Parker’s head is bowed and I see his fists clench tighter at my words.
“Phoebe.” Nate tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “The woman your father had an affair with twenty-seven years ago…” His voice is low. “He got her pregnant.”
“No,” I say immediately, rejecting the thought outright. “No, that’s not possible.”
“It is,” Nate says gently. “He fathered another child. Little bird, she…” His eyes move over my shoulder.
I hear another almost-sob.
She.
Twenty-seven years ago.
My heart pounds faster.
My father had an affair.
An affair that resulted in a child.
A twenty-six year old child.
A twenty-six year old girl with hair the same shade as mine, and a face that’s almost the exact same shape as Parker’s, and big blue eyes, and a great sense of humor, and a terrible tendency to speak in run-on sentences, and a sun-shaped necklace hanging around her neck that looks just like the one Cormack took from me.
I turn slowly to face Gemma. I don’t know what look is on my face — I can barely discern the emotions tumbling around inside my chest — but hers is a mask of horrified anticipation.
She’s scared. I can see the fear in her eyes.
“You.” My voice is emotionless. “You.”
***
She takes a hesitant step toward me; I instantly step back, bumping into Parker in the process. I feel his big hand land firmly on my shoulder, squeezing to show his support.
“Phoebe.” Gemma’s voice breaks.
“No.” I cut her off with a swift shake of my head. “I’m sorry, I can’t do this right now.”
I turn blindly for the elevator. I feel wetness on my cheeks and realize absently that I’ve started crying. I’m not sure when — I just know that tears are streaking down my face faster and faster, in time with the breaths pumping too quickly in and out of my lungs.
“Sweet P—” Parker starts.
I freeze as a thought occurs to me, whirling on him. “You knew? You knew about this, and you never told me?” My eyes sweep the room from Parker to Chase to Nate, fury and accusation burning in their depths. “You all knew?”
Chase looks totally uncomfortable. Nate’s face is a stone mask, but his eyes are simmering with guilt.
“Not my secret to tell, little bird,” he says softly.
Ugh. I hate when he’s right.
I whirl back to Parker.
“I wanted to tell you, Sweet P.” My brother swallows. “I didn’t know how. And I didn’t want to hurt you. If I’d known she was going to insert herself into your life—”
“You’re just as bad!” I throw out a hand, gesturing from Gemma to Parker. “Both of you lied. Guess you must be siblings, after all.” My throat feels like it’s closing up. I head for the elevators. “I have to get out of here. I need air.”
“Phee—”
“Phoebe—”
“Sweet P—”
“Little Bird—”
“Just listen—”
“Don’t go—”
“I’ll come—”
“Please stay—”
So many voices, tugging me so many directions. My feet freeze and I pivot to face the four of them.
“ENOUGH!” I yell at the top of my lungs.
When I open my eyes, they’re all staring at me warily.
“Enough,” I repeat in a much softer tone, turning to Gemma. I suck in a breath at the look on her face. “How could you not tell me?”
“I didn’t know how.” Her voice cracks. “I wanted to, so many times, but…”
“So, you decided to lie to me instead?” I ask, voice shaking. “To pretend to be my friend, pretend to like me, because… Why? You wanted to see how the other half lived? Wanted to get to know me out of some kind of morbid curiosity?”
“I wasn’t pretending,” she says, eyes watering. “You’re my sister—”
“You’re not our sister,” Parker says coldly. “We may share blood, but that doesn’t make us family.”