Page 85 of Omega's Faith

"Thanks. Really feeling the brotherly love here."

He huffs a laugh, passing me a dish towel. "Just saying. You look rough."

"Yeah, well. You guys may have a point with the whole teetotal thing."

We work in silence for a moment. Through the window, I can see photographers' silhouettes at the property line.

"I saw the photos," Robert says quietly. "Of you and that actress."

My hands still on the plate I'm drying. "It's not what it looks like—"

"It better not be." He turns to face me fully. "Hurt him again and I'll kill you. I mean that literally. I know where to hide bodies."

"Noted."

"I'm serious. He came home broken. You did that."

"I know." The words come out raw. "I know I did."

"So why are you here?"

I meet his eyes. "Because I'm an idiot and I fucked up and Iwant to fix it."

Robert studies me for a long moment. "Yeah," he says finally. "You really are an idiot."

But he claps me on the shoulder as he says it, almost friendly.

When we return to the dining room, Robert says. "Jonah, why don't you show Alex the garden?"

"We can't," Jonah says, glancing toward the front windows. "The photographers—"

"Use the back door," his father suggests. "They're all at the front."

We slip out through the back door into the deepening twilight. The garden is simple. There is a big yard with scattered toys, a large vegetable patch, some flowers, a weathered porch swing that creaks when Jonah sits on it. I settle beside him, careful to leave space between us.

"You got my message," he says quietly.

"I'm so sorry. I wasn't ignoring you. They took my phone at the retreat. I didn't see it until this morning."

"And you drove straight here?"

"Had to. You're..." I swallow hard. "You're pregnant."

His hand goes to his stomach again. "Yes."

"And the father's an asshole who doesn't deserve you."

"Yes."

We sit in silence, the swing creaking gently. Somewhere in the distance, a dog barks.

"About Saskia," I start.

"You don't have to—"

"Yes, I do. She just turned up. She was wasted, crying. She slept in my bed but I didn’t. I took the sofa. Nothing happened. I promise."

Jonah looks me in the eye, tension slowly leaving his shoulders. "You didn't..."