Page 43 of Let's Be Forever

Forget the slap, it feels like she stabbed me right in the heart. I furiously wipe the tears away. “I didn’t cheat on Sylas. I wouldn’t. I lo?—”

“You used him. You used us. We welcomed you into our home. He welcomed you into his. He gave you money. Yes, we know about that. We know you stopped working and he was paying you to make up for it. And then I helped you get into the best culinary school there is. That was your plan all along, huh?” She scoffs, the sweetness she was exuding gone, replaced with malice. “Without our help, you’d be nothing, but oh, you still are nothing.” She inches closer until she’s looming over me.“Stay the fuck away from my son. Don’t make me take drastic measures.”

I share every detail with Sylas, every word she said to me, including how she threatened me with a security guard.

“I did attempt to come by one more time, but it’s like she had someone let her know I was there. She and your dad showed up and she threatened me, said you’d take the baby if it turned out to be yours, and yeah… Afterward, I figured you really wanted nothing to do with me, so I stopped trying. I promised myself I’d stay away. I was on Instagram and your page came across my feed and I thought you were fucking with me, so I blocked you and anyone else I could think of.”

Sylas doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t even look at me this time. His hardened gaze is cast downward, jaw and brows set tight. He reclines back, dropping his head on the top of his sectional.

“I can’t believe—” He sighs a resigned breath, shoulders drooping. “No, I can, actually. Of course they did. They fucking would. I’m so sorry, Anna.”

“Please stop apologizing.” I mirror his position and finally he looks at me. “It sucks, but we can’t change anything about what happened. We just need to figure out what we do now. Okay?”

“We’re going to do this. You and me. I promise.”

“Yeah. You. Me. We’ll figure it out.”

He sulks at the way I phrased that, but he shakes that look away and nods. “Yeah, we will.”

18

SYLAS

I don’t knowwhat to say. I do, but then I don’t.

I could spend every lifetime apologizing, but it wouldn’t be enough. Nothing I do will ever be enough to make up for what she went through.

So in spite of knowing that, I will spend every waking second helping her in any way I can. She will never do anything alone from now on.

“I hope what I’m going to tell you won’t make you hate me,” I say, cutting through the silence we’ve found ourselves in.

I turn my head to look at her and see that we’re both in the same position, lazily slouched against the couch. Or we were because she sits up, tensing in her spot.

“You’re not going to ask for a paternity test, are you?” I know she meant for that to come off as a joke, but I also know she’s serious.

I hate my parents and what they put her through. I want nothing more than to go see them now, but I still need her to know about what’s to come.

I sit up, turning to mirror her position. I want to close the space between us, hold her in my arms and beg for forgiveness—but I stay put.

“No. I’m sorry to say this, but while Rosie has some of your features, she looks exactly like me,” I voice carefully, but I know she doesn’t like that because she grumbles.

“I would have preferred to hear you say you wanted a paternity test.” She folds one leg over the other, making herself comfortable.

That makes me chuckle, and I think I catch the corner of her mouth twitching.

“Can you be honest with me?” Her question is devoid of humor.

“Always. You know I’ll never lie to you.”

“Did it ever cross your mind? That…maybe she wasn’t yours?”

“No,” I answer immediately, gaze shifting to her hands, which I’d love to take in mine. “The moment I saw her picture, I knew. And I also did the math from when the picture was posted.”

“Oh.” She tugs her bottom lip between her teeth then releases it. “So, you just knew?”

“Yeah, it’s hard forgetting the last time I was really happy.”

I hear the hitch in her breath and watch her pupils dilate. Does she still feel what I feel? Should I tell her my heart has always belonged to her?Willalways?