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My stomach falls to my toes.
“Who is their son?” I speak into the phone, but my eyes are on Confidence’s bowed head.
Her sorrowful gaze snaps to mine. “Regan, let me take you somewhere private, please,” she stammers. I glance around. Noé is gone. We’re alone. I shake my head to say no.
“Who is his son?” I demand again. Confidence closes her eyes as if she’s in pain.
“Who’s there with you?” Remi demands.
“Is it Hayes Rivers?” I demand.
His silence and Confidence’s muffled sob are all the answers I need.
“Does he know?” It’s a rhetorical question. Because his wife clearly does. My eyes never leave Confidence. She’s sitting in one of the waiting room chairs. Her hands pressed together between her thighs as she watches me with deep, troubled concern on her face.
“Yes, Regan, He knows. He knew before me. I’m sorry. But I need to call Tyson, too and then we’ve got to get on the road. I know I owe you a million apologies and explanations. I was reeling from shock when I first heard. Then I had this argument with Mom, right after. She tried to justify it all—”
“Mom knows, too?” My voice comes out in a wheeze. I can’t breathe.
“She’s known the whole time. Pops, too. Listen, I know I owe you more. But I really need to go.”
I take a deep breath and compose myself…My whole life is unraveling. And I don’t know what to do next.
“That’s fine,” I say in the voice he expects me to use—calm, collected, cool.
“I love you, Reggie. We’ll be okay. We’ll get through this.”
I almost laugh at his use of the word we.
Is there a “we”?
I hang up and face Confidence.
“You already knew?”
Her nod is slow, her eyes sorrowful and downcast.
“I couldn’t say anything because Hayes asked me not to. I’m so sorry,” she sounds so sad.
And, it pisses me off. Why is she sad? When it’s me who’s entire life is a lie. I curl my lip at her. “So, was all of this friendship shit so that you could keep an eye on me for Hayes? To make sure I wasn’t planning on fucking his brother, since it turns out he’s my fucking stepbrother, too?” I yell and Confidence’s eyes nearly bug out of her head, and fill with tears.
Guilt deflates my anger. I’m not mad at Confidence. She’s not the one who betrayed me. “I’m sorry.” I cover my face with my hands and try to catch my breath.
“It’s okay. I can’t imagine what you’re feeling,” she says after a minute. Her voice is soft but guarded. I nod, but don’t meet her eye. “But I didn’t even know about you and… I’m praying it’s Stone… until right now,” she says.
To my horror, a sob breaks loose and a tear streaks down my cheek.
“Can I call someone or take you home myself? I know it’s a lot, but everything is going to be okay.”
Nothing will be okay, but I don’t have the strength to argue. My whole life has unraveled.
In the days to come, all of this will feel like a gust of warm wind compared to the tsunami that will land on our doorstep.
Opportunity
Stone
“I’ve got some news. Call me when you can talk.”
