Page 83 of Bought and Broken

Do I know what?

“No, Dane. She doesn’t know anything. I never told her.”

Told me what?

I pull my ear away for a second, a lump forming in my throat. I have a really bad feeling about this… which is why I press my ear to the door again.

“I can’t believe you’re doing this—”

“It’s not like you didn’t have an idea, Dane. You had to have at least considered it.”

“Of course I did! But I thought you’d have said something. You always made it seem like she was Tommy’s. Not mine!”

I cover my mouth, gasping as I step away from the door. My back hits the wall across the hall, and before I can move, the door is yanked open.

Dane is pissed. Furious.

Until he sees me.

His face falls. Brows shooting up.

“Shit, Devon—”

Summer moves out right after him, looking more ashamed than anything. Her cheeks are pink and her eyes wet with tears. When she locks eyes with me, she freezes.

I hurry over and hand Astrid to Summer. “I’m sorry, but I have to go.”

“Devon, wait!” Summer calls, but I rush down the hall, through the kitchen, and to the room where my purse is. I grab it and rush out of the room, only to slam into someone.

“Hey, baby, where you going?” I look up, and Tate frowns. “What’s wrong?” he demands. If this were any other situation, I’d love how quickly his mood changed because he’s worried.

“Did you know?” I ask, stepping away from him.

I feel so betrayed. My chest hurts. How could they lie to me about this? How could Summer keep this from me and from my brother? I didn’t even know they hooked up and now I’m finding out that Astrid is my niece! That my brother has a child! Because that’s definitely what that conversation was about. And thinking about it has me feeling crazy!

My brother has a child. A little girl. He could have been in his daughter’s life for three years, but Summer didn’t let him. The both of them could have had a better life if she allowed Dane in, but she took all of that from him. From me. From my father. From Astrid.

And Dane! He knew this was a possibility. Obviously, he isn’t an idiot. Why didn’t he ever say anything? Why didn’t he ask her? Why didn’t he try to figure this out?

“Know what?” Tate asks carefully.

I scoff, pushing by him.

His answer doesn’t matter because I won’t believe him anyway. He’s another one who lies to me. Only tells me things to appease me. It’s apparently what everyone in my life does. Just tells me things to keep me complacent and quiet. I thought Summer was different. I thought she was on my side, but she’s only been lying to me too.

“Devon!” Tate calls after me, but I push out the front door and run down the steps toward my car.

“Devon, please don’t leave!”

It’s Summer this time, coming around the side of the house. She reaches my car just as I get in. Astrid isn’t with her. I start the car as she taps on the window, and though my foot is on the brake, ready to release so I can back up, I wait. I don’t look at her, my hands on the wheel, but I wait.

“Please, let me explain,” she pleads.

I grit my teeth, pushing away the tears as I get the balls to look at her.

“You lied to me,” I ground out.

“I’m sorry, I—”

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