Page 53 of The Fallen
To my relief, she doesn’t jump in with questions. She simply sits, holding my hand as her own tears still run uninhibited down her face. She’s such a pure spirit, and here she is, grieving and upset because of me.
“I’d never do anything intentionally to hurt this family,” I start.
“I know.” She sniffs and brushes one of the tears away. “Ivy does as well. She’s just lashing out because she doesn’t know the facts.”
“Nobody knows. Not the full story, anyway.” My voice is quiet, but really, it’s time to be strong for my family. They deserve the truth.
“Will you tell us?” Seffi asks, making sure her hand squeezes mine as she does.
I nod, my eyes closing for a moment. “I will. That’s what I came here for. I just ... I’m so sorry.”
“Just tell us the truth. All of it, even if it’s hard. I’ll be there with you.” She smiles, still so beautiful, even with the red blotches from the tears marring her skin.
“Is Noah still here?”
“Noah?” she questions.
“Noah Locke. He’s …” I don’t know how to finish that sentence because really, we aren’t anything now thanks to me, are we?
“The guy in the hoodie? He’s still downstairs. Why?”
“I … He can help if Ivy or Landon don’t believe me.”
Her brows pull together in confusion. “You’ve told him? Before us?”
“I needed help. Look, thank you for coming to see me. For being here for me and on my side, but I owe everyone an explanation.” I pull my hand back from hers and stand. In some ways, I have been hiding. Hiding from their doubt and questions, but I have to face them all. “I can’t go through this more than once, Seffi. I’m sorry.” I turn around and look back out over the grounds of Tallington, thinking about what all of the truth will mean for her and Scott. After all, they’re technically related – distantly so, but our line of Brodericks were actually Foxtons.
Her delicate hand rubs my shoulder as she comes to stand by my side. “I’m just pleased you’re safe and well. Did you really come to the funeral?”
I nod, thinking back to that day as I stare out towards the treeline in the distance. The sting of tears pricks my eyes again, but I swallow it down, blinking them back. I can’t cry anymore. There are words to say and truths to air. If I’m going to face up to this without Lewis in my hands, I need to find that inner steel to get me through this last step.
Looking back over the last couple of months, my life is unrecognisable – to the point that I don’t even recognise myself. I’m the quiet one, the calm one who just gets on with things. Relationships aren’t what I do, falling for bad guys, bargaining sex, falling for the person sent to catch me … So much has changed in my heart that life feels so alien I’m not sure I’ll fit back into it.
There’ll be time after to dissect that, though. This isn’t about me. This is about my family and mending the wounds I’ve inflicted. With her hand in mine, we walk out of the room and eventually down the grand staircase.
In my mind, I anticipated a line-up of family members all staring and waiting to shoot me down. Instead, there’s nobody there.
We cross the hallway and head for the library.
“Wait here. I’ll round them up.” Seffi smiles and goes in search of everyone.
My heart pounds in my chest as nerves and anxiety swell and build with every passing second. I look over all the cases of books, their leather spines and gilded titles all pristine and cared for.
“Had your little meltdown, have we? Ready to confess now, or do you need more time to think,” Ivy spits. Her tongue is vicious, and I force myself to keep calm.
She has a right to be mad.
The rest of the family and their other-halves, it seems, file into the room and take up seats and positions around me, but Ivy lingers by the door. No doubt to keep me from escaping again. Landon walks in last and gives me a pointed stare before he sits on one of the sofas. I don’t recognise some of the people here. The pretty woman hovering with Landon is an unknown, and I can only assume the tall guy shadowing Ivy is her new boyfriend she told me about.
My gaze takes in the gathering, and I don’t miss the relief in my chest at seeing Noah wander in. He keeps his gaze focused away from me, but right as he settles in the far corner, he looks up at me and nods.
I nod back – the smallest of gestures, but right now, it gives me a shot of much-needed courage.
“Well? Are we going to wait all day?”
“Ivy, shut up. We’re all hurting, we’re all in the dark, but Neve is our sister, and we’re going to hear her out.” Seffi’s voice is clear and commanding, and the whole room sits up to take note.
“Neve?” Landon turns to me expectantly.
