Billionaire Stepbrother: Spring (Our Forbidden Year Book 4) (3 page)

“Oh! Aimee, that reminds me,” Phoebe said as she dug into her shoulder bag and handed over a cream envelope. “I went by your place and picked up your post. I think it’s from your mom. I brought it just in case – the rest were bills – thought you’d want this though.”

I held the light envelope in my hands. My palms started to sweat as the world around me muffled about my ears.

Nothing good would come of opening it, I thought. Loretta had put both Lex and me through hell last year. After the most ridiculous Christmas day I’d ever experienced, after my mom went screaming from our lives, we’d found out that it had been Loretta who’d encouraged Lex’s ex–girlfriend, Adrianna, with piles of cash, to give a false statement to the police accusing him of rape. She’d also leaked ancient photos of the two of them together, Adrianna and Lex, to the press, with only one devious purpose – to cause us heartache and turmoil. And of course, so our relationship wouldn’t interfere with her fleecing her new husband for millions.

Lex had obviously seen my reaction; he slipped his hand into mine and gave it a squeeze. I cleared my head and refocused upon Phoebe, who had started explaining her situation to Lex.

“—and I accidentally let it slip to my tutor, who wasn’t at all encouraging… said I could lose my scholarship over this…” Phoebe trailed off.

“Two seconds, Phoebe,” Lex said then looked at me. “Open it.” I regarded him, and his whole face had changed, no longer jovial but as if a dark cloud had suddenly appeared, blocking out all the bright sunlight that had been there just moments ago.

Phoebe stayed silent on my other side, but she rested an encouraging hand upon my knee.

“Just get it over with before I toss it out into the harbour.”

I gathered what little courage I had and told myself what’s the worst that could happen? She might just be apologising for being a deceptive cow.
Yeah, and pigs could fly.

Using my nails, I tore at the corner of the envelope. I slipped my finger, in drawing it across the top, ripping it open.

The thick, luscious stationary creased once at the middle, slipped out of its container, and I braced myself for whatever her script–like handwriting was about to reveal.

An involuntarily whimper tumbled from my lips as I read her devastating words, which meant only to do harm. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I scanned the short letter, trying to make sense of it; there were only a couple of sentences on the front. I turned it over, expecting there to be more, hoping for an explanation on the back. But there wasn’t any. My whole life, my very existence, felt like it was falling apart.

Lex leaned over my shoulder as my hands started to shake.

“Fuck,” was all he said.

Chapter Three

D
ear Aimee,

I believe the time has come to let you know that I am not your biological mother… no doubt you already suspect this anyway. I have never been particularly kind to you and only considered you a burden.

But should you wish to know more, then by all means look no further than your despicable lover, Lex, as this will be the last you’ll hear from me.

Please do not attempt to contact me.

Loretta

***

“I can’t breathe,” I gasped. I paced out onto the deck, trying desperately to make my lungs do what they should be doing automatically. I sucked in a lungful of air, but this time diesel fumes and mechanical smells from the surrounding ships poisoned the breeze and I nearly feel to my knees in desperation.

The sky above had turned an inky blue, and pinpricks of light swirled all around me. Strings of lights hung onto the sides of hulls dazzled my eyes, and I could feel myself spinning out of control, turning every which way clawing to any semblance of reality.

Who was I?

This can’t be real.

“Aimee!” A distant voice called, bubbling up to the surface of my consciousness. The sound repeated again and again, echoing in the distance, far away, but it was no use, I was drowning in my own sea of panic.

The words of the letter ricocheted deep within my mind, over and over.

How could she not be my mother? It made absolutely no sense. And why would she mention Lex? I pieced together her meaning, but it couldn’t be. Lex had promised he’d never lie to me… If he knew, why would he keep it from me?

Was this just a last–ditch attempt for my mother, for that woman, to screw with me? With us?

My legs beneath me eventually gave way as my stomach curdled at the realisation that the woman I’d come to call mom for my whole life was not the person I thought she was. My arse nearly made contact with the deck, but I was saved at the last moment by two strong arms holding me up.

“I’ve got you,” the worried voice said. “That’s it, keep breathing. In and out.”

Lex’s face came into focus inches from my own and he swept my hair away from my eyes. Phoebe hovered behind him like a frightened bird.

“Should we call someone? Get her to a hospital?” she asked.

“No, I’ve got her,” Lex repeated cradling me in his arms. “Here, take a sip of this,” he said lifting a glass tumbler to my lips.

I slapped the glass away; it cracked into pieces upon the wooden deck.

“Tell me you didn’t know,” I demanded with my eyes tightly closed. Maybe I could take it all back, make it all go away if I didn’t let the world in.

“We’ll talk about it later. You’ve had a nasty shock.”

“Tell me you didn’t know!” I said, speaking over him and opened my eyes.

“Later, Aimee…” His face had gone pale, and his tan seemed to have drained away.

“I can’t believe this, I can’t fucking believe this,” I said swaying in time with the motion of the yacht. “You knew all this fucking time, didn’t you? And you didn’t think it would be something you needed to let me know?”

The anger rose up in me and I could no longer sit caged in his arms. He tried to cling onto me, tried to keep me pinned to the seat but I fought my way up onto my feet.

“Aimee, you have to understand, there was never going to be the perfect time to tell you. I didn’t know how—”

“It didn’t have to be a perfect time, Lex. Any goddamn time would’ve been good enough. You promised you’d never lie to me.”

His nostrils flared, and the colour flushed back into his cheeks as he took steps towards me; advancing upon me like a raging bull.

“Let’s get one thing straight right now. I never lied to you. I was only trying to keep you bloody happy!” His voice was raised, and his blue eyes were stormy with rage.

Phoebe quickly stepped in between us, like a referee at a prize fighting match, and held her hands up in a calming wave. “OK. Everyone, just take a deep breath. I think you both need to cool off before you say something you might regret.” Her head swivelled from side to side. Her next words may have been for my benefit, but she directed them at Lex. “It’s getting late, maybe Aimee and I should leave? Go to a hotel perhaps? We both need a bit of girl time.”

Lex and Phoebe shared a brief moment of understanding, and Lex nodded his assent. I turned away from them as they made the plans, not wanting to be involved, not caring.

“I’ll call the car service to pick you up, and I’ll book you a room at the Hermitage Hotel,” Lex offered.

“Good, thanks, Lex,” Phoebe said gratefully as he walked away leaving us alone on deck.

I tuned them out and concentrated only on the questions that echoed within the caverns of my mind: If Loretta wasn’t my birth mom, then who the hell was?

And where on earth was she?

Chapter Four

I
couldn’t remember getting into the car that took us to the hotel, or the ten–minute journey around and away from the harbour. I barely even registered the decadent building that we were led into or the doors that were opened as if on cue.

My mind just couldn’t take in any of the rich details that surrounded me.

Questions spun like candyfloss in my head, getting stickier the more I touched and probed them.

Who was I? Is Aimee my real name? Why had Loretta lied all these years?

There must’ve been a good reason for it all.

Faces of the driver, the hotel staff and the porter were blurred in a swirl of pink and gold. I kept my head bowed mostly, watching the floor change beneath my feet, transitioning from cobbles to creamy Italian tile and finally to a deep plush carpet that lined the hotel suite. It was as if I were suspended above a conveyer belt, floating almost, and my feet were still as a roll of varied flooring passed beneath them.

Phoebe, who seemed to have taken on the role of guardian, sat me down on a chair in our suite.

Goddamit, I thought. I was being a selfish brat… This was supposed to be her time to crumble. I was supposed to be the one comforting her, helping her get through her crisis, not piling my latest shit onto her.

“I’m sorry, Phoebe. You didn’t come here for this,” I managed to say.

“What? Are you kidding? You do realise this is a five star hotel right?”

“No, I mean—”

“I know what you meant, hun. Just trying to lighten the mood,” she said and sat across from me. “Anyway, I think I’m the one who should be apologising. I brought you that damn letter. I should’ve burnt it.”

“No. I needed to know. It’s just, well, a bit of shock?”

“Tell me about it,” Phoebe said as she cradled her tiny bump of a belly in her hands.

“Do you know if you want to keep it?” I asked, attempting a change in subject.

She shrugged and held up a hand, the palm faced up. “On the one hand, there’s the whole getting fat, losing everything I’ve worked for; my degree… this bodacious body, and giving up on ever graduating.” Phoebe then held out her other hand in the same manner as before.

“But, on the other,” she glanced to her open left palm as her right fell once again upon her belly, “there’s this magical thing happening right here, and even though it’s twisting my insides at the moment, I don’t know if I can give it up. My heart hurts just thinking about it.”

“Oh god, what a pair we make, huh?” I shook my head. “The orphan and the hussy!” I said, teasing, and Phoebe managed a brief laugh.

“You probably shouldn’t be too hard on Lex, you know.”

I raised my eyebrows at her, nearly gobsmacked that she’d jumped ship to his side.

“So all it took was a first class ticket and swanky hotel for you to see his ‘good’ side, eh?”

“Ha! Not at all. Well, I do feel bad for him. Loretta probably planned this. Her last attempt to ruin him maybe? He’s obviously been trying to figure out the best way to tell you without breaking your heart… Be mad at Loretta, not him.” She bit her lip and I could understand what she was trying to say, but I was still too angry to hear it.

Phoebe was supposed to be my friend, on my side, after all.

My face must have twisted, because she quickly retreated back across the line, “Fine, forget what I said. He’s a prick. He should have told you the moment he found out. Happy now?”

“That’s more like it,” I said as a sad smile twitched at the corner of my lips. She was trying her best, and I loved her for it.

Suddenly Phoebe’s chocolate eyes twinkled with mischief. “Let’s teach him a lesson and rack up a huge room service bill.”

“You do realise nothing we do will ever make the smallest dent in his wallet, right?”

“It’s the thought that counts. Anyways, I’m starved. What do you want?” she asked and handed over the menu.

“Pfft, if we’re going to do it, we might as well do it right,” I said and shooed the leather bound folder containing set dishes away. “I’ll get something made to order, thank you very much.”

***

The next morning I stood on our private balcony, looking over the port, and I watched as the colours of the water turned from a deep warm blue to a bright turquoise. The calm waters infected my own wellbeing, cleared my mind. I knew what Phoebe had said was right. It must’ve killed Lex to keep something like that from me, and I never even gave him a chance to explain.