Battle of the Roses [Book 2]

Chapter 7

So I debated about whether writing this chapter or the chapter for my new story but I went with this one.  Have fun :) 

Chapter Quote:
"Fear is beside the point when you're faced with the thing you fear."
~Andrea Cramer, Invisibility
_________________________________

Chapter 7

Lily 

Six years later...

I rolled over and rested my head on Caleb's chest.  After three years of dating, we usually ended up sleeping in one another's room now.  He was snoring softly, so I poked him gently in the stomach.  He grunted but stayed asleep.  I tried a different tactic by kissing him on the ear.  Caleb's mouth spread into a smile.

"Morning beautiful," he whispered.

"Morning handsome," I said.  He turned his head to me.  It was still hard for me to believe he'd chosen to stay with us.  I remembered sulking in my room, wondering whether or not he'd stay after I talked to him that summer six years ago, and having him come barging into my room to kiss me.  It was settled after that.  The Searchers made him a new identity, leaving his last name as Laroche.  They looked at him like was crazy because they knew who he was but one glare in their direction made them keep their mouths shut.  I was proud of my alpha boyfriend.  He'd grown up so much, both mentally and physically.  I actually had to stand on my tiptoes to kiss him now.  He rolled out of bed and got dressed.  I followed in suit.  Callie had just graduated so now that we were all out of school, it was time for all of us to throw ourselves into our family's business.

"So what do you think they're going to have us do?" Caleb asked, putting on his shirt.

"They'll start us off with something simple," I said while I put on my makeup. "Although they're having me go help do some stuff for a wedding that's being hosted at the hotel."

"Good luck with that.  I think I want to do the sales and marketing.  I'm good at that.  Come on, let's go get some breakfast." We went downstairs hand-in-hand, unaware of the argument we were about to enter.  Immediately I recognized how distressed, how angry, Spencer was.  I could practically see his wolf form slithering around him.  It frightened me to see him like this because he rarely lost his temper.  In fact, he'd only lost it once in his life.  Spencer could easily beat me, Callie, and our parents in a fight.  If he was angry enough, he could even beat Caleb.

"How could you not tell me this?!" He demanded.  Elaine and Michael were standing in front of him, looking extremely guilty.  Callie sat next to them at the table, crying.

"What's going on?" I asked, cutting through the tension.

"This." Spencer threw a piece of paper at me.  I caught it.  Caleb and I read through it.  I felt my heart beating faster and faster.  How was this possible?

"You're... you're his parents?" Caleb queried, looking up at the Starks.

"We couldn't afford to keep him financially when we had him.  We gave him to the Searchers until we could get on our feet.  In three years' time, we could so we took him back but we didn't think he'd understand why we did what we did at that age so we waited."

"For what?!  My whole life I've been thinking my parents simply didn't want me.  You've let me live with that.  How could you do it!"

"We didn't know how!  We didn't know how to bring it up.  And then we saw how much resentment you had for your parents for giving you to the Searchers and we thought it was best not to tell you because we wanted you to love us for who you thought we were instead of for who we really are.  I'm so sorry son.  I'm so sorry," Elaine said, crying.