Chapter 10 - Inevitable truth

I repeat, if you don't remember what happened, go read the chapter named as PART TWO again.

This starts right where that one ended.

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"I'm hurt, and the worst part of it, it's my own fault."

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Lilly's POV

Betrayed. Hurt. Tired.

So very tired.

Real physical pain pressed over my chest as I stared at the man and the woman who gave me life, the ones I loved more than anything, the ones I trusted with everything in me.

I trusted them enough to not break my heart.

But, they did.

Christian's betrayal, his whole lies for the past two years weighted nothing in front of this.

Because it hurts ten times more when it comes from those you never thought would hurt you.

My heart broke once again as the videos I watched over and over, played behind my eyes, "You're a liar," An anger so big clouded my senses, and that anger made me hate him at the moment, "And you're...you're a killer, dad!"

The look that flashed in his eyes only proved that I was telling the truth, that after all those years, he got caught. Anger, shock, and a flicker of fear intertwined within the brown of his eyes, the ones that are just like mine, the ones that once were my home, my safe place, and my comfort.

He took a step forward, "Lilly, before you jump into any conclusions," He said ever so carefully, his words measured as his hand reached for my arm, "You need to let me explain."

I snatched my arm from his touch and took a step back, I shook my head, "No, no," I snapped, "You had all these years to explain," I shook my head again, my voice rising with every word, totally ignoring the other people around us.

Katherine, Ashton, and Chase. I didn't care who was hearing. Maybe they already know, maybe they don't...it didn't matter at the moment. Nothing mattered, because it felt like I had nothing to lose anymore.

I had nothing left. Literally.

"You don't get to explain it now!" I stressed out.

"Lilly, please," My mother said, the urgency in her tone trying to tell me to take a step back, to take a deep breath before I say things I would regret.

But I was past making sense of anything. I wasn't thinking straight. I was still in shock, still trying to recover from everything my eyes witnessed, from how my life turned upside down in a matter of days only.

Not days even, minutes. The videos I watched were only minutes, just a couple of minutes enough to destroy more than twenty years of my life.

"What did you think?" I asked her, my eyebrow raising, "That the truth won't come out one day," My eyes flickered from her to him, my tone challenging, "That your lies weren't gonna get exposed!"

"You don't understand anything, Lilly," He said, the muscle of his jaw tightening.

"I don't need to," I said, fighting for my lost breath as I carried on, "I saw it with my own eyes, I saw you kill without much of flinching," My throat closed up and I was no longer in control of what my mouth was saying, it was the heartbreak and the pain talking, "When I thought that the man who raised me couldn't even hurt a bug, that he doesn't have a bad bone in him, I saw him kill and torture people in ways that aren't even human," Tears spilled down my cheeks, "You taught me not to lie but then you lied," I looked between them, "Both of you lied to me and to Max!"

He shook his head, the muscles of his jaw worked as if trying his best to stay in control, "Lilly, I am begging you," He stressed out, his tone strict, "Let's go inside and talk about this in a more calm way, I can explain everything-"

"What do you want to explain?" I shot out, interrupting the rest of his words.

His eyes went behind me for a fleet second, "Lilly-"

"You want to explain how you lied!" I snapped.

"Lilly, stop!" The warning and the urgency in his tone didn't stop me from finally saying it out loud, "How you are not Max's father!"

My words were like a punch to his stomach, the impact of them had him take a step backward, his eyes pressed shut for a second, wincing as if he expected me to say it and was dreading it. When his eyelids glided open, the devastation in them wasn't on me, no, it was focused on something behind me.

"What?"

Max's voice had my eyes widening and I whirled around so fast, to see him standing by the door leading to the backyard. His clueless gaze was on me as he let the sport's bag drop down and he stepped closer, "When did you get here?" He asked me, his eyebrows pulling closer before his lost gaze traveled between me and dad, "What...what's happening?"

He wasn't supposed to be here. I thought he wasn't here. Even though his university is in the same city, but he stays at the campus's dormitory and he comes home only on the weekends. That's what I know. I didn't...I didn't expect him to be here.

"You weren't supposed to be here," I whispered, the heartbreak pressing tighter over my chest. I shook my head and more tears fell as I took a step closer toward him, "Max, this is...this is not how I wanted you to know about this."

My words added to the confusion in his eyes, lines etched between his eyebrows, "I don't understand," He mumbled, "What do you mean he is not," He addressed the matter with a small smile, as if it is too silly to even be real, "That he is not my father, is this some kind of a joke?"

But my expression and the tension wrapping around us were enough to make his face fall down. Air harshly pushed out of his lungs and the frown between his eyebrows deepened before his lost and scared gaze went to them, "Dad?" He asked, "Mom? What's happening?"

Mom's tears stopped her from saying anything, the shock of me knowing, of Max knowing, froze her down in the spot and no words came from her side at the moment. I was equally mad at her, because like him, she lied...actually, she did worse than lying.

"Max, just, don't..don't listen to her," Dad said, trying to find a way out of the inevitable truth. He stepped closer toward us, "It's not like it sounds, believe me, I can...I can explain, just let me explain it to you."

"Why?" I shot out, standing in front of Max, between him and dad, "So you can lie more to him?"

Dad's eyes widened at the defensiveness of my tone, "Lilly, what has gotten into you?!" He snapped, no longer able to keep his anger at bay.

"You," I pointed at him, "You and your lies are what has gotten into me!"

I turned to Max, "I will tell you," I mumbled, my voice softening as I noticed how the green in his eyes darkened with worry and something like fear. Redness rushed all over the skin of his neck, something that happens when he is either nervous or scared and at the moment he was terrified of hearing the truth.

The hand that wrapped over my arm and pulled me away from Max, I expected it to be dad's, but when I turned my head, my gaze fell on mom's, and in her eyes, there was something that looked so much like disappointment.

That faded away the second she looked back at Max, her hand reached for his arm and she gently squeezed, "Baby, I will tell you everything," She said so softly while Max stayed silent, still trying to register the sudden change in everything, "But I need you to know, we didn't lie," She shook her head, ever so helplessly, "We had our reasons to keep this hidden from both of you."

"What reason?" I couldn't stop myself from saying the next word, "Your betrayal?"

"Lilly!" Dad snapped, shutting me up. He marched forward toward me, the harshness in his eyes pinned me down and his voice bellowed all around us, "Why are you so keen on ruining everything?!"

Tears fell down and I shook my head, "I am not, I am not, I didn't do anything but you did, you two ruined everything!" I pushed myself away from him, my eyes on Max now, the frustration pushed me to let it all out, "Do you wanna know the truth, he is not your father," I pointed at him, "Our uncle is, the one that died," My voice broke down as I added, "The one he killed!"

My words stole the color from Max's face, the shock in his eyes was replaced by something entirely different and he snatched his arm away from mom's grip. He staggered backward, away from her, the news hitting him like a punch to the face.

He rushed a hand over his face and through his hair before it went to the back of his neck. He shook his head, and his fingers tightened over the back of his neck. Heartbreak clouded the look in his eyes as he stared back at dad, "You're not my father?" He asked over a broken whisper.

I rubbed a hand over my chest trying to blunt the ache there. I didn't want him to know like this...not so sudden like I did, but I couldn't handle them lying more, feeding us more bullshit. I just couldn't. He deserves the truth, we both do.

"I am, I am, Max, and you are my son, nothing will ever change that," Dad said, his words genuine as he took a step forward, and I knew he meant it. Despite everything, he never treated him any different, that I knew and saw with my own eyes, but it doesn't change the past...the fact that he killed Max's father, his own brother. How could he do it?

The man I ran to every time I was hurt, the one who always made it okay...I wanted to have faith in that man, I wanted to trust him, to deny everything Christian said. But, I saw it and the pictures didn't lie, they can't lie like he did for so many years.

When dad tried to reach for Max, it only pushed him backward, he shook his head, "No, no," He shook his head again, bewildered by everything, "I need to...I need to get out of here," Max added, out of breath as he turned around and headed out.

"Max, please wait," Mom said and she followed him.

Dad's eyes fell on me before he went after him, and the look in them told me that between us, something has been broken, and its crack will last forever.

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Alex's POV

I didn't know what I was feeling at the moment as I ran after Max. There was pain, there was anger, so much anger but the dominant feeling was fear.

Fucking hell, I was terrified.

So terrified of losing him. I did everything so I won't have to lose him, so I won't have to stand and have him look at me the way he did. Heartbroken, like I betrayed him, made him live in a lie his whole life.

He looked at me, like I once looked at my own father, but I wasn't him, I am nothing like him. I was only trying to protect him, to protect them both from this truth and every fucked up thing it will bring along with it.

I couldn't begin to understand Lilly and how she figured it all out. I was too angry to even fathom a single thought. My hand grasped his arm from the back, "Max, wait," I said and he snatched his arm back, "You can't go like this, you need to hear me out," I pleaded out and his bewildered eyes fell on me, eyes that looked so much like Nikolas's at the moment.

The hurt in them, the pain, the little boy who will soon have his whole life shattered once he learns the actual truth. Sometimes I feel like I'd rather him hate me than knowing that exact part. A part that once ruined my life, I just didn't want it to ruin his.

He shook his head, the red lines in his eyes seemed more prominent as he trapped inside everything he didn't want to feel, "Why?" He asked as his chest heaved out for one normal breath.

Was it, why did you lie to me, or was it, why did you kill my real father. I had no honest answer for either.

I opened my mouth to say something, anything that would have him believe in me, that would take that look from his eyes but I couldn't. I've gone through a day like this a hundred and a thousand times in my head but never for once was I able to say the right thing.

Max understood that and he shook his head, "Just leave me alone," He grated out, his jaw tightening as he turned around and walked away.

Before I could go after him again, I felt a presence beside me. I turned my head to see Chase pause to a stop, "I will go after him," he said, nodding his head to the direction Max went into.

I nodded my head, he is not gonna accept me now, not till I figure out what I am going to say or how will I say it, "Just stay by his side, okay?" I requested and he immediately nodded, "Of course, don't worry," He said in reassurance before he followed after him.

I tried to pull the oxygen back to my lungs but failed, I rubbed a hand over my chest trying to blunt the ache. I didn't understand if this pain was physical or mental; either way, it hurts like hell.

How could Lilly do this, how could she blame us without even trying to hear the truth out? I always noticed how she took her impulsiveness from me and her stubbornness from her mother, and how both made a lethal character in her. But never did it cross my mind she'll come barging in, talking to us in such a way.

I thought she trusted me enough to know that there is more to this than meets the eye.

My anger pushed me back to where everyone else was. Katherine had dragged Ashton and went away, giving us privacy, something Lilly didn't even consider when she marched in calling me words like killer and liar.

My eyes fell on her, and my fingers grabbed her arm, turning her around to face me, everything she did driving me insane to the point I didn't care if I was being too harsh, "What the hell is the matter with you, Lilly?" I snapped, "This was not the way to deal with it!" I shot out and her eyes grew a bit wide, taken aback by my attitude, "Why did you do that? Didn't you see how you threw the word in Max's face, did you do it on purpose, did you want to hurt him?"

"What?" She asked in disbelief and tried to pry herself out of my hold, "I would never want to hurt him, how dare you say that!"

"Your actions say that and more!" I snapped, "Because the daughter I know would've not done what you just did," I couldn't begin to describe how disappointed, how hurt I felt by what she did, by the words she said.

"Your father is right, Lilly," Cara said, coming beside me, her voice hoarse, choked with unshed tears as she added, "You could've come and talked to us about it first, asked, tried to understand what was happening, not jump to conclusions and end up hurting everyone, including your own little brother."

Lilly's eyes grew wide, "No, no, you don't get to turn this around on me, you don't," She looked between us in bewilderment, "You both ruined everything, you killed and you lied, you hurt people, and that came back to hurt us," She was hurt, I could see it in her eyes, but that was no excuse to turn against us, her parents, at the very first chance, "I didn't hurt Max, you did," She said, accusation flared in her tone as she pointed at me, "You killed his father!"

"I am his father!" I snapped.

"No, no, you are not!"

"Lilly, it's enough!" Cara said, her voice rising.

Lilly only shook her head and looked at Cara, "No, don't think yourself any better," She started and my blood boiled, "Lilly, be careful how you talk to your mother!" I stressed out, on the verge of losing it.

She didn't listen to me, her eyes on Cara, "I am not stupid, it's obvious, I am older than Max and I am his daughter, but Max isn't," She said, pointing at me, and before I could try and stop her, "Which means one thing, you were warming two beds at the same time!"

"Lilly!" I snapped, and the one string keeping my sanity in broke the second she said those words out loud. I wasn't thinking, I wasn't breathing and all I felt was my hand colliding with her face, doing one thing I never thought I'd do, raising my hand on her, actually hitting her but I was way past thinking logically or straight at the moment.

The force pushed her away and had her staggering backward she almost fell if she didn't hold into the chair. I didn't hold back when I hit her, because the amount of anger I was feeling toward her was indescribable.

Cara beside me gasped, unable to register what I just did. Lilly's hand went to her face, her shocked gaze on the ground before she lifted her teary eyes to me and stared back at me in disbelief. Tears spilled and spilled, "He was right, about everything," She mumbled, her pain-stricken state should've pulled me out of my anger, but it didn't, not when she brokenly whispered, sobbing as she mumbled, "I hate you."

She was doing it again, she was hurting me again, but back then, she was a two-year-old innocent baby who knew nothing, now she was all grown up, who knew how much her words hurt.

"I spoiled you way too much that I forgot to teach you how to respect your own parents," I said, everything we did was for them, every pain, every scar, every sacrifice, it was just for them, "Get out of my house," I pointed outside, unable to handle her presence anymore as I snapped, "Get. Out!"

She whirled around and ran away and that pain pressing over my chest only got worse. I tried to breathe in before I looked back at Cara, who stared at me in a disoriented haze, tears streaming down her cheeks, and that look in her eyes broke me even more.

I walked closer and cupped her face in my hand, my touch only made her cry even more, "Alex, Max, what are we...what are we gonna do?"

I brushed my thumb over her cheeks, wiping the tears away, "I will fix this, I promise," I said, trying to assure both her and myself, "I will fix it, cupcakes please, don't cry," I whispered.

My words had her pushing herself into my embrace, and I wrapped my arms around her, protectively. After that day, I promised myself that I wasn't going to let anyone hurt her again. Not even my own daughter.

"I don't want them to know," She sobbed into my chest and I only tightened my hold over her.

I pressed my eyes shut and I rested my chin on the top of her head, "I know, believe me, I know," I mumbled, "But I am not gonna stand and let anyone blame you for this," I added, my heart beating fast and slow and breaking all over again.

One, it was terrified of losing Max.

Two, because I thought Lilly would be the last person ever to hurt us like this.

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Lilly's POV

Everywhere ached. Everything. My brain, my heart, my anxious stomach, and even my face.

I swallowed down my tears and gathered enough power and knocked on the door. A few seconds in and Chase opened it, "Hey," I said, my voice hoarse from how much I cried today, "I...uh...I asked your mother to give me your address, I just want to see if Max is here?"

He nodded, "Yes, he's inside, come in," He said and gave me space to enter.

"Thank you," I mumbled lowly as I made my way into the house. The home she was probably talking about. I hoped with everything in me that she wouldn't be here now, I just want to see my brother, that's all. I don't have the energy to deal with anyone else.

I stood in the hallway, confused about where to go. My eyes fell back on Chase as he came to a stop beside me, "It took a lot of convincing to drag him here with me," He said and pointed at one of the rooms, "He is in there, he said he wanted to be alone."

I nodded and before I could go there, I pointed at the room and asked, taking permission, ever so formally, "Can I?"

He didn't answer right away and when I looked at him, his eyes were on my cheek, where dad made sure to leave a mark there. His throat bobbed and he let his gaze drift away before he nodded, "Yeah, sure."

I didn't wait for more, I headed toward the room and knocked, knowing no answer is going to come, I opened the door and peeked at him. Max was sitting over the bed, his gaze focused on his lap, lost in his own thoughts. So, I walked inside, the sound of my footsteps lifted his eyes up to me and I closed the door behind me.

I sat beside him on the bed, and my head tilted, taking into his state, "Hey," I said, lowly.

His gaze fell on mine but he stayed silent, his eyes saying what he couldn't express out loud. I scooted closer to him, my hand went to his cheek and I shook my head, "I am so sorry," I mumbled, "I am so sorry if I hurt you today, I swear I didn't mean to."

He shook his head, dismissing the thought and I took that as my chance to edge closer and wrap my arms around him, I pressed my hand over the back of his neck, pulling him closer and he rested his head over my shoulder as his arms went around my back, holding into me as tight as I held into him, "I am so sorry," I said again.

"It's not your fault," he mumbled.

"I want you to know that no matter what, I am here, I will always be here for you, okay?" I assured him, knowing how lost he must be feeling at the moment.

When we pulled away, "So what now," He said, so confused, but in his tone, there was a bit of mockery toward life and how fucked up this situation is, "Are you like my half-sister or my cousin or what?"

I shook my head, "I am your sister, and you are my brother, that's it," I stressed out, "There is no more, no less, this doesn't change anything."

"It changes everything, Lilly," He said over a low whisper.

He shook his head, "It's like I don't know who I am anymore," The muscles of his jaw worked and his gaze drifted down, "He is not my father?" It was more like a statement than a question, it's almost like he couldn't believe it, "How is that...how is that even possible? It doesn't make any sense."

I placed my hand over his and tightened my hold, "It's because he loves you so much, it sure won't make any sense," No matter how angry I am at him, there were facts we couldn't deny.

His eyebrow raised, "Well maybe he loves me because he is my uncle," He scoffed and shook his head, "This is so fucked up, I can't even-"

"Don't say that," I said, "We both know that's so not true."

"I don't understand, Lilly," He shook his head, "Why...why did he kill him? It's dad we are talking about, he would never...never hurt his own brother no matter what."

I thought the same, until...

"I don't know," I mumbled. I had my theories for the why-part, but none of that matters anymore.

"When he told us about him, it's just, it didn't seem like this," He shook his head, refusing to believe, "He looked like he cared about him, a lot, there is definitely something missing here."

I shook my head, "Max, there are a lot of things we don't know about our parents and where they come from," I mumbled, all the papers that I've read and I still can't make sense of anything, "Didn't you ever question why dad never talked about his parents?"

He shrugged, "They died, I just thought he didn't like to bring it up."

"There is more to it, believe me," I didn't want to mention that dad killed his own father as well, maybe I lost my faith in him, I didn't Max to do that too, "Max, on my birth certificate, it says I was born in the UK," I added, "I didn't even have dad's last name back then, they hid a lot from us, a lot, and whatever the reason is, they should've not done this."

"I don't understand," He said, shaking his head and lines etched his forehead, "I want them to tell me the whole truth about what happened those many years ago, I just want to know what happened, because something just doesn't feel right."

Nothing feels right.

I nodded, resting my back over the headboard beside him, I placed my arm around his shoulder and he leaned closer to me. I pulled into a deep breath, trying to be strong in a world I didn't feel like I recognize anymore. Max needed me at the moment and I threw every pain I was feeling behind and tried to be the big sister for him.

He rested his head over my shoulder and I ran my hand through his hair, "I love you so much, you know that, right?" I whispered.

He nodded, "I love you too, Lilly," He mumbled, "I feel like I lost a part of who I am, it would suck to lose you too," He added, reflecting every doubt and fear he had with this topic.

I shook my head, "You would never, never lose me," I said, assuring him and I rested my chin over the top of his head.

Max is your father's weakness.

"I will never let anyone hurt you, I promise," I said, my jaw tightening, trapping the sore pain the thought alone brought to my chest.

Maybe an hour passed, Max and I talked a bit, and after a while, he drifted to sleep, with his head over my shoulder. A small smile broke down my face as I stared down at him, true we always fight, but it's just a sibling thing, if anything would ever happen to him, I'd lose my mind.

Carefully, I let his head drop over the pillow and I pulled the comforter over his body. On light footsteps, I headed toward the door, turned off the lights, and with one last look at him, I walked out of the room.

I gulped down as my eyes drifted around the apartment, it was quite big and from the portions I've seen by now, I can safely say someone with really good taste had styled it. Lost as to where to head out next, I followed the source of light and ended up in the living room. Chase was already sitting on the couch, at my footsteps, his gaze lifted up from his phone and at my sight, he got to his feet, "How is he?" He asked, worry etched lines between his eyebrows.

I shrugged, out of words at the current situation, "He finally fell asleep," I mumbled and nervously let my gaze drift away from him. I didn't want to look at him, to actually see him. It still hurts to look at him for too long, "Uh," I tried to speak, my gaze on the floor as I tucked my hair behind my ear, "If you don't mind, can I come again tomorrow morning," My gaze drifted up to him, "For Max I mean, I just, I don't want to leave him alone."

"Where are you gonna go now?" He asked, his eyebrows pulling closer.

I shook my head, "I don't know, I will stay at a hotel or something for the time being," No way I am gonna go back home after what happened and I can't go back to the UK now, not till I make sure Max is okay.

He shook his head, "No, Lilly, you'll stay here," he said, "At least, till things clear out."

"No, no, that's not so...appropriate at the moment," I mumbled.

"I am not gonna leave you to go for a hotel now, it's already too late," He said, addressing the thought as if it's too normal, as if he and I are so casual, to the point this is no longer awkward...it was all kinds of awkward.

I can't get myself to look him in the eyes for too long. Too scared of what I will see in them. Too scared of what I will feel.

"Lilly, if you remember, I told you, if you ever needed me, I will be here for you," He explained the motive behind his kind gesture, "And right now, well, Max needs you, so just stay here, for his sake at least."

I gulped down and nervously played with the hem of my sweatshirt, "I don't want to intrude."

His eyebrow raised, "Can you please stop treating this as if we are strangers?"

I bit at the inside of my cheek and looked at him, "Aren't we?"

He shook his head, "No, at least for me, we are not," He was dealing with this so smoothly, like my presence didn't affect him, didn't make him all types of anxious like it's doing to me, "Everything aside, you're my friend, and you're family to me."

Oh, so we are friends again?

"Also, your suitcase is still in my car," He pointed out, "I will go get it and that's my room over there," He showed me where, "You can go take a shower, change or do whatever makes you comfortable," He added, "You had a long flight, you must be tired, so just rest for now and tomorrow we can talk about it."

"Are you sure?" I asked, won't your girlfriend mind? I wanted to add, but I felt like it would be too much bitter to say that out loud.

He nodded, "Yeah," He grabbed his keys, "I will go get your things, just get yourself comfortable."

He went out and I headed for the room he pointed at. I tried not to look too much at my surroundings, trying to focus on the reason up to why I came here. To face my parents, that's all.

I don't need to face every mistake I've done as well.

I walked to the en-suite bathroom and before I could wash my face, I stared at my reflection in the mirror and at how terrible and miserable I looked. I sucked into a deep breath and ran my fingers over the red mark on my cheek. Tears threatened to fall again but I shook them away.

I've cried enough for two whole days. I am drained.

I opened the cabinet, searching for a brush to at least make something out of my messed up hair, but when my eyes fell on the many products there that definitely belonged to a female, like makeup remover, face cream, and whatnot, I immediately closed it.

I backed away, "Don't, Lilly, don't you dare," I mumbled to myself and ran my hand through my hair, shaking myself out before I dare and think that thought through. I don't have the right to.

I started this.

I did this.

I heard noises in the room before Chase said, "Lilly, your suitcase is here, okay?"

"Okay," I said from the bathroom and waited for him to leave the room that I walked out. Thankfully enough, in my hazed state, Sally helped me pack and she threw some shampoo and other essentials into my suitcase. The last thing I want is to use her shampoo or anything that belongs to her.

I decided to take a quick shower, washing off the flight's smell off me, and changed into something more comfortable before I sat on the bed's edge. I gulped down as I looked around the room, a place that belonged to them, and I wished to be anywhere but here.

At the moment, I felt like I had nowhere else to go. No place to belong to.

I rubbed at my chest and realized that what Christian wanted, it happened.

I really lost everything.

I almost scoffed at myself, because this, I looked all around me, I lost this by myself.

I can't blame Christian for it. I can't blame my parents. I can only blame myself.

*************

Alex's POV

I couldn't wait any longer. I wanted to give Max space to think things through, to make sense of the new information but I couldn't hold it in any longer. Chase texted me that he took Max to his place and even though it's too late now, I found myself there. I just wanted to see him and just make sure he is okay.

"He fell asleep," Chase said when he let me into his apartment.

I nodded, "I am just gonna see him, that's all," I mumbled and he nodded, before he led my way to the room.

My fingers curled over the knob and with a deep breath, I carefully let the door open before I stepped inside. I silenced my footsteps as I walked toward the bed and my eyes fell on him. The comforter had fallen to the ground, probably from how much he tossed and turned, the truth hunting his subconsciousness.

I pulled it and covered his body before I sat by the bed's edge, Max's back to me and I let my gaze take him in, "How did you grow up so fast?" I mumbled, and a small smile pulled at my lips, remembering everything, from the moment he was born up till now, from his first steps that used to welcome me every time I came home from work, to his first words, to how effortlessly the word dad used to leave his mouth.

He is my little boy, no one can convince me otherwise, no one can take him away from me, I won't let it.

I rested my hand over his arm and gently squeezed, "Please don't hate me," I mumbled, "Because I don't know what I'll do if you will."

I let out a very tired breath and tried to think of ways to fix this, of ways to tell him, and if there is any way that I won't have to tell him every part, a way not to expose everything.

He deserves to know the truth, but he doesn't deserve to bear every pain that truth holds along.

I got to my feet and with one last determined look at him, I made my way out. Tomorrow, the actual truth will have to come out, one way or another, so why postpone it anymore. I will tell him everything he needs to know.

When outside, Chase's eyes fell on me and I requested, "Don't make him leave in the morning, I will need to talk with him first."

He nodded, his eyes taking into my state before he worriedly asked, "Are you okay?"

I shook my head, "The people I care about the most in the world are hurt," I mumbled, my eyebrow raising, "What do you think?"

He sucked into a deep breath, "I think that in the end, Max will come to terms with it," He said, "I may not understand everything but, to everyone you're Max's father, that's never gonna change," I really hope so, "And...she's in there," He gave me a knowing look, "Maybe you should talk with her as well."

I can't begin to describe what I was feeling toward her at the moment. Yes, I am more than angry, but, she looked so hurt, my little bug was hurt and I wanted to understand her point of view and her pain, I wanted to know how the hell did she know about all of this, she said she saw it...how in god's name did she see it?

I wanted to look past everything, to give excuses for her actions but I couldn't because she is not little anymore, she should've understood, she should've not talked with her mother in that way. How could she not believe in us?

I shook my head, "She's the last person I need to see right now," I mumbled.

Chase shook his head, "But you are the only person she needs right now."

My gaze drifted to the closed door at the other end of the hallway. My jaw tightened, knowing that his words are true somehow, I headed there. I walked inside the room, my eyes fell on her laying on the side of the bed, her cheek resting over her palm but she wasn't asleep.

Her gaze lifted up to me and the hurt bled down from her eyes and her other hand tightened, twisting the sheets into her palms.

On a heavy breath, I sat right by her side. My eyes fell on her red cheek and my heart ached. Despite all, I can't, I just can't bear her pain. I can't bear to be the one causing it. On their own accord, my fingers brushed over her cheek and she sucked down into a deep breath, and she pressed her eyes shut, trying to trap the tears in but they escaped through her closed eyelids uncontrollably.

I leaned closer, my hand on her face pulled her closer to me and she sobbed. My heart broke once again and my lips pressed to her temple as she wrapped her hand over my arm, trying to hold into something, "Why did you do this, Lilly?"

She hiccupped a sob and buried herself deeper into my hold, scared to let go, "You know what hurts me the most now," I said, my voice low as I pulled a bit away from her, "Is how much you are going to regret this once you know what really happened," I shook my head and her pained eyes lifted up to me, "It's gonna hurt you knowing what you're putting your brother and mother through because of this," My fingers brushed over her cheek, "And I never prepared you for that type of pain."

I pulled my hand away from her face but she still held into my arm, confusion wrapped up with pain and so much more in her eyes as she silently stared back at me, "We could've solved this between us, and no one needed to get hurt," I shook my head, because through every scenario I had in my head about this, I always thought she would come to me first.

"But Lilly, sometimes you really have no regard to how you are hurting those around you," I really felt so disappointed, in her and in myself, "And now, if you want to fix things somehow, you need to tell me one thing," My tone took a more strict turn as I asked, "How did you know about this?"

Her throat bobbed and I asked again, "Who told you?"

Her gaze fell down and when she gave me no answer, anger came back with a full force and tightened my tone, "Was it Christian?" Even though he was fucking clean and didn't give me any reason to suspect him over the past year, he was the only one I could think of.

Her glassy eyes lifted up to me, the tears had stopped falling, and she just shook her head as an answer.

My hand curled into a fist, "Who was it, then?" I stressed out, my voice raising, "Lilly, you better answer me!"

Her jaw tightened and she pulled her upper body up, sitting down and she shook her head again, "No one."

My eyebrow raised, "You're lying to me?"

She shrugged, "I took a page from your book," She blankly answered.

Her words drove me back to insanity and I got to my feet, "I am gonna find out who did it," I grated out through gritted teeth, "And Lilly, if it is that...boyfriend of yours," I started, my tone threatening, "You said you saw what I did, believe me when I say I will do much much worse to him."

My words had her eyes widening, maybe I was supposed to not show her that what she witnessed was true, but I was way past making logical decisions, not when I felt she is siding with whoever helped her know about this, against me.

**************

Lilly's POV

Fear tightened my throat at his words and panic spread all over my chest. I couldn't tell him it was Christian, through the anger and the rage he is feeling now, he would go and hurt him, or like he said, he'll do worse.

Yes, Christian was wrong in everything he did, in how he lied to me all this time, how he so effortlessly broke my heart but he is not, he is not a bad person. He is hurt, and in his position, he is right. Dad is the villain in his story, he is the one who killed his father. If the roles were switched, I'd do to Christian much worse than what he did to me.

So, I can't unleash dad's rage on him. This is something I will deal with on my own. I will deal with Christian on my own. Not with guns and knives, not with murder and torture. I will make him understand, I will make sure he hurts no one, definitely not Max and not even my parents.

I've been too wrapped up in everything I discovered that I didn't take a second to think clearly about Christian's betrayal, about him lying to me, about all these two years. Was it really all a lie? Did he say the right things and did all the right thing just so I'd fall for him, that I would trust him enough to get my heart broken again?

I didn't know what to feel or understand anymore. Who to believe in and who not to. This lost feeling is so terrible. My tears were back again, because it physically hurts, it hurts so bad. My heart begged me to stop feeling this pain, it didn't rest for two straight days. I wanted so badly to change everything, to look at my dad and not see a killer. I wanted to go back and choose to stay away from Christian. I was better off not knowing anything. I was better off being naive and kept in the shadows.

A few minutes after dad left, I heard light footsteps getting closer toward me. I didn't dare to lift my gaze and let Chase see me like this, all broken and weak, "Lilly," He said, his voice lacing with concern and I placed my head in my hands, hiding my face as I felt the mattress dip beside me.

I felt his arm wrap around my shoulder and the second my cheek pressed against his chest, I realized how badly I screwed everything up. He tightened his hold over my back and I buried myself into his embrace, holding into the one part of my life that was innocent and pure. But somehow, I managed to taint that part as well.

"I don't know what to do or who to believe in anymore," I said, expressing all of my fears out loud.

"The answer to that is easy Lilly, you have to believe in your father, in your parents," He said and I shook my head in his embrace, "You don't understand," I mumbled, "Imagine you see your father kill and torture people, you see that look of rage in his eyes, it wasn't him, Chase, it didn't look like him."

"I'd be hurt for sure, I'd be shocked, but this man is still my father, he is the one who always had my back, who held my hand when I needed him to," He explained, trying to make me understand, "I'd still believe in that man, because the picture could lie, Lilly, especially when you don't see it from all the angles."

I sniffled, the heavyweight his words held pressed tighter over my chest, and before I could say anything, "Chase, baby," Her voice interrupted me and paused my thoughts as she walked into the room, "Where are y-" Her words halted to a sudden stop when her eyes fell on me, on his arm that's wrapped around me.

I pulled myself away, making some distance between us as I wiped the tears from over my cheek away. The softness her eyes held seconds ago turned into something entirely different when she made sense of my presence, I noticed how her hand curled into a fist on the side, but she didn't say a thing to me. Her eyes on Chase as she mumbled, "Chase," her voice low, "Can we...talk outside?"

She didn't wait for him to say anything as she left the room. I curled my fingers over the sheets as I turned to him, "I told you I didn't want to intrude," I said, my voice as steady as I could manage to make it, addressing the sudden tension that took over the house.

He shook his head and got to his feet, "And I told you, you are not," He said, the muscle of his jaw tightened a bit before he walked out of the room, following her.

He closed the door behind him, but it don't close all the way. Not having it in me to hear what they are about to say, I got to my feet and was about to close it, but her loud voice had me pausing there, something inside pushing me to invade...their privacy, that same thing made me feel she was being loud for a reason, "So, the first day she is back in the city and she is already on your bed?"

The accusation in her voice triggered some anger in his, "Aylin, come on, you know it's not like that," Chase said, "Max is here as well, so lower your voice," He added, "Let's go talk inside."

"Why?" She stressed out, "Scared she is gonna hear us and get her feelings hurt?"

I knew she purposely wanted me to hear her. I know the type of person she is. I should've not stayed here. I should've taken Max and went some other place.

My hand wrapped over the knob, wanting to close the door, but the sick part of me wanted to see what he is going to say, "Aylin, why are you talking like this!"

"Because you know I am right, you know that I have the right to feel insecure like this when it comes to her," She added, emotions tightened her voice, "I trust you, but...but I don't trust her!"

Yeah, because I am the one who went after my best friend's boyfriend, lied, and slept with him!

My jaw tightened in anger and if this was the old me, I would've gone out and showed her how to pick her words the right way.

"I knew she would come back and take you away from me again," I heard her say, the tears in her voice had me peeking from the door. I saw as he inched closer and cupped her face in his hands, wiping the tears away, "Don't say that," He shook his head, "Things happened and I can't leave her alone in a situation like this," He explained, "Lilly is family to me, I have to be there for her."

He talked about me like I was just a duty forced on him, "But that's it, she means nothing else to me anymore and you know that."

That was my cue to shut the door, unable to hear more.

She means nothing to me anymore.

Nothing.

It shouldn't hurt, but it does.

I laid my back over the door, trying to hold myself up. I couldn't blame him for this, for moving on, for finding someone else. I did the same, I did worse, but...but why her?

From all the girls in the world, why Aylin? Why her again?

*************

I couldn't wait for the sun to come up, so I can take Max and get the hell away from here. I couldn't sleep at all, not after everything going on. My body felt like it was slowly giving up on me with my disregard to what it needs, from food to at least some rest.

I don't know what happened last night between them, whether she stayed here, or if she left, all I know is that I didn't see Chase's face after. On hesitant steps, I left his room, my eyes carefully drifting around, the last thing I want is to run into her.

The moment I was about to knock on the room Max is sleeping in, the door opened and I almost bumped into him, "You're also awake?" I asked, keeping my voice low on purpose.

He nodded, "I woke up hours ago," he said and I urgently added, "Let's get out of here."

His eyebrows pulled closer, "To where?"

I shrugged, "Anywhere, just not here," I don't want to stay where I am not welcomed and I am not leaving Max alone.

He nodded, "But, I wanna go home," He said, "I want to talk with them, I need them to explain everything to me," Unlike me, he wasn't a coward, he doesn't want to run away, he wants to face the truth.

I sucked into a deep breath, "Okay," I nodded, "I will go with you."

It was too early, so for sure Chase was fast asleep, and couldn't stop us as we silently left the house and headed...home. Too bad it didn't feel like home to me anymore.

Max used his keys to open the main door and the moment we stepped inside, I saw mom rushing to the door, her hazed gaze fell on Max and a low sigh of relief parted her lips at his sight, "Max," she said, ever so softly and dad came up from behind her.

I could safely say they didn't even sleep at all.

"We should talk," Max said, his tone serious and not once wavering.

Mom nodded, "Okay, yeah, we will," She said, inching closer, her hand reaching for him and he gently retreated it back before he made his way further inside. I finally let my eyes drift to dad. He gave me one brief look before his gaze fell on Max, doing his best to ignore my presence after our last encounter.

I sat down on the couch, by Max's side. I let my eyelids glide down for a second when dizziness swarmed all over my vision. I pressed my palm over the cushion, trying to shake myself out of it. I pulled into shaky hollow breaths and felt Max's hand rest over my arm, "Are you okay?" He whispered.

I gulped down and looked at him, I nodded my head, "Yeah, yeah," I said in reassurance.

Max turned his attention back to mom and dad, "Yesterday you said you wanted to explain," He started, "So go ahead, I am here now and I want to know everything," He shook his head, "No more lies."

Mom sucked into a stuttering breath and dad was the first to talk, "We will, but before everything, I need you to know that this changes nothing," He said, "You're my son, Cara is your mother and I am your father," He strictly pointed out, "And if it's by my choice, I would rather you not know the rest."

"But I deserve to know the truth about where I come from," Max said, the muscles of his jaw worked.

"But the truth might hurt," Dad said, his voice lowering.

Max shook his head, "I am not a kid anymore, it's my choice, right?" He asked and mom nodded her head, "And I want to know."

"Max, we only hid the truth to protect you, not to hurt you, to protect you both," Mom said, looking between us.

"I get that, but now, no more hiding in the name of protecting me, I want to know the truth."

Dad's eyes drifted to mom for a long second, and he placed his hand over hers, he tightened his hold before he inched closer and pressed a small kiss to her temple. He whispered something to her and I think he said, "I will do it."

His eyes fell back on Max and he started, "When your mother was pregnant with Lilly, she went to London, for one week," He said, "But the thing is, she didn't come back," His words doubled my confusion and he explained, "They told me the plane crashed, that...I lost both your mother," His eyes flickered to me, "And your sister."

The unexpected news left both Max and me speechless, "For two years, I thought they were dead."

What?

My eyes grew wide, but dad didn't leave us space to ask more, he carried on explaining, "They weren't, of course," His hand tightened over mom's, "She was stuck in there, forced to stay because of," He rubbed a hand over his face, "Because of...my brother."

"What do you mean?" Max asked over a low whisper, just as lost as me.

"Nikolas and I have a...complicated history," Dad clarified, "I've hurt him in a way, the people that I should've called family hurt him, and he wasn't in his right state of mind at the time, and he wanted one thing...revenge."

"So, he took from me the one thing I cared about more than anything," Dad ended that sentence while looking at mom. In his gaze, there was love as much as there was pain, and the papers I've seen started to make much more sense.

"He..he forced her to marry him, and by forced...I mean forced," And that was enough to knock every breath from my lungs.

"So no Lilly, your mother didn't betray me," Dad's words were directed at me, recalling back what I said last night, "She had no choice."

She had no choice.

If I thought the past days ruined me and my life, I was wrong. This...this right now is what is going to ruin me, ruin everything.

I looked at her, the shock and the heartbreak freezing me down as I replayed his words again and again in my brain.

She had no choice.

Forced.

No, oh my god, no...

No.

What did I do?

Her eyes went to Max, the pain clouding her eyes wasn't her own, it pained her to say the next words and have Max understand it all, "And when I came back, I was pregnant with you."

Everything that was said had Max standing up, his chest heaved up and down, he opened his mouth to talk but words failed him, the whole world failed him as he brokenly whispered, "No," He shook his head, and a lone tear escaped his eyes as he said the words out loud, "I came out of...rape, didn't I?"

***********************************

Remember when I said I was gonna make this story a simple one, without heartbreak...yeah who was I kidding? xD

I am such a clown, I swear xD

What do you think would happen next?

I have nothing to say, Lilly took all of my energy as I wrote this chapter...

I am just over here hurting for my babies :(

Love ya all!