Chapter 11 - THE REVELATION HITS
Time seemed to stop.
I stared at that bear.
Brown fur. One ear slightly frayed. A blue ribbon around its neck.
Noah had one exactly like it. Vanessa had bought them matching, she had told me once—for her and for him.
But she hadn’t said there was a third.
Lila scrambled to her feet, staring at me with those wide, frightened eyes.
Then she held the bear up toward me.
“Noah’s bear?” she whispered.
My heart stopped.
Jason grabbed her arm roughly.
“Shut up! Get in the truck!”
Lila cried out, struggling against him.
“NOAH! Where is he?”
I lunged forward before I even thought.
“Let her go!”
I hit Jason hard in the chest. He stumbled back, releasing Lila.
Miller drew his weapon.
“STOP! Or I’ll shoot!”
The sirens were much closer now. Lights were sweeping through the trees.
Jason looked at the approaching lights, then at me, then down at Lila.
Something in his expression broke.
“Run, Lila!” he shouted.
Lila didn’t hesitate. She ran straight toward me, arms outstretched.
I caught her, lifting her up and holding her tight against my chest.
She buried her face in my shoulder, trembling.
Behind us, Miller grabbed Jason by the arm.
“Get in the car! Now!”
But it was too late.
The first police vehicle burst through the tree line, skidding to a halt in the clearing.
More followed.
Officers poured out, weapons drawn.
“DROP YOUR WEAPONS! HANDS UP!”
Miller froze. His gun was still raised.
“Miller! Put it down!” Captain Carter’s voice boomed.
Miller looked at the captain. Then at me. Then at Lila in my arms.
Slowly, agonizingly slowly, he lowered the weapon and dropped it on the grass.
Jason stood beside him, head down, hands raised in defeat.
Officers rushed forward and cuffed them both.
Captain Carter walked over to me, breathing hard.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.” I held Lila tighter. “But she needs a doctor. And she needs to be somewhere safe.”
He nodded.
“Take her to the ambulance. We’ll handle this.”
I carried Lila toward the waiting paramedics. She wouldn’t let go of my shirt. She kept one hand fisted in the fabric, the other clutching her bear.
As we walked away, she whispered something so quiet I almost missed it.
“He’s my brother, isn’t he?”
I stopped and looked down at her.
“Who is, sweetheart?”
“Noah. He’s my big brother.”
I stared at her.
“Who told you that?”
“Mommy. She said he was nice. And that soon… we would live together. All of us.” She looked up at me, eyes huge and hopeful. “Is it true? Can we live together now?”
My mind reeled.
Vanessa had said nothing about this.
But looking at Lila—at her eyes, her hair, the bear…
And then I remembered the date on the back of that photograph.
Lila was four years old.
Which meant…
I felt the ground sway beneath me.
Four years ago.
Before Vanessa had ever met Jason.
Before any of this had started.
“Lila… who is your daddy?” I asked softly.
May you like
She blinked, thinking hard.
“Mommy said… you are.”
