Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 94092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
I make up my mind.
I slip the silky thong on, the lace clinging wickedly to my body, and choose a simple pink dress, its soft material skimming my body. It's modest but fitted. My hands feel stiff and foreign as I brush my hair. I let the waves fall loose. I try to focus, but that old guilt trap won’t let go. I need to talk to someone, to unburden this weight. I grab my phone and dial my best friend, the one person who will understand.
Ellie picks up on the first ring, her voice warm. “Amelia? Oh my God, how are you, babes? I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon. You, okay?"
I sink onto the bed.
"Yeah," I reply. I let her fill me in with the local gossip for a few seconds, then my voice cracks, the words spilling out. “Ellie, I… I’ve messed up. Max and I—we… We were together. Not just a kiss this time, it went further. We went all the way. All night. I try to justify what I’ve done, but I can’t stop feeling like such a bitch, Ellie. Sara’s been so kind, and Jason’s so sweet and innocent, and I’m betraying them both.” My throat tightens, tears filling my eyes.
“Whoa, slow down,” Ellie says, her voice sharp with shock. “You and Max?”
“Yes,” I wail.
“Together, like… together? Like all night? Oh my God, Amelia, he’s your freaking brother!”
“No,” I cut in, my voice fierce, desperate. “Actually, he’s not.”
“What do you mean?”
“That’s the thing—Dad lied. I never had a chance to talk to you about it, and you mustn’t tell a soul about this, but Max isn’t my half-brother. He never was. Dad made it up to keep us apart. He told me the truth a few days before he died. But Max doesn’t know, and I can’t tell him, not now, not when he’s got Sara and Jason.”
A strong sense of relief settles over me. Finally, I don’t have to carry the weight of my secret alone anymore.
Ellie’s silent for a moment, processing, then she exhales, and her voice is softer, relieved. “Okay, wow. That changes everything. You’re not related, Amelia. So in that case ... I don't think you’re doing anything wrong—not really. You loved him first, before Sara, before any of this. You’ve carried him in your heart forever. You’re not the villain here.”
“That’s what I tell myself, but why do I feel like I am the villain of the piece?” I whisper, my voice breaking.
“That’s because you’re a good person with a strong sense of morality.”
“I think it’s because Sara has been so genuinely nice to me. She took me to her hairdresser and helped me buy a whole new wardrobe. And she trusts me. She left me here alone with her husband and son because she had to go take care of her sick mother for two weeks. God, just saying that makes me feel even worse. The poor woman. She’s been so good to me, Ellie… and I feel like I’m stealing her life, her husband.”
“Listen,” Ellie says, her tone becoming firm and practical. “You’re not stealing anything. You’re taking two weeks—two weeks to have what you’ve always wanted. You said it’s a secret, right? No one needs to know. Enjoy it, Amelia. Take it to your grave if you have to, but don’t feel guilty for loving him. You’ve never loved anyone else, you said so yourself. This is your chance, your time. Your life has been one of sadness and sacrifice. Just this once, take this opportunity and be happy. See it as a gift from the universe for taking care of your father all these years. Not many women your age would have given up their best years to do that.”
I nod, even though she can’t see. Tears stream down my cheeks, her words a balm to my hurting soul.
“But what if I accidentally tell him?” I ask, my voice small. “What if, in a moment of madness, I tell him that we’re not related? He might… he might leave them, Ellie, for me. But he can’t marry me, not publicly, not when everyone thinks we’re siblings. It’d ruin his life, Jason’s life, everything.”
“Then don’t tell him,” she says, her voice gentle but resolute. “If you really want to protect his family, keep the secret. Love him for these two weeks, give him everything, but don’t break what he’s built. You’re strong enough to do that, Amelia. You’ve always been strong enough to let him go.”
Her sensible words settle over me. There is a quiet truth there that I recognize instantly. She is right. No matter what, I must never do anything that will hurt him or his family. I wipe my tears, my breath steadying, the battle inside me easing. “You’re right,” I say, my voice stronger now. “I won’t tell him. I’ll love him for these two weeks, and then… I’ll let him go… again.”