Beyond: Beyond the Lights

Chapter 29

MADELINE

It had been about three weeks since Christmas and New Years, and everything still felt like a dream. Life with Jamie and Maria had become something so natural that I found myself constantly smiling about it. Every time I woke up next to Jamie, every time I heard Maria's giggles from the living room, I felt more at home than I ever had. The Christmas holidays had passed in a blur of warmth and laughter, and the New Year had already started off on a high note.

Today, I decided to spend some time on campus catching up on assignments. Jamie was busy with practice, and Maria was with his parents for the day. I wasn't in any hurry, but I figured getting out for a bit would give me some space to clear my head.

The cafe on campus was buzzing with students, the usual hum of conversation and the clatter of coffee cups providing a steady background noise. I ordered my usual latte and grabbed a seat near the window, pulling out my laptop and settling into the comforting routine of reading through emails and working on assignments.

I had just opened a message from Elena when my phone buzzed with a new text from her.

Elena: Hey, how's everything going with Jamie and Maria? You guys still living the perfect little life?

Madi: Yeah, things are great. Jamie's at practice, and I'm on campus pretending to be productive. 😅

Elena: You're totally productive. 'Productive' at getting more latte refills.

Madi: Haha, you know me too well.

I smiled to myself as I put my phone down, taking a sip of my coffee. Everything felt so easy with Jamie, so right, but that tiny knot of worry that had been lingering in the back of my mind refused to go away. It was all because of the secret I'd been carrying—the one about my family.

Jamie didn't know the truth about Sebastian, about how he wasn't just my cousin. Sebastian was actually my half-brother, the product of an affair my mom had years ago. It was one of those family secrets you never talked about, even though it was always there, hanging in the background like a shadow. For years, we'd kept it quiet, protecting our family's image. But now, with how serious things were getting with Jamie, I knew I couldn't keep it hidden forever.

I just didn't know how to tell him. What if he saw me differently? What if it changed everything between us?

I sighed, trying to shake off the thought as I reached for a newspaper someone had left on the table beside me. I wasn't really looking for anything in particular, just something to skim through while I waited for my coffee to cool down.

But then, my heart stopped.

There, on the front page of the local news section, was a headline that made the blood drain from my face:

Local Philanthropist's Family Secrets Exposed: The Price-Torres Connection.

I felt my stomach twist as I scanned the article. It was all there. The affair, the hidden connection between my mom and Sebastian, the fact that he wasn't my cousin at all, but my half-brother. The story spilled every detail of my family's mess, exposing the truth we'd been trying to hide for so long.

Panic washed over me as I quickly folded the newspaper and shoved it aside. My hands were trembling, my mind racing with a thousand thoughts. I couldn't believe this was happening. The secret was out. Everyone would know. Jamie could already know.

What if he had seen it?

I reached for my phone, my fingers shaking as I typed out a frantic message to Elena.

Madi: It's in the paper. The secret about Sebastian. It's out.

Elena: Wait, what?! Are you serious?

Madi: Yeah. I just saw it. They exposed everything. I'm freaking out, Elena.