Page 113 of On the Double

“But I thought that changed. After the accident—He was here all the time. I assumed?—”

“Well, you shouldn’t have. He made me no promises.”

My voice hitched on the last word and I cursed myself for acting like the wronged woman.

“Squirt,” Oliver sighed. He stood from his seat and walked over to me, wrapping his arms around me. I buried my face in his chest as I fought the urge to cry. I hated crying, but I hated even more that it was over a man.

“It’s fine,” I said, stepping back and forcing a smile. “I knew what this was all along. He told me it would only last until…until it didn’t. He made me no promises.”

“That doesn’t make it right.”

“I agreed to it,” I sighed. “It’s my own fault for getting used to him being around. It’s not even that I feel he lied to me or anything. I just…I miss him.”

“I know. To tell the truth, I got used to him being around also. It was nice to have a beer with him at the end of the day.”

“You liked having a man friend,” I grinned.

“Don’t say it like that. It sounds so disturbing.”

I let out a giggle, glad that I got that off my chest. It was nice to know I wasn’t the only one who missed Edu.

“So, what are you going to do now?” my brother asked.

“Well, I was actually thinking of going back to school.”

“Again?” he groaned, though I knew it was all fake. “What for this time? Let me guess…Dentistry. No…basket weaving.”

“Ha ha. No, I was actually thinking of going back for counseling.”

His face turned up in surprise. “Counseling. What made you want to do that?”

I had been thinking about this for a while now. If I wanted to move past the hold my past had over me, I needed to talk to Oliver about it. I took his hand and led him over to the living room, sitting down on the couch with him.

“Uh-oh,” he chuckled nervously. “This can’t be good.”

I licked my lips nervously, unable to meet his eyes. “I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, and…I think it’s time you knew.”

He stiffened at my words. “Is this about Mom and Dad?”

I nodded, then finally looked up at him. I felt dizzy from how hard my heart was pounding in my chest. Tingles shot through my body as panic took over. What if he didn’t want anything to do with me after I told him? No, that wouldn’t happen. This was Oliver. He loved me.

“I’m…I’m not your full sister.”

His brows furrowed in confusion. “What does that mean? Of course, you are.”

I shook my head slowly. “Mom had an affair a year after you were born. I…I’m the product of that affair.”

“No,” he shook his head. “That’s bullshit. Mom and Dad were in love with each other. There’s no way she would have cheated on him.”

Tears pricked my eyes as I remembered their argument. “I walkedin on them yelling about it. You were at practice and I was supposed to be at a friend’s house, but…I wasn’t feeling good, so I walked home. I heard yelling and thought it was weird because Mom and Dad never fought. I stood outside the bedroom and listened as Dad yelled at her for being a whore and spreading her legs for another man.”

I closed my eyes, tears pricking them as I remembered that day. “She told Dad that she loved him, and the only reason she’s done it was because she was lonely. And then…”

“What?” he snapped.

I slowly raised my eyes to meet his. “She said she was surprised he hadn’t figured it out sooner.”

“Like it was his fault?”

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