I spent the next day with Stephanie, showing her around New York, visiting all the places I thought she would like. We hit the ice skating rink, where I fell flat on my ass so many times but at least, I laughed every time that I fell.

We ate lunch and went to the mall. I paid for all the things she liked because I was her big sister and the one who had a paying job. I bought a few things for my parents and brother. It was a good day well spent, and despite having such a good time with my sister that I haven't had in a while, I still found myself missing Rogue. Missing his smile and touches. Missing the way he kissed me and held me like I was a treasure. I missed talking to him, but I didn't want to call him. He didn't call me either because he didn't want to bother me while I was hanging out with Stephanie. He didn't want to take all my time away. He cared enough to give me space to have fun with my sister, which I thought was sweet, and it was why I resisted the urge to contact him myself.

When we went back home, she FaceTimed Lauren with my computer to show her the ugly stuffed animal that I bought for Arden. It was a hidden joke between Lauren and me—that whoever got a kid first, we would buy the ugliest stuffed animal for him or her.

"What do you think?" she asked, lifting the duck to the camera. "Do you think he will like it?"

Lauren, who was holding Arden in her arms, gave a slight nod of her head, grinning. "It's the prettiest thing he's ever got," she responded. For a baby who was only a few months old, he was quiet.

Stephanie snorted. "Why are you lying?"

"I told her if you want to scare Arden, you should just send in his dad," I said, then laughed when she glared at me. I leaned closer to the camera, trying to take a peek at him. "I can't believe he looks more like Mason than he does with you. You gave birth to him. He should have looked more like you."

"If he continues being pretty, he might just have a lot of girls falling for him," Stephanie said, gushing over him. His lips spread into a wide smile as if he knew what she was saying. "See, he's already stealing my heart."

Lauren rolled her eyes. "When are you coming back? I thought I should task you into bringing your sister with you. How long has it been since she's visited? She hasn't even held her godson." She gave me a chastised look.

"I will come, I promise, Lauren. As soon as I know when I can. Work won't let me take a few days off and I have already used my vacation days."

Stephanie glanced at me briefly before looking back at Lauren. "I doubt Beth will come home any time soon, not after getting a boyfriend. She won't even tell me who he is."

I pinched and twisted her arm, and she gave a small cry. Lauren gaped at me in confusion before her eyes widened in understanding, and I didn't even have to guess who she was thinking about because I kinda did give myself up a few weeks ago.

I winced when she exclaimed, "Beth, are you serious? You're going out with him?"

Stephanie looked between us in confusion. "Wait, you know who he is?"

"Shut up." I pushed her a few inches away, settling in front of the camera. "I can truly explain, but there's just so much, Lauren. He's not what we all think he is. He's different. Misunderstood."

A frown came over her face for a few seconds. "Do you like him?"

I nodded.

She unscrewed her face and sighed. "Who am I to tell you who to date, Beth? You're old enough to know what's right, and if you like him, then he must really be an amazing man for him to tie you down into a relationship. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that you chose him. Trust me, I'm trying not to flip right now."

Laughing, I replied, "I know what you're worried about and everything is fine."

"Seriously, you both aren't going to tell me who he is? Not fair at all." Stephanie crossed her arms with a frown.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me you're dating someone," Lauren scolded with a glare. "If Steph hadn't told me, were you ever going to tell me, your best friend?"

I smiled sheepishly. "Eventually. I didn't want to say anything because I know how you feel about him, and your judgmental ass husband deems him Satan reincarnate. I wanted to tell you first, but I had to be sure of my feelings and his—I wanted to be sure I wasn't making a mistake and have you give me the 'I told you so' look."

Lauren sighed and cradled Arden to her chest. "Beth, you're an idiot. Have you forgotten the relationships and flings I had to watch you go through over the years? If I was going to blame or judge you for all your decisions, I would be richer than Mason right now. I know you're smart, and it's your choice whether you choose to want to be happy or throw it away. If you break up tomorrow, I won't blame you. I mean, he's got to be a great man for getting you as a girlfriend."

"Hey!"

"I think I got it!" Stephanie suddenly exclaimed, her face glowing with proudness. "It's the president, isn't it? Oh my god, you're dating the president! What would that make me? The first sister?"

"Shut up." "You're stupid." Lauren and I said simultaneously.

"No?" She tilted her head with a disappointed look. "Wait, a secret service? Can I get him to look into someone for me?"

I got up and started to leave for my room. Stephanie followed after me, trying to get into the room. I pushed her out and shut the door before locking it. Lauren was still staring at me when I put the computer on my dresser and sat on the stool.

"Are you happy with him? Does he treat you well?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm happy, and he really does treat me well." I grinned widely, looking at myself in the mirror. The smile was genuine and I couldn't seem to wipe it off my face. "We're trying to take things slow, that's why we can't tell anyone yet. You know how it is."

Lauren nodded in understanding. "I'm happy you're happy, you know that?"

I did know she would be the first person to be happy for me. "Don't tell Mason yet," I said. "Something tells me he's going to be an ass about it." I rolled my eyes with a sigh.

She laughed. "He will support your happiness," she told me. "But don't worry, I will kick his ass if he complains about it. It's just too bad Rogue lives in the states. I was hoping you would date someone who would bring you back home."

I smiled.

"But Rogue is where your home is, isn't it?" She gave me a sad smile. "I'm happy you found your place, Beth."

I shook my head. "Well, you never know the future. I might just pack my stuff and run home to you."

"Don't say that. If what you two feel is genuine, you won't want to come back here, trust me. And if Rogue feels more than you, he won't let you get away from him no matter how much you try. It's what happened with me and Mason, and look at where we are now; married with a kid. It will happen to you too."

"It's just...." I chewed on my bottom lip. She tilted her head when I didn't say anything, and when I exhaled a few breaths, I told her the complicated life of Rogue Slade and what he was hiding from everyone. Lauren was shocked when I finished. I ran my hands through my hair.

"Beth, I would never have imagined." She was still shocked and I couldn't blame her. It had been more shocking for me.

"I'm not stupid for dating someone without his own identity, right?" I asked with nervous energy. "I feel like I should be upset and I should leave him, but I can't, Laurie."

"There you go, then. It doesn't matter who he is and what he's done. What matters is how you feel about him, and if he feels the same way, then nothing should come in between that."

"Okay." It made me relax a little to realize that she was right. Then, I laughed. "How are you the one giving me rational advice right now? Since when did you become so wise, my dear friend?"

She laughed along with me. "I've got good people around me who have tried to keep me away from making bad decisions, and I'm lucky to have them. Without them, I wouldn't have a family right now. I want to do the same for you. I want you to be happy and have your own family too."

"Family...kids...that had not been on our agenda, Lauren. I can't believe this is our life now."

"It's a good life," she told me, happy and content. Her face glowed with happiness and love. She had a husband and a child, everything she desired. She was living with no regrets. Lauren cocked her head and studied me, adding, "Maybe not what we expected, but it's much better than what we thought it would be."

She was right.

"So, Lauren, how many kids are you planning on having?"

Lauren let out a loud groan.

———-

The next morning, I woke up because Stephanie's flight was earlier than I had expected. I showered and got dressed, and met her in the kitchen where we had breakfast. After that, I helped carry her bag. I had planned to drive her to the airport and see her off, but she didn't want me to.

"What do you mean I shouldn't drop you off?" I asked.

"If you come with me, you will be late for work, Beth," she replied. "We can say goodbye right here without having you waste time taking me to the airport. I will be fine."

Already starting to miss her and knowing that I wouldn't physically see her for a while, I pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm going to miss you so much. I wish you were staying longer. I love you, and make sure you call me when you land."

"Love you too, sis." When she pulled away, she was smiling, and I could tell she didn't want to go either but there was nothing to be done about it. The few days that I spent with my sister made me miss my family and home. "Say hi to your boyfriend for me and tell him how I wish I had met him, but I hope we can change that soon. Also, tell him I welcome bribery if he ever needs to know dirty secrets about you."

I pinched her arm hard and she yelped, laughing. After that, she waved and got inside the taxi. She was still waving when the taxi driver pulled away.

When I got to work, I kept my stuff on my desk before I decided to check Hanna's office to see if she had gotten in. I wanted to talk to her about our last phone call. I still wasn't convinced nor confident about what we talked about and how true it was to her. Rogue wouldn't advise me to approach her on the matter again, but I couldn't help not knowing what was going on in her head.

I knocked on the door first before turning the knob. When the door swung open, I peeked inside at the same time she looked up and saw me, then her lips parted into a grin. She beckoned me to come inside and I closed the door behind me. I took a seat and crossed my legs. Hanna was wearing dark grey pants and a blazer with a crisp white blouse.

"How did I get in earlier than you?" she inquired with a grin, crossing her arms on the table.

I tried to read her eyes. She looked alright, or was it the makeup that was shielding her true feelings? However, I couldn't feel anything weird coming off her. Hanna seemed relaxed and happy.

"Because you know if you come in later than everyone else, Robert will have your head." I kept my hands on the armrest, trying to find the most comfortable position. She laughed at my response, and before she could say anything else, I tilted my head and asked, "Hanna, are you okay?"

A brow lifted. "Hmm?"

"The phone call?" I dragged the sentence out slowly to help her remember. "You don't remember calling me?"

Her face fell immediately and I could still see her struggling to keep the smile on her face. "Oh, that." She waved her hands. "I'm so sorry about that, Beth. I don't know what I was thinking and I'm sorry if I got you worried."

My heart thudded against my ribcage, but I managed to keep my voice steady. "So, is everything okay? You said you remembered seeing Rogue."

"Honestly, Beth, I don't remember much of my dreams, and I don't want to talk about something like this," she dismissed with a small laugh. She was dodging it like the time she had dodged talking about her kidnapping. I thought then I encouraged it because I cared about her and ignored what had happened to her.

"Yes, but we have to talk about this eventually. You have to talk about it. You can't keep pushing it away, Hanna. Are your memories coming back?"

She sighed and stood up. Moving out from her desk, she said, "If I continue to ignore it, then I don't have to face what happened. Not remembering was a blessing, Beth, but if my memories are coming back, I don't know what to do. I feel so scared." She poured herself a drink and downed it.

Now it felt like my heart was in my throat as I observed her. "If you're scared, then you don't have to remember. You just have to find a way to forget it."

"That's why I'm trying to busy myself with work so that all I can think and focus on is work and that would leave me with no time to sleep."

"Just don't kill yourself trying to forget it. And if you're planning on not sleeping at all, that's the worst idea ever. Remember the last time you didn't sleep for two days and you collapsed at the mall?"

Hanna laughed and returned to her seat. "That was not pretty. I had a massive headache throughout the whole day."

"Exactly." I swallowed and cleared my throat. "Can you just tell me if you have dreams again? Don't shut me out. I care about you and I want you to be okay. Just tell me when something like that happens again, no matter what it is."

She grinned. "I promise to tell you every detail of that night if I dream again."

When I returned to my desk, I felt a little less heavy than I did before. Even though I was still worried about Hanna remembering that night, I couldn't help but feel as if Rogue was going to suffer for Pete's actions. I didn't want to have to lose him because I couldn't keep their secret anymore.

I was lost in my work when Erica came to me and told me I had a visitor who wanted to see me. He was waiting for me in the conference room and then winked at me. All thoughts headed to Rogue, and I couldn't keep the surprise off my face that he came to my workplace. What was he trying to do? Expose our relationship?

Two minutes later, I walked into the conference room, shocked to find that it wasn't Rogue but Pete. The scar under his eye was the only thing that helped me separate the two. Still shocked by his presence, I managed to find a seat across from him. I didn't know why the hell he took the risk and sought me out. My mind immediately went to the possibility that something happened to Rogue and I felt faint by it.

"I apologize for invading your space," Pete began as he studied me carefully, each gaze of his felt like molten lava over my skin.

"It's...it's fine." I knew I sounded a little uncomfortable. My hands still shook. There was just something about Pete that made my heart thin every time he looked at me. It was just something in his eyes that was so loud yet hidden. I didn't think I could be comfortable or relax around him.

"Are you sure?" His fingers drummed slowly on the table. "It's an invasion of your space and being here risks exposure of your relationship with Rogue."

Then why are you here if you knew that?

I looked down at the hands I was playing with before I lifted my eyes again. "If you're here, then it has to be something important, right?" I pinned my worried gaze on him. "Is it Rogue? Did something happen to him?"

"He's good," Pete answered dryly, leaning back in his chair. "I wanted to see you."

I frowned. "Why?"

"Why?" He chuckled, finding the response funny. "I know you don't consider Veronica or.....me as your friends, but we can consider you as one. You're Rogue's girlfriend, and you matter to us just as much as you matter to him." The weight of his soft words meant more than I thought he intended.

And my heart started beating faster.

"And you're here to...?" I trailed off, waiting for him to explain his presence.

Pete tipped his chin up. "I heard your friend has started to remember that night." He looked away briefly and ran his fingers through his hair in regret. "I came to apologize, yet again for causing you more trouble." He dragged in a breath, his shoulders tensed and jaw tight. "Just so you know, Beth, if something happens, I don't plan on making Rogue pay for it. You don't have to worry about any of it. I will be the one to pay for it. I wanted you to know that. I don't ever want to be the one to hurt you."

My heart picked up pace as I struggled to respond. My lips parted, but only harsh breaths escaped from it. I dug my fingers into my thighs and swiped my tongue across my lip, which Pete caught on with hooded eyes.

"I....I'm sorry."

"For what?" he instantly asked.

"You know...." I took in a sharp breath before releasing it. "You know I won't hesitate to throw you under the bus for him." I thought he would get mad but he actually smiled.

"That's something I won't ever get mad at you for. Rogue needs someone to fight for him, and he's finally found that person. How could I be mad at that? He's done so much for me...a lot of things I've taken from him—"

"Because he owes you."

"I never asked for it," he retorted, a little firm. "I objected, but he didn't listen, which is why I took responsibility for him." A sad smile appeared on his face. "I know you hate me for who he is."

My eyes bulged. "I don't hate you!"

"Yes, you do, and it's alright. I'd hate me too if I'm the reason the guy I like doesn't have his own identity."

"Pete..."

"I'm glad he's got you out of all these messes," he said sincerely. "He likes you a lot and he's changed for you. Rogue may seem like he doesn't care about anyone, but I know he cares about you, much more than he admits."

"I know that." My heart caught in my throat, and I felt like I had been flipped upside down.

"Good." He went quiet after that, just opting to watch me with an unreadable look on his face. It was weird how he looked so much like Rogue, but so much different from the way he looked at me. Rogue looked at me with intensity in his eyes. Pete looked at me with torment.

"Is there anything else? I have to get back to work."

"Have lunch with me."

I choked. "What?"

"Lunch," he repeated, glancing around the conference room with ease. "It's been a month since I went out to eat lunch, and for a change, I get to see your lovely face." When he looked back, his smile had stretched.

He had stunned me. In a rush of breath, I started to say, "I don't...."

"Forget it then." He waved his hand and stood up abruptly, putting his hands behind his back. "I don't want to push you to do something that makes you uncomfortable. Thank you for your time, Beth." He started making his way to the door.

"No, wait—" I spun around wildly and Pete stilled by the door. My entire body was tense and I struggled desperately to stay perfectly still. "I'd love to have lunch with you, Pete, but I can't today. My colleagues and I have already made plans to eat lunch together. I can't ditch them."

He turned around to face me, a noticeable grin on his face. "So, you're not saying no?"

I chuckled and shook my head. "Of course, not. Rogue loves and cares for you, so I can't exactly turn you away. We would both be in each other's lives so we might as well learn to be comfortable around each other."

"Who says I'm not comfortable around you?"