I exhale and somehow find the strength I need even though I feel like I want to be physically ill. “Mom and Mike found out that Mom was pregnant, and it could only have been Mike’s baby. Nine months later… I was born.”
Brielle gasps, and her hand shoots to her mouth as her eyes start to well with tears. Killian just sits there showing no emotion, and he wraps an arm around Bree.
“So, let me get this straight? Mike is your father?” Killian asks, more like he’s confirming the statement in his head.
The tears break through the barrier and fall down Bree’s face. I simply nod and try to fight back my own tears while Jeni squeezes my hand again.
“Wow,” Killian responds.
“So, you’re only our half-brother?” Bree mumbles, and I nod again.
“Wow,” Killian says, again.
“So, what does this mean?” Bree asks.
I shrug. “I’m not sure,” I admit.
“Wow,” Killian states for a third time.
“You said that already,” I grunt.
He nods. “I know, but seriously… like wow.”
I exhale a rather loud sigh. “So, anyway, Jenson will be here shortly to talk about the legalities of it all—”
“What legalities?” Bree breaks in.
“Well, to do with you guys. You may want to contest the will or the ownership of this business—”
“What? Are you crazy?” Bree asks, looking at me with wide eyes and a creased brow.
Damn! She actually looks angry.
“What?” I ask.
Out the corner of my eye I see Jeni smirking.
“You’re still our brother, you idiot! Why the hell would we contest anything? Especially the business? You honestly think I would take that from you?” Bree asks in an angry tone.
I shrug. “I don’t know. I just wanted you to know all your options seeing as I’m not actually an O’Connell. Everything Father… no Niall left me, doesn’t really belong to me. Not now,” I confess, and Killian raises his eyebrow as Bree shakes her head.
“Seriously? You’ve spent your entire life as an O’Connell. Just because your DNA now tells us that your father is someone else, doesn’t mean you’re not one of us, Aiden. You’re still as much my brother now as you were before I walked in here. And nothing… absolutely nothing is going to stop you from being my… no, our brother. Everything is exactly the same as it was ten minutes ago. Nothing has changed. Nothing, Aiden! So, stop worrying, and let’s just deal with it and move on... Yeah, Mom and Mike have some explaining to do. Well, actually a lot of explaining to do, but seriously, it doesn’t change the way I feel about you, and it doesn’t change a thing. Not for me, anyway,” Brielle says on the verge of tears again.
“Me, too, bro. You’re the exact same person, and just because Niall isn’t your father doesn’t mean you didn’t work damn hard for what you have and what you got from him. You deserve everything he left you and more. He mistreated you for most of your life. You were virtually forced into this business, and I will not be contesting a damn thing. You’re my brother and even though you’re a douchebag, I still love ‘ya,” Killian teases.
“Yeah, me, too. I love you, Aiden, and that’s never going to change. I’m just so damn mad at Mom for keeping it from you for this long…” She tilts her head. “How are you? Are you okay with this news?” Bree asks.
I inhale deeply and exhale, not knowing what to say.
“I think he’s still coming to terms with it all. Aiden was concerned that you two would disown him or think differently about him.” Jeni lays it all out there for me.
“Of course, we don’t think differently of you! Like Bree said, nothing’s changed. The only thing that has changed is that Mike is your father. And believe me, I wish Mike was my father, too. So, basically, I’m fucking jealous of you,” Killian jokes.
“Look, Aiden, please stop stressing about it. I know that’s easy for me to say, but the only reason I’m crying is because I know how hard this must’ve been for you to hear.” Bree wipes her face with a sniffle. “I’m sorry we weren’t there to help you through it, but we know now, and anything you need, you just have to ask. If you want more time at home with Jeni and the kids, you got it. I can handle things here, you know that. In fact, I insist you take off until at least after the wedding. Spend some time getting to know your real father and not just as a good friend but as a father and son. I won’t take no for an answer,” Bree exclaims with a smile.
A warmth runs through me at the thoughts. “Okay, fine! But as soon as the wedding is over, I’m coming back to work. I’ve already had a month off,” I state, and she nods.
“You know, now that I think about it, I’m not that surprised about Mike. He always doted on you, and you were clearly his favorite when we were growing up. It makes perfect sense now, actually,” Killian states.