our past, not once, not even when I confronted him about it. After everything we’ve shared, he’s always seen me as Lexie, never Gemma. His father is just saying shit to mess with my head, and it’s working. Is he really this sadistic a bastard, though? “No… that’s not true…” is all I can force out because my unfocused brain can’t grasp onto any other words.

“It’s truly unfortunate,” Dr. Astor continues, looking like he’s holding back a grin as his gaze flicks between me and Theo. “It seems you never learned how to rein in your impulsive tendencies after you stole those scores—”

“Fucking stop.”

“—and got expelled—”

“Dad, enough!”

“—if you’ve allowed yourself to get wrapped up with a man who will be married in a few short weeks.”

“Gemma didn’t fucking do it!” Theo yells so loud that it feels like the traffic stopped.

I see black spots. Did he just say I didn’t do it? Does he know? And… did Theo just call me Gemma? No… no, I’m dizzy. I could not have heard that right.

“How could you possibly know if she didn’t do it?” Dr. Astor says. “All the evidence pointed to her. The committee performed an investigation—”

“Because I fucking did it, okay?” Theo yells and reaches for me, but I pull away.

Oh my God… oh my God. I was right! Back then, Theo did this. The man that I’ve given my body, my soul, these last few months, has lied to me the entire time. This can’t be happening. Someone—anyone—please shake me awake from this nightmare and tell me it isn’t real. My breaths turn shallow, tightening in my throat, and my feet go unsteady beneath me, and I lean on the wall for support.

Dr. Astor just stands there, saying nothing in response. One sick moment passes, then another, before Theo breaks the silence. “Oh my God… you knew.” Theo’s voice is barely above a whisper. I’m stunned silent, but my legs tremble. “You fucking knew I framed her, and you did nothing? You didn’t even fight for her? How could you just let her walk away?”

My hand clasps over my mouth.

A sick, satisfied grin spreads across Dr. Astor’s face. “As a father, sometimes we need to make difficult decisions for our children. It’s important that they learn lessons. And my son, you needed to learn a lesson. With Gemma. And Olivia.”

Theo inhales a sharp venomous breath.

Time seems to still as he shifts his gaze from Theo, to me, then back to Theo. “And the lesson is that even you, Theodore James Astor, do not always get to have everything you want.”

I decide I’ve heard enough and bolt down the sidewalk.

40 Theo

Outside of my condo building, my knuckles turn white with the blazing desire to hit my father for what he just said. For Lexie. For Olivia. Does he know about the other women? Has he known all along? I’m torn between my need to finally have this out with my father and my need to go after Lexie.

The latter wins, and I turn my back on my father and sprint after Lexie before she disappears at the end of the block. I manage to grab her arm, but she yanks it away and glares at me with red-hot fire in her eyes.

“Don’t you dare fucking touch me,” she barks, and marches down the sidewalk. “Don’t ever touch me again.”

Fuck, fuck, fuck, it’s not supposed to be like this. She just needs to listen. “Wait, please, just give me one second to explain things.”

The blinding sun scorches my face as I fall in step behind her, Lexie marching through the crosswalk. My brain fires on all cylinders, thoughts colliding and choking me. Don’t let her get away. She has to understand. I did this for her. And my father—he fucking knew? That sadistic, evil bastard did this to punish me. He saw the way I wanted Lexie back then, couldn’t stand the attention not being on him, and he let her dreams get crushed just to hurt me.

She storms to the end of the block, then looks out at the neighborhood. Her eyes are frantically flicking back and forth. We’re on a side street, no taxis, blocks away from a subway station, and I’m not letting her fucking leave until she talks to me.

“Just, wait, please, let me explain,” I beg.

She faces me with such raw anger in her eyes that I step back. “I asked you, Theo. I asked you if you knew me, and you said you didn’t. You fucking looked me straight in the eyes and said you didn’t.” Her lips are trembling, and everything in me wants to take those away. “You’ve lied to me this entire time!”