Page 53 of Almost

Owen drags a hand through his blond hair, watching me expectantly for my explanation. I don’t really have one. “I didn’t know she was pregnant, but I knew she cheated on him.”

“How?” he asks, and I continue stroking Sebastian’s hair, keeping it out of his face.

“I walked in on her screwing her study buddy when I stopped by the house. Why else do you think I’d quit the wedding without explanation?” I ask Owen tiredly. I don’t need to ask what he thought because I already know. I can’t blame him and Blake for it either; I was the one who refused to explain so I know how quitting made me appear.

“What the hell, Thalia? I thought…” Owen trails off, looking a little guilty. “Blake and I thought it was because you still had feelings for him. Why didn’t you say anything to me about it? I’m your brother, you could have talked to me.”

“I didn’t say anything because it was my fault. Bash was at his grandparent’s house, and Kiera and I had plans to scope out wedding party picture locations on the estate they were getting married at. I tried apologizing for that stupid dinner, and we started arguing. I just snapped, Owen.” I pause to wrap my thoughts in order, kind of hard to do right now. “I told Sebastian to tell her so many times—about the house, the ring, the stupid proposal. I’m so tired of lying and keeping secrets. It’s exhausting. So I told Kiera everything, and it made me feel worse than I did before saying anything.I went to apologize that night and found them in the living room.”

“The living room? Seriously?” Owen asks, scrunching his face up.

“That’s all you heard there?” I ask incredulously, and he shrugs.

“It was the last thing you said so of course I got stuck on that,” he says, trying to crack a faint smile. “As you’ve reminded me so much in the past, I’m not Dad. I’m not going to lecture you because I don’t think you were in the wrong. He should have told her a long time ago. It wasn’t your fault; you didn’t make Kiera cheat.”

If Sebastian weren’t lying in my lap, I’d be hugging Owen tightly. “You have no idea how much I needed to hear you say that.” I can only hope that’s the same reaction Bash is going to have when I tell him that I knew.

“See? I am good for something other than being one of the best tight ends in the league.”

A choked laugh escapes from me because it’s such an Owen thing to say right now. “What do you think happens now?” I ask, motioning down to Sebastian who reeks of alcohol. If I had to guess, his body is 70 percent alcohol right now.

Owen shakes his head, looking sadly at his best friend. “I have no idea. What’d he say when he got here?”

“Before, or after he kissed me?”

“Shit. On a scale from one to ten, how drunk was he?”

I give Owen a skeptical look. “He found out his fiancée cheated on him and is pregnant before calling off his wedding. How drunk would you be?”

“That’s a good point, but I hope I never find out,” he says, shaking his head. “I don’t know what we do, Lia.”

Sebastian shifts, but stays asleep thankfully. “I’m going to tell him that I knew she cheated,” I say quietly. It’s the right thing to do.

“Why? What good will come from telling Sebastian that you were going to let him marry Kiera, even though, you knew she had cheated on him?” Owen asks, and that’s exactly why I’m going to tell him.

“Because I won’t lie or keep secrets from him.”

Owen yawns and stretches out in the armchair he’s sitting in. Zeus pokes his head up, yawning loudly as well. “Do you still love Sebastian?”

“Owen, don’t—”

He shakes his head, watching me knowingly. “No, this is a question you have to answer, Thalia. Do you still love him?”

If Sebastian and Kiera aren’t together, and Eric and I aren’t together, maybe there’s a chance we can be something again. But not right now. He’s going to have shit to work through, and if he just pushes it down, it’s never going to go away.

Fuck, am I really considering this after Bash showed up drunk at my front door?

“Thalia?”

I brush my fingers across the stubble on Sebastian’s cheek. “Yes,” I admit, and Owen’s dark eyes look sad.

“Then why did you say no to him?”

He’s never asked me this before. I’m a little surprised Owen’s even asking me now.

“I didn’t say no. I needed more time, but Bash wasn’t willing to wait for me to get there.” God, I should have fucking said yes that night. All of this could have been avoided.

“You got your time, but lucky for you, I think he still loves you too.”

---