Untethered

26 | Broken

Silence.

No one spoke. Ryan was frozen to the spot trying to swallow, but the way Emma was looking at him made it impossible to even breathe. Shit.

"Did you know?" she asked, her voice dangerously quiet. She thrust a handful of photos at him, but he couldn't make himself move to touch them.

Neither one noticed Evan close the door and come closer.

"Jesus, Em! Where did those come from?" Evan snatched the photos from her hand, glancing through a couple of them, before a wave of disgust washed over him. Bile rose in his throat as he flipped through picture after picture of younger versions of their mom and Ryan's dad, twisted in a variety of lewd embraces. He dropped them onto the coffee table like they were covered in slime.

"They were in the safe," she said, as quietly as before, still not taking her eyes from Ryan's face. She knew now. She knew what he'd lied about at the hospital. The moment she saw the photos she suspected, but his face now confirmed it. He looked guilty as fuck.

"I don't understand... What were they doing in there?" Evan asked, dumbfounded.

"I don't know," she replied, finally turning her gaze from Ryan to her brother. "Did you know that our mom was screwing his dad?"

Before he could answer, Ryan found his voice. "I'm sorry, Em." His voice was brittle-sounding and raspy, "I was going to tell you... I tried to talk to you." His voice rose with frustration, and he ran his hand through his hair jerkily.

Rising from the floor, she stalked toward him, shoving hard against his chest. He flinched and took a step back, more from the fury and hurt he saw in her eyes, than from her pushing him. "You knew about this, and you didn't tell me?" Her voice became shrill, and then it dawned on her, "Oh my God, my mom was going to hurt her... if that was really your dad..." She staggered back and fell into a chair, gazing between the two men. "You both lied to me."

"We didn't lie," Evan said, warily. "We just didn't see the point in telling you. They had an affair when we were little kids—there was no reason to think it mattered now."

"Of course it matters, you blockhead!" Emma yelled, "I know better than anyone what our mother is like, Evan. You were always the one in denial! But this," she waved at the photos, "Greta was hospitalized! She could've been killed! You idiots didn't even tell the police!" She paused, something else occurring to her, "Does Greta know about them?"

"Yes," Ryan answered. Cautiously he moved toward where she was sitting, and knelt in front of her, insinuating himself between her knees. "Emma," he cradled her face firmly, "I'm sorry. That is what I was talking to her about the other day when you walked in." She tried to wrench her face free, but he wouldn't let her look away. "I'm sorry. When you asked, I was scared, and I lied. I've tried to tell you since then, but I haven't had a chance. Please, Em..."

"You did have a chance, Ryan. I thought you wanted to talk about us... whatever us is—not this! You definitely should've told me before you got me fucking naked!"

He released her, stumbling back like she'd struck him in the face.

"Dammit Emma, I tried to tell you!" he repeated, anger creeping into his tone. He knew he shouldn't be mad, but the way she said it—like he took advantage of her somehow—like she hadn't wanted him as much as he wanted her. It was a slap in the face. "You kept putting me off. I know I should've told you anyway, but I was a fucking coward, okay? I was going to tell you today. How the hell was I supposed to know that," he indicated the photos, "this shit was in there?"