Page 74 of Forbidden Mistress

How could I have not known Hart was my stepbrother? I’m such an idiot. But even as I admonish myself, I wonder—did I really miss the signs, or did I simply ignore them? If I’m being honest with myself, something about Hart always felt familiar, but I chose not to question my own intuition. I chose not to look too deeply into his eyes, probably because I was afraid of what I’d find in my own heart.

I sink down onto the sand and look out over the water. The ocean breeze whips through my hair, and I take in a lungful of briny air. It calms me instantly. Just a little.

When I was younger, this stretch of beach always made me feel better, somehow. There’s nothing really extraordinary about it. There are definitely prettier beaches in Malibu, but my dad brought me here often as a kid, and when I’m here, I feel close to him.

Inside, I feel heavy and on the very edge of panic. God, what am I going to do? In the past month, my life has gone from normal and boring to an absolute flaming shit-show. Like, epic soap opera-level. That’s when you know it’s bad. When it’s something the writers of a soap opera might dream up.

And here I am at the end of it all, pregnant, carrying my stepbrother’s baby.

Fresh tears spring up, and I don’t even try to stop them.

“Cass!”

I push to my feet and spin around. Liam is a little distance away from me and striding purposefully toward me. He’s wearing jeans and a gray hoodie, shoes dangling at his side. It’s the most casual I’ve seen him since we were teenagers, and it makes him look so much younger.

“Leave me the fuck alone,” I yell, still sobbing.

He’s already within a few hundred feet of me, his long legs eating up the space between us. “You left without letting me explain.”

Explain. Yeah, explain this, you asshole. Rage seethes through me, stiffening my limbs. “Oh, I’m sorry. Should I have pulled out a book or magazine to skim while you dressed yourself?”

“Cass.” He reaches out and grabs my arm to prevent me from walking away. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” I say, twisting my arm out of his grasp. “How did you even find me here?”

He glances at the nearby stand. “Lifeguard station seven. It’s been your favorite spot since we were kids.”

I wipe my face with the back of my hand. “So what you’re saying is that I’m utterly predictable. Did I behave in every other way you predicted?”

He reaches for me again, but this time I don’t pull away. “It’s because I know you, Cass. And, listen, because I need to tell you this finally. It’s been killing me for far too long because…Cass, I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember.”

I scoff at that. “Loved me? Loved me? And what is your definition of love, exactly? Ghosting me after Dad died—the man who treated you like a son? Taking everything from me and keeping me in poverty? Dressing up in disguise so that you could fuck me?”

“It wasn’t meant to be that—I just wanted to…Cass, I’ve been fighting this for so long. I devised ways to cope because I knew I could never have you. You were only meant to watch me with Willow. I hoped that having you there would be enough to satisfy the fantasy. But…I should have known. This thing between us wasn’t something I could harness or control. It’s too powerful. But in my arrogance, I tried…and I failed. I’m sorry, Cass. I want—”

I yank my arm out of his grip. “You want. It’s all about what you want. Without consequences. What did you think would happen when I found out it was you? What the fuck did you think this would all lead to? You have no idea of even the smallest consequences that have come from this. How much this has ripped our lives apart—this family, everything. And now—” I cut myself off, unable to get it out. I look at him, horrified once again at the realization.

I turn and start to walk away.

He’s right on my heels, grabbing for my arm. “And now…what?”

I spin on him, eyes burning, hands balled into fists. “And now…now, I’m pregnant.”

For exactly two seconds, he has no reaction. Almost as though he doesn’t understand what I just said, but then his eyes dart down to my stomach and his brows knit together. “Pregnant?”

I push out a violent breath and roll my eyes skyward, throwing my hands up. “Yes, pregnant, Liam. As in I’m going to have a baby. Your baby.” The last bit comes out strangled, choked by new tears rising up.

A muscle in his jaw ticks. “When were you going to say something?”

“You’re fucking joking, right? I’ve spent the past two days trying to find Hart to tell him, but he fucking ghosted me. Figures, since he never existed in the first place.”

“Hart exists. I am Hart, Cass. He’s the man I’ve been afraid to show you for all these years. But please believe me when I say…everything that happened between us these past few weeks was real.”

I glance out at the ocean, watching as the waves crash, then recede. Seagulls circle and squawk overhead. “I don’t—I can’t believe that. This is just another instance of you taking what you want no matter the costs. Like what you did with Dad’s company. You wanted it and you took it—consequences be damned.” I ball up a fist and swing, pounding him on his chest once. It’s like hitting a boulder. He makes no move in reaction. “You selfish fuck, Liam. I honestly don’t know what’s real anymore.”

I’m just so confused. And I’m tired. So fucking tired. I want to go home, crawl under the covers, and just…disappear into myself.

Reaching out, he brushes the side of his thumb along the line of my jaw. I lean into it, momentarily forgetting how much I hate him. When he speaks his voice is low, intent. “What I feel for you is real, Cass. And the baby—our baby—he or she is real, too. We can make this work.”

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