Undressed By His Arrogance

Sam stopped abruptly in the middle of the staircase.

"I have told you countless times," Sam said firmly, "I love you the way you are. Your mother raised you that way. Gentle. Kind. Trusting. And after she passed, I continued that way. I protected your softness. I thought I had fought every battle you would ever have to fight." A pause. A breath. "I was wrong."

Evans swallowed hard.

"That isn’t sickening to you?" Evans asked quietly pointing to the room they just left. His stomach churned with a nauseating swirl of horror and reluctant understanding.

Sam chuckled. "Son," he said, shaking his head slightly, "there are worse fates." He tapped Evans lightly on the arm.

He turned again and resumed climbing.

At the top of the staircase, he spoke again without turning around. "No one touches family."

*****

Ivy sat beside Winn on the jet as the pilot announced take-off. She remembered, painfully well, how he had issues with flying. She’d been determined to sit next to him the moment they boarded. But as the plane surged forward and lifted, Winn didn’t even blink. He didn’t flinch. Didn’t breathe wrong. He looked... hollow.

Once the jet finally stabilized and the soft hum of the engines filled the cabin, Ivy reached for his fingers. "Hey..." she murmured, gently brushing the back of his hand with her thumb. "You don’t have to sit like a statue. You’re scaring me a little." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

He turned his head slowly. "I’m sorry. Lots on my mind."

Ivy shifted closer, her shoulder pressing into his, offering her warmth without smothering him. "Maybe we should talk. You said you and Sylvia weren’t on speaking terms. What happened?" She hesitated, studying the way his jaw ticked. "I know you guys were incredibly close. Something huge must have happened."

Winn exhaled. "Uhhh... well...She had a bit of a part to play in keeping us apart."

"Sylvia? No..." Of all the possible answers, that wasn’t even in the same galaxy. Sylvia, who used to look at Winn like he carved the sun.

"I don’t know how Tom got to her," Winn muttered. "But she helped him manipulate me into marrying Sharona."

"Oh boy," Ivy whispered, leaning back as the information punched her in the chest. She rubbed her forehead. "Well, that’ll do it. Is that why you’re angry instead of grieving? Because you were mad at her?" She asked it gently, knowing it was a knife to touch.

Winn’s throat bobbed. "I have said things to her and about her that I cannot believe I can’t take back. I knew I wouldn’t be mad at her forever. I just... wasn’t ready. I wasn’t—" He sucked in a breath, chest rising sharply. "She’s gone, yeah. But there is still much at stake."

Ivy brushed her hand along his thigh. "Winn..."

He didn’t seem to hear her. Or maybe he did, but the next bomb was too heavy to wait. His eyes finally met hers.

"And I met my biological father today."

Ivy’s mouth fell open. "I’m sorry, you what?!"

Winn nodded once, leaning his head back against the seat, closing his eyes as if the memory alone gave him a migraine. "Yeah. Turns out today wasn’t dramatic enough, God had to throw in a surprise parent."

"Who is he?" Ivy asked quietly.

"You will not believe it."

"Try me," she challenged lightly, resting her elbow on the armrest and propping her chin on her hand.

"He is Tom’s older brother."

Ivy’s head snapped back. "I did not see that one coming. How? As in... how?"

"I haven’t had time to ask questions. But I will, when the time is right. I have other things to focus on right now... not my mother’s questionable taste in men."

"I have just one question," she said, lifting a finger dramatically. "Just one."

"Shoot."

"Is he anything like Tom?"

Winn huffed, tilting his head against the seat. "It doesn’t look like it. But Tom is a manipulative bastard." His fingers drummed against his thigh, restless. "Maybe Tim is too."

She leaned sideways and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Remember when we were in Europe?" she asked quietly, eyes drifting shut. "Away from the madness of it all?"

Winn murmured his agreement. "Yeah," he said.

"It was refreshing, I felt free—and you did too."

"Maybe," she continued, "you can go again. A vacation this time. Just get away from it all."

"Maybe," he echoed. Then, quieter, "Maybe... Or you could go with me."

Ivy lifted her head and arched a brow. "Don’t poke that bear."

"I didn’t poke it," he said with a lazy shrug.

"Winn..."

"Worth a try," he added.

*****

Mary had just finished feeding Elizabeth her bottle, patting the baby’s tiny back until the soft, satisfied burp escaped her. She placed Elizabeth back in her crib, smoothing the blanket over her body.

Then—

The front door opened.

Her entire body jerked. Evans had told her the news. Sylvia was dead. No one else would enter without knocking first.

She hurried out of the nursery. But the moment she stepped into the living room and saw who stood there—

She almost stopped breathing.

"Ivy?" she exclaimed.

Ivy’s gasp matched her mother’s. "Mum?" Her hand flew to her chest. Her eyes shone with disbelief and shock. "What... what are you doing here?"

Winn stood behind Ivy, watching the reunion. "So I guess everyone knew except the both of us," he muttered dryly.

Ivy turned toward him sharply. "Knew what?"

"Do you want to tell her, Mary," he asked, "or should I?"

Mary’s lips parted, but nothing came. "I—I..." She tried again. "I..."

Her throat closed up. How did a mother explain this?

"Mum?" Ivy whispered. "What is going on? Why is my mother living in Sylvia’s house? Or is it Sylvia living in my mother’s house?"

Winn moved slightly, as if preparing to catch her if her knees buckled.

Just then, Elizabeth’s cry split through the air, piercing and innocent and completely unforgiving.

The truth had found them. And it refused to wait.