My father started pacing the room. I don’t ever remember seeing him so upset. He turned away from me and walked over to the long paned window overlooking the garden. I knew he needed a minute to contemplate all that had happened. The room was deathly quiet as I sat; embarrassed after having to tell my parents everything I’d had to go through. They wanted honesty, and that’s exactly what I gave them. Rehashing the past was painful, but I’d kept so much bottled up inside that talking about it brought me a sense of relief.

I still couldn’t believe Colton had raped my sister. That I had actually watched it happen, thinking it was something it wasn’t. I was disgusted, and furious with myself for assuming the worst about Laney. She was a victim, just like me.

How was I supposed to live with that kind of guilt?

My dad lowered his head and sighed. “I will never forgive myself for not believing you when you tried to warn me that he was bad news. If I’d only listened to you. You and your sister…”

“Daddy, no.” Seeing my father in so much emotional pain only made me hate Colton even more. I stumbled to my feet and rushed over to comfort him. He not only had to deal with what Colton had done to me all those years, but to my sister as well. One daughter would have been enough, but both destroyed by the same man was too much to take. Even for someone as strong as my father.

He took my face in his strong hands. “It was my job to protect you and Laney.” His voice cracked when he spoke. “God, I’m such a failure.”

My heart twisted so hard it hurt. He looked utterly devastated. “You had no way of knowing. Colton can be very convincing. He had us all fooled for a long time.”

That’s how monsters like Colton survived. They said and did whatever they needed to do to hide the truth.

He rested his hands on my shoulders looking as angry as I’d ever seen him. “That son-of-a-bitch is going to pay for what he did to you and your sister. For what he did to this family.”

My father was a man of a few words. When he said something, he meant it. I had no doubt that he would follow through with his threat. Colton mistook my father’s kindness for weakness, but that was his mistake. I just wanted to forget the past and move on.

My mom stared at us as she sat across the room. She polished off her Manhattan and set the crystal glass on the table. I didn’t even remember seeing her pour it.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t believe you.” She sighed, with her hands fidgeting with the edge of her red silk dress. “I don’t know how or when, but we will get through this, as a family.” She rose from her chair and came closer, her bright blue eyes staring into mine reminding me of the connection we once shared.

“Thank you both, your support means more to me than you could ever know.”

“Alexis,” my mom said, “I’m really, truly sorry about everything.” She glanced at my dad and hesitated. It was weird watching my mother show emotion. She was always so put together. It was odd seeing her so unsure. “I’d like the chance to try to repair the damage I’ve done to our relationship. I know I haven’t been the perfect mother, but I’d like the chance to make things up to you.”

“I’d like that, too.” Tears filled her eyes when I reached over and covered her hand with mine. I didn’t miss the relief that relaxed her shoulders.

My dad put his arm around her, pulling her tight against his tall frame. When I truly looked at them I saw the parents that I once had. Regardless of what had happened, they were still my family. We still had a long way to go, but for the first time in a long time I felt optimistic that we could get back there.

“Alexis!” My dad called out, as I turned towards the door. “That young man out there. You love him?”

I held back a sob; the word love didn’t even come close to describing how I felt about him. “I do, Daddy. So much that it hurts.” I smiled and quietly walked out of the room.

I rounded the corner of my dad’s office, my steps a little lighter, my heart a little fuller. Brad was sitting in the sunroom, talking to Laney. To an outsider he looked to be completely engaged in the conversation, but I could sense his nervous energy from all the way across the room. Even from a distance, I could still see the worry on his face. He lifted his head as I approached and gave me an uneasy smile. I didn’t like to see so much doubt in his eyes.

He stood from the couch meeting me halfway. Our weeks apart felt more like years. There were so many questions, and so many apologies filling the space between us. Promises were made and trust was broken, leaving me unsure where we stood with each other.

“Lexi, please come here.” I didn’t need to be told twice. I rushed to him as his arms came around me and stroked my back. “God, I’ve missed you so much.” He whispered against my hair pulling me close. I loved the feel of his body pressed against mine. This was all I ever needed. His strength always made me feel strong, even at my weakest moments.

“I missed you, too.” I sobbed, and dropped my head down on his shoulder. I was so overcome with emotion. Even though everything I did was to protect him, it still felt like I didn’t deserve his comfort or his compassion.

Brad pulled back, cupping my face in his hands. “You are so goddamn beautiful. I was afraid I would never get a chance to do this again.” He brushed a soft kiss against my mouth. Tears leaked from my eyes, falling onto his lips. My fingers reached up and stroked his chin, the stubble felt rough against my skin. I closed my eyes and prayed that this wasn’t a dream.

A gentle cough interrupted us. I looked up to see my parents staring at us with a look of curiosity. Brad pulled back, reached for my hand, and laced our fingers together. He stood tall and proud as he brushed his fingers against my knuckles.

My father extended his hand. “Mr. Morgan. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Brad nodded with a polite smile. “Likewise, Sir.” He directed his gaze towards my mom and tipped his head. “Ma’am.”

My mother’s manicured fingers pressed down her blonde bob. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she was blushing. “Please call me Gwen.” I almost choked in disbelief. No one called her Gwen. As a matter of fact, she insisted on being called Gwendolyn.

Laney shot me an amused grin. Dad however, was oblivious to the informality. “Very well, Gwen. You both can call me Brad.”

“Alexis told us everything you’ve done for her. Thank you for looking out for her and for keeping her safe. And thank you for helping Laney. Our family will forever be indebted to you.”

Brad squeezed my hand and glanced down at me. The lines around his eyes softened as he kissed my temple. “Sir, you don’t need to thank me. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for Lexi. Laney was a victim, too, and they both deserved to see justice served.”

God, my poor sister.

“Yes, about that.” My dad said, moving across the room. He pulled Laney into his arms. I dragged a hand through my hair and tried to calm myself down. I wanted to puke every time I thought about standing outside that door and doing nothing. I couldn’t even look at my sister because I was so ashamed.

“Hey,” Brad pulled back to look at me, His expression softened. “Are you going to be okay?”

I wiped the tears from my eyes and forced a smile. “I’m fine. I need to go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

He let go, and I made my way through the house. I needed a few minutes to myself to process everything. I was finishing up washing my hands when I heard a light tap on the door. I pulled it open to see my sister standing in front of me. Her lip trembled as she leaned against the doorframe.

“Please don’t blame yourself. You had no way of knowing what really happened.” My heart dropped to my feet as I continued to stare at her. “It’s not like I screamed for help. I was so paralyzed by fear, I just couldn’t…”

She broke down into hysterics. I did my best to calm her down; the words she needed to hear didn’t seem like enough though. She was a mess, I was a mess. My heart bled for her. There was nothing I could say that would ever make it right.

“We’ve both been through more than two people should ever have to go through.” I kissed her head. She dropped her arms to her side and sobbed quietly as I stroked her hair. “We’ll get through this together. I promise.”

After we dried our tears and had our moment. We walked back out to the living room. My dad lifted himself off the couch when he saw us.

“Laney, I know you have an appointment tomorrow morning, but they just brought Colton down to the station for booking. The police called to see if you could come down now. They want to eliminate any chance of him getting bail.”

Laney sucked in a deep breath as her eyes flew to mine. For some reason I felt more nervous than she did. “I’ll go with you so you don’t have to face him alone.” It was the least I could do.

She smiled and glanced over to Brad who was being rather quiet. “No, that’s okay. You two have a lot to talk about. I’ll be fine. We’ll get together tomorrow.”

She was right. We had so much to talk about. I still didn’t know where we stood or what he was feeling. There were so many questions that I was scared to hear the answers to. But I needed those answers, regardless.

My dad cleared his throat and stuffed his hands in his pants pocket. “Thanks again for everything, young man. You’re more than welcome to stay here as our guest. We have plenty of room and would be honored if you would accept.”

“Thank you. But I actually have a room booked at the Marriott in Buckhead and it’s too late to cancel. I appreciate the offer. It was very kind.”

My dad walked over and wrapped me up in a hug. He kissed the top of my head and asked. “Will you be here when we get back?”

I could feel Brad’s gaze on me. When I glanced over and shared a look with him. I saw the worry lines forming around his mouth. He looked like hell and it made me angry when I thought about everything I had put him through. Plus, I still had to tell him about the baby.

“I’m going to go back to the hotel with Brad, and I’m not sure how long I will be. So please don’t wait up for me tonight.”

I ignored my mother calling my name as I ran up the stairs to my room. I opened my closet and pulled out my Vera Bradley weekend bag, which was big enough to hold a few days worth of clothes. After I quickly stuffed everything inside, I zipped it up and headed back downstairs.

Brad and my dad were both waiting for me when I reached the bottom. My dad eyed my overnight bag in my hand with a frown, but quickly schooled his features. Brad reached out his hand and took my bag from me. He placed it over his shoulder and smiled. He looked relieved.

We said our goodbyes to my family and left for the hotel. They were on their way to the police station. I really hoped that Colton paid for what he did. Thinking about all the years I wasted on him, ate away at me. I was so done. I was done being miserable. Done being scared. It was time to move on and put the past behind me once and for all.