Page 527 of Once Upon a Fable

“I know, but...he left early. And now, he’s back.... He’s back with...” Her hazel eyes met mine. “With a young woman. A young woman who looks like him.”

The world slammed to stop.

Fang nudged my hand as my eyes went tunnel vision, locking ontoTony as he stepped from the main house, his arm linked with a girl.

A girl I hadn’t seen in twelve fucking years.

“Fuck.” I stumbled, dropping my champagne.

Josh and Katie backed away as Gem covered her mouth, and tears shone in her stare. “Oh, my God. It’s her. It’s his daughter.”

Sickness washed through me.

Memories and mayhem.

I wanted to run.

Toward her.

Away from her.

As far as I fucking could.

Every part of me wanted to stay with my wife. To not approach a Fable sister with so many emotions suddenly raging inside me. I wasn’t safe. I couldn’t be trusted.

Fang knew that.

He glued himself to me, his body shaking to match mine.

I backed away.

But Gem grabbed my hand, dragging me forward, fearlessly, wordlessly. She dragged me all while I drowned inside, straight to a girl who looked like her.

Blond hair the same shade, hazel eyes that blended green and gold. However, that was where the similarities ended. Gem’s hair was long and lustrous. Quell’s was still dull and short from a lifetime of malnutrition. Gem’s eyes twinkled with pleasure. Quell’s were permanently blackened with the same fucking horrors I’d endured.

I couldn’t breathe as I closed the distance.

Tony stopped as he saw us stepping from the wedding crowd.

And then...Quell saw us.

Her eyes locked with mine.

Her knees gave out.

She collapsed onto the grass beside her father as tears spilled down her cheeks.

And then, I was running.

Gemma let me go, freeing me to fly to my sister. The family I’d loved and lost, the one I still suffered so much fucking guilt over.

Skidding to a stop, I dropped to my knees before her.

Nothing else existed.

Not the crowd.

Not the sudden silence.