Our Deep End | ✔️

CHAPTER 47

A/N: I got the feels writing this chapter. I hope you get the feels reading it. Come back and let me know.

Christian's POV

"Because she is my sister..." I voice hesitantly, never taking my eyes off Elle.

I have her in my arms, for the first time in what feels like ages and I'm trying my best to savor this moment just in case it's the last time.

That fucking hurts to think about, but I have no other choice.

I can't continue to hide this part of myself from Elle.

She showed up here, ready to accept me wholeheartedly. I was the one who fucked up and hurt her, yet she made an extra effort to look past everything and forgive me.

She loves me. That's love.

Elle's love is something I'll never grasp. It's kind, it's forgiving , and so fucking addicting. But most of all, it's genuine. I feel love with her every breath in my direction...with every bat of her beautiful eyes. She loves me, and I fucking love her.

Which is why I have to come clean.

Elle's face twists in confusion.

"What?" Her words amount to a mere whisper.

"Esme is my sister." I repeat with a swallow. "Before it was only a theory, but now I have confirmation."

"Sister?" She gasps quietly, stumbling backwards in shock.

When I imagined what would happen if I came clean in the past, I did a pretty good job in picturing her horrified expression. It's like her pale face and dilated eyes transported straight out of my imagination. And I pray for my sake that I will at least be wrong about her never wanting to see me again.

"Confirmation? What are you talking about?"

Gently, she begins to stalk away from me. The fearful look in her eyes makes me panic.

"I have an explanation, I promise!" My words come out frantically, which probably scares her even more but I don't have time to ponder.

Instead, I quickly head over to the bookshelf and pull out the red folder containing Esme's adoption papers. In the folder was also the image of my pregnant mother and I.

"Christian, I..." Her face still resembles someone who's just seen a ghost.

"Please, just sit." I beg, pointing to the sofa.

Uncertainty fills the atmosphere. I have no idea what Elle is thinking. From the looks of it, she seems just about ready to run for the hills. Her wide eyes, and trembling hands say it all.

But even with all that hesitation, she follows my instructions and sits down.

I immediately sit beside her, and place the folder on her lap.

"What's this?" She looks at me, apprehensively.

I do my best to hold contact with her warm, toasty colored eyes before she looks at the folder. There's a strong urge buried inside me to just soak this moment up because it may very well be only a matter of moments before she's out of the door.

"The confirmation." I murmur, reaching over to open the folder in her lap. "Esme's adoption papers."

This time she doesn't bother to look back up at me. Instead, she pulls out the stack of papers and looks through them one by one.

"I didn't know I had another sibling up until about a year and a half ago." I start from the beginning, as she browses the papers. By the look of it, she is taking in every single detail.