Chapter 84 #84
Chapter 84
~Dwayne~
"What??" Hannah's voice cracked across the bar, loud enough to make nearby patrons glance over.
I winced, setting down my whiskey. I was too consumed by my feelings and alcohol to panic. "Keep your voice down."
"Keep my…" She stared at me, mouth hanging open. "Did you just say you're in love with Shailyn?"
"Yes."
"Shailyn. Your brother's wife. Pregnant Shailyn."
"I'm aware of the complications."
"Complications?" Hannah let out a strangled laugh. "Dwayne, this is... this is..."
"A disaster?" I offered.
"I was going to say lowkey adorable, but sure, let's go with disaster." She grabbed my whiskey and downed it in one gulp. "Holy shit."
Luke cleared his throat from beside me. "Should I leave?"
"No," Hannah and I said simultaneously. Luke and finding himself out of awkward situations.
I signaled for another drink. "I know how it sounds."
"Do you?" She set the glass down hard. "Because right now, all I know is you're in love with my best friend who's married to your brother and carrying twins."
"The babies are mine."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Luke shifted uncomfortably on his barstool, glancing between us.
"The babies," Hannah repeated slowly, "are yours. How?”
I explained to her briefly what happened with Shailyn and I. I didn't know why I was giving her information but maybe because I just wanted to take it off my chest or the alcohol is working.
"DNA test confirmed it," Luke said quietly, adding to what I had said.
Hannah's eyes snapped to him. "And who are you exactly?"
"Finally, she sees me. Marcus. Dwayne's investigator. And best friend."
"Of course you have an investigator." Hannah pressed both hands to her face. "Jesus Christ. Does she know?"
"No," I said.
"Does Dante know?"
"No."
"Does anyone know besides you two and me?"
"Just us," Luke confirmed.
Hannah grabbed my new whiskey the moment it arrived and took a long drink. "Okay. Okay. Let me process this. You slept with Shailyn before you knew who she was. She got pregnant. Dante thinks the babies are his. And you're in love with her."
"That about covers it," Luke said dryly.
"And you haven't told her because...?"
"Because she can't handle it," I said. "Because she's fragile right now. Because she's pregnant with twins and dealing with amnesia and if I tell her the truth, it might break her."
"Or it might set her free," Hannah said quietly.
"Or it might destroy her."
Hannah was quiet for a long moment, studying my face. "You really love her."
"Yes."
"Like, actual love. Not just obsession or attraction."
"I love her," I said firmly. "More than I've ever loved anyone. And that's exactly why I can't tell her yet."
"Okay." Hannah took a deep breath. "Okay, I can work with this."
"Work with what?"
"You and Shailyn." She smiled suddenly. "I lowkey ship it, you know. I've seen how you look at her. How she looks at you when she thinks no one's watching."
Luke snorted into his beer. "He's got it bad."
"Shut up," I muttered.
"She looks at me?" I asked Hannah.
"Don't get cocky. But yeah, there's something there." She pointed at me. "I wish you'd met her earlier. Before Dante got his claws into her. Before all this mess."
"Me too."
"But you didn't," she continued. "And now we're here. So let's figure out how to unfuck this situation."
"Language," I said mildly.
"Dwayne, you just told me you're in love with my best friend and she's carrying your secret babies. I think I'm allowed to curse."
Luke raised his beer. "I like her."
Hannah grinned at him before turning serious again. "I don't like how Dante's manipulating her. The way he's rewriting their history, making her think they were happy. It makes me sick."
"Join the club," I muttered.
"But I also don't want anything to make her forcefully remember," she continued. "The stress could trigger complications with the pregnancy. Her mind needs to heal naturally."
"That's why I haven't said anything."
"Good." She nodded approvingly. "Speaking of healing naturally, I got her to agree to see a therapist."
I straightened. "You did?"
"Dr. Clara. Specializes in memory recovery. The first appointment is next week."
"Is it safe? For the babies?"
"Yes, Dwayne. I researched extensively. Dr. Susan uses gentle techniques. No pressure, no forcing. Just creating a safe space for memories to surface naturally."
"And you think it'll help?"
"I think it can't hurt," Hannah said. "The therapist believes there are things that can make Shailyn remember without causing strain. Little triggers, familiar places, comfortable conversations."
"Like what?"
"Like spending time with people she trusts. People who make her feel safe." She gave me a meaningful look. "People who actually care about her wellbeing."
"You mean me."
"I mean you." She leaned forward. "Look, I'm Shailyn's friend first and foremost. Her happiness is my priority. And I can see that you make her happy, even if she doesn't understand why yet."
"Hannah..."
"But," she interrupted, her voice turning sharp, "if you hurt her, if you make her unhappy, if you cause her any pain, I will personally castrate you. Do we understand each other?"
Luke choked on his beer. "Jesus, woman."
I actually flinched. "Crystal clear."
"Good." She sat back, satisfied. "Now, here's what I'm thinking. You need to be around her more. Not obviously, not in a way that raises suspicion. Just... present. Available. Supportive."
"I can do that."
"And when she starts remembering things, when the therapy starts working, you need to be patient. Let her come to the truth on her own terms."
"What if she never remembers?"
"Then you tell her," Hannah said simply. "But gently. Carefully. When she's strong enough to handle it."
"I'll keep Shailyn safe. Distracted. Happy." She smiled slightly. "And I'll keep talking you up without being obvious about it."
"You're going to play matchmaker while my wife is pregnant with my twins but married to my brother?" I asked dryly.
"Honey, at this point, I'm playing survival strategist. The matchmaking is just a bonus." She stood, grabbing her coat. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a best friend to check on. You two keep doing whatever investigative bromance thing you've got going."
Luke grinned. "Bromance?"
"You're literally helping him win back the love of his life. That's peak bromance material." She pointed at me. "Remember what I said about castration."
"How could I forget?"
She left with a wave, leaving Luke and I alone at the bar.
Luke was quiet for a moment, then he turned to me. "She's good for Shailyn. I like her.” His eyes followed her figure. I just kept my comment.
"Yeah."
"And she's right, you know. About being around Shailyn more. Making yourself present."
"I know."
"So what are you going to do about it?"
I stared into my whiskey, watching the amber liquid swirl. "I'm going to do what I should have done from the start. I'm going to show her what real love looks like. What a real marriage should be."
"Even though you're not the one married to her?"
"Especially because I'm not the one married to her. She deserves to know the difference between Dante's manipulation and actual devotion."
Luke clinked his beer against my glass. "Then let's make sure she gets that chance."
"To Shailyn," I said quietly.
"To not fucking this up," Lukeadded.
We drank in silence, two men planning to dismantle the lies that had trapped the woman I loved.
And hoping like hell we could do it before those lies destroyed her completely.