Dread was like a half-assed tied shoe. Even when you tried ignoring it, the shoelace stared into your soul until it reach a limit of no return and you had no choice but to retie it. That's how I felt ever since the talk with Ambrose. Fear nipped at my weakness, and I knew if I held out any longer, I wouldn't be able to talk to my sister.

So for the past hour, my finger has been hovering over the face time button and praying to gain a percentage of courage to call her. It was almost impossible. I'm still stunned. I managed to send her a message to make time for me. But texting had a disconnection. It was only phones sending radio vibrations to each other.

Facetime was an entirely new ballgame.

Before I could chicken out, my finger twitched, and made the decision for me. Davina is calling Kasey was engraved into my mind as my nerves spread like wildfire and I paced around the dining room. My nail was my best friends as I nibbled on them until they mounted to the bud.

My breath hitched when the ringing went silent and the screen displayed a loading symbol. Holy fuck! Why the hell did I do this to myself? I could've been binging watching Naruto but instead, I'm conquering my biggest fear.

Okay, when put like that, it's probably my best choice this year.

Long, wavy brown hair fell backward and gave me a clear view of her perfect bone structure. Her blue eyes were bright, and the long, dark lashes cast shadows over her cheekbones. Glossy tinted lipstick popped on her lips, bringing out the youthfulness in her eyes. After all these years, she hasn't lost that innocent gleam in her eyes.

"Hi, Davina!" Her tone was dipped in excitement. "I wish we could see each other face to face, but I guess this is better than nothing. You made my entire week by messaging me this morning to believe I was thinking about sleeping in."

I half grinned. "I'm glad I still have that effect."

She laughed loudly, her nose crinkling from the intensity. "Ahh, I missed hearing your sassy comments. Good thing you played that sassy bitch in 'Faith of My Past'. I really felt like I was hanging out with my sister again. I probably watched it over hundred times."

I scratched the nape of my neck. "Milo did say they made the role especially for me."

Kasey cover her mouth, followed by an array of giggles. "So, how's your new beau? Ambrose, right? I prerecord every episode in case something comes up. It's been very intense lately. Who knew cooking could be so dramatic."

A smile hinted at my lips. "Yeah, the producers really aced the job when casting Estefania. I'm almost eighty-five percentage positive that's her lifeline because her Chicken Francese was undercooked and tasted like moldy bread."

Her brown eyebrows furrowed. "I don't remember the judges saying that."

I scoffed. "The magic world of editing. They probably edit it out so it would make sense why they kept her in instead of CT. Gosh, I miss that Meathead goofball. Anyway..." Misery was lodged in my throat. "I called because I wanted to speak to you... I know I don't win the best sister award but I'm desperate to know how you been?"

Lies.

Well, it wasn't a complete lie. I did want to know more about her life. I did want to be in her life again, but did I deserve to be? Even if she didn't resent me all these years, I committed a horrible act by ditching her when she needed me the most. So why would she want to fix the situation now?

Alarm passed through her eyes as peaceful silence shattered from the muffling baby cries coming from her line. "Sorry, one sec," she said and used her controller to move out of the frame in her wheelchair.

The wedge of guilt in my chest slashed me in half. It's like a distant memory just thinking about when she could walk; it felt like ages ago and reality was sinking in. Kasey couldn't use her legs because of me. She's bound to a wheelchair because of me. Her life is restricted because of me.

Kasey entered the frame juggling a blonde-haired infant in her arms. She held the mystery baby to her shoulder, and it's smaller than a bag of sugar from the groceries. Tiny toes peeked from its blanket. His head was a crazy mess of blonde curls not yet rubbed bald from lying in its crib.

The biggest grin stretched across her face. "I wanted to do this in person, but maybe Dariel crying was a blessing in disguise." She tilted her shoulders, giving a better view of the little newborn clutching onto her finger. "Dariel, this is your auntie Davina! She's the most important person in Mom's life after you, of course."

With his eyes shut, Dariel yawned, revealing his plain gums and snuggling closer into his mother's chest. His little tongue poked through, leaving a trail of saliva down his lips. Even with the horrible camera quality, I caught a few familiar characteristics my sister had on her newborn.

Shock flooded through my veins. Before leaving my sister in the hospital, I had a review of her complications. The doctor said for Kasey to throw away any desire to have a child through. He used a lot of scientific terms to describe her body's state. But it's clearly a miracle.

"Holy shit?! You had a baby? He's the cutest thing in the world!"

Kasey gently grabbed Dariel's arm and waved it. "Hey, Davina! Hi, auntie! I can't wait for you to hold me!" Kasey said, her tone intimidating to a softer, innocent baby voice. "I'm guessing Mom forgot to mention my pregnancy? She was pretty upset about it so I'm not surprised. She probably wanted to pretend it isn't happening."

It's ironic. My mother spent years trying to convince me that marriage completed a woman's life. Apparently, she still lived in the eighteenth century when girls were given away as property for their parent's economic wealth. It wasn't like I was against the whole marrying and having babies, but I wasn't in any rush.

But I couldn't wrap my head around my mother being against my sister's pregnancy. Guilt torched my skin as I thought about all the tough situations she had to go through with no support. Why had I allowed my fear to control me for so long?

"Gosh, I just want to squeeze his chubby cheeks!" I said, pouting while my full attention was on her adorable baby. "You're clearly the sexier sister since my baby would never come out half as cute as yours."

She chuckled. "Says the celebrity who trends daily because she's hot. Anywho, Dariel got his looks from his daddy! Didn't you Dariel?"

Curious crawled at my thoughts. "Who's Dariel's father?"

Her lips formed a straight line, the clear distress on her forehead from a simple eyebrow raise. This was the saddest she's been on the call and I knew I should've kept my big mouth shut. Curiosity is a bitch.

She sighed. "We aren't together anymore. Dariel's pregnancy was hard on both of us... We really tried to make it work, but he wants different things and a baby isn't one of them. It's his loss regardless because Dariel is my best creation."

"Motherhood looks good on you."

It was true. Her crystal blue irises gleamed with adoration as she rocked Dariel in her arms. Dark circles imprinted her eyes, but I could see all the love she had for Dariel made the sleepless nights worth it.

"Yeah, this is the best thing that's ever happened to me. I lost a boyfriend but gained two longtime friends." A grin graced her lips, the smile lines reaching up to her eyes. "Do you think you can visit anytime soon? I really missed you, Davina... I never understood why you pulled away."

I exhaled sharply, making circles on my dining table. "I'll be free in a few weeks... The competition is ending soon, and they're planning a short break for when the final three hit. I could come and meet my nephew... and put everything out on the table."

Kasey nodded. "Yeah, just let me know in advance. I'm usually not busy. All my friends sided with my ex, so if it wasn't for little Dariel I would be lonely."

My sister and I were two broken individuals. For two completely different reasons. But I know shattering our childhood bond had caused a domino effect in our lives. Because I ditched her, Kasey must've spent years searching for any type of love to replace our bond. I used my rebel stage as a catalyst for ignoring the person I loved the most in this world.

My heart ached. "Don't worry! When I come, I'll have an entire day planned out for us to make up for all those lonely days, okay?"

Misery trailed my thoughts as it brought back the memories of when I offered to take my sister ice skating. The night of our accident.

Laughter bubbled through her. "I'll be looking forward to it." Dariel began squirming in her arms, his lips protruding as his legs kicked around. I could sense a screaming fest about to happen. "I should go. It's almost time for Dariel's breakfast and I don't want to pop my tit out on camera. Don't be a stranger. Call me if you need anything." 

I made a cross over my heart. "I promise."

After my chat with Kasey, the day felt a hundred shades brighter, like the soulful blue sky. The peaceful sky represented our bond, our friendship, our sisterhood, something that even all these years was easy to fall back onto. Clouds were beautiful, but those were our enemies. They were the drifting secrets. My guilt, her resentment, the loneliness were both endured.

While our foundation stayed intact and I couldn't be any happier, I knew the job wasn't over. The secrets had to come out in order to build our unbreakable bond back up. Unless it was too late... I wouldn't blame her for loathing me from taking away so many of her life decisions.

To keep the adrenaline flowing, I baked four boxes of gourmet chocolate candies. One for Milo, Hailey, Ambrose, and Wesley. I made extra for Wesley and used special decorating paper as a thank you gift for taking care of me when I was drunk. Milo got the short end of the stick since the Nutella-filled ones were so good I ended up eating more than I should've.

Stuffing the decorated boxes under my armpit, I grabbed my hotel key and dashed out the door to the studio. Since Ambrose was going to be busy with his father today, I asked Wesley to hang out in the studio and practice our skills for the upcoming round. With only six of us left, the competition was fierce, and even if I got special privileges, I wouldn't be surprised if they cut me off the leash soon.

Quickly, I left Milo and Hailey their boxes in their mailboxes and sent them a text. Hailey raved about how mushy and soft the marshmallow-filled one dissolved in her mouth. My mouth drooled over her message, wishing I had extra for myself.

Wesley's dark curls were the first thing I saw as he spun around on the barstool with his phone in hand. My heels clicked against the granite floor and his eyes peered up from his phone. Wesley stood up from the barstool and opened his arms for those engulfing bear hugs, though they were nothing compared to Ambrose's.

"You're fifteen minutes late," Wesley said.

"For the number of times we hung out, you should know I'm always late." I stuck my tongue out.

Wesley cleared his throat and looked away, embarrassed. "I do, but I thought since you practically begged me to hang out with you today that you would show up on time."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, shush! I'm late because I made a gift for you."

His irises ignited with excitement. "Really? I feel so special."

Thrill flew through my veins as my clammy hands brought the chocolate-decorated box up to his face. A large grin stretch across his face, reaching his porcelain chubby cheeks. After a clap of excitement like seals does, Wesley tore open my gift and smiled brighter than his favorite chocolates came to life.

"I made the chopped nuts and peanut butter especially for you," I said, smiling down at my achievement.

Wesley popped a chocolate into his mouth and his eyes rolled back with a subtle moan, leaving his lips. "These are fucking fantastic! The peanut butter melts on your tongue. I'm going to finish this in like five seconds."

I stole a Nutella chocolate and stuffed it into my mouth. "You better or I'll finish it myself."

His brows bunched together. "Why the special gift? It isn't my birthday yet, or did you just want to spoil me for being the best friend anyone could ask for?"

My lips puckered up. "Yeah, the last one." I laughed. "Seriously, I wanted to say thank you for taking care of me on Valentine's day. I'm not usually a sloppy drunk but with the circumstances, I guess I lost myself for a second."

Wesley's lips grew thin and firm, his eyes darting around the studio. "Um... Yeah."

The cheerful atmosphere shifted in seconds as Wesley dropped the chocolate on the countertop and turned around, rubbing his chin. His sudden grouchy attitude really ruined my mood, and I couldn't tell what I had said to make him annoyed.

"Did I say something mean to you that day?" I bit my lip, shifting on my feet. "I didn't mean anything I was saying. If I did, I was so drunk I barely remember anything, especially after hitting my head."

Wesley swung around, sweat beading down his forehead. "Do you remember anything else?"

I laughed, bitterly. "Um... I had a dream where I said stupid things about Ambrose, but I'm not sure if it was real or not."

He gripped his hair at the back of his head with both hands. "What stupid things?"

I gulped. "I-I don't really want to repeat it... It's embarrassing."

His lips drew back in a snarl. "What stupid things, Davina?"

I fiddled with my earring. "What crawled up your ass and died? Why are you being so fixated on this? It's just stupid shit."

"Just tell me."

"Fine!" I threw my hands up. "I went on about my feelings for Ambrose and how... they're deeper than I thought."

He scrunched up his face. "Why is it so hard for you to admit you're in love with him?"

Heat rose my cheeks. "Because if I admit it... then it becomes real... I want to live in this imaginary bubble."

A laugh shuddered from Wesley. "Well, I'm sorry for being an ass but I'm about to burst that bubble."

My stomach contracted into a tight ball. "Huh?"

"I didn't bring you to the room that night. Ambrose came up right when you hit your head and wanted to make sure you were okay. I'm not sure if your dream happened or not but he asked me personally to lie for him so my suspicious are that he knows," Wesley blurted out.

I blinked rapidly, hoping that I'm mishearing everything he just said. Ambrose carried me on his back? He lied? I thought our friendship was deeper than that. "I'm going to be sick..." I groaned, clutching my bundle of nervous stomach. "How could he lie to me? Gosh, he's such a pussy! He's used to being the good guy and now he's afraid to hurt me, so he stays silent instead."

Wesley's cheeks grew red. "I probably broke several bro codes, but I thought you had a right to know. Your theory could be right, but I think there's something more there. I know it's not my place, and I'll either get thanked or hated depending on how this situation ends."

I exhaled. "I could never hate you, regardless of how this ends. But I'm going to have to push our cooking session an hour late." I grabbed Ambrose's chocolate box and threw it in the garbage. "Is Ambrose still home?"

He blinked, slowly checking his watch. "Yeah... he said he was leaving around twelve."

My fist clenched by my sides. "Great! I'll be right back!"

Anger fueled my body movements as I dashed in record-breaking speed to his hotel room. Why didn't he just tell me the truth? It's embarrassing, but I had a right to know! Deep down, I knew Ambrose did it because he wanted to protect my feelings, but it wasn't enough. We should've brought everything to light before it got more twisted.

Like at the tent when he kissed me...

If he knew, why would he kiss me?

My hands pounded on the door, probably leaving red bruises from my fierceness. Years must've passed back until Ambrose opened the door looking amazingly sexy in his muscle tee, but I couldn't focus on that.

"What the hell? Why are you pounding on my door?" Ambrose groaned, rubbing his eyes, revealing he had just woken up.

My body grew tense to the point of shaking. "You're such an asshole!"

His brows furrowed. "Why are you yelling at me? I haven't done anything!"

"How could you lie to me?" I shouted, the creasing growing deeper between his brows. "You carried me that night, not Wesley! Now, don't even try to lie. Wesley already confessed everything."

Ambrose stroked the edges of his jaw. "Fucking hell..."

I inhaled slowly. "So, was everything you said a lie? Was the dream I told you about true? Was I conscious while you carried me?"

He took a deep breath. "Yes, you were."

My mind spiraled out of control. My worst fear came true and now I had to face it without getting myself ready for it.

His eyes burned with vulnerability. "I didn't have an ill intention of hiding it. You were drunk off your mind, and you thought I was Wesley, so I felt like it wasn't my place to hear anything, to begin with."

I scoffed. "So what? Were you going to pretend it didn't happen?"

Ambrose looked hurt, like each word that rolled off my tongue was a bullet. "Not exactly... I wasn't sure if I was going to bring it up maybe twenty years from now when it didn't feel like an invasion of privacy. I'm sorry I heard what you said. I wish I didn't."

My throat constricted. "Why? Because you don't feel the same? Because you want to go back to living in a world where only Lana's feelings matter. Fuck me, right?"

"That's not what I meant." His tone dipped in sadness.

Tears pricked my eyes. "Then what did you mean? We're friends. We could've talked about this from the beginning, but it's like you're embarrassed about what I feel for you. Like it wouldn't make sense for me to fall for someone like you. But you keeping this secret crosses the line," I croaked. "So if you knew about my feelings, why would you pull that shit in the tent? Why did you kiss me? Didn't you think about how much harder you were making it on me?"

"Davina..." he mumbled.

The stupid fucking tears streaked down my cheeks and hated myself for freaking crying. "You're such an asshole!" I stormed out, slamming his hotel door.

"Davina! Davina!" he yelled. "Are you not going to hear me out?"

I swung around, seeing him struggling to shove his feet into his boots. "No, I'm not. I already know it's going to be about how you love Lana, and la di la di la da! So, instead of embarrassing myself more, I'm leaving."

He scoffed. "You're such a brat. Why can't you hear me out before making assumptions?"

"Because America is a free country and I can do whatever the hell I want just like you did."

It's crazy how fragile happiness was. This morning, everything was all right in the world as I strolled around in my peaceful bubble. But now, the bubble ruptured, the helium ran out, and I was losing the stability over my emotions. It's funny how different life was when you weren't in denial anymore.

Who do you guys think is in the right here? Does Davina have a right to be upset at Ambrose? Do you guys think less of him for keeping it a secret? Let me know ;)!!

Love you guys and can't wait to read your comments!!!