"I'm sorry-" Remi runs a hand through his hair, breathing hard. "This was never meant to happen. I don't like you that way. I-"

"Stop," I say, trembling. I push past him blindly. Pick up the spatula, keep my hair blocking my face and stare at the ground. My voice is shaking. "You don't get to kiss me like that and then deny your feelings."

"Angel? Remi? Are you done cooking?" An innocent voice pipes up from the doorway of the kitchen.

I throw Remi a bitter look laced with the sting from a scorpion and the needles from a cactus. I cannot understand him. Does he like me or not? Why is he confusing me so much? But for now, these feelings must be suppressed. Lyra has to be taken care of first.

I lean down and meet her eyes. "Almost. Give me two minutes, okay, dearie?"

"Okay," she says, peering at me. "Angel, are you crying?" Lyra pats my cheeks in concern. 

"No! No, not at all. Why don't you and Remington go watch Dora while I finish up."

Remi winces but his face immediately wipes clean of emotions and changes into an impassive expression. He dutifully takes the little girl to the television without throwing me a second glance. My heart squeezes painfully but I tell myself: it's okay, this isn't heartbreak. This is just an obstacle in life. It will pass.

I never really liked Remi anyway. He just so happens to be the brother of my dead best friend, and the guy I have to con money from. I should have kept a business relationship with him. It was my fault that I tried to make things deeper than it really was.

The kiss slithers into my memory and I bite my lip, the same lips he touched. Then I admit that I keep lying to myself that I don't like him, but I do. This is messed up.

Yet I can't shake the feeling that Remi likes me. Maybe I'm too possessive, and want to force myself into believing that he likes me in that way...but Jay confirmed it. Jay is always spot on with his observations. And my ability can confirm it- I do cheer Remi up (however strange that may be). He has been feeling happier around me. So why can't he see his own feelings?

Breakfast would have been awkward if not for Lyra. She spends the whole day with us. Remi and I talk to Lyra, but never to each other. An invisible wall is built around him, and it is impenetrable. I don't try to hack those walls away, either.

Lyra pauses at the door of the orphanage as I drop her off at 8 pm sharp. "Angel, will you be my mama soon? You promised you would one day."

I cannot bring myself to speak as I look into her earnest, pleading eyes. This is a child that wants love so badly because she has never felt it. Yet circumstances are preventing me from adopting her. I wish I had enough money to, but right now every day is a struggle for me to pay my bills. Boss hasn't given me my pay for two months.

"Angel will soon," Remi interjects, patting little Lyra on her shoulder. "She's working really hard to become your mama, so wait patiently, okay?"

Lyra nods, her face brightening. She skips into the dreary, musty orphanage, beaming.

Again, we ignore each other during the drive back home. I'm fuming by now. He still wants to stay in my home? What a jerk!

---

The next morning, I wake up in my bedroom, gasping for oxygen. My gaze lands on the bedroom door, which I focus on for the next one minute until the harrowing nightmare disappears from my thoughts.

Last night, I made sure to shut my door tight and lock it so Remi couldn't enter.

However, I hear voices. So I tiptoe to the door and press my ear to it, listening carefully.

It's Remi and Maya.

"Did you two fight?" She's asking in her clear voice.

"It's not your business," I hear him reply sharply and I shake a fist at my bedroom door, even though I know he can't see me. Stupid, rude brother that he is!

"So you did. It's a shame. You like her a lot, don't you, Remi? Shouldn't you make it up to her? You don't want to lose her, do you?"

"Oh, trust me, he wants to get rid of me," I mutter crossly. Yet being the angry hypocrite I am, I strain to hear his response. Of course, he has to lower his voice when he replies, so I can't hear anything. What an ever thoughtful gentleman.

Maya is speaking again. "Please just come and see Mum and Dad. They need to settle official stuff with you, to give you full control of their law firm."

His voice is cold. "I don't want it."

"Remi, please! If I convince Angel to come, you'll come too, right?"

A pause. I wait with bated breath and then hear him say smugly, "Yes, of course. But you won't be able to convince her."

Oh, that's what you think. My anger grows by the second. This is the perfect way to exact revenge on Remi- I will allow myself to be convinced by Maya and go with him to his house to meet his parents.

---

The tension in the car is so thick you can cut it with a knife. Maya is in the front seat, beaming at me and thanking me for coming. Remi is sulking in the backseat. Earlier, I banished him to the backseat where I won't have to look at him while I drive.

"I know the last time you didn't really get to talk to Mum and Dad," Maya says brightly.

"Yes, because someone threw a tantrum," I say sharply, glaring in the mirror at Remi. He doesn't even respond, keeping his face perfectly neutral and blank.

Maya blinks. "Yes! Well, this time I'll introduce you properly to them."

"Thank you," I say politely even though I wish I didn't have to be polite now. Still, the occasion requires me to, and besides, poor Maya is trying her best to relieve some tension so I'll play along.

When I am properly introduced by Maya to her parents, I find myself liking the father. Oddly enough, Mr Tryston strikes me as a very easygoing and fun dad. He doesn't grill me too much on anything, either, just simply nodding and saying "Nice to meet you." Well, I suppose that's why I like him; he leaves me pretty much alone.

Of course Mrs Tryston is an idiot. She brings me aside at once and nods to a stiff-backed chair. "Sit." She promptly makes a beeline for the cushioned chair. My temper is rising but I do as she says.

"Maya mentioned you are Remington's girlfriend," she says, her smile not meeting her eyes.

"Not anymore," I assure her, smiling sweetly and poisonously.

"Well, anyway, what's your name?" She says briskly, her eyes narrowing at my response to her earlier question.

"I mentioned it before, actually. I'm Angel Ever."

"Yes, yes, of course you did. Remington, come here."

Remi walks over warily, avoiding my challenging gaze, and takes a seat on a chair next to me. I shift away from him slightly.

"Why did you two break up? And if you did, why is she still here?"

I feel him glancing at me, but it's over so quickly that I almost think I imagined it. Remi replies calmly "Mother, we didn't break up."

Oh yes we did! We weren't even dating, you asshole! My foot shoots out and steps hard on his foot.

Remi continues "In fact, Angel convinced me to come over."

His mother conveniently ignores the only good thing she hears about me and scans my appearance up and down. Today I'm dressed in a purple crop top hoodie with baggy, high waisted pants. A cap rests happily on my head and my hair has these purple streaks in them (I dyed them recently).

"You aren't very beautiful, Angel. If you want to be seen with my son, you should consider wearing some make-up."

I see Remi looking at me but ignore him and say sweetly "Oh, yes, you seem to be an expert on using make-up to look like an average woman instead of an ugly one. Do share your tips."

Her eyes bulge out of her head and I snort condescendingly. She isn't worth my time and everyone in this room knows it. Before an explosion occurs, though, Mr Tryston announces loudly "Come, come. Let's make the arrangements for the handing over of our company. Remington, Angel, come."

I turn up my nose in a very obvious manner as I walk past Mrs Tryston and stride to the dining room table. I'm an angel and no one can touch me. My old attitude is back- not that I willed it to, exactly, but perhaps because it helps me to cope.

The business is very long and very boring, and I find myself dropping off to sleep multiple times. I can see his mother looking at me every time I do that, and her lips curl into a sneer. I can't help feeling hungry and tired, can I?

Across the table, Remi leans closer to a butler guy standing in the room and says something in a low voice. The guy nods briefly and disappears.

Minutes later, he returns with a plate or Chinese dim sum. My eyes grow wide. It looks amazing, and Chinese is my favourite food. Is Remi trying to make it up to me? Suspicious, I sniff the buns first before deciding that they're poison-free and safe to eat.

His mother looks at me in disgust like I'm a street rat picked up from the sewers. Deciding to turn her attention away from me, she says to Remi "So have you given up the search for your sister?"

All conversation stops. Maya and Mr Tryston pause and look at Remi, as do I.

Remi meets my gaze and then looks at his mother. "Mother, I know what you did."

His mother frowns and feigns ignorance, that much I can see. However, I am still in the dark and so I wait for him to reveal more.

"You arranged for Louise to be removed from the family, did you not?" Remi accuses his mother, pointing straight at her.

His father's gaze grows stern. "Remi-"

"Don't try to fake it anymore, Mother and Father. You're both hypocrites," he hisses. "I found some documents the other day on Louise. Apparently she had dyslexia and ADHD. I suppose you didn't want an imperfect child in the Tryston family?"

I pale. Everything Remi is saying is true...Evangeline/ Louise did have severe dyslexia and ADHD. It was a constant struggle for her to keep up with schoolwork when the words and numbers floated off the page.

Mr Tryston looks down. "I never said that. I was the one who wanted to keep Louise."

"You weren't," Mrs Tryston spits out. "I wanted to keep Louise." However, I see the alarm in her eyes. Even a fool can tell she's lying.

Maya is watching with horror in her eyes, and I see how young she really is. Although Maya is 24 this year, she views the world with rose tinted lens and I'm sure it's her first time seeing her parents in this light.

"Maya, can you show me where the toilet is?" I ask.

She nods and gets up shakily, wiping her eyes with her jacket. "Y-yeah."

After that, Maya uses the excuse that she has an upset stomach to escape returning to the room and entreats me to tell the rest. I assure her I will. Obviously, I probably won't have a chance to cut into the argument that is going on in the dining room now.

Sure enough, I hear Remi speaking furiously, his voice controlled yet anger pulsing through every word. "You're the worst mother and wife ever, Mother. Do you know why I could never accept you? It's because of what you did to Father."

The hallway is silent around me, and so is the room inside. I place my hand on the doorknob, wanting to twist it but not doing it.

His next words are low, but even I can hear them clearly. "Maya is your illegitimate daughter, isn't she?"

I hear a strangled sob behind me and whip around to see Maya. Her face is filled with shock and pain and her sorrow is rising dangerously high.

Readers: yay! One last chapter to go and then we will be at the epilogue:))) Maybe extra scenes too.

Please vote and comment! ♡ what do you think of the story so far? --->