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Oh, shit... everything becomes clear like the sun breaking through the clouds on a dull grey day. Leah sees the horror in my expression as realisation dawns. I school my features, not wanting to broadcast them to Lottie.
Is this why Elijah never left? Why he and Darra never divorced? None of us could understand why he stayed, especially when it’s so clear they make each other miserable. Lottie’s words play over in my mind. Lottie is Elijah’s world, and has been since the day she was born. I remember watching my older brother pacing the floor, getting his newborn daughter to sleep. Wiping her tears when she grazed her knee. Building her the playhouse that still sits in the gardens of Mum’s home.
Shit. How long? How long has he known? I think back to their relationship. When did everything change? When did my brother change from a carefree, fun-loving man to a work-obsessed tyrant?
Lottie’s body continues to heave in Leah’s arms.
“What do you mean?” I say, taking her shoulders and holding her so she can look at me.
“Lottie,” I say again. “What do you mean?”
She turns her tear-stained face to me, the devastation of what she’s heard written all over her face.
“Mum and Dad were arguing. It was so loud. She told him if he didn’t do what she wanted, then she would take me away. We’d leave.” She sucks in a breath. “He then... he then said. I may not be her biological dad, but I’m not letting you take her away from me.” Her eyes are wide when she stares at me. “He’s never left her. He’s stayed because of me.”
There’s a hammering at the door. What the hell? Only one person would have been able to get past security and upstairs. Mainly because his company installed the system.
“Lottie? Lottie, are you there? Gabriel, open this damn door.” Elijah’s voice echoes through the apartment.
Lottie freezes.
“I know you’re in there, please, darling.” Elijah’s voice changes as if every ounce of fight has left him. I don’t think I’ve ever heard my brother sound so desperate, helpless.
“Lottie, I’m going to speak to your dad. Are you okay if I let him in?”
I don’t know if there is more to the story, but I am not going to traumatise my niece if she needs five minutes without my brother breathing down her neck. I’m quite happy to step in. I still haven’t forgiven him for his treatment of Leah.
Lottie nods before wrapping her arms around Leah, dropping her head to her shoulder. Leah’s bump awkwardly sat between the two of them.
Elijah hammers once more. “Gabriel... please.”
I’m up and on my feet, making my way to the front door. Leah pulls Lottie into her arms, holding her tightly as she continues to shake.
“Elijah,” I say, opening the door to my frantic brother. His face is ashen. He looks like he’s aged twenty years.
“Gabriel, is Lottie here?” he asks, looking around me, his movements manic. “I tracked her phone.”
“She is.” When he goes to push past me, I press my hands into his shoulder, stopping him. He shoots me an impatient look.
“She’s distraught, Eli. Whatever she heard.”
I watch as he crumbles in front of me. His face screws up as if he can no longer contain the pain. His enormous frame folding in on itself. He lets out a mewl like a wounded animal.
I grip his shoulders and shake him when his breathing becomes erratic.
“Eli. Listen to me. There’s a very confused little girl in there. She needs her dad. That man is you. You need to pull yourself together and be that for her.”
Elijah looks at me, and I watch his all-too-familiar mask fall into place before he straightens his shoulders.
“I’ve got you. We can talk later, but first, you need to see Lottie.”
He moves to step around me and stops. “No one can know,” he says turning towards me.
“I won’t say a word.”
He nods, before stopping in the doorway. His eyes locked on Leah and his daughter. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that my fiancée is comforting his daughter.
“Dad,” Lottie mumbles, her tears reigniting.
