Chapter 172
“You were prettier, hell! You still are…Walking on the road, you always get noticed first. No matter how much makeup I wear or how much I dress up, it’s always you. I put in so much effort for something, and boom! You just walk past doing nothing and get it,” Lily said, her voice soft but heavy,
Mia stood still. The words didn’t come as a shock–not really. She had always felt something beneath, something unspoken in the way Lily looked at her or snapped at her during the smallest disagreements.
But hearing it now… Hearing the words from Lily herself.
She turned slowly to face her sister, not even sure what expression was on her face. Sympathy? Sadness? Maybe guilt.
“I’m sorry,” she said, voice barely above a whisper. She didn’t know what else to say. How do you respond to years of built–up resentment disguised in sibling bonds?
Lily let out a low chuckle, not bitter but tired. “No need to apologize. It took me time, but I’ve come to accept life that way. And besides, it’s not your fault. I know you went through hell in Willowcrest because of our actions. I should be the one apologizing.”
There was a tight pause. Mia felt her chest twist, she had no idea Lily felt like this all this time. And the crush on Alex? This was ridiculous.
Lily exhaled long and deep, like she had been carrying the words around for too long and finally was free from it
“We were the worst in Willowcrest,” she said, her voice cracking just a little at the end.
Mia nodded, not trusting her voice to work. “We were.”
Lily looked at her, really looked at her. “You were the white of the family, and we were the stain Mia”
Mia blinked, heart aching. She wanted to argue that it wasn’t true, that she made her own fair share of bad decisions, of selfish mistakes. But somehow, the words didn’t come. Maybe it wasn’t the moment to correct anything. Maybe Lily just needed to let it out.
So Mia stayed quiet..
The air in the room felt heavy and light all at once.
Then Lily spoke again.
“I don’t feel anything for Alex anymore, in case you’re wondering,” she said.
Mia opened her mouth, but before she could respond, Lily waved a hand and continued, her tone changing.
“Well, it was nice talking to you. Now take your ugly ass and go continue packing,” she said with a smile.
And just like that, the deep confession moment was over. She was glad it even happened.
That night, Mia lay beside her sleeping son, her eyes wide open, The soft rhythm of Aiden’s breathing filled the small room.
Her chest felt heavy. Her mind replayed every word Lily had said earlier over and over again
She never knew it ran that deep. She never imagined her sister had been carrying that much hurt inside.
“You’re prettier, you’ve always been…” Lily’s words echoed like a broken record in her head. The way she said it, it wasn’t bitter. It was tired, worn out. Like it took everything in her to admit it without sounding like she was pathetic.
Mia rolled over to her side, facing Aiden. Her fingers brushed a soft curl from his forehead as he mumbled something in his sleep and turned toward her, still lost in dreams.
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Chapter 172
She felt horrible. Genuinely. Not because she did something wrong on purpose, but because she hadn’t seen how much pain Lily was in all those years. Maybe she was too caught up in her own mess to notice.
The more she thought about it, the more the memories started pouring in.
It had never been intentional. She didn’t try to get attention. She never dressed to be noticed. She hated being the center of anything. But apparently, that didn’t matter. It still hurts Lily.
And then another thought crept in slowly, crawling under her skin.
Does Ann feel the same way too?
She frowned, heart racing a little. That idea alone made her stomach twist. Ann never said anything, never hinted. But then again, neither did Lily, until
today.
Aiden turned again in his sleep, his tiny hand stretching toward her chest. She gently took it in hers, holding on.
“I’m sorry, Lily,” she whispered into the night, knowing she wasn’t there to hear. “I didn’t know. I really didn’t.”
She sighed, resting her head closer to Aiden’s. He was peaceful. Safe. So unaware of all the drama the world had to offer.
But Lily was right about something else too.
She still cared.
God, she still cared.
More than she wanted to. More than she should.
Her eyes drifted down to Aiden’s small face. His cheeks, his lashes, his lips. Everything about him was familiar, too familiar. It was like seeing Alex again every day. The same crooked smile. The same stubborn crease between his brows. The same warmth.
She reached out, tracing a finger lightly across his cheek.
“Hey baby,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
She felt silly talking to him like this, but it brought her comfort.
“Your papa’s name is Alex, baby. Alexander Blackwell. He was… he is… the most handsome man to ever exist. He’s intelligent, smart…
She smiled a little, the kind of smile that comes with both joy and pain.
“He looked like he had it all together. Like nothing could touch him. But deep down, he was soft. He had this way of protecting the people he loved… Like
he will
take the whole world if anyone tries to hurt the people he loves.”
Her voice trembled a bit.
“And Mommy loved him. So much. More than I ever thought possible.”
She blinked away the sting in her eyes, forcing a quiet chuckle.
“And you look just like him, baby. In everything. Your eyes, your little frown, even the way you sleep like you’re about to fight someone in your dreams.”
She laughed softly to herself.
She stretched her body, letting her arm drape gently around his tiny frame. He stirred slightly but didn’t wake.
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7870
Chapter 172
She felt horrible. Genuinely. Not because she did something wrong on purpose, but because she hadn’t seen how much pain Lily was in all those years. Maybe she was too caught up in her own mess to notice.
The more she thought about it, the more the memories started pouring in.
It had never been intentional. She didn’t try to get attention. She never dressed to be noticed. She hated being the center of anything. But apparently, that didn’t matter. It still hurts Lily.
And then another thought crept in slowly, crawling under her skin.
Does Ann feel the same way too?
She frowned, heart racing a little. That idea alone made her stomach twist. Ann never said anything, never hinted. But then again, neither did Lily, until today.
Aiden turned again in his sleep, his tiny hand stretching toward her chest. She gently took it in hers, holding on.
“I’m sorry, Lily,” she whispered into the night, knowing she wasn’t there to hear. “I didn’t know. I really didn’t.”
She sighed, resting her head closer to Aiden’s. He was peaceful. Safe. So unaware of all the drama the world had to offer.
But Lily was right about something else too.
She still cared.
God, she still cared.
More than she wanted to. More than she should.
Her eyes drifted down to Aiden’s small face. His cheeks, his lashes, his lips. Everything about him was familiar, too familiar. It was like seeing Alex again every day. The same crooked smile. The same stubborn crease between his brows. The same warmth.
She reached out, tracing a finger lightly across his cheek.
“Hey baby,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
She felt silly talking to him like this, but it brought her comfort.
“Your papa’s name is Alex, baby. Alexander Blackwell. He was… he is… the most handsome man to ever exist. He’s intelligent, smart…
She smiled a little, the kind of smile that comes with both joy and pain.
“He looked like he had it all together. Like nothing could touch him. But deep down, he was soft. He had this way of protecting the people he loved… Like
he will
take the whole world if anyone tries to hurt the people he loves.”
Her voice trembled a bit.
“And Mommy loved him. So much. More than I ever thought possible.”
She blinked away the sting in her eyes, forcing a quiet chuckle.
“And you look just like him, baby. In everything. Your eyes, your little frown, even the way you sleep like you’re about to fight someone in your dreams.”
She laughed softly to herself.
She stretched her body, letting her arm drape gently around his tiny frame. He stirred slightly but didn’t wake.
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Chapter 172
idve you more than life its baby”
she meant every word. Every breath she took was for him now. Every sleepless night, every bit of strength she dog out of herself just to keep going was
for him.
Then suddenly, a soft voice, sleepy and small, sliced through the silence.
“Does papa love me too?”
Mia froze.
Her body went stiff, her breath caught in her throat.
Oh fuck.
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