Page 123 of Unforgiving Queen
“We arenotsiblings.” Amon grabbed my face and leaned in, his words soft and harsh at the same time. “Reina, listen. I’m not a Leone.”
Relief slammed into me like a tsunami, then soothed like a mother’s rocking. A tear slowly rolled down my cheek until it reached my lips and filled my mouth with salt. Then, amidst all that relief, a thought pushed through.
I blinked another tear away. “Is that why—” Hope was a bitch, but I had to know. “Did you think we were siblings, and that’s why—”
He placed the pad of his thumb on my bottom lip. “Yes, that’s the reason I walked away. I thought we were related.”
Three years. Three fucking years.
“Why didn’t you say something?” I breathed.
“To spare you the exact reaction you just had.” The words were rough and full of anguish, as if he was reliving his own pain all over again. His admission made sense, but I still struggled with it. “It killed me to learn that you were my half sister. It made me sick to my stomach and yet… I couldn’t escape the feelings that’d etched themselves into my bones. Into my heart.”
My chest filled with yearning. My throat felt tight and my stomach roiled. I had a feeling there was more to all the secrets that surrounded us.
“Who’s your father?” The muscle clenching in his jaw and the chaos in his eyes told me I wouldn’t like the answer.
“I don’t want to talk about that.” His voice, although low, was firm and controlled. “I didn’t want to push you away. Trust that.”
My heart nearly hammered out of my chest with blooming hope and my question was temporarily forgotten. “But you were kissing her—”
Something resembling regret passed his expression. “I was trying to move on, to forget that I fell in love with my half-sibling.”
That familiar ache returned, reminding me of the pain I’d barely survived. I understood why he did it, but I couldn’t agree with the method.
“You could have let me down easy.” My voice was barely a whisper. “There had to be a better, gentler way to break a girl’s heart.”
His hands, still cradling my face, pulled me closer so his nose was brushing against mine. “I’m so fucking sorry. For everything. I should have known—” He seemed to be struggling for words. “Even when the blood relation was thrown in my face, I shouldn’t have doubted you were my other half.”
Do. Not. Forgive.My mind whispered the warnings, but I could feel my resolve waning. I couldn’t just accept this. Right? The images of him with another woman kept flashing through my mind and feeding my aching, guarded heart.
“You sent a fucking video of me to my—” I broke off. Could I still call him Papà? I swallowed harshly, remembering his words. He didn’t want to learn which one of us wasn’t his because he didn’t think he could handle it. He loved us both and viewed us as his. I would do the same. “To my papà! I’m mortified. How do you expect me to overlook that?”
He reached for his phone and unlocked it.
“Check for yourself.” I resisted the urge to snap at him. I didn’t want to see evidence of something so private going to anyone, never mind my father. Sensing my resistance, he scrolled through his messages. “I didn’t send it to anyone.” I gasped, my eyes meeting his. “You didn’t really think I’d let anyone see you naked, did you?”
Truthfully, I didn’t know. I’d started to think that the old Amon was gone, but maybe he was still there. I struggled with the knowledge that he moved on from me so easily though. It made me question everything—his devotion, his commitment, his love.
“I don’t know, Amon,” I answered. “I’m not sure who you are anymore.”
“I’m the same person you’ve always known.”
I shook my head sadly. “I don’t think so. The boy I knew would have never kidnapped me. Put me through hell.” A choked sob tore through my lips. “You saidtogether and then turned your back on me.” His breath lodged in his throat and the pain in his eyes glimmered. “I was only eighteen. Do you know how fucking scared I was when I found out I was—”
Pregnant. It was still the one word I couldn’t say out loud. For years now I forced myself not to think about it, to forget the “what ifs” because it cut the wound open, threatening to let me bleed out. “You left me. How do you expect me to trust you ever again?”
His pained expression didn’t make me feel better. It hinted at his own suffering, but a part of me struggled to be compassionate. I needed more than an apology to understand how he could have so easily moved on.
Iwantedto believe him, but I couldn’t cope with another broken heart.
“I need more, Amon,” I whispered.
I watched his Adam’s apple move as he swallowed. “Please don’t give up on me,” he said hoarsely. He closed his eyes for a brief moment before he opened them, heaving a heavy sigh and stepping closer still. “I watched, you know.” I gave him a confused look and he explained, “I was there in the hospital with you until your family came in. Your grandma didn’t want me around, but I watched you. When you left the hospital. Returned to Paris. Every self-defense class with Darius. I saw you have your tea and croissant at the café around the corner from your building.” His words sent a rumble through my chest. “I watched you for three years, unable to let go. I should have been there for you and our baby.”
His voice broke, piercing my chest with a fresh, throbbing ache. He caressed my hair in gentle strokes. “I made a mistake before. I’ll probably make more, but letting you go won’t be one of those. You’re the light I need, the key part of me. Let me be that for you too.” My whole body shuddered.
I pulled back and stroked his cheek gently.
