“Ah,there he is,” Tabby told the hostess, stepping forward to greet me with ahandshake, but my eyes weren’t on her.
Theywere on the kid.
Talland blonde, with a familiar cut to his jaw and dark brown eyes. It didn’tmatter that I couldn’t for the life of me remember what his mother looked like.This kid was every little bit my clone, at least on the outside, and I couldn’thelp the sobering wash of warmth that overcame me at the sight of him.
Hell,I might even call it love at first sight.
“Sebastian,”Tabby injected my thoughts with her sharp tone, and I reluctantly diverted myeyes from him to meet her gaze. “It’s good to see you again.”
Thiswoman was probably good at a lot of things. Like, being neat and proficient. Butlying was not one of them. A muscle in her smooth jawline twitched as Iaccepted her outstretched hand.
“You’relate.” I couldn’t help myself. The jab had landed at my feet and I grasped it.
Slidingher hand from mine, her wry smile didn’t meet the narrowed glare in her eyes. “Wehad some issues to deal with first. Took longer than expected. But thank youfor waiting.”
Thedirty look in her eyes transformed itself into something pleasant as she turnedher head to face the kid still standing near the door. His face remained tippeddownward, unable to look at me. I was closer than I thought I’d ever be in thephysical sense, but this inability to accept my presence made me feel furtherthan I had when I thought he was gone.
“Sebastian,I want you to meet Greyson,” Tabby introduced with waving fingers reaching outto him.
Iwatched the expansion of his chest as he finally slid his eyes upward to take inmy face. God, it was impossible to deny the resemblance. Every second I staredat him, it rattled my soul a little more. Knowing that he’d been a fan of minemade me wonder if he had ever noticed it himself.
“Hi,Greyson,” I rasped breathlessly. When had my lungs stopped working? Forcing aninhale, I stepped forward past Tabby and extended my hand. “I’m really happyyou’re here.”
Greysoneyed my hand but didn’t take it. “Aunt Tabs says you didn’t know I existed.”
Idropped my hand to my side, clenching it into a fist as I shook my head regretfully.“No, I didn’t,” I admitted.
“Whydon’t we sit?” Tabby suggested hastily, moving to grab Greyson by the arm andpulling him gently toward the table. “I’m sure you have tons of questions toask Sebastian, right?”
“Justone,” he mumbled as he dropped into a chair and wrenched his arm from hisaunt’s grasp.
“Yeah?”I lifted my brows questioningly, as I pulled out Tabby’s chair, shocking thecrap out of her. “What’s that?” I asked, sitting down between them.
Narrowinghis eyes to barely open slits and lowering his dark blonde brows, he asked,“Did you love my mom?”
Thequestion hit me like a knife to the ribs. Stabbing. Twisting. I dropped my shamefulgaze to the table as Tabby gasped.
“Greyson,”she hissed through clenched teeth. “That’s not appro—”
Ishook my head, laying a hand over her shoulder. The touch startled her andhalted her words. “No, it’s fine,” I said. “It’s an honest question, and I wanthim to feel comfortable to say whatever the hell he wants.”
Liftinghis chin triumphantly, he dared me to answer with eyes that perfectly mirroredmy own. “Well? Did you?”
“No,”I answered bluntly, without any attempt to soften the blow.
“So,shewasa whore,” Greyson replied, turning to his aunt. “I was suspendedfor nothing.”
“Greyson!”Tabby’s green eyes flashed with embarrassment and anger.
Holdingmy hands up from the table, palms out, I narrowed my eyes at him and Tabby.“Whoa, wait a minute.What?”
Asif I wasn’t there, Greyson kept his glare on his aunt. “Momwasawhore,” he repeated with a tenacity that disturbed me. “She slept around. Jasonsaid so, and he was right.”
Tabby’smortification was overpowered by her frustration. “You will not talk about yourmother like that, do you understand me?”
“Butyou can’t say it isn’t true!” Greyson shouted at her.
Turningto me, he screwed his mouth up and glowered with something dangerously close tohatred. “Do you even remember her, you asshole?”
