Chapter 115 115.Parents' marriage
Tabitha’s POV
I nod slowly, and my thoughts drift back to my mother and the baby she lost. I think about the child who might have been born into that family. Another child who would have carried Emery Aldair’s blood. The idea of a child growing up under a man like that makes my chest tighten, and I swallow the feeling before it can show.
A few minutes of silence ensues after that. Maybe we’re all lost in our own thoughts, maybe they’re bored waiting for a fish to swim into the nets, but no one speaks for a while until I decide to break the silence.
“Can I ask you another question?” I say. “But, I mean, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”
Reed lifts a shoulder. “Ask away.”
“What were your parents like together?”
The brothers exchange looks once again and for a moment, I’m sure they are going to deflect the question. But Reed just sighs and answers…
“They were fine.” He lets out a short breath, as if struggling to find the right words to describe his parents’ marriage. “That’s the word I’d use. They’re just… there.”
Jace nods. “They functioned. They knew how to appear united when people were watching. And they treated each other decently even when no one was watching.”
I hesitate, but continue to push. “Were they… mates?”
Luca nods. “Yeah. They were. But they had a pretty weak bond for a mated pair. It existed, but it never grew into anything deeper. Their relationship was more like a contract than a connection.”
“Every mate bond is different. Some are stronger, some barely hold. Some can break, and some only grow stronger with time. But whatever our parents had, it was nothing like this,” Jace says in a low voice.
He leans in slightly, careful not to shift the boat, and presses a brief kiss to my lips. It’s so soft it almost feels like a warm morning breeze that melts between my lips. It leaves warmth blooming in my chest before I can stop it.
Heat creeps up my neck and settles in my cheeks.
“Are you really flirting with me right now?” I ask, trying to sound unimpressed, “in the middle of the sea?”
Reed chuckles while he also inches towards me. His movements are not as careful as Jace. so the boat slightly shakes. I almost yelled at him.
“We’d argue this is the best place for it,” he says. “It’s quiet out here, and no one’s around to interrupt.”
“And we’re going to—This boat will tip if you don’t keep your dicks in your pants,” I hiss mockingly while rolling my eyes.
Jace and Reed laugh.
“Alright, no dicking around the boat,” Jace concedes, still laughing, “but we do need our kisses.”
I mock a sigh and shake my head. These idiots are impossible, and yet I can feel a smile tugging at my mouth anyway. Reed catches it. His gaze softens before his hand comes up to cup my chin, his thumb warm against my skin. He leans in slowly this time, giving me enough space to pull away if I want to, and when his lips meet mine the kiss lingers. He kisses me like my mouth is a sweet treat that he wants to devour.
As I get lost to Reed’s kisses, Jace presses closer behind me, his lips finding the side of my neck. I shiver, and the subtle pressure of the boat rocking beneath us makes my stomach flip. His kisses trail lightly, like the wind brushing across the water, and I tilt my head so he can reach just a little further.
Meanwhile, Evren lifts my hand and presses a soft kiss to my knuckles. The gentle pressure makes my fingers tingle and curl slightly. I also feel Luca press close to my side, resting his lips on my left shoulder. The simple contact, the brush of his lips against my skin, makes a slow warmth ripple down my back.
I let out a small laugh, rolling my eyes at them, but the heat in my chest won’t let me hide the smile. The boat sways with the water, the sea stretches endlessly around us, and for a moment, the world shrinks to touches, kisses, and the careless, teasing laughter of the men leaning into me.
Suddenly, the fishing net tugs sharply. The moment snaps, and we all startle, laughing as we scramble to pull in the catch.
“You’ve got your kisses, boys. Now let’s get back to fishing before we tip this boat over.”
“Alright, fine.” Jace chuckles as he settles beside me again, steadying the boat with one hand.
They raise the nets and pull in the fish, and I even manage to catch one with my pole. After a few more rounds, we give the boat back to Mario and head home with the catch in tow.
But even after a day of laughter and fishing with the brothers, I can’t stop remembering the last thing my mom told me at the hospital before she shut the door...
“The Aldairs are hiding something and it could be tied to a weakness they don’t want anyone to see. I couldn’t take in everything from the file I got from Emery Aldair’s office, but it has something to do with the Moon Harvest Festival. There is going to be something shady at the festival and it is connected to whatever secret they are keeping. You need to figure out what it is before the festival or we won’t have a chance to stop it.”
Honestly, I’m still not totally convinced about my mom’s theory that Emery Aldair is the person behind my father’s death. But if he is, then I’m gonna need to gather some evidence too, right?
It’s a dangerous gamble, but if she’s right and this family is really hiding a secret that may or may not be connected to my dad, then I’m gonna need to unravel that. Especially since the Harvest Moon Festival is just over a month from now.
I wonder if I have enough time to uncover the truth before that.