Silver Moon (Colors of the Moon #3)

Chapter 27

"So, you don't mind me and Kasey?" She peeked at me through her eyelashes.

"It's just... I've just found out that she's my second cousin... and you're my half sister." I understood they weren't really related by blood, but it still seemed odd. "How long have you known?"

"About Kasey or me liking women?" A soft smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"You liking women." I first needed to clear this up before I could focus on Kasey's role in all of this.

"About a year now."

"Does Rob know? Did Judy know?"

"Rob knows about me, but not about Kasey. Mom..." She looked up at the ceiling. "I never told her. I just... I was always afraid of..."

"She would have loved you no matter what." I knew Judy well enough to know it wouldn't have mattered. "Deep down you had to know that as well. Judy would have accepted you no matter who you love."

"You're right." She nodded, while her eyes glistened with a few tears.

Without a second of hesitation, I pulled her into a tight hug. "I need to ask. Are you and Kasey just a fling or...?"

"No." She put her arms around me. "We haven't yet put a label on us, but it's not just for fun. It might have started off as a simple attraction, but now... I... I think I'm in love with her."

"I'm happy for you. Both of you," I whispered while continuing to hold onto her.

"Thanks. It means a lot... But can you please not tell Rob about this? I want to be the one to tell him."

"Of course." It was none of my business to go sharing her private stuff with anyone, even Rob. "But tell him before he accidentally finds out as I did."

"Definitely." She agreed and we finally parted.

With one last smile, she turned around and made her way back downstairs, while I slipped inside my bedroom. The moment I shut the door, I leaned my back against it and closed my eyes.

"I didn't expect that one."

My eyes flew wide open to find Theo sitting on the bed, now very much awake. His upper torso was still shirtless, while his hair looked like an old, used mop.

"You shouldn't have eavesdropped." I shook my head at him.

"Then you shouldn't have been right outside the door." He ran his hand through his hair and made it even messier. "Your voices were what woke me up in the first place."

"Sorry." I dragged my feet over to the bed and sat down next to him.

Without hesitation, he pulled me against his side and enveloped me in his warmth. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm not sure." It was way too early for my brain to start processing such a heavy topic. "Until this morning I still thought of Vivian as my twelve-year-old half sister. I never considered her all grown up... But she is. And I missed it all because of those five years."

"What are you saying?" He was running his hand up and down my arm.

"You heard what she said. She's known for a year now and I had no clue." It never even crossed my mind. "If I had stayed, then I could have... I don't know... been there for her. I could have helped her tell Judy."

"That's not true. From what I've heard of your life, you spent most of your time in Allium. So even if your mother had never died and you'd never left, you still couldn't have been there for Vivian."

"At least she could have called me."

"Do you really think this is a conversation one has over the phone?"