anyone.”
Tremaine nodded. He never once had the
desire to settle down with anyone. “You and me both, kid.”
Chapter 10
Twenty-one years ago.
Sixty good years had come and gone. They had
their rocky moments but Robert wouldn’t change a single one for the
world. He was curled around Liz who was asleep in their bed. He
traced a pattern on her skin as he stared down at her. It was time,
he felt it deep in his soul. Over sixty years together and all of
her excuses were gone.
He was ready to walk away from it all. The
council, his screwed up family, and all the things that couldn’t
manage to tear them apart. Liz and Robert were stronger than ever,
and he knew she would finally say yes.
The phone rang, and he rolled to snatch it
up with a groan. “Hello?” He asked quietly.
“Oh, thank God,” Emily said, her voice
pained. “I need your help. The baby’s coming, and I can’t do this
on my own. Please, I’m begging you. Just you, no one can know.”
Robert turned back to Liz. His eyes closed,
but he asked, “How long?”
Emily screamed and then her breath came in
great pants. “It’s bad. I need you soon.”
“I’ll be there.” He hung up and brushed
Liz’s hair from her face. “Love, wake up,” he murmured against her
ear.
She stretched her long body, looking up at
him with a sleepy smile. “Good morning, baby.”
“I wish.” He sighed and glanced at the
clock. It was already eight in the morning. If this baby was fast,
he could be back by evening. “I have to help my sister with
something today.”
“You haven’t seen her in months. I’m glad
you’re going to go hang out with her.”
He nodded, but he couldn’t bring himself to
answer that. It was the only secret he’d kept from Liz over the
years. Eventually he did tell her about the Council forcing him to
keep an eye on her. He didn’t know how to tell her that his own
brother had raped their sister and got her pregnant.
“I’ll be back tonight, as soon as
possible.”
She rolled into him, her smile brightening.
“She’s your sister. If she needs you, then stay with her as long as
you need. Promise you’ll call me to let me know. That’s all I
ask.”
“Done. I should be back by five
tonight.”
She shoved him. “Go be with your sister.
I’ll make dinner, but I can always do that later if you let me
know.”
Robert leaned in and gave her kiss before
climbing from the bed. He got dressed and translocated to Emily who
was hiding out in Switzerland.
* * * *
Liz watched him go. It was good that he was
finally talking to Emily. Robert had hardly spoken to his sister
since their father passed away. Robert needed the connection to his
family.
James, well that piece of shit wasn’t it,
but Emily was. Even if Emily wasn’t her biggest fan, they were
still family, and Liz didn’t want to take that away from him.
She sat up and her stomach heaved. She shot
off the bed and dashed into the bathroom. There wasn’t anything to
throw up as she knelt at the toilet, trying to calm herself.
This was the third morning in a row and her
period was a week late. “Shit,” she whispered before another wave
of nausea hit her hard.
Once she could stand, she made her way back
to the bedroom and picked up the phone. She dialed the one person
she trusted with everything.
Tremaine answered on the second ring.
“Morning. Its morning, right?” he grumbled.
“Trem, I need a huge favor.”
“Liz? What is it?” He sounded a little more
coherent.
She pushed her hair from her face. “Can you
pick up a pregnancy test for me? Please.”
“Really? Liz, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m ready if I am.” She felt tears
stinging her eyes. “Please, don’t tell anyone. In case I’m
wrong.”
“I’ll be there,” he promised before he hung
up. He was always there though. She knew she could count on
him.
* * * *
James couldn’t find his sister. He’d
searched everywhere, but Emily was nowhere to be
Tremaine nodded. He never once had the
desire to settle down with anyone. “You and me both, kid.”
Chapter 10
Twenty-one years ago.
Sixty good years had come and gone. They had
their rocky moments but Robert wouldn’t change a single one for the
world. He was curled around Liz who was asleep in their bed. He
traced a pattern on her skin as he stared down at her. It was time,
he felt it deep in his soul. Over sixty years together and all of
her excuses were gone.
He was ready to walk away from it all. The
council, his screwed up family, and all the things that couldn’t
manage to tear them apart. Liz and Robert were stronger than ever,
and he knew she would finally say yes.
The phone rang, and he rolled to snatch it
up with a groan. “Hello?” He asked quietly.
“Oh, thank God,” Emily said, her voice
pained. “I need your help. The baby’s coming, and I can’t do this
on my own. Please, I’m begging you. Just you, no one can know.”
Robert turned back to Liz. His eyes closed,
but he asked, “How long?”
Emily screamed and then her breath came in
great pants. “It’s bad. I need you soon.”
“I’ll be there.” He hung up and brushed
Liz’s hair from her face. “Love, wake up,” he murmured against her
ear.
She stretched her long body, looking up at
him with a sleepy smile. “Good morning, baby.”
“I wish.” He sighed and glanced at the
clock. It was already eight in the morning. If this baby was fast,
he could be back by evening. “I have to help my sister with
something today.”
“You haven’t seen her in months. I’m glad
you’re going to go hang out with her.”
He nodded, but he couldn’t bring himself to
answer that. It was the only secret he’d kept from Liz over the
years. Eventually he did tell her about the Council forcing him to
keep an eye on her. He didn’t know how to tell her that his own
brother had raped their sister and got her pregnant.
“I’ll be back tonight, as soon as
possible.”
She rolled into him, her smile brightening.
“She’s your sister. If she needs you, then stay with her as long as
you need. Promise you’ll call me to let me know. That’s all I
ask.”
“Done. I should be back by five
tonight.”
She shoved him. “Go be with your sister.
I’ll make dinner, but I can always do that later if you let me
know.”
Robert leaned in and gave her kiss before
climbing from the bed. He got dressed and translocated to Emily who
was hiding out in Switzerland.
* * * *
Liz watched him go. It was good that he was
finally talking to Emily. Robert had hardly spoken to his sister
since their father passed away. Robert needed the connection to his
family.
James, well that piece of shit wasn’t it,
but Emily was. Even if Emily wasn’t her biggest fan, they were
still family, and Liz didn’t want to take that away from him.
She sat up and her stomach heaved. She shot
off the bed and dashed into the bathroom. There wasn’t anything to
throw up as she knelt at the toilet, trying to calm herself.
This was the third morning in a row and her
period was a week late. “Shit,” she whispered before another wave
of nausea hit her hard.
Once she could stand, she made her way back
to the bedroom and picked up the phone. She dialed the one person
she trusted with everything.
Tremaine answered on the second ring.
“Morning. Its morning, right?” he grumbled.
“Trem, I need a huge favor.”
“Liz? What is it?” He sounded a little more
coherent.
She pushed her hair from her face. “Can you
pick up a pregnancy test for me? Please.”
“Really? Liz, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m ready if I am.” She felt tears
stinging her eyes. “Please, don’t tell anyone. In case I’m
wrong.”
“I’ll be there,” he promised before he hung
up. He was always there though. She knew she could count on
him.
* * * *
James couldn’t find his sister. He’d
searched everywhere, but Emily was nowhere to be
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