I nodded and looked back at Demetri. His face was cracked into a half smile. “What are you smiling about?” I grinned.

His head moved slowly from side to side.

Alec laughed behind me and gently brought my back against him as he wrapped his arms around me. “I’m thinking it’s the first time an adult has scolded him in years.”

Demetri’s smile widened.

We all laughed. I walked over to Demetri and kissed him on the forehead. “I love you, Demetri. I’ll always love you.” I grabbed his hand and placed it on my heart “You’re right here. Always.”

His eyes pooled with tears again, he nodded.

I walked out of the room, leaving the brothers alone with one another. It was time for me to go home and get some sleep. I found my dad at the nurse’s station.

“Dad?” I was turning into an emotional basket case. He turned around, concern in his eyes. “I just needed to tell you…” Okay, insert hormonal teenager here. Tears streamed down my face. “Thank you, and I’m sorry. I love you so much. I’m so sorry.”

“Baby girl.” Within seconds I was in his arms. He was cradling my head in his hands and kissing my hair. “Oh, Baby. I’m the one who’s sorry. Your mom said you two talked. I had no idea, Baby. I thought you were just going through a stage. I thought you wanted to be alone. But know this—” He pulled away from me, his eyes filled with tears. “You are my little girl. I love you so much. I would do anything for you. You are mine. Do you understand, Natalee? You are my flesh and blood and there is nothing on this Earth that is more important to me.”

I half-expected the people around us to start clapping. His speech was beautiful, but not as beautiful as I felt in that moment.

For the first time in my life, I felt truly beautiful, and it was all because my father, my flesh and blood claimed me as his. I knew to whom I belonged, and his name was Paul Murray, my father.”

I don’t think I’ve ever cried so much in my life. I cried the whole way home. I cried as I made my way up the stairs, and when my mom burst into my room I cried again.

She held me, as all good moms should when their daughter is having an emotional breakdown. She promised we would try harder as a family, that we would work harder. She even asked for my forgiveness. And all because I fell in love with two boys.

I laughed through the last of the tears and changed into my sweats. I was exhausted. Tomorrow was Saturday. If all went well, I wanted to be rested up enough to visit Demetri without sobbing my eyes out or looking like a train had hit me.

Chapter Twenty-five

I threw on a pair of sweats the following Sunday night and ran across the lawn to the guys’ house. I knocked and waited.

Within seconds Alec appeared. Demetri’s voice was yelling in the background, “Since when does she knock?”

Alec rolled his eyes and tugged me in for a heart-stopping kiss. I parted my lips. Things were just getting interesting, when we heard Demetri gagging from the living room.

Alec winked and stepped back. I laughed and followed him into the house.

Demetri had only been home for a few hours. It looked like a tornado had attacked their living room. Clothes and medicine were everywhere.

“Moving?” I asked as I noted the suitcases in the corner. The room went quiet. I looked to both guys and waited for someone to say something.

“I forgot to take my medicine!” Demetri blurted then hobbled out of the living room with his crutches. I glared at his escaping form then turned my attention to Alec.

He sighed and sat on the couch. “We need to talk.”

“I don’t like that phrase.”

“Fine.” Alec chuckled. “I need to ask you something.”

Tense, I stood. I couldn’t sit. Not if he was breaking up with me, not if he was ending the best thing that had ever happened to me. I knew things were going too well. My parents and I were finally talking, Demetri wasn’t dead, thank God, and Alec and I were on our way toward bliss! It was only a few weeks until Christmas and I was hoping we would be able to spend our entire break together. I didn’t want to spend it alone crying into a pint of ice cream.

“Nat, stop worrying.” Alec pulled me down across his lap. I straddled him, but kept my body from touching his. “I love you.” He kissed my lips and chuckled. “Seriously, you’re stressing me out. Stop freaking.”

I managed a tight smile. “So what is it?”

“We’re going on vacation.”

So not what I expected.

“Huh?”

“I imagined lots of screaming, jumping, and lots of kissing. Huh wasn’t exactly on my list of answers.” Alec flicked my nose and kissed my mouth. “We, as in you and I, are going on vacation before Christmas break.”

“But we have like a week and a half of school and—”

“I’ve taken care of it.”

“And my parents will flip out…”

“Already talked to them.” Alec seemed bored with my excuses.

I glared. “I can’t believe you would leave Demetri all by himself!”

Alec threw his head back and laughed. “Okay, first of all, you have trust issues. Second, Demetri is a grown man.”

“Thanks dude!” Demetri called from the kitchen.

I rolled my eyes.

“And…” Alec’s hands moved to cup my backside, pulling me closer against him. “I’ve managed to convince your parents that you deserve a few days away from all this craziness. Besides, I have to go to L.A. to take care of some stuff.”