“W-what? Who?”

He leans against the counter and crosses his legs at the ankles. After Xander, Cole is probably the most attractive of the horsemen. His beauty is that calm, refined type. The kind that can belong to a handsome professor or a hotshot CEO.

His green eyes are dark and he gives off a composed façade – façade, because from what Elsa says and what I’ve noticed, Cole runs a lot deeper than what meets the eyes. While he’s kind and doesn’t talk much, he seems to know everything, and he has moments where he completely changes – like when he smirked as Silver ran away to hide her fear.

No good person would enjoy that. I’m not even close to Silver anymore and even I didn’t like seeing her that way.

He’s her stepbrother. He’s supposed to care more, not take pleasure in it.

“He can’t stop watching. It’s an impulse. He used to control it better in the past, but the alcohol is screwing up his judgement,” he continues in his neutral tone. “Xander, I mean.”

“Is his drinking issue bad?”

“Bad? He’s becoming an alcoholic.”

I swallow, my fingers shaking around the bottle. “Maybe it’s better he leaves then.”

“Better?” Cole’s eyes light up as if he’s a dog who found a bone. “So that means you’ve thought of another option to the situation.”

“Y-you know?”

He nods. “So does Aiden.”

Oh. That must be why Aiden said he might have information that explains Xander’s hatred. It was around the time he started getting involved with Elsa, but he never told me anything.

“Since when?” I ask Cole. “Why the hell did he tell you but not me?”

“He didn’t tell me. I connected the dots myself. He did tell Aiden, though, when he was drunk and vomiting his gut. He was complaining about how close you got to Knox after he beat him up.”

“Xander did that?” I release the bottle and it falls on the counter with a thud.

Knox, Teal’s twin, had come to school with his face beaten up and Elsa was dead sure Aiden had done it because he was jealous of him. I never imagined it was Xander. Although I should’ve suspected it since he snarled in my face to stay the fuck away from ‘the new boy’.

I would’ve laughed if it were under different circumstances.

But all of that doesn’t matter now.

It’s done, finished, over.

“About that second option,” Cole repeats. “What did you have in mind?”

“N-nothing.” I swallow. “How can there be a second option in our situation?”

“I see.” He appears thoughtful for a bit. “But before you close all doors, remember, the impossible is nothing if you decide it isn’t.”

He reaches the threshold, then glances over his shoulder. “Oh, and he leaves tomorrow.”

27

Kimberly

Sometime later, everyone goes home.

Elsa wanted to stay the night, but she’s spent a lot of time with me lately and I can tell Aiden isn’t amused, so I sent her home, saying I need time with Kir.

And I do.

We talk for what seems like hours and he tells me all about the new letters he received and that he might consider replying to one of them.

My baby brother will grow to become a heartbreaker.

He falls asleep as soon as I lie beside him, after making me promise him I’ll never leave him for long again.

I make that promise, and unlike the other time, I have a strong belief that I’ll keep it.

After I tuck him in and kiss his cheeks and forehead, I untangle his small arm from around my waist and leave his room.

As if on autopilot, I find myself down the stairs and standing in front of the huge window that overlooks the Knights’ mansion.

Cole was right, it’s an impulsion and can’t be stopped.

My fingers trail to my scar, feeling over the bandage. Why do I feel like ripped tendons aren’t as bad as the pain creeping under my skin?

It’s slow and almost invisible, but it’ll surely break my heart.

I’m holding my breath for the moment, hoping against hope it won’t ruin me again once and for all.

“Here you are, Angel.”

I smile at Dad as he passes me a mug of Lady Grey tea, then takes a sip of his, its bergamot scent filling the air in no time. Dad is a sucker for tea, British through and through.

For a minute, we just stand there sipping our tea and watching the house opposite us.

“Xander said something that night, didn’t he?” Dad asks.

I pause mid-sip, gulping the liquid as if it’s poison. “How do you know?”

“You were showing signs of improvement before he came in. Besides, you haven’t stopped watching his house since we got here.”

I glance at Dad, unable to understand how he knows so much about me, even though he’s not my real dad.

No – he’s not my biological dad.

Calvin Reed is my real father and the only father I’ll ever have.

That’s why I don’t want to hurt him by revealing Jeanine’s affair, or worse, disclosing I’m not his biological daughter. He’s probably keeping up with my mess because he’s my father. Once he figures out he’s not and we share no familial ties, he’ll throw me away.

My chest squeezes at the thought and I take a large gulp of the tea in a helpless try to hide it.

I’d rather suffer in silence than lose my dad.

“You’re hiding again, Angel. Didn’t we agree you’d tell me everything?”

I keep my mouth on the cup, not wanting to meet his eyes. I’m hiding so I don’t lose you.

Lewis is okay, I guess, but he’s not my dad. He’s not the one who has been taking care of me since I was a baby.

I’m not his Angel.

“Hold on.” He pauses, watching me intently. “Did Xander mention any familial ties by any chance?”

I cough on the tea, some droplets splattering on my hands. Dad pats my back, telling me to take it easy.

“How…” I breathe, then clear my throat. “How do you know?”

“I always have.” His brow furrows. “I’m only surprised Xander does. Did he say how or when he figured it out?”

There’s no way I can keep it inside anymore. I tell him everything about that incident seven years ago and what Xander overheard from Mum and Lewis’s conversation.

“Why did she do that, Dad?” My voice is brittle. “Why did she do that to you and me? How can she make Xan my brother? I don’t want him to be my brother. Please tell me he somehow heard it wrong.”

“Unfortunately, it’s all true.” Dad leads me to the sofa and takes the cup from my hand to place it on the table. “You are indeed Lewis’s biological daughter.”

The tears I’ve been holding in since the hospital flow down my cheeks and my chin and soak the hem of my T-shirt.

“Don’t cry, Angel. It breaks my heart when you do.” He plucks tissues and wipes under my eyes.

“How can you care for me this much when you know I’m not your daughter?”

“The moment I saw your beautiful eyes, I decided you were my daughter. I didn’t care what the world says. DNA doesn’t make a family, Angel. Jeanine is a prime example of that.”