Page 79 of Begin Again

I blink.

Who are these people?

I’ve never seen this side of either of them before, and I’ve known Mo almost my entire life.

The house is warm, the smell of tea, coffee, and cinnamon lingering in the air, but it does nothing to ease the tightness in my chest.

After everyone filters into the kitchen, we settle in—some with coffee, some with tea, and a few with water. I’ll never understand people who drink water in the morning. Aubrey used to say it was good for getting the system running, but drinking anything other than coffee before ten just feels wrong.

Selene nudges Celeste, and they whisper back and forth. Celeste’s expression is uncharacteristically serious, and whatever she says makes Selene nod. I glance between them before looking at Mo, who’s watching the whole scene unfold, her arms crossed, her face unreadable.

I shift my grip on the bottle and clear my throat. “We need to get this tested.” My voice comes out steadier than I feel.

Orion nods, already on the same page. “I’ll take it to the sheriff’s department. They’ve got connections with a forensic lab.” His lips press into a thin line. “If I tell them it’s a rush, we could get results back in three to five days. Maybe sooner if we pull some strings.”

Three to five days.

It feels like a lifetime.

I scrub a hand over my face. “Do it.”

Still, I hesitate before passing the bottle to him. Holding onto it makes this feel less real, like letting go means accepting whatever we might find. But after a beat, I hand it over. Orion wraps it in a plastic bag before tucking it into his jacket.

Before he can head for the door, Mo reaches out, catching his arm. He stops immediately, his body going still at her touch.

“Before you go, there’s something I need to talk to you about—to talk to everyone about.”

I frown, gripping the back of a chair. “Alright, do we know when Bennett will be here?”

Mo exhales sharply, glancing at Orion for half a second before setting her hands in her lap. Orion reclaims his seat pulling Mo back into his lap, this time with a more practiced ease. “He shouldn’t be much longer. He left around the time Orion told me you were all heading this way.”

Right on cue, a sharp knock sounds at the door before it swings open.

Bennett steps inside, his brows furrowed. He glances around at all of us gathered in the kitchen, his confusion evident. “What’s with the group meeting? Did we get a breakthrough?”

Silence.

Mo presses her lips together, straightens her spine, and then—without ceremony—drops the bomb.

“Aubrey is your mother.”

The room fractures.

Orion goes still, his grip tightening on Mo’s knee. Selene’s breath catches audibly. Celeste’s mouth drops open, and I swear, for half a second, even the walls seem to recoil.

Bennett laughs, sharp and disbelieving. “That’s funny.”

No one laughs with him.

His jaw tightens. “No. No, that’s not—” He shakes his head, eyes narrowing. “That’s not possible.”

Mo doesn’t waver. “It is.”

His expression shifts, his mind working through the pieces. I see the moment it clicks—his throat bobs, his brows furrow, and his hands curl into fists at his sides.

I feel like I should break the silence, but what the hell do you say to that? Bennett isn’t just some guy. He’s, in a roundabout way, the only thing I have left of my dad. Our fathers were twins, we should’ve grown up together like brothers. That thought sends a rush of anger through me at the betrayal of my aunt. She is the last person I would’ve ever connected him to. The idea alone makes my stomach twist.

And then, Celeste—bless her obliviously brilliant soul—tilts her head, frowning.