SEAN

Sofia Sol, Luke, and Atlas sit on their motorcycles as we walk up, faces somber. Celia and I exchange a glance knowing it’s impossible to pretend we were just taking a walk with my hand in her back pocket. So I lock my fingers with hers and say, under my breath, “I don’t regret it.”

“Sean,” she whispers, worried but committed, brown eyes stormy as she searches for what to do or say.

Sofia calls over as we get closer, “Celia, we need to talk to you.”

Ceels glances to me then to the grass we’re crushing beneath each step. Feels like we’re walking to our doom, and the path is a long one. When we finally get to the road, she and I stand together, hands held tightly, waiting.

“Okay, so you know something happened between us,” I snap, ready to defend us.

But Atlas and Soph are locked on Ceels.

Luke shakes his head to me. “It’s not about you guys. We need to keep this under the radar,” he motions to our hands. “But we didn’t come searching for you because of this.”

Celia’s frown tilts. “Wait, really? You’re not here for us.”

“No.”

“What happened? Is everyone okay?”

The brothers look at Sofia Sol— she’s usually the one who talks for them. Kicking the pavement with her boot she stares at the ground a beat then looks up. “Ceels, Tonk Jr. went to talk to Carmen. He got curious and point blank asked her what’s been wrong with her. He wouldn’t let up, trying all kinds of hypotheses until she broke down in front of everyone like he was beating her or something.” She glances to Luke, then to Atlas. “So we followed her upstairs to my mom’s room. We had to know. We snuck up, made sure nobody heard or saw us. We listened at the door.”

I glance to Celia and see her on edge, dying for the reason they look like someone died. She whispers like she almost doesn’t want to know, “What did you hear?”

Sofia blinks to Luke and he solemnly nods that she has to say it. She inhales sharply, runs a hand through her hair as she looks to the sky before locking eyes with her friend and Cipher sister. “Ceels, Tonk isn’t your father.”

Celia croaks, “What?”

“We don’t know who is, but he’s not.”

“That’s not possible.”

Atlas steps forward. “It’s true. We heard her say it. She was crying really bad. Saying she didn’t want you to find out, and if Tonk Jr. found out she would die.”

Sofia nods, “My mom has known all along. Carmen said she didn’t want Junior to find out, with no mention of Tonk Sr., so we’re guessing he’s not in the dark on this.”

Celia steps away like she wants to run.

My face contorts with confusion. “Wait, I don’t understand. I thought you knew!” Celia looks at me like I’ve spoken another language. They all stare at me, wanting answers. “I overheard them talking my first week I was here. Didn’t mean to eavesdrop, and I walked away as soon as I realized how private the conversation was.” Looking at Celia I tell her in earnest, “I had no idea you didn’t know he wasn’t your father. I would never have kept that from you.”

“You are good at keeping secrets,” Atlas snaps like I’m the asshole who caused all of this.

Locking eyes with him, I throw my hand up to stop the train. “Hey, I keep them when I know that person isn’t involved, remember?” He backs into his cave and crosses his arms. Turning to Celia I lower my volume, “Forgive me, I really thought you knew. I saw it as a sign of how strong you were! If I had any clue you didn’t know—”

She takes my hand, eyes numb under a pained frown. “Sean, shhh. I trust you.”

Those words at this moment slice into my heart, crack it wide open. I gather her to me, and she wraps her arms around me so tightly as she starts to cry. Kissing her hair I hold her while she crumbles, knees buckling. “He’s not my dad? Why didn’t they tell me? How could they keep this from me?”

“I’ve got you,” I rasp, stung by her pain like it’s my own.

The brothers and Sofia Sol stand with us, with her, until the wave rides all the way out. She reaches for her friend and Soph brings her in for a tight embrace of love and support. “Shh, we’re going to get to the bottom of it, Ceels, together. You’re not alone. We’re all here for you.”

Celia whimpers, “How is he not my dad?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know.” Soph locks eyes with me over her friend’s shoulder, and in this look she tells me she’s glad Celia and I became more than friends today, and I will have to be strong for her best friend. I nod that I’m ready to handle anything she needs. Soph closes her eyes. “You want to go home or would you rather go somewhere else for a while?”

Celia steps back, sniffling as her eyes struggle to find purchase of anything solid. I take her hand to steady her and she inhales. “Home.”

“Okay, we’ll leave your motorcycle here. Sean will drive you back.”

Atlas reacts, but Luke shoots him a scathing look. “Don’t.”

We all know what Sofia is saying. The curtain has been pulled back today on all things. If Celia is going to face this betrayal within her family then she needs all the help she can get, and that means no acting like we don’t care about each other anymore. I’m going to have to face the Ciphers with my heart on my sleeve. My brain goes numb, overwhelmed with what this means for me. It’s possible this will be the end of my probation period. It’s either become a Cipher or hit the road now that I’ve fallen for one of their daughters.

Mounting the motorcycle first I strap my helmet on knowing there’s only one choice to be made—be here for her. This isn’t some normal problem she’s facing. It’s an existential one—the kind that could ruin her. She needs me. I will let fate decide what becomes of me with the club after today.

I wait for Celia to don her helmet and climb on behind me. Her arms are like noodles. “Hold on, baby.” She mumbles something incoherent but tightens them. “That’s it. You can do this.”

Luke leads the way, Sofia behind him, then me with Ceels, and Atlas at the tail. Every time I’ve ridden with these people, it’s been total freedom. But today someone robbed the air of oxygen, and there’s only one way to get it back.

The truth.