Because You Exist(61)

I’m not sure why but something about these words caused me to snap. There were a billions things floating around my head, begging to be said, but I instead said the things I didn’t want to say. “I’m sorry your life sucks. I’m sorry you’ll never be anything to them. I’m sorry you want to bone that creepy ass delinquent when I have an actual healthy relationship. I’m sorry you’re so jealous of me. But I never signed up to change your life. So, stop riding me all the damn time!”

Jo flinched. I knew I’d hurt her. She shook her head and started walking backwards away from me. “I may be the dark shifter, but you’re a pathetic excuse for a human being, Logan. Do you hear me? You’re a damn terrible person. And you wonder why I sometimes think this whole world could go straight to hell, and we wouldn’t be losing anything.”

And then she turned from me.

And I didn’t stop her.

And I knew there was no going back.





Chapter 28





I needed answers.

I needed them now.

I didn’t bother going back into school after Jo stormed off.

Josephine.

I was pretty sure I didn’t have the right to call her Jo anymore. Whatever relationship we had felt severed. Forever.

After getting my car, I drove to the one place where maybe something would make sense.

To see my uncle.

No longer could I pretend that a single part of my life wasn’t touched by the time traveling. If I was to believe Josephine and I were siblings, then they’d been in my life since the start. They’d been molding us. Controlling us. And my uncle had known all along.

I didn’t wait for permission from my uncle’s secretary to head back into his office. I didn’t knock. I wasn’t going to stand on civility when this man had a hand in destroying everything. When I threw open the door to his office, my uncle only smiled at me from behind his oak desk. His office was spotless. Nowhere could you find any sign of the way he made a living off of manipulating people and distorting the truth.

“What do I owe the pleasure of your company?” my uncle asked, obviously pleased I was there.

“You know why I’m here,” I growled.

My uncle sighed. “Please, do take a seat, Logan. There’s no need to come in all huffing and puffing. I’ll answer any questions that I can. I was the one to offer you help a few days ago. Was I not?”

“Don’t. I’m not in the mood for your—”

“You’ll stop with that tone right now. I will not talk to you if you don’t” he replied, perpetually calm.

I knew my uncle well enough to know he wouldn’t talk to me unless I did what he said. He was always in control. I pulled the chair in front of his desk out with more force than I needed and threw myself into it. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.

My uncle’s smile grew. “Right. Now what would you like to know?”

A million things. A zillion questions came to my mind. But only one surfaced. “Why didn’t you tell me Josephine was my sister?”

My uncle’s eyes widened slightly and then he started to laugh. He laughed so hard he had to wipe a tear from his eye. “You think...you think Ms. Lambert is your sister?”

“Isn’t she?”

“Of course she isn’t” he replied like I was an idiot for even suggesting it.

“But we were at the hospital. We were born on the same day. The woman had twins.”

My uncle waved off my suggestion with his hand. “What? You think you two were the only two kids born at Virginia Beach General on that day? That’s absurd. Ms. Lambert does have a twin, but it is most certainly not you.”

“And you’re not lying to me?”

“I’m not allowed to lie, Logan.”

It didn’t matter that at that moment my uncle had pretty much admitted he was one of the Dark Men or at least was involved with them. All that mattered in that moment was the knowledge that I wasn’t related to Jo.

Jo.

For some reason, the news was such a welcomed comfort to me that it left me shaking.

“The shifting,” I continued, “how long does it last? What’s the point? When does it stop?”

“Whoa. Whoa. One question at a time, son. First, it lasts till the end. How long that is is up to you and the other shifters. As for the purpose behind it? That I’m not allowed to tell you. You must figure it out on your own. Besides, what I think is the purpose behind it, and what you discover might be very different. I hope not. But that’s how these things sometimes go.”

“These things? You mean this kind of thing has happened before?” I asked, imagining hundreds of shifters saving our world throughout time.