Page 72 of Beneath the Surface

She sighs, her hand rubbing at her temple. “I’m here for your father.”

My heart slams against my chest.

His father?

He scoffs, sneering at her. “Of course you are. Always hopping to attention whenever he calls your name, aren’t you?”

She rears back like his words are a gunshot, and my eyes jump between them, trying to keep myself on steady ground. Even though I’m nothing but a bystander, watching their obviously tortured history play out before my eyes makes my insides quake.

“That’s not fair,” she whispers, her arms wrapping around her waist.

He takes another step toward his bike, his eyes softening when they land on me.

And then for the first time,Olivialooks my way.

I stand tall as she takes me in, trying like hell to appear unaffected. But I feel...small.Useless. Like I would never be able to compare.

Apparently she agrees because she dismisses me as quickly as she saw me. “Alexander, can we talk?” She looks back to him. “I had no idea you... I just—”

His jaw clenches. “We have nothing to say.”

She huffs. “There’severythingto say! You left me. Right before our wedding. There are things you don’t know.” I stare in horror as tears trickle from her eyes and track down her cheeks. “I thought you weredead.”

My stomach twists, barbed wire wrapping around my chest and squeezing, walls that he spent so much time meticulously taking down being resurrected again in nanoseconds.

Memories from earlier tonight, every word said between us flying through my brain. He didn’t tell me this. Andthis… this feels like a big thing not to say.

Maybe it’s the look on my face, or maybe it’s the way he always seems to feel what’s happening with my soul, but either way, Alex’s head snaps toward me.

“Fuck,” he curses under his breath and rushes over.

I coach my legs to move, but they don’t obey, frozen in place. Rooted to the spot. He steps directly into me, his hands reaching out, and for the first time since meeting him, my stomach churns violently and I lurch out of his grasp.

He’s always been my exception, but right now he feels just like every other lying jerk.

He tries again, gripping my chin, his gaze searing into mine. “No,” he commands. “Let me explain.”

I scoff, breaking eye contact, gulping down the burn that’s swelling my throat. I don’t want to make a scene in front of hisfiancée.

His body grows rigid, and he turns, dragging me with him to his bike. “We’re done here.”

“Alexander, wait,” Olivia begs.

Jealousy rears up and bites me in the chest, spreading its poison through every limb until the green is oozing from my pores. This woman has parts of his history that I never will. Parts he never intended to tell me.

As I hop on the back of his bike, the tension coiling inside of me breaks, anger flooding through my system.

“I can explain,” he rushes out. “This isn’t what it seems like, I swear to fuckingGod,Lily.”

My mouth opens but I have no words to say. All I have are questions, and so I’ll wait until we get to where we’re going to ask for answers.

Just a few minutes ago, I was fine.I was reveling in the fact that he was mine and that finally,finally, something seemed to be made just for me. That the universe finally gave in and was going to let me be happy.

I know better. When something is too good to be true, it usually is.

He should have told me.I don’t mind that he had a past. I mind that he’s kept it from me, when he’s had plenty of opportunity to bring it up. I’ve given him every piece of me, and still there are parts to him that remain cloaked from my view.

The realization nicks at my insides like a thousand paper cuts, and I hate the way it feels.