Chapter Eight #3
“That isn’t my problem.” He could see she was getting angrier.
Her face was becoming as red as her hair.
He understood why she was upset but he was trying to keep calm to avoid making it worse.
Their arguments usually grew heated quickly and he couldn’t let that happen if he wanted to fix this. Bree didn’t appear to agree, however.
“Of course, it is! Fairies always get what they want. If you think she will stop now that she has her eye set on you then you are a damn fool, Rowan. I had a bad feeling from the first night when she asked you to stay in her chambers. Then when she had to ride with you on the journey home. She was working her magic then too, wasn’t she? ”
“Bree, you are overreacting! It doesn’t matter what she thinks or does.
I made my feelings clear when I refused her mother’s offer to marry Rhea in Anestas.
” When Breestlin turned her head and just stared at him with wide eyes, he realized his mistake and hurried to add, “I wasn’t going to tell you.
I shouldn’t have mentioned it now. Forget I said anything. ”
“The fairy queen offered you her daughter, a fairy princess, to marry? And you weren’t going to tell me about it?” Bree was furious, though she wasn’t sure who she was more upset with at the moment, him or Rhea.
“I didn’t see a reason to tell you because I turned her down. Immediately. I’d forgotten entirely about it until just now. It’s not what you’re making it out to be.”
“Of course. It’s my fault for thinking we should share every proposal for marriage we receive with each other.” She turned and threw her book through the open window, not caring where it landed. “Why would I ever think that? Any other damn secrets you want to share today, Rowan?”
“Are you really lecturing me on secrets, Bree?” He couldn’t stop himself. The door opened and he took it. “When were you planning to tell me Sarita is my daughter?”
Bree froze, staring out the window at the mostly bare forest in the distance.
She had to remind herself to breathe, though it was difficult to draw air.
Her chest felt like a boulder had just fallen on it.
This day was bound to come, but she’d hoped it would be further in the future and maybe she’d be more prepared for it. Fate being the wench it was, however…
“How long have you known?” she asked, softly.
Her response was like a punch to his ribs.
He’d expected her to deny it. To tell him he was crazy.
The confusion and agony from his first encounter with Sarita came rushing back to him.
It had taken several days for him to convince himself it was even possible.
And there had been so many times since when he’d thought of confronting Bree about his suspicion.
Just hearing her confirm it now reopened the wound he had been trying to keep closed. This secret was a betrayal in more ways than one. He forced his mouth to move. “I’ve known since the first time I laid eyes on her. She has my eyes, Bree. My mother’s eyes. You can’t hide that from me.”
Bree turned to him, tears rolling down her face. “I didn’t want to hide it from you. I wanted to tell you.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
“I couldn’t.” She stepped toward him. “My parents thought it was for the best you didn’t know. That we didn’t let anyone know.”
“You still could have told me,” he returned, his shock turning to anger. “When I came back last year, you should have told me!”
“What good would it have done? Sarita doesn’t know you’re her father. She doesn’t even know I am her real mother!”
“Why? Why doesn’t she know? How could you let them convince you that this was a good idea?”
“We were so young and unmarried. I was a princess, Rowan. A child out of wedlock… I didn’t want to do it, but when we returned after my pregnancy, you were gone. I felt like I had no choice.”
Rowan backed away from her, appalled by her words and the situation.
“I wouldn’t have left if I had known,” he gritted out.
“You chose to keep it from me and because of that, my daughter has no idea who I am, and I missed the first six years of her life. Those six years in which you were here, with her.”
“I am so… sorry.” Bree was crying so hard that it was difficult to speak.
“I can’t get that time back, Bree. You took something from me that I can never get back.”
“I know that. I understand. Please forgive me. Please.”
He started to speak but stopped. He wanted to forgive her.
After all, she had forgiven him more than once.
And maybe the blame wasn’t entirely on her shoulders, yet he couldn’t help but feel betrayed.
How was he supposed to feel now that he knew?
Now he had come to care for Sarita? It was too much right now. Slowly, he turned and started to leave.
“That’s typical, Rowan,” she said, wiping her face. “Leaving the moment something goes wrong.”
He paused but didn’t turn back. Then he set his jaw and walked out, leaving Bree alone with her tears and regrets.