I LOVE my big brother, but don't tell anyone!

Chapter 30

Audrina

I glanced over at mom and dad. For the last couple of minutes, both had been altering between sitting down and standing up to pace around the dining room, which we had moved ourselves to. It was all still very confusing, so scarily fresh, which had my thoughts in a jumble. My mind was still trying to protect me from what appeared to be the horrific truth. That dad was in fact not my father.

Not long after dad had reached the office and the three of us had been staring at each other for what felt like an eternity, dad had been the first to find his voice. "Audrina, what are you doing?" He'd asked in a trembling voice. "Why did you open this chest?"

Those words had finally made me snap out of my frozen state. "Are you kidding me?" I'd looked at them incredulously. "Are you fucking kidding me right now?" My voice had risen an octave by each word that had pushed through my clenched jaw.

"Audrina, language, please!" Mum had said. Even though we'd been in a very discomforting situation, she still hadn't been able to help herself from berating my choice of words.

My quick outburst had dispersed almost as soon as it had arrived. I'd looked at the scattered pictures once more, before looking back up at mom and dad. "What is this?"

Mom had finally seemed to find her feet. She'd walked over to me in hurried steps and bent down, grabbing ahold of my hands. "Listen darling –" she'd started, but stopped. She'd opened and closed her mouth several times, seemingly having a hard time to find the right words.

I'd looked down at our joined hands, studied the way hers clung onto mine, desperate not to let go. I'd looked up at her face again, so much alike mine. Her emerald green eyes had glistened with barely contained tears. She was my mother, right? She had to be.

I'd taken a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "Tell me everything."

Mom had slowly nodded her head and we had risen from our crouching positions, and soon after, I'd found myself being led to the dining room. Mom had made us some tea, probably to stall, because none of us usually drank tea. I'd heard mom and dad share heated whispers in the kitchen. I'd decided against interrupting them and had just stayed in my seat, still trying to comprehend the impossible.

I hadn't moved an inch, even though the tea was now on the table in front of me. I studied the steam rising from the cup, swirling in the air before evaporating completely. I shuddered and crossed my arms under my chest in an attempt to shield myself from the cold I now seemed to be surrounded by.

Tired of my own distraught thoughts and feelings, I looked over at mom and dad. "So, when will you start?" My voice sounded empty, completely void of emotions.

Mom stopped pacing and looked over at dad, then at me. "Maybe we should wait for Isaac to come home," she mumbled hesitantly.

Isaac! My Isaac. Through my chaotic thoughts and feelings, I'd managed to figure out he couldn't have known about this. So many times, we had fought over and discussed the fact that we were siblings. The fact... that might no longer be the case.

A small part of my brain had already started to play with the idea that we were half siblings, maybe not even that. But since so many things were going on in my head, I'd decided that was the least of my concerns for the moment.

But where the hell was he? It must have been two hours since we spoke on the phone. He couldn't have been that far away from home, could he? I closed my eyes. Please, please, Isaac, be home soon. I need you. I really need you right now. I drew in a deep breath. No matter how much I needed him, I needed the truth more.