Thief:A Bad Boy Romance(73)

I press my face into his chest, my breath hitching.

 

“If it’s true, then just stay.”

 

I look up into his face, and for half a second, I think he might. For one flash of a moment, I think he’s going to stay, and come back to my parents’ house with me and tell them everything, and love me like I know he can.

 

But then the moment passes.

 

“I have to go.”

 

He pulls away, and my heart shatters.

 

“I’ll come back, Ivy-”

 

But I don’t hear him. Instead, I’m pulling the necklace out of my dress and slipping it over my head.

 

His face breaks.

 

“No-”

 

“I’m done, Silas,” I say quickly, shoving it into his hands.

 

“I’ve carried it too long, and I’m done.”

 

I push past him, push past Declan and his goons, and go running down the docks, the salt air cooling the tears streaming down my cheeks.

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Thirty-Seven

 

 

 

 

 

Ivy

 

 

 

 

I’m blinded by tears as I run down the dock, so much so that I don’t even see my sister until I literally run right into her.

 

“Whoa! Hey!”

 

I collapse into Sierra, shaking my head from side to side as I bury it into her shoulder. She throws her arms around me, pulling me close and stroking my back.

 

“Hey now, hey…” She soothes into my ear, and the dynamic switch of my little sister comforting me almost makes me smile.

 

“Thought I might find you here.”

 

I sniff as I look up at her. “What are you doing here?” I mumble, pulling away and wiping my eyes dry with the back of my hand.

 

“You weren’t answering your phone-” Her face tenses as she drags her teeth across her bottom lip.

 

Something’s up.

 

“What-”

 

“There’s, uh…” She trails off and wrings her hands. “You should probably come home.”

 

I frown. “Sierra-“

 

“An FBI agent stopped by the house, Ivy.”

 

What?

 

Her face falls and she looks away from me.

 

“You okay?”

 

She turns back to me, a hurt look on her face. “Ivy, you’re married?”

 

And that’s when the floor drops out. That’s when it suddenly feels like I’m floating in free-fall, flailing at dead air as the bottom rushes up to meet me.

 

Oh my God.

 

The wind goes out of my lungs and I stagger, turning to gasp for air as I stare out at the harbor, trying to focus.

 

I turn back to my sister, shaking my head. “Sierra-”

 

“Look, I’m not mad that you didn’t tell-” she trails off and looks at the dock beneath our feet.

 

“Okay, no, I’m mad.” She looks up, a wry look on her face. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”

 

“I was going to,” I say softly, swallowing. “We were both going to, before…”

 

I look away again, and I feel her hand on my shoulder, squeezing me.

 

“Hey, I get why you didn’t.”

 

I look up, almost hating to ask the question. “Does Dad…?”

 

She nods. “Yeah the FBI guy sort of spilled the beans to everyone on that one.”

 

I cringe, my face going white as I drop my eyes back to my feet.

 

“It’s going to be okay, you know.”

 

I can feel my head shaking as my eyes watch the ocean roll beneath the wooden slats of the dock.

 

No, it’s not.

 

Because there’s an FBI agent at my parents’ house, telling them the things I should have told them years ago.

 

Because history is repeating itself.

 

Because the man I love is about to break my heart all over again.

 

And now it’s time to face the music.

 

 

 

“Sit.”

 

I nod slowly in the doorway to the living room.

 

They’re all here - Dad, Mom, Rowan, and Stella. Sierra rubs my back gently as I swallow and slowly move into the room, still wearing my ridiculous evening gown. I sit at the far end of the sofa, Sierra sitting between Stella and I. Mom and Dad are in their favorite chairs by the fireplace, and Rowan’s pacing the floor by the windows looking almost more furious than my dad looks.

 

Almost.

 

“Why.”

 

It’s barely phrased as question. I look up at my father, his eyes hard and focused as his hand strokes his silvered beard. It’s the only word he says, but it’s the only one that matters. I know it’s the only thing they’re all thinking anyways.

 

Why.