Page 136 of No Saint

“Dance with me?” The voice is not Gabriel’s.

“Atlas,” I gasp.

He dips his head, “Amelia.”

I take his offered hand, too stunned to do much else as he guides us onto the dancefloor and sets our position. It was gentle and polite, a hand on my waist, the other in my own and he moves us slowly to the music.

I look into the eyes that still swim in pain.

“I’m sorry, Atlas.” I whisper.

“Are you okay?” He asks.

I nod, “I am.”

“Then I’m not sorry, Amelia. I miss my brother. I hate myself. But I’m not sorry.”

“Atlas…”

“It’s okay.”

We dance for a few minutes in silence, “Why did you do it?”

Atlas sighs, “I hate that I was forced into this. Hate it. I lost my mother and everything I had known. But Gabriel had been kind to us when we grew up, treated us like family. There were rules and traditions that should have stopped him, but he didn’t listen and when he took over from Lucas, he made us prominent figures, something that hadn’t been done before. I respected him and I knew he looked at us as pure brothers, not the half-brothers we were.”

“Gabriel does love you.”

“In his way. Asher didn’t see that. He saw what was taken rather than what was gained. Our mother didn’t want us.”

“I’m sorry.”

He smiles down at me, “I know you are Amelia,” He nods, “But he didn’t see what I did. I knew that he was straying, I didn’t know the extent, but I knew. I was mad, mad at Gabriel and this family. At the strain and the ridiculous rules but it was family. I would never turn my back on it. If I had known Asher was doing what he was doing, I would have done something.”

“I believe you.”

“I miss him.”

I swallow, eyes stinging.

“But what he did was unforgiveable. Even if it wasn’t against our own brother, what he did to you…” His words trail off and he dips his head.

“Atlas,” I force him to look at me, “I am okay. I promise. It’s over.”

“It hurts Amelia.”

My heart shatters for him, breaks apart and I knew I’d never forget what he had done. I squeeze the hand that holds mine, “I will say it again, Atlas, thank you. I’m not dismissing what had been done to get us here, but I thank you for savinghislife. My life.”

“You love him.”

“Always.”

“You’ll be the change we need,” He smiles but its not bright or warm, accepting.

“May I have my wife?” Gabriel’s voice cuts through us.

Atlas smiles, “Of course.”

Gabriel

---