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Lo’s brows rise. “Every night is a good night for tacos, love.” He turns to me. “And if he makes a move on you, his dick is going where it belongs. In the garbage.”
It’s not the first threat I’ve heard, so I barely react this time.
My phone buzzes.
Garrison: Hey, so I can’t come over anymore. Parents are all over my ass about staying in and studying on a school night. I would argue with them but they’ve got friends over. Tomorrow?
I text back: Yeah definitely, tomorrow is perfect.
Lo and Lily watch me, and the air already tenses. I must wear disappointment all over my face.
But I brush it off quickly. “False alarm,” I tell Lo. “He has to study.”
Lo’s face cinches, angrier at the prospect of Garrison not coming over. “He didn’t seem to care about studying before he was dating you. Now he’s ditching you to hit the goddamn books.” He fake gasps. “Holy fuck, he’s turning into a nerd.” Lo accidentally whips the spoon around and yogurt flings off a little, splattering Maximoff’s forehead.
The baby laughs so loud his face turns red.
“Listen up, Moffy.” Lo wipes the yogurt off with a towel. “If you date a nerd, just remember that they’ll love books over you.”
“Not true,” Lily interjects. “Rose and Connor love each other over their hardbacks.”
Lo smiles bitterly. “The Queen and King are an exception.” He looks to me, seriousness coating his brows. “Is Garrison okay?”
I still. “Why wouldn’t he be?”
“Because it’s a common line. Saying you have to study when something else is going on.” He shrugs. “I can’t even count the times I said it to our dad growing up.” As soon as he finishes the sentence, he sees my expression and his face falls.
Our dad.
What…?
I don’t understand. I’m…
Robert Moore is my dad…
Isn’t he?
“Willow—”
“Our dad.” I swallow hard. “What—what does that mean?”
“Fuck,” Lo curses and drops the spoon in the sink. “Can you take a seat?”
I can’t move.
He stares at me for a long moment. Maximoff lets out a small giggle. “Hey, Moffy,” Lily whispers to her son. “Let’s go watch some cartoons.” She lifts him from his highchair and carries her baby out of the kitchen.
“I didn’t find out until just recently,” Lo says. “The day you told us you were dating Garrison. Right before you came over, that’s when Ryke told me.”
Ryke.
Ryke.
Oh…
I stagger towards the barstool, bracing the edge. Too much to process. I only think about one question. “How long did Ryke know?” I ask. “The whole time?”
Years?
Has he been keeping this from both of us?
Lo grimaces. “No. No way,” he says. “He learned just last month. Our dad actually just found out last month, too.” He laughs at that. “Bastard finally got the rug pulled out from under him.”
Jonathan just discovered that I’m his daughter, which means something even worse. “My mom kept this secret,” I whisper.
It’s another horrible lie. Something she could have told me a year ago, at the very least, when I left Maine to come to Philly. Maybe she wasn’t certain, but even then, she could have told me she had reservations about my birth father.
Instead, she stared at me point-blank and said, “Robert Moore is your dad.”
I’m a Hale?
I grow cold all over and slide onto the barstool. Meeting Lo’s eyes, I ask, “This…this doesn’t change anything, does it?”
“Between us, no,” he says. “You’re still my little sister.” He runs a hand along the back of his neck. “But now you have another big brother.”
Oh.
My.
God.
Why didn’t I think of that? Ryke Meadows is my half-brother. We’re related. My jaw drops, my eyes grow wide. I can’t even think of Ryke like that. He’s Daisy’s fiancé. He’s Lo’s half-brother. Ryke and I, we have no relation.
But now we do.
Lo zips to the refrigerator, filling up a glass of water. He slides it to me. “I’m more worried about our dad. He can be…harsh.” He grimaces like that’s not even the right word. “I’m being kind here.” He exhales a sharp breath. “He’s an asshole. A fucking dick. And Ryke will tell you to stay a million miles away from him.”
I clutch the sides of the glass. “What do you say?”
“I love my dad,” he confesses. “And even though he’s done some horrible, messed-up shit, I know he loves me too.” He laughs bitterly. “His love for his children is one of the few things that I don’t ever second-guess. I get it, if you want to feel that again from a father…or maybe for the first time. It’s your choice whether you want to actually see him, but if you do, just know that I’m going to protect you.”
I think I need time to think it over.
Think it all over.
But I’m not sure I want to meet a “dad” that I’d need protection from. That sounds terrifying. Lo leaves me alone to drink my water.
