章 43: Chapter 43: The Truth

We were on the couch, and I was still straddling him. He had his hands over his face, rubbing it in agitation. When he dropped his hands, I saw the shame in his eyes.

“I remember my father always being miserable. I never wanted to be like him, and until I met you, I was exactly like him. I was bitter because my mother and father left my siblings and me.”

“Silas. . .” I trailed off and caressed his cheek. “I’m sure—”

He caught my hand and gave me a look of disbelief. “Don’t defend them.”

“I’m not,” I argued. “What happened?”

He sighed and kissed the inside of my wrist, inhaling my perfume appreciatively. He kept his eyes closed and his mouth close to my wrist as he spoke. “She told me the truth. I demanded it from her, of course. After all these years, how could I not know the truth about my father?” Silas scoffed and shook his head. His eyes fluttered open and met mine with deep sorrow. “It’s so much worse than you know.”

“W-what is?”