Savage

Chapter 39: Aftershock

Sage

As I slowly regained consciousness, the world around me swam into focus like a disjointed hinge. Kat sat beside me with her face planted in her hands, shaking her head. The last thing I remembered was the sharp pain in my head, the overwhelming sense of disorientation, and then darkness. Opening my eyes, I found myself lying on a soft bed, the familiar surroundings of my room offering a semblance of comfort. But comfort was the last thing I felt. My mind was a whirlwind of confusion and betrayal. Roman's twin brother. The revelation hit me like a sledgehammer, shattering the fragile illusion of trust I had built around him. How could he not have told me? How could he keep something like this from me? At that point, Kat looked up and saw me.

"Oh great! You're up," she said, relief flushing her face. Then it quickly changed to concern.

"I'm sorry you have to find out this way."

I stared at her. The events of the past few months rushed back with brutal clarity. Roman's strange behaviour, his evasiveness when questioned about his family, and the carefully crafted half-truths now unraveled before me. Every word he had spoken, every touch, now tainted with doubt. Had I been so blinded by love that I hadn't seen the deception staring me in the face?

Kat continued, "I thought he had enough time to tell you," she paused. "I knew I'd overstep if I said something. It wasn't my place," she said hanging her head low, and tried to touch me.

I quickly recoiled and tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washed over me, forcing me to lie back down. Physical weakness mirrored the emotional turmoil raging inside me. How could I confront him about this? Would he deny it, explain it away with more lies? Or worse, would he admit to it and expect me to forgive him? My mind was all over the place and I saw that my action had hurt Kat. It wasn't intentional, but I needed space that wasn't tainted by another Heinrich lie. The room felt stifling, the air heavy with unanswered questions. My gaze fell upon a photograph on the bedside table – Roman and I, smiling together. The image mocked me now, a stark reminder of what I thought we had. Tears welled up in my eyes, a mix of anger and heartbreak. How could I have been so naive? How could I have let myself fall for someone who could easily deceive me? But amidst the pain and confusion, a small voice whispered a different question: Did I really know Roman at all? Was there more to his secrets, more lies waiting to be uncovered? The thought terrified me more than anything else.

I knew I couldn't stay in this room forever, drowning in doubts and suspicions. Eventually, I would have to face him and confront the truth that threatened to tear us apart. But right now, I needed time to process, to gather my strength.

Kat didn't try to say anything else. She sat back and watched to see if I was fine. Cautiously, she stood and exited the room. I had nothing to say to her, at least not right now. Everything felt strange and forbidden. Eventually, I closed my eyes and tried to block out the overwhelming emotions crashing over me. Tomorrow, I would confront Roman. Tomorrow, I would demand answers. But for now, all I could do was lie there, shattered and betrayed, trying to make sense of a reality that no longer felt real at all.

*******

The next day...

The weight of Roman's secrets hung heavy in the air as we sat across from each other in the living room. His usually confident demeanor was replaced by a wayward tension, his hands clenched and unclenched numerous times. I knew this conversation would be difficult, but I had no idea just how much truth would unravel before me.

"Roman," I began, my voice trembling slightly despite my efforts to remain composed. "I saw Ekko. And Mahieu. They told me..." I trailed off, struggling to find the right words. "They told me about your marriage to Mahieu."