Her Secrets

24. Guilty

Thirty minutes prior, they had found the nearest hotel to stay in as they waited for Christian to get on the phone. They needed to hear it from him. They needed the truth and they desperately wanted it now. Asher and Mia alike weren't sure if they'd even believe him but they agreed to hear him out. Would their oldest brother really harm them? After all, he took them in and treated them as his own after their parents died.

If they were even dead.

Although they hadn't said a word since they got off the phone with their oldest brother, they were thinking of the same thing. Thinking of the last thing they ever thought they'd hear. Their father was alive, and he was dangerous. They didn't know if they believed him but a part of them wondered if it was true and they had just been too naive to notice anything. After all they were just kids at the time.

If it was true, if their father had been alive all these years, it'd be devastating. It would be like losing their father again only this time, they wouldn't be crying for him they'd be crying for her. Their oldest sister.

Mia would feel beyond guilty. All these years she had spent angry at Camille, could've been spent angry at the man she wasn't even sure she knew anymore.

Asher was devastated. He hadn't directed his anger at neither Camille nor their father but regardless it hurt. The man he had wanted to be, the father he wanted to become was all with an example of an imaginary man who didn't exist. The man he thought he knew, didn't exist. All these years wasted on trying to make his father proud.

He didn't exist. He didn't exist. He didn't exist. He didn't exist. The phrase was repeated over and over again in his mind like a broken record.

And that was all it took for him to snap. He pulled out his phone and dialed Christian's number.

"I need the fucking truth." He demanded. "Tell me the God damn truth before I go insane."

"What are you talking about? Where are you and Mia?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. No more fucking around, tell me."

"I d-" he was cut off by Asher as angry as ever.

"You know what I'm talking about. Benjamin told us. He told me and Mia. Tell us the fucking truth. If you don't we're finished. We'll be safer alone."

"Fine." He replied before a long pause.

"Well? Are you going to fucking tell us?" Asher spewed.

"Camille didn't really kill herself. From the autopsy report I saw after our parents died, it didn't look like a suicide. Mom and Dad were always fighting after she died. Always fighting. There was never a night where they were happy." He took a deep shaky breath before continuing, "one night I heard Mom say that everything would have been fine if he didn't kill her only daughter. That was their last night. Except dad isn't dead, he's alive. It was all a plan to protect you, Mia, and Ben. That didn't work out though because Ben just found out a month ago. Now you and Mia know."

"Fuck!" Asher said. "You're serious? So he's not dead and now we have to worry about him coming back to hurt us, to hurt Mia?"

There was only one thing on Mia's mind and it wasn't that her life was in danger or the fact that her dead father was really alive. It was what he had said.

"What did you say?" She asked.

"That it didn't work out?" He said repeating his last words.

"No. About mom what she said. You said only daughter. I'm her daughter too."

The other end of the phone was dead silent as was Asher. All anger in Asher left as his heart broke for Mia. Christian wished he never said her exact words. Mia hadn't known. Mia hadn't known she didn't share the same blood.

"Say something." She pleaded. "Ash? Christian? Please say something. Please. Anything."

What could they even say that would make telling her this easier? There was nothing that could ever take this back. Nothing that ever could make it better.

"Come home and I'll tell you. I promise, no more lies. Just please come home." Christian finally said.

"You have to promise to tell me the truth about everything. No more lies and mean that. If I come home you can't lie about anything. I'm eighteen. I can leave at anytime. And I fucking will if you ever tell me another lie. You'll never see me again if you lie."

"You have my word, love." He said. "Asher, come home. You trust me now, right?"

"I'm coming home for Mia's sake. Fuck any trust I had in you before." He said before he hung up the phone.

*

The ride home was done in complete and utter silence. They hadn't dare said a word. Asher's heart was broken for Mia. But hers was too, even more so.

The second Asher pulled into the drive way of their home she swung the door open and stormed towards the walkway. When she reached the door and entered the house she caught sight of Benjamin, Christian, and Stella. They were sitting on the sofa with worried expressions etched on their faces, even before they noticed Mia. Stella was the first to stand up as she rushed to Mia.

"Mia, I'm so glad you're home safe." Stella said attempting to hug her. She dodged her attempt as she quickly backed into the wall.

It wasn't that she feared Stella. No, she was fuming. The last thing she wanted was for the people who lied to her, to act like they didn't know anything about why her and Asher tried leaving.

Even Mia was surprised she let Stella get that out because she flat out ignored her as she locked eyes with Christian.

"I want the truth, Christian." She said, her voice full of confidence.

However, right now, she wasn't confident on the inside. Not at all. She was about to hear the words no one ever would want to hear. She wasn't apart of this family and that... there was nothing that could ever fix this lie. There was nothing anyone could say that would make it better once Christian told her the truth she yearned for.

Perhaps she never should've demanded the truth but she needed it more than anything else in the world right now.

In this moment, she wished she had never gotten herself into such a mess. She could've gone her whole life without this ever coming to the surface. At least she'd feel like she belonged in this family.