Page 107 of Play It Sinful

Blair’s face turns bright pink, and her jaw slackens. Her reaction is priceless, and it makes me chuckle. Gia, Noah, and Logan snicker as well. Darren is looking into the distance, and I guess he missed it, and CJ is too busy staring at Zoey.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I fish it out. Before I can see who texted me, Kenzie says, “Dad and Marnie just landed.”

Relief and worry mix together. I’m glad that they’re back, but at the same time, it means I’ll need to have a serious talk with my dad sooner rather than later, and truth be told, I’m worried how he’s going to react. The last time he discovered this big of a secret, he had a heart attack.

CHAPTER 47

SEAN

Dad and Marnie have been at the hospital for a couple of hours. It’s already morning, and we’ve asked our friends to go home and rest. We’ll let them know when Ashley is awake and, hopefully, able to receive visitors.

Darren, the first to leave, reminded me that our dogs need to go out for a walk. I’m ashamed to admit I forgot all about Dots, my puppy. Luckily, Darren, who’s my roommate, didn’t forget about the doggos.

I haven’t had a chance to speak with Dad alone yet. I don’t want to spring the news that he’s not my biological father in front of Marnie.

Kenzie’s sitting next to me, and as if she’s reading my mind, she leans closer to whisper in my ear, “When are you going to tell Dad?”

“I want to talk to him alone.”

“I see.” She jumps up from her chair and says, “This waiting is driving me crazy. Marnie, do you want to come to the cafeteria with me?”

Marnie hesitates. I guess she doesn’t want to miss it if the doctor comes with news about Ashley.

Dad pats her hand. “I’ll call you if there’s any change, hon.”

“Okay. I guess I could use a cup of coffee. Can I get you anything?”

“Just black coffee, dear.”

“Yeah, same for me,” I say.

I wait until Kenzie and Marnie disappear around the corner to sit next to Dad. “How are you holding up?” I ask.

“Terrible, but I should be the one asking you that question. You were at the car crash… you saw the whole thing.”

I rub my face as the awful memories come to the forefront of my mind. “I’ll never forget it. It was the worst moment of my life. I’ve never felt so powerless.”

He pats my leg. “You weren’t though. It’s thanks to you that help got to Ash quickly. That was crucial, son.”

I nod. “I guess you’re right. But I was the reason she was on that road in the first place.” I look up, trying to keep the tears that are forming in my eyes from rolling down my cheeks. “I kissed Ashley right before she took off.”

“Please don’t tell me you carried on with Ash after finding out she’s your sister,” he says in a dangerously low tone.

“No. I haven’t gone near her all this time. I had a weak moment, but it doesn’t matter. When we were told Ash might need a kidney transplant, Kenzie and I did all the tests to find out if we were a match. Kenzie is, but I…” I swallow the lump in my throat. “I’m not. Because I’m not her brother.”

“What?” Dad’s body goes stiff. “What nonsense is that?”

“I took the blood test twice, Dad. I’m not related to Ash. That means I’m not…” I look away, rubbing moisture from the corners of my eyes. “I’m not your biological son.”

A heavy silence descends upon us. I look at Dad to make sure he’s not having another heart attack. He doesn’t seem to be in any physical pain, but his face has turned ashen. He looks like a marble statue.

“Please say something,” I beg.

He turns toward me, and I see the shock glistening in his eyes. “I… it doesn’t matter what a stupid test says. You’re my son.” He pulls me into a hug. “You’re my son, do you hear me?”

The tension leaves my body. I didn’t realize how terrified I was of his reaction until now. Besides worrying about his health, I was also afraid he’d reject me.

He pulls back and looks into my eyes. “That means I made you and Ash suffer for nothing. I’m so sorry.”

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