“We’ve never been close, he mostly left me with nannies growing up. He didn’t seem to care much about what I did as long as I didn’t create any scandals or get arrested. But my second year of college, he started getting really weird. He wanted to know where I was. He became short-tempered. I asked him if he wanted me to move out at one stage and he got so mad I thought he was going to hit me. I never brought that up again. But after that night, I grew scared of him.”
She swallowed.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Aleki asked.
“I guess I’m used to bottling things up. And I figured after college, I’d get a job, move out. And then he told me that I was to apply for Yale.”
“Wait, you didn’t want to go there?” Caleb asked.
“And be so far away from you guys? No. I told him I wouldn’t. That time, he really did hit me.”
“Fuck!” Aleki stood and started pacing.
“You should have told us.” Caleb looked at her with tortured eyes.
She licked her dry lips. Suddenly, Wolfe was by her side, holding out the straw so she could take a sip of water. He was being surprisingly quiet.
“I know,” she whispered. “But I was scared.”
“Of him hurting you?” Caleb asked.
“Yes, and who else he might hurt. He told me that if I didn’t apply to Yale that he’d cut me off completely. No money. No further education. I could stand that. But he also said he’d ensure that everyone in my life paid the price for my disobedience. I applied to buy myself time to figure out what to do. I didn’t think I would even get in. But then the acceptance letter came and he told me to pack my bags.”
She rubbed her temples.
“On the one hand, there was relief at getting to leave. On the other hand, there were the three of you. I told him I wasn’t going. He said that if I didn’t leave and break things off with Aleki, then he would destroy your lives. He said he could easily take away your acceptance into BUD/s training. That he could ruin Caleb’s parents’ business, that he could make sure Aleki’s parents and siblings lost their jobs.”
“He did what?” Caleb whispered.
“That fucking bastard,” Aleki growled. “What the fuck?”
“He’s ex-Navy, a decorated hero, he’s rich. He has a lot of power. He might not have been the Governor back then, but he had friends in high places. I knew he could do it.”
“Shit!” Aleki swore. “I can’t believe I didn’t know this! That I didn’t question you. I was too busy feeling sorry for myself, thinking you broke things off because I wasn’t good enough for you.”
“What?” She gaped at Aleki. “If anything, it was the other way around, Aleki, you’re the most giving, loving, amazingly talented person I know.”
“Fuck.” Aleki stood and leaned in, gathering her up into his arms. He held her cradled against his chest, kissing the top of her head. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
She patted his arm. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”
“I do. If you only knew what I thought . . . and when we found you, I was so cold to you . . . I just . . .”
“It’s okay. I get it.”
“I wish you’d told us,” Caleb said. “Your father isn’t as powerful as he thinks he is. He might have created trouble, but nothing we couldn’t have gotten through.”
“He looked crazed. Wild. I was worried that he wouldn’t just create trouble, but that he’d go even further. That he might hurt one of you. I couldn’t risk it.” She twisted her fingers together. “I figured you’d be better off without me anyway.”
“I wasn’t,” Aleki told her, pulling back to stare down at her. “I was never whole without you.”
She reached up with a shaking hand to cup his cheek. “Aleki, you’re breaking my heart.”
“Did you forget me? Did you move on with William?” Aleki spat out.
“How could I? When I was made to be with him.”
“What?” Wolfe whispered. The sound was deadly. Sharp. And she flinched. “You didn’t want to marry him?”