Say Less I Love You Episode 15

Chapter 170

TRIXA

I stumble back to my hospital room, my legs shaking beneath me. The walls seem to close in as I collapse onto the bed, my mind reeling from Nyla's revelation. My father... our father. The words echo in my head like a cruel joke.

"This can't be happening," I whisper to the empty room. My hands tremble as I reach for my phone, scrolling through old photos of Marcus. I study his face, searching for traces of Nyla in his features that I never noticed before.

I press my palms against my eyes, fighting back tears. All this time, he had another family. Another daughter. While I was planning shopping trips and charity galas with him, he had a whole other life I knew nothing about.

 I want answers. But the only person who could give them to me is dead." I pick up my phone again, staring at Marcus's smiling face. Or is he?

The image blurs as tears finally spill over. My perfect, pristine world is shattering, and I don't know how to hold the pieces together anymore.

The nurse bustles in with her cart of supplies, pulling me from my spiraling thoughts about Marcus and Nyla. "Ready for your big moment, Ms. Swan?"

I manage a weak nod, watching as she efficiently arranges everything she needs. The revelation about Marcus still echoes in my mind, making it hard to focus on what she's saying about the procedure.

The door opens again, and Jacob walks in, his presence filling the sterile room with warmth. "Hey, beautiful. How are you holding up?"

"I'm..." My voice catches. I want to tell him everything - about Marcus, about Nyla being my sister. But the words stick in my throat. He's already dealing with so much. "Just nervous."

"That's completely normal," he says, taking my hand. His thumb traces circles on my palm, the gesture so tender it makes my heart ache. "But think about it - in a few weeks, we'll be picking out flowers for the wedding. You still want those white peonies, right?"

I squeeze his hand, grateful for the distraction. "As long as they're not from that awful florist your mother suggested."

"The one who did Chelsea Clinton's wedding?" Jacob chuckles. "Mom's still mad you vetoed her."

"Because her arrangements looked like they belonged at a funeral," I say, wincing as the nurse starts prepping my IV.

Jacob leans closer, his breath warm against my ear. "Well, I promise our wedding will be anything but funeral-like. Though I might die when I see you in your dress."

"Smooth talker," I murmur, closing my eyes as the medication begins to flow. The weight of my secrets presses against my chest, but Jacob's presence anchors me.

"Always," he says, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "Now, let's get you better so we can start our forever."

I force a smile, pushing thoughts of Marcus and Nyla aside. Right now, I need to focus on surviving. The truth will have to wait.

I watch Jacob's face carefully as I ask, "Did Marcus ever tell you things? Things he might not have shared with me?"

Jacob shifts in his chair, his fingers absently playing with the edge of my hospital blanket. "Your father was... complicated. But his love for you was crystal clear."

"That's not what I asked," I press, ignoring the nurse adjusting my IV. "Did you ever feel like he was hiding something?"

"Why the sudden interest in Marcus's secrets?" Jacob's eyes narrow slightly, that sharp business instinct of his kicking in.

"No reason," I say, perhaps too quickly. "Just thinking about him lately."

The nurse begins prepping my arm for the procedure, her latex-covered fingers cool against my skin. I barely notice the sharp smell of antiseptic or the beeping monitors. My mind races with possibilities - had Marcus known about Nyla all along? Had he planned to tell me?

The bone marrow match is undeniable proof. You can't fake genetics. Nyla shares his rare condition, my blood type, my... father.

"Ms. Swan, I need you to relax your arm," the nurse says gently.

I force my muscles to unclench, but my thoughts continue their frenzied spiral. All those business trips Marcus took, all those mysterious phone calls - had he been visiting his other family? His other daughter?

Jacob squeezes my hand, misreading my tension as anxiety about the procedure. If he only knew the real reason for my distress.

Jacob's hand feels warm in mine as he murmurs reassurances about our future. But all I can think about is how Nyla's cells are literally flowing through my veins now, becoming part of me. My step-sister's marrow mixing with my blood, healing me whether I want it or not.

"We're going to beat this together," Jacob says, his thumb tracing circles on my palm. "You're the strongest person I know."

I close my eyes, feeling the steady drip of medicine through my IV. Every drop contains traces of her, my unexpected sister. The thought makes me dizzy. She's literally part of me now. Her blood, her cells...

"I can't escape her now," I whisper, more to myself than Jacob. "She'll always be there, running through my veins."

"Hmm?," Jacob squeezes my hand. "Focus on getting better. That's all that matters right now."

But as I drift off to sleep, I can't help but wonder if Marcus planned this somehow. His two daughters, forever linked by blood and bone marrow, whether we like it or not.