Chapter 69
AIDEN
chow you wanna talk?” Cillian thrust his hands deeper into his pockets, his shoulders stiff as he continued staring ahead. His jaw was set tight, and though he wasn’t looking at me, I could see the tension rippling through his body. The fact that he was refusing to even glance in my direction
nething raw and painful inside me. Lopened my month to speak, but the weight of his silence pressed down on me, making it hard to
*j
“I know you’re angry–I started cautiously, but he cut me off with a sharp bark of laughter that held no humor.
“Angry!” He turned his head slightly, not enough to meet my eyes, just enough for me to see the cold disbelief etched into his features. “That would
fucking understatement of the year”
His voer had an edge to it that made me flinch. This wasn’t just anger; it was betrayal, pure and unfiltered. I watched as he clenched and
nclenched his fists inside his pockets, his control hanging by a thread.
Tve known you my whole damn life” He continued, his words slow and deliberate, as if trying to make sure I felt each one like a slap. “And I had to fnd out from your girlfriend about your past. A pau that involves me. A past that involves my family. So no, I’m not angry. I’m fucking livid.”
1 shifted uncomfortably. “Freya shouldn’t have–”
“shouldn’t have what?” He
* He snapped, finally turning to face ine. His eyes were sharp, accusing, and so full of hurt that it was like staring directly into the sun. “Told me! So I could stay ignorant for a few more years? Do you think I’d prefer that?”
wallowed hard, guilt choking me as I tried to find the right words. “I didn’t want you to find out like this.” “No,” he said, shaking his head as a bitter laugli escaped him. “No, let’s be honest here. You didn’t want me to His words hit me like a blow, I opened my mouth to protest, to say something–anything–but nothing came out. The silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating
to find o
out at all, did you?”
When I stayed quiri, Cillian let out a short, humorless laugh, nodding as if he’d finally pieced together the puzzle. “Why?” He demanded, his voice cracking slightly under the weight of the question. “Tell me why. Because I don’t understand. Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me? Have I ever donar something to deserve this? Why didn’t you tell me!”
“Tim your brother.” He said, his voice reaching a high note on the last word. “Your own fucking brother.
“I know” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “I know you’re my brother, and I trust you. I trust you with my goddamn life.”
ack, his anger flaring again.
“Then why the fuck would you keep something like this from me?” He shot back,
o my nerves. I closed my eyes, trying to steady the storm of
“Because I didn’t want to hurt you” I snapped, the feeling of frustration seeping into emotions raging inside me.
as expression twisted into something I couldn’t quite name–burt, disbelief, fury, all tangled together. “Hurt me?” He muttered with such a confused expression like he couldn’t make any sense of what I was saying.
“After that incident Preston had forced her into real because he wouldn’t take care of her mess in future. She got over her addiction and she tried to be a mother to you. I didn’t want to take that away from you. You love her and she was good to you.”
ut she wasn’t good to you”
He paused, his cliest leaving as he fought to keep his emotions in check. “You didn’t want to take what away from me?” He demanded. “My previous relationship with our mother? You think I’d want anything to do with them if I had any idea what they did to you! After what she did to your”
“That’s exactly why-“I began, but he cut me off again.
“No. Just slant up” His voice was quiet, but the auger simmering underneath made it clear he wasn’t done. “You think you were protecting my feelings by hiding the truth No. This just hurts more. To think that you couldn’t coulide in me, that you couldn’t trust me to be there for you…”
you
t we w
were
+ racket, and the anguish in it melted my aides violently. Hurting him was the last thing I’d ever wanted to do, “All these years.” He said, his voder rising ugali. “I kept pressuring you, blackmailing you to come to stupid Thanksgiving dinners and birthday celebrations I didn’t understand why you hated it so much. Do you have any idea how stupid I feel right now!”
Chapter 69
“I’m sorry,” I said, which came out more like a deadpan but he knew me and my emotional shortcomings.
He took a shaky breath, running a hand through his hair as he turned back to the sea. “I want to know everything” He said after a long moment. His tone left no room for argument. “From the very beginning.”
I nodded, defeated. “Okay”
“We’re going to my place.” He said firmly, already walking toward the parking lot. “Il grab some coffee on the way”
I fell into step behind him, my hands shoved deep into my pockets to hide their trembling. “Tll need something stronger than that,” I muttered, half to myself.
He didn’t respond, but I could feel the tension between us, the unspoken words hanging heavy in the air. This wasn’t going to be an easy conversation, but I owed him this much–owed him the truth, no matter how much it hurt…
