Page 98 of Her Brother's Billionaire Best Friend

“What am I to you?” he said. “Am I Conor? Am I…am I Lucien? Who do you want? Who can do the right thing for you, Laura. Tell me, I promise, I’ll—”

“I don’t want either,” I sobbed. “I don’t want you anymore. Don’t you understand? You’re a liar. You’re nothing but a liar. And the worst part of all?”

Conor looked like my words had struck him. His shoulders slumped, he stayed where he was, insistent on taking the final blow like a man.

“You think it’s someone else’s fault,” I said. “That you are the way you are. Well you aren’t. You got here all by yourself,” I said. “And I can’t stand it anymore.”

I turned and began to walk back down the hill. I went through the gate and along the road, the lane bending in the dark while the shadows of the hedges looked jagged on the path. I felt strong and brave, and yet it was as if I’d felt something in me give out and die the moment I saw him up there. Like I finally realized that Lucien would never be better than Conor. Lucien was Conor.

Thudding footsteps behind me made me stop, and for a terrible moment, I thought he was after me, that he was going to kill me for the things I’d said to him. But it was David instead.

“You,” I said expressionlessly, and carried on walking, my shoulders slumped, my body folded in on itself. I was trying to make myself as small as possible, hoping none of this would hurt me.

“Laura,” said David. “You did it? You talked to him?”

“Where were you?” I said sniffily.

“I was in the living room. I didn’t want to…I’m sorry, Laura. I should have told you.”

I turned around and clenched my fists. I’d been too sad looking at Conor to shout, but now that David was here all of my rage let go.

“Of course you should!” I snapped. “My own son had to tell me that the man I…the man I….is him.”

I wiped my eyes and turned, but David carried on following me. “Laura,” he said. “I know it’s going to be hard, but, we’re together now. He’ll go. We can be a…a family.”

“A family,” I said. “You think this is what families do? Are you kidding yourself, David? Do you even hear the way you sound?” I carried on walking as the lights of the house appeared in the distance. “I’m packing my bags. We’re leaving tomorrow.”

“But what about—”

“About you?” I said. “I don’t care, David. But after the way you’ve behaved, don’t be surprised if it takes another eleven years for me to talk to you.”

I stepped up the driveway and onto the porch. I was crying, quietly, trying to make it so Kyle wouldn’t be able to hear when I got inside.

I opened the door. “Kyle!” I yelled up the stairs. “Sweetie. Get yourself packed, we’re going.”

David came in behind me. “Laura,” he said. “Please don’t do this. Think about Mom, I mean, you guys just—”

“Don’t you ever talk to me about family again,” I warned him in a low voice. “David, if you cared a bit for this family, you would never have made your own nephew steal—”

But David looked distraught. It was like he wasn’t even paying attention.

“Brothers,” he whispered. “We used to say we were always going to be brothers.”

I ignored him and ran up the stairs. I went to Kyle’s room. “Kyle!” I said. “Why aren’t you?—”

I threw open the door. It was empty. Kyle wasn’t there. I stared at the open window, and turned to see David behind me. He peered into the room.

“Oh Christ,” he said.

“The window,” I said. “The window was…”

Kyle was gone. My son had just discovered that his real father was here in Caluga Falls.

And he was nowhere to be seen.

Chapter 34

Conor (Lucien)