Page 209 of Poison Vows

“She’s my baby sister, Grammy.”

“But she’s not a baby anymore. Let your sister be.”

“Yeah, but who called that woman here?”

“That’s your mother, boy.”

“As far as I’m concerned, you are my mother!”

“It’s all right, Mama,” I hear Beverly’s unmistakable voice. “I shouldn’t be here. It’s just when I heard what happened, I had to come and see her.”

“Uh-huh, why don’t you tell us exactly what happened in New York City, then?” my brother demands.

“That’s a long, complicated story, but Ivy saved mine and your half-sister’s life.”

I check out after that, only to wake up later when I feel a familiar weight squeezing in with me.

“Hi, baby,” he whispers against the crown of my head. “Your chart says you’re both doing so well. Good girl!”

My heart skips a beat, and my eyes fly open of their own volition.

“There you are,” Emmett says huskily. “I missed these gorgeous eyes.”

I stare at him, shell-shocked by what he just said.

“You know?” I demand, but my voice is scratchy and horrible.

He knows I’m pregnant.

Emmett silently pours me a cup of water then adds a straw and passes it to me, encouraging me to drink slowly.

“Your boobs were bigger when you came back from Cape Town or wherever the fuck you and that troublemaker went off to.”

“My b-boobs?” I croak.

“Paying attention to you has been my only form of relief all our lives, Angel. Of course I noticed you were pregnant.”

My heart leaps into my throat.

“I was also wondering when you were going to open your eyes. I knew you’ve been awake all along.”

“You knew that too?”

“I know everything about you.”

I stare at him, as tears start welling up in my eyes.

“God, Angel, I’m so sorry. You don’t know how much it’s killing me that this happened to you. I know nothing I say or do will ever atone for the pain or the suffering, but I promise, I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you in some way.”

“Even if I don’t want you back?” I croak.

Emmett’s eyes shine with unshed tears. “Yes, no matter what you want, I’ll honor your wishes, but there’s no one else for me but you. I just wanted to apologize and tell you it was never your fault! You were never wrong! Everything that happened was my fault.”

Tears, fast and hot, fall down my cheeks as I stare into the green orbs I haven’t seen in a while.

“You made me crash and burn,” I whisper.

“I know.”

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