Page 79 of When Love And Destiny Collide

"How amIsupposed to explain this to Noah?" I ask, my voice trembling. "God, how am I even going to face him?"

“It’s not your fault,” he says, reaching out for me.

“Don’t,” I reply, stepping back.

“Lily,” he begins, his voice softening. “This isn’t on us. I had no idea she was married."

"Were you two together the whole time she was there?"

"Yes," he replies, his gaze dropping to the floor. "We were together every day."

"Dad, is Davey your son?" I ask, bracing myself for the answer.

My question hangs in the air, the silence stretching painfully before he finally answers. "I don’t know," he admits, his usually bright blue eyes now clouded with uncertainty.

Unable to fight the rising nausea any longer, I sprint to the bathroom and retch violently, emptying my stomach of everything I’ve eaten today. I drop to the floor, tears streaming down my face for the third time today.

Dad walks in and tries to lift me off the floor, but I instinctively push him away. “Please,” I beg, my voice breaking. “Just give me some space.”

"I'm sorry, Mija. I'm so sorry," he says softly before stepping back and closing the door behind him. The click of the latch leaves me alone with my thoughts, the silence punishing me with every passing second.

What am I going to do now? I can't even begin to imagine how to fix this. I’m just a girl in love with a wonderful man who loves me—a girl who adores a little boy with bright blue eyes that mirror my own. A boy I thought I could help raise. A boy who might be my brother. If he’s not Noah’s son, then Noah has no children, and if he marries me, he never will. Guilt washes over me. Am I making this all about me? Am I selfish for these swirling thoughts? The immeasurable pain of losing it all crushes me. The little family I built in my mind and nurtured in my heart—gone. The fear of learning the truth feels like drowning, pulling me deeper into despair.

I kneel on the floor until my legs go numb, wishing my heart could feel the same. I know Noah is waiting for me at home, but I can’t face him right now. I need time to pull myself together. With trembling fingers, I dial his number, knowing I at least have to let him know where I am.

“Hi, Sweetheart,” Noah’s cheerful voice pierces my heart, and I fight to keep the tears at bay long enough to get through this conversation.

“Hi,” I manage, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Dad and I have been catching up, so I think I’m going to spend the night here.”

“Okay,” he replies, a hint of concern creeping into his voice. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” I say quickly. “We also have plans early tomorrow, so—”

I wait for him to respond, but when he doesn’t, I add, “Everything’s fine. I’m just tired. It’s late.”

“Okay,” he replies softly. “Have a good night. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

I leave the bathroom and find Dad sitting on the bed, worry etched across his face.

"What room is Marian in?" I ask, a steely resolve tinging my voice.

"Lily, you can't," Dad says, shaking his head.

"Her room number, Dad."

"Davey is asleep by now," he reminds me. "Can't this wait until tomorrow?"

"No, Dad. It can't wait until tomorrow. I have to go home tomorrow and face Noah. I need to figure out what I'm going to do right now." The urgency in my voice leaves no room for debate.

I watch as Dad rises to his feet and strides over to the adjoining door in the middle of the room, knocking softly. My mouth falls open in disbelief. “You have connecting rooms?” I ask, shaking my head in shock.

Two seconds later, the door opens, and there she stands, wearing nothing more than a scant red negligee. When she sees me, her eyes grow wide with shock, and she quickly retreats back into her room and returns moments later wearing a bathrobe.

"What are you doing here?" she demands in a hushed tone, quickly shutting the door behind her.

"A better question is, what are you doing in my father's room?"

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