Page 50 of Before Broken Vows

I know she's right. But I can only navigate so much. My emotions and feelings are blending together, and since she's right in front of me—it's all her fault.

"Where is he?" I ask, my voice rough.

She looks at me for a moment and then answers.

"With my friend Marlena in Los Angeles."

"I want to see him," I say. "As soon as possible."

She nods. "Yes. Yes, of course."

"I don't want to wait, Stassi.”

"I've already lost three and a half years of his life," I say and step back and turn around. "Just gone."

"I'm sorry," she chokes out. "I'm so sorry, Theo. I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought I was protecting him. Protecting you. I just… fuck, I fucked up."

I turn back to her.

"But why now?" I ask, remembering there's so much more. "After all this time, why come back now?"

She takes a ragged breath and steadies herself.

"Because someone found us," her voice shakes. "And I can't keep him safe alone anymore."

17

STASSI

He doesn't say anything right away.

After I finally tell him someone found us—found Xander—Theo just stands there frozen, turned to stone by my words.

My heart hammers against my ribs as I wait for him to say something, anything.

"Who found you?" he finally asks, his voice cutting through the silence.

I can't answer right away. My throat closes up, fear choking me. I need to show him instead. Words won't be enough.

I bend down beside the bed, my fingers finding the spot between the mattress and box spring where I hid it after coming here. The envelope crinkles under my touch as I pull it out with trembling hands.

Theo doesn't reach for it immediately. He just watches me.

Watches the way my fingers tremble.

I hand it over without a word.

He tears it open and pulls out the first page.

"You should sit down," I say.

He doesn't move.

Fine. He'll do this standing then.

"Remember when I said I paid a doctor to forge the abortion record? Well, that's a copy of it. The doctor took twenty-five thousand dollars and made it look like I'd ended the pregnancy."

Theo's face is blank, but his eyes are burning as he reads.