The house was suffocating. Every breath felt heavy, weighed down by the lies thickening the air.
Vivian hadn't spoken a word since last night's revelation. Her silence was worse than screaming. Miles avoided everyone, but his shadow haunted the corners of every room. And I? I drifted, trying to glue together the shards of what we'd broken.
At breakfast, the clinking of cutlery was the only sound. I forced myself to swallow a dry piece of toast, each bite scraping my throat like gravel. Across the table, Vivian stared blankly at her plate, untouched food congealing under the soft glow of the chandelier.
"Vivian," I tried, my voice faltering. "I think we should talk."
Her head snapped up, her glare like a whip crack. "Why? So you can explain how you've been lying to me all along?"
Her words cut deeper than I expected, but I couldn't blame her. "I didn't know," I said, though the excuse sounded weak even to me.
"And that makes it better?" Her laugh was hollow. "I trusted you, Riley. You were supposed to be on my side."
"I am," I insisted, my voice trembling. "I didn't want this to happen. But now that it has, we can figure it out together."
Vivian pushed back her chair with a screech, standing abruptly. "You've already picked your side. It's him, isn't it? It's always been him."
Before I could answer, she stormed out, leaving a trail of tension in her wake.
I sighed, burying my face in my hands. The truth hung between us all like poison, infecting everything it touched.
Miles was by the pool, leaning against the railing as he stared into the shimmering water. The setting sun cast a golden halo around him, but his expression was anything but angelic.
I hesitated. Confronting him felt like walking a tightrope over a pit of jagged glass. But I couldn't avoid him forever.
"You're hiding out here?" I asked, stepping closer.
He didn't turn. "What do you want, Riley?"
"To fix this."
He scoffed, finally meeting my gaze. "Fix what? Vivian hates you. Richard's going to find out everything. And the family? What's left of it is already in shambles."
"That's not fair." My voice wavered, but I held my ground. "You can't just give up like this."
Miles stepped forward, his proximity overwhelming. "And what exactly do you think I should do? Lie some more? Pretend everything's fine?"
"No." I swallowed hard. "But running away won't help either."
His jaw clenched. "You don't get it, do you? This family was broken long before you walked in."
"That doesn't mean we stop trying!" I snapped, anger bubbling to the surface. "Don't you care about anything besides yourself?"
Miles' eyes blazed, and for a moment, I thought he might yell. Instead, his voice dropped, low and dangerous. "Of course, I care. That's the problem."
I froze. "What do you mean?"
He raked a hand through his hair, frustration etched into every line of his face. "You, Riley. I care about you. Too much."
The world tilted. My breath caught, the words hanging between us like a live wire.
"You… what?"
His laugh was bitter, laced with self-loathing. "You heard me. I'm in love with you. Have been for months."
My heart slammed against my ribs, torn between elation and dread. "Miles, you can't—"
"I know." His voice cracked. "Do you think I wanted this? To feel like this? It's a goddamn curse."
I took a step back, shaking my head. "This… this can't happen. Not now. Not ever."
His gaze softened, the anger melting into something infinitely more painful. "You think I don't know that? But it doesn't change how I feel."
I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to ward off the storm brewing in my chest. "Then why tell me? Why now?"
"Because I'm tired, Riley." He sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Tired of pretending. Tired of fighting it. I just… I needed you to know."
My voice was barely a whisper. "And now that I do?"
Miles took a step closer, his hand brushing against mine. The touch was electric, sending shivers up my spine. "Now, you make a choice. Stay, and we try to fix this mess for Vivian. For everyone. Or leave with me and burn it all to the ground."
The weight of his words crashed over me, leaving me breathless.
"Miles…"
"Don't answer now." He pulled away, his expression unreadable. "But you can't have it both ways, Riley. You can't save the family and keep me, too."
That night, I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling as the cracks in my life widened. Miles' confession, Vivian's betrayal, Richard's looming shadow—it was all too much.
I closed my eyes, a single tear slipping down my cheek. Tomorrow, I would decide.
Would I fight for the family I had built or risk it all for a love that could destroy everything?
The choice would change everything.