Page 31 of More Than A Feeling

"She should've told me about Sabine," I defended.

"No, she couldn't," Dad was on Fleur's side on this. "She promised Seamus, and this is a girl with integrity, so I can see why she didn't. I'm sure she was dying too,aye, especially when you kept telling her she was too selfish to allow you to take care of Sabine."

"I'll tell you one thing—Seamus must’ve wanted to divorce her," Mom said firmly. "I know my son…" Her voice faltered, and I could see the pain flicker across her face. The wound of losing my older brother, I knew, would never fully heal. "He’d never put up with infidelity."

According to Malone, Sabine had told him time and again that she wanted to leave Seamus but never did. I think, and he agreed, that she was stringing Malone along. It looked like that was her specialty. She'd been stringing me along as well, and like a moron, I'd let her.

"Son, I'm assuming you have an announcement." Brian had absolutely misunderstood why I'd asked to meet all of them.

"Sabine told us that that things were getting serious between the two of you." Lenora held her daughter's hand and smiled broadly.

Sabine looked expectantly at me, and I wondered if I'd been unclear the last time we spoke. I'd told her we were done, hadn't I? How had she misconstrued that?

I recalled the text message she'd sent the day after, one I hadn’t responded to: I know I said some harsh things, and you did as well. Let's forgive and forget. I love you, and you love me. We'll make this work.

Like hell, we'd make this work.

"We're so happy you found each other. We'll always miss Seamus, but having you as our son"—Brian's chest swelled with pride—"means everything to us."

"Our daughter is very lucky to have not one but two men love her," Lenora said, kissing her daughter's cheek.

I wondered what they'd say when I told them I was in love with Fleur, had been since that first night we'd made love. How could I not be? She was just plain fun and funny. She brightened the day for everyone. I didn't blame them for not seeing that—afterall, I hadn't admitted it to myself despite experiencing the joy she gave me.

"Sabine, I had a conversation with Malone Collins," I said softly, watching her keenly.

All color fled her face.

Lenora looked at me and then her daughter in confusion. "This was the guy you dated in law school?"

Sabine swallowed and nodded, her eyes filled with fear. "Callum, maybe we should talk in private."

"No." I leaned back on her uncomfortable as fuck designer chair, enjoying myself for the first time since I'd found out how fucked up my brother's marriage had been. "Do your parents know?"

"Know what?" Brian demanded. "Sabine?"

Sabine shrugged and rose. Her lawyer mask was back on. "Malone has been…well, he's been stalking me ever since Seamus died. He's been trying to get back with me. Whatever he told you, Callum, you should take it all with a grain of salt."

She stood tall like she was in court, and I was fucking opposing counsel. Like a good lawyer, I pulled an envelope from the inside pocket of my suit and set it on the table in front of Lenora. "I didn't take anything he said as true unless it was backed by evidence."

"Evidence of what?" Lenora snapped. Before she could reach the envelope, Sabine yanked it away.

"Please, Callum, this is between you and me."

"You can keep that; I can just email all of that to you and your parents," I said condescendingly.

"Mom, Daddy, please go home for now. Once—"

"Sabine was having an affair with Malone while she was married to Seamus," I decided to throw the grenade into the room and blow it all up. "The baby she miscarried was probably his, and she didn't miscarry; she had an abortion."

"What? Impossible." Brian looked at his daughter in shock.

Sabine folded her arms and glared at me. Even now, she was going with misplaced anger rather than humility.

"Seamus knew. That was the last conversation he had with her at your place before he died," I continued, hating that my brother's heart was broken right before the accident that took him from us.

Brian forcefully took the envelope from Sabine and opened it.

"Daddy don't," Sabine cried out.

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