Becoming Strangers Again by Lily

RYAN

I must have misheard her I had to have. There was simply no possible way my father, the man I had always looked up to and respected, would have done something so reckless, so deceitful. The notion that he could have cheated on my mother, fathered a child outside of their marriage, and then kept that child a secret for so many years-it seemed unthinkable. It was like my brain refused to process the idea; it fought against it, rejecting it as absurd.

"I know this is a lot to take in," she said, her voice calm and even. "I didn't want to tell you anything. My mother didn't want to, either. We've been avoiding this for as long as we could, but we're at a point now where we can't afford to stay silent anymore. We can't be homeless."

I looked at her, disbelief and anger churning inside me. "What's your name again?" I asked, my tone sharp and unforgiving.

"Maya," she answered without hesitation.

"So you expect me to believe this story you've come here to tell me?" I demanded, my voice tight with barely contained rage. "You expect me to believe that my father-my father-cheated on my mother with your mother? That he had some secret affair and you're the result of it?"

She shrugged, a casual gesture that infuriated me even more. "I'm not asking you to believe me," she said, her voice almost too calm, too indifferent. "I'm not asking you for anything other than to listen. I'm just stating the facts as they are. Your father did cheat, and I am the product of that affair. Whether you choose to believe it or not is up to you."

Maybe she was telling the truth, maybe she wasn't-how was I supposed to know? Either way, it hardly mattered. My mother was already grieving, her heart shattered by my father's sudden death, and I would do whatever it took to protect her from any more pain. I wouldn't let anyone come into our lives and hurt her more, especially with a sob story like this. Not now, not ever.

"Alright, let's say, just for a moment, that I decide to humor you," I said, intertwining my fingers and resting them on the table between us. I leaned forward, my gaze locked on her. "What exactly is it that you want?"

"Don't sell the house," she said without missing a beat.

I stared at her this young woman sitting in front of me with such boldness-and I couldn't help but chuckle. It was such a small request, but it felt loaded.

"Your mother doesn't have to know about this," she continued. "All you have to do is not sell the house. Just let my mother and me continue living there. That's all I'm asking."

The smile I had on my face-tight and far from genuine-slowly faded. "That sounds an awful lot like a threat to me," I said, my voice low and cold.

She shook her head, her expression sincere. "It's not a threat. I'm just asking you to let us stay where we are. I'm not demanding anything more." Her eyes moved over me, studying me carefully. "You're this agitated just because I asked you not to sell one property. What would you do if I were to ask you for something more? If I were to demand that you will me some of his estate?"

tightened, my teeth clenching together in a desperate attempt to hold back my frustration. "I'd pull out your hair," I

between me and you?" she taunted, leaning forward, her gaze growing darker and more sinister. "If we do this DNA test, and it turns out positive, you'd better believe I'll demand a lot more than just letting

out of her mouth. "You've got a lot of threats, don't you?" I hissed, my voice dripping

threat. If you refuse, I won't just ask for some properties. I'll take the DNA result to every news outlet I can find, and I'll make sure they all know that we share

stared at her, my mind racing. Was she insane? Did she truly think she could walk into

watching me carefully. "Who knows? Maybe he left me something. Maybe I'm

hadn't seemed to be any rush to read the will. It was something we'd get to when we

I said,

She grabbed her purse, her eyes meeting mine one

long moment, the events of the last few minutes playing over and over in my mind. Did a random woman seriously just walk into

when he answered. "I want you to look into them. Find out everything there is to know,

conversation with Maya. If she really was my sister, it was only a matter of time before my mother found out. Blackmail was a vicious cycle, one

***************

pulled up to the house, handing the keys to my security to park the car while I made my way inside. The first thing I saw was Lily and my mother sitting together in the living room, laughing as

mother smile like that-so bright, so full of joy-made me realize just how much Lily's presence was helping her heal. She was slowly moving on from the pain of my father's death, and I was determined to protect

smile from her, not now, not ever. Even if Maya was my sister, she and her mother had managed to stay hidden all these years, and they could stay hidden for a while

voice gentle as she pulled me out

distance between us and leaning down to

smile still in

to my mother, bending down to kiss her

was work

"Hectic as usual, but

an incoming call. "I need to take this," I said, walking away from them, feeling Lily's eyes on me as I left the room. I stepped into our bedroom,