22. Selene
Selene
Leo’s voice still rings in my ears.
“Dad.
The word came so easily, like he knew it belonged to Darby. Like it was the most natural thing to call the man he had only known for a few weeks. Like Darby is and always has been his dad.
I grip the edge of my coat, and my fingers twist into the fabric. My chest feels tight, my pulse hammering against my ribs. Leo has no idea what he has just done; how he has cracked open a door I have spent eight years trying to keep shut.
I watch Darby hug him again. Leo gets on the bus after saying goodbye one last time.
I’m still paralyzed. I can’t even bring my hand up to wave at him.
I watch as the bus fills and prepares to leave.
My throat gets drier by the second. The world around me blurs—the laughter of children, the chatter of parents, the distant honk of a car.
Everything is there, yet none of it feels real.
Darby stands beside me, silent. His presence is heavy, his body close enough that I can feel his warmth even in the cool morning air. I don’t dare to look at him. I don’t know what I’ll find if I do.
Is he putting the pieces together? Did he hear what Leo said? Of course he did. There’s no way he didn’t.
I shift my weight from one foot to the other, willing myself to move, to speak, to do anything but stand here, drowning in this moment. Then Darby turns to me.
“Selene.”
His voice is quiet, and I can’t read the emotion behind it. I can’t tell if it’s anger or confusion. After taking several deep breaths, I force myself to meet his gaze. To my dismay, I can’t read his expression either. His face is blank. I can’t tell what he’s feeling.
My heart pounds so hard it hurts.
I brace myself. Any second now, he’ll ask. He’ll demand answers. He’ll piece it all together, and then it’ll be over. My world will change in ways I’m not ready for.
He exhales, and I brace myself. “Let me take you home.”
Relief rushes through me so fast it makes me dizzy. My shoulders sag as I release the breath I was holding. I shake my head quickly. “Thank you, but I’ll find my way. There are a few things I need to do first.”
Without any hesitation or protest or question, he nods and steps back from me. “Goodbye, Selene.”
He walks away before I can respond.
I watch his back as he disappears into the crowd, my stomach twisting. My relief fades as something colder settles in its place. Something is off. Did he not hear Leo call him dad? Why is he suddenly so calm? Why didn’t he ask a single question?
For fear that I might pass out or go into full panic mode, I order an Uber.
Any panic or breakdown I have should be done within the confines of my house.
When my ride arrives, I nod to the driver and get into the car without a word. Pressing my fingers against my temples, I slow my thoughts. Since I came back from the trip, I’ve been getting constant headaches, and I know it’s because I’m so worried.
I check my phone out of habit. A notification pops up on my screen.
It’s an alert from Three Stones Advertising Group.
The payment for the article I wrote is processing.
I didn’t expect them to confirm it so fast, but I worked hard on the article, and it’s nice to know they’ve recognized that hard work.
I stare at the amount on my screen and close my eyes. This is enough. Enough to cover rent. Enough to keep Leo and me in our home for a little longer.
Relief swells in my chest, and I bask in the feeling for a few seconds. It’s like a cup of cold water on a sunny day, relieving me from all the stress building up in my head and chest.
The car slows in front of my building, and I already know what to do. I get out, pay the driver, and make my way to the landlord’s office, conveniently just down the street.
When I step inside, he looks up from his desk and greets me with a polite nod.
His office is small and cluttered, the scent of old paper and cheap coffee thick in the air.
The single window behind him lets in a dull afternoon light, making the dust in the room more visible. Again, I feel like I can’t breathe.
I set my bag down and straighten my shoulders. “I’m here to pay the rent.”
His brows pull together. He leans back in his chair, adjusting his glasses. “You already paid.”
A cold prickle runs down my spine. “No, I haven’t.”
The landlord rubs his chin. “Leo’s father took care of it.”
Gripping the edge of the desk to steady myself, I stare at him. “What?”
His frown only deepens as he looks at me. “A young man came by a few days ago, asked about the rent, and paid in full.”
It’s a miracle my heart hasn't exploded with the many shock waves it has received within the past few hours. “Did…did he say he was Leo’s father?”
He shrugs, tapping his fingers against the arm of his chair. “Nope. But he had dark brown hair. Green eyes and looks a lot like the boy. I just figured he was.” He scratches his chin, watching me closely. “Ain’t he the dad?”
I close my eyes for a moment, swallowing hard. That’s definitely Darby, not Jake.
I was hoping to God it was Jake.
My mind goes back to the first night he spent in my house. The night he lied about his phone and car. That was a few days after I got the eviction notice, and it was lying around in the kitchen.
He must have seen it then.
The landlord leans back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. He looks at me like he’s expecting me to say something. I force a smile. My hands feel ice-cold against my sides.
My throat is dry. I need to leave. Now. But I can’t just turn and run. That would be too suspicious. I smooth a hand over my coat, keeping my expression as neutral as possible.
“Ah, I see,” I say lightly. “Well, thank you for letting me know.”
He nods, still eyeing me like he’s trying to figure something out. I don’t wait for him to ask more questions. I turn toward the door, walking out as steadily as I can. My legs feel weak. Each step feels like I’m wading through water.
The cold air outside is a slap to my face. I suck in a breath, wrapping my arms around myself as I make my way back to my apartment. My heart is racing so fast that it’s almost painful.
Darby paid my rent.
He didn’t say anything. Didn’t even hint at it. And the landlord—he only assumed because of how much Darby and Leo look alike. That means maybe Darby still doesn’t know.
Right?
The thought barely soothes me. Even if he doesn’t know now, how long will it be before he starts asking questions? How long before the truth catches up to me? Leo called him ‘dad’ today. Before that, he said he wanted to be like him when he grew up.
I shut the door of my home behind me and lean against it. I slide down onto the floor, pressing my palms against my face.
Darby and Leo.
Leo has never had a father figure in his life.
And yet, with Darby, he was so natural. So at ease.
The way he looks up to him, the way he laughed with him, was effortless.
Darby had saved him at the play, but I don’t think it was just about that.
I think the father-and-son bond was pulling them closer, even if they didn’t know.
I close my eyes.
What am I supposed to do? If I tell him now, will it be better or worse? Will he be angry? Hurt? Would he take Leo away?
I shake my head. No, Darby isn’t that kind of man. He can be cruel, reckless, selfish—but he isn’t malicious. And yet, he’s powerful. Wealthy. He has resources I can’t compete with.
I push myself up and walk to the kitchen. My hands shake as I pour a glass of water. The apartment feels too small, too quiet, too full of my thoughts.
I can’t sleep.
In the morning, I go to see the one person I can talk to about all this: my brother, Jake.
His auto shop is always noisy. The smell of oil and metal fills the air. A radio plays in the background, mixing with the sound of engines and the clatter of tools.
Jake stands near the entrance, talking to one of his employees. His face lights up when he sees me. “Hey, look who’s here,” he grins, wiping grease from his hands. “Didn’t think I’d see you today.”
I try to smile back, but I know he sees right through it. The moment I step closer, his grin fades.
“What’s wrong?” His eyes scan my face, his jaw tightening.
I hesitate. Then, I let out a slow breath. There's no need to beat about the bush or make silly excuses. I need to rip the band-aid off so I can get to my solution faster. “I’ve been working for Darby.”
Jake’s entire body goes still. His hand clenches around the rag he’s holding, and he frowns. “Darby,” he repeats. His voice is flat. “As in Darby from college? Leo’s father.”
I nod. “It started with an article. For Olivia’s wedding.” I explain everything. The party, the breakfast, the job offer, the business trip. How he saved Leo. Every single thing.
Jake listens without saying a word. When I finish, he tosses the rag onto a nearby workbench.
He stares at me for a few seconds and then runs a hand over his face.
“Selene.” He looks at me, his frown not fading away.
I know that look, and I’m about to get some tough love.
“Do you understand what you’re playing with here? ”
I swallow. “I’m not—”
“He has money. Power. The kind you don’t.”
“I know that.”
Jake shakes his head. “No, you don’t. You’re still thinking like the girl who loved him back in college. But he’s different now. You don’t know what he’ll do when he finds out. You’ve not only deceived him once but twice.”
I blink, and he explains further. “In the past, it was understandable because you ran away and didn’t have a chance to see him after that.
But now, you’ve seen him, spoken to him, worked with him for weeks.
He has met Leo, and you still haven’t told him he’s his son.
How do you think that will make him feel? ”
I press my lips together. “He wouldn’t take Leo from me.”
“You sure about that?”
Tears sting my eyes, and I clench my hands together in a fist. Jake sighs.
“Look, I get it. Maybe he’s not a bad guy.
Maybe he even cares about you. But the moment he realizes he has a son?
He’s going to want to be involved. And if he decides you’ve robbed him of eight years with Leo, what happens then? ”
I’m shaking to my bones now and barely holding back tears. “I had my reasons.”
Jake’s expression softens, but his voice stays firm. “That might not matter to him, Selene. Have you ever put yourself in his shoes and imagined how you would feel if you didn’t have the chance to be Leo’s mother?”
Even imagining it breaks something inside of me. I swipe quickly at the tear that slides down my face and sniff. I already knew all this, but hearing it feels like hell. “I… just need time.”
Jake exhales. “You’ve always been good at handling things on your own, Selene, and I trust you. If this Darby guy decides to fight you, we’d fight him together.”
Another tear slides from my eyes, and I swipe it away. I hug him, then leave. The bus ride home is long. My thoughts refuse to settle.
By the time I step onto my street, the sun is setting. The air smells like rain, with clouds coming in. I’m deep in thought that I should tell Darby the truth and-
I pause mid-thought as I see Darby sitting on my front porch.
My stomach drops. His elbows rest on his knees, his hands clasped together. A piece of paper dangles between his fingers, and it looks like he’s shaking. He looks up as I approach.
“Darby. What… are you doing here?”
He doesn’t answer. He just stands up and holds out the paper. I hesitate before slowly walking towards him and taking the paper from him.
The moment my eyes land on the words, I gasp and drop my bag.
Written boldly at the top of the paper: DNA Test Results.