Page 94 of The Star

“Dad!” I hiss, but Carson’s laughter interrupts me.

“Yourhome?!” He runs a hand down his face, sighing as he does. “And you’re one to talk aboutdefiling, Gary.”

My chest burns with anger, knowing exactly where Carson is taking this. He’s going to bring up the cheating. He’s going to turn the attention from us to them, so our sins seem tiny compared to the wrongdoings of my father. It’s genius, but I’m unsure if I’m ready to come face-to-face with this.

“What is that supposed to mean?!” my dad asks through gritted teeth.

“Carson…” I whisper, but he just slides a hand into mine, even with our parents looking, giving me comfort in a moment that has become inevitable.

“Get your fucking hands off my daughter!” my father yells, taking a step toward us.

“Gary!” Sara hisses, moving with him to stand between us. “I don’t care how angry you are; don’t speak to my son like that.”

His face softens as he looks at his wife, making my gut churn. He loves her, that I can see, but it’s all going to blow up in his face. Pain simmers in my veins, but even as it does, I know that I need to be the one to start this conversation.

“I know you saw me… at the wedding,” I start, drawing everyone’s attention to me as I look at my dad. “When Sara gave her speech.”

“Logan.” He holds a hand out, as if he wants me to stop speaking. “Why don’t we talk about this in private?”

Carson grinds his teeth. “What, so you can keep lying to my mom?”

“Lying to me?” Sara questions, turning to look at my dad. “What is he talking about, Gary?”

“You know,” I say to my dad, “I’ve grown to really love Sara, and the life you shoved me into here, and somewhere along the way I started to love Carson too. I won’t let you make me feel bad for that when you’ve been keeping secrets of your own, secrets that can hurt a lot of people. We all made our own choices, and it’s time to own up to them, Dad.”

“Gary?” Sara questions softly, her eyes searching his face.

He doesn’t speak, doesn’t look at any of us, just stands there breathing heavily as his lies start to cave in on themselves, and it turns my anger into fury.

“You can’t even do it?! We’re all standing here, willing to hear you the fuck out, and you can’t even man up and own your mistakes?! Still?!” I yell, making Carson’s hand tighten in mine. Turning to Sara, I continue. “At the wedding, during your speech, you said that you had been on your first date seven months ago.”

Sara nods, looking at me. “Right...”

“My mom and dad were still together then,” I breathe, my eyes filling with moisture as I watch Sara’s face go from confusion to shock.

“What?!” She turns to my dad. “Gary, is that true?”

He nods, his own eyes filled with tears as well as he stares off at the wall. His voice is small and raspy when he finally whispers, “I’m sorry.”

“Oh my God.” She puts a hand on her chest, stepping backwards a few times before she finally turns around and runs from the room. My dad looks at me finally, tears slipping from his eyes.

Staring at him, something I hadn’t thought of crosses my mind, turning my stomach to acid and my blood to near boiling. “What happened to Mom?”

“What?” he whispers, wiping at the moisture on his cheeks.

I clench my fists, the hand I have slipped in Carson’s squeezing him as tight as I can. “Did you…” I trail off, taking a step toward my dad. “Did you kill Mom?”

“What?!” His head pulls back. “Logan, of course not!”

My chest heaves as I try to pull oxygen into my lungs, but it’s like I’m underwater, slowly drowning and being taken by the current. “Oh my God.”

“Logan.” My dad holds his hands out. “I didnothurt your mother.”

“I don’t believe you,” I rasp, my head floating. “How could I ever believe anything you say ever again?”

“Baby…” Carson’s hand slides up my back. “He’s a cheater. I don’t think he’s a murderer.”

“Are we even going to talk about the reason we’re here?!” my dad snaps. “You’re dating your brother?!”

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