Chapter Twenty-two
All I can do is sit there and blink at them.
Everything they’ve just told me sounds unbelievable, and yet, I don’t hear any hints of deception in their voices.
They spent the last ten years saving the realms? Because of a goddess? How the hell is that even possible?
I mean, I know the stories we’ve passed down about the creation of our realm. All the stories say that Bria created a new realm, Quion, after listening to the pleas of her people across the realms. It’s meant to be a hidden realm that’s only open to refugees from the other realms—to those who have been mistreated by those ruling the realms.
It’s something we’ve been taught since we were children, and I’ve witnessed people being dropped into town out of nowhere on more than one occasion, but none of that made it seem real to me. An actual goddess watching over us and our lives?
It seems inconceivable.
The idea of the men I’d fallen for being ripped away from the home realm for ten years to save the other realms?
There’s no way that’s possible, right?
“Lil, are you okay?” Wyatt asks, quiet enough that the others won’t hear him.
Turning my head to look up at him, I find myself still unable to speak as I blink at him.
Am I okay?
No.
No, I don’t think I am.
I shake my head before swiveling back to the men before me once more—my eyes immediately zero in on Ty, who’s slumped forward with his elbows on his knees. Tears fall down his cheeks as he seems to fold in on himself.
That’s when his last words finally sink into my brain.
Fated mates?
Certainly not.
There’s no way we’re fated mates.
And yet, something warms inside my chest at the thought. A part of me that’s been yearning for years, a pain that I couldn’t soothe. A pain that only worsened when I saw the four of them again.
Fuck.
They really are my fated mates, aren’t they?
Licking my lips, I swallow around a dry mouth before grabbing the water bottle and chugging the rest of it. I can feel four sets of eyes on me, but not five.
No, Ty seems unable to lift his head to meet my gaze.
“Well, that’s certainly a story … “ I trail off, glancing at Ty again.
I just don’t know what to say or how to deal with the information they’ve just given me.
“It’s not a story,” Carter says carefully. “It’s what happened. Do you really think we’d be able to come up with a story this unbelievable?”
I shake my head. “No, I guess not. It’s just … it’s insane. You realize that, don’t you? I’d have to be crazy to believe what you’re saying.”
“But you do, don’t you?” Aidan asks, grinning.
I want to deny his words, but how can I? I do believe them.
“If it makes you feel better, Lil, I think they’re telling the truth.” Wyatt’s words don’t surprise me .
“Okay, yeah. I believe you—even if it makes no sense.”
Ty clears his throat, drawing my attention back to him even as he keeps his eyes locked on the floor. “Do you think you can ever forgive us?”
And isn’t that the real question?
It doesn’t change the pain they caused me. It doesn’t change the last ten years that I’ve been miserable or all the people I’ve pushed away.
It doesn’t change how I’ve treated Wyatt because of how badly they hurt me.
Does it really change anything at all?
“I don’t know,” I finally say, shaking my head. “I just don’t know.”
Silence follows my response, and I hate the way Ty seems to collapse before my eyes.
I don’t want to hurt him. Hell, I don’t want to hurt any of them, but I can’t give them the answer they want me to.
Not now.
Maybe not ever.
Tears burn at the back of my eyes, and I take a deep breath. I don’t want to cry in front of them.
I don’t want them to know just how much they hurt me—just how much I’m still hurting .
I need time to process everything they’ve said to me. I can’t do that with them sitting here.
“I know that’s not what you want to hear, but it’s the truth. You’ve given me a lot to think about, and that’s exactly what I need to do. For that to happen, I need time.” My breath stutters as their faces fall. It’s only Wyatt taking my hand in his that gives me the strength to continue. “You need to give me time to figure out how I feel about all of this and if it changes everything. I can’t do that if you’re around. I’m sorry.
“Thank you for telling me the truth and for being patient while I decided if I was ready to hear you out or not. With that being said, I’m asking for you not to contact me—to allow me time to figure all of this out on my own. If and when I feel like I can, I’ll reach out. But that’s all I can offer you right now, and I ask you to please honor my wishes.”
Carter is the first to stand. “Of course, Lila. We’ll give you all the time you need. Thank you for allowing us to explain the situation to you. No matter the outcome, I’m glad we were able to speak to you. I’m glad you’re okay after the accident. We were worried. ”
Oliver and Aidan push to their feet, reaching down to pull Ty upright. If not for their hands, he would’ve fallen back down to the couch. He’s no longer crying, but his eyes are glazed over as if he’s not really here.
“It was good seeing you again, Lila,” Oliver says, tears in his eyes as he forces a smile. “Wyatt has our numbers whenever you’re ready to talk about— if you’re ever ready to talk again.”
Aidan lifts his hand in farewell before he and Oliver drag Ty out of the room with Carter at their backs. Carter pauses just inside the hallway to glance back at me. I don’t know what he’s looking for, but the corner of his mouth turns up slightly before he nods. Then he’s gone, the door closing behind the four of them, and for the first time since arriving home, I feel like I can breathe.
“That was a lot,” Wyatt says, scooping me into his arms and heading toward my bedroom. “How are you dealing with all of this?”
I scoff. “Badly.”
“That’s okay, babe. We can talk it out like we always talk things out. I’ll help you figure out what’s going on inside that beautiful head of yours. ”
I cuddle into his chest, so grateful that he’s still here for me. How I haven’t pushed him away is a miracle. Any other man would’ve abandoned me long before now, but not Wyatt. Never Wyatt.
He sets me on the bed, and I immediately miss his heat. I smile when he pulls off his shirt before clambering onto the bed beside me and wrapping his arms around me. “So, what are you thinking?”
“Honestly? I’m not sure. My head is a mess. Part of me doesn’t want to believe what they told me, but I know they’re not lying. Am I even allowed to be mad at them if they spent the last ten years saving the realms?”
Wyatt kisses the top of my head before meeting my gaze. “Of course, you’re allowed to be mad at them. They might have had a good reason for ghosting you, but that doesn’t erase the ten years of pain you’ve had to deal with.”
A sigh of relief whistles from my lips as Wyatt says just what I’ve been thinking.
I hate that I feel split in half, with one piece of me wanting to forgive them immediately while the other piece isn’t sure if we should ever forgive them .
Having a good reason for disappearing doesn’t make any of what I dealt with disappear.
“And they’re my fated mates?” I bury my head in his chest. “I want to call them liars, but it makes sense, doesn’t it?”
“It does.”
“I just don’t know what to do, Wy,” I admit.
He hums. “And that’s perfectly fine, babe. You don’t have to decide right now, but it’s clearly weighing heavily on you, so spill. Tell me everything you’re thinking and then we’ll go from there.”
So that’s what I do. I tell him every thought crossing my mind and how I’m feeling about all of it.