Until Lexi

22

LEXI

“...we’ll be right there.”

Jake’s low rumble rouses me from sleep, the rasp in his voice sending tingles down my spine. His hard body presses against mine, and he runs his fingers through my hair, tucking it behind my ear.

“Lexi. Baby, we gotta get up.”

I groan, melting into him.

I’m not ready to wake up and face reality.

I want to stay here and forget about the fact that we buried our sister yesterday.

“Come on,” he urges, kissing my head. “Riley has the results.”

Damn it.

It had to be that.

I could have ignored most anything else, but those fucking test results have been haunting us for weeks. Part of me despises that goddamn DNA test. The cause of its necessity tore apart our family and now—no matter what the results say—we’re irrevocably changed.

Hope may be gone, but we still need answers.

Today, we’ll finally have them.

Sighing, I roll over and press my forehead to Jake’s chest.

He doesn’t say anything.

He’s content to hold me and give me a minute to come to terms with everything that’s happened, and the possibilities of what could.

I soak up his comfort, knowing I’m going to need it today.

Deep down, I know that regardless of the results…

Everything is about to change.

When I feel a little more centered, I press a kiss to Jake’s chest, and force myself out of his arms. If I wait any longer, I’ll never leave.

We both dress in silence, not uttering a single syllable, not even as we get in his car and drive to my house. There’s so much I want to say to him, but I can’t seem to find the words. As he leads me up the front steps, hand firmly holding mine, I know they’re not necessary.

Jake understands.

He gets me.

“I’ve got you, Lexi,” he tells me.

It’s what he said to me last night.

He meant it then, and he means it now.

“I know you do,” I tell him, glancing at the front door. Blowing out a heavy breath, I reach out and open it. “Let’s get this over with.”

We find Riley and Penny in the living room.

They sit motionless on the couch, staring at an envelope on the coffee table.

“That’s it?” I ask, studying the nondescript envelope as I sit down on the other side of Riley.

“It was in the mailbox this morning,” Penny says. “I don’t know when it arrived.”

“Doesn’t matter,” I point out. I’m vaguely aware of Jake sitting down in one of the recliners, but I suddenly realize who’s missing. “Where’s Mercy?”

“She’s still asleep. The last few days have been hard on her. On all of us.”

It’s not like I haven’t noticed the dark circles we’re all sporting under our eyes, or the solemn expressions that seem to be permanently etched on our faces. Even when we find a moment of happiness, it’s overshadowed by pain.

“Who wants the honors?” I ask.

“Riley should open it.”

I agree with Penny. Riley should be the one to open it. Technically they’re her results. We’ve all been stuck on the fact that we’re going to learn who fathered Mercy, but we’ll also find out the connection between Mercy and Riley.

No one moves, so I bite the bullet and pick the envelope up off the table, shoving it into Riley’s hands. “Open it.”

Riley inhales deeply and lets the breath out slowly as she slips her finger under the flap and slowly drags it the length of the envelope. She slides the paper out and unfolds it.

I’m pretty sure we collectively hold our breath as she reads the results.

Her brows furrow, and her eyes move back to the top of the page.

“Well?” Penny asks, waiting for an answer with bated breath.

Riley looks up for a split second before closing her eyes and releasing a shaky breath.

“It’s Noah.”

Penny gasps, covering her mouth with her hand. “Noah?”