Heart to Heart

Heart to Heart
CHAPTER 46
Olivia

I tried to be as excited as I could as I walked up to Grams’ front door. It was Zoey's birthday, and as much as I couldn't get everything that had happened in the last few hours out of my head, I didn't let anything disrupt her day.

The wedding was almost here—the event we’d been planning for a while now—and honestly, I felt I was okay while we were in the “preparation” stage. But right now, with the five-day interval Marcus brought up, I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

The betrayed look on Damon’s face filtered through my mind again, and my throat clogged.

I wanted him. I wanted him so much that I was beginning to doubt myself. The few minutes in that gym room made me feel like a villain when I was supposed to be the victim here.

But something else kept nagging at my subconscious—the night at the club. I could agree to the fact that I had a really good time. Letting loose once in so long I couldn’t even recall. I had been tipsy, but not completely out of my mind. I wanted to believe Damon was right and that maybe, just maybe, Marcus had spiked my drink. I could clearly recall trying to have fun with him in the midst of his friends.

I didn't want to think deep about it because it sound absurd, but I was beginning to doubt everything I knew and believed.

~
Seeing my baby again felt like it had been months since I last laid eyes on her. She was exceptionally giddy and happy when she saw me. Grams and I sang her birthday song and helped her cut the cake I’d gotten on my way here.

I tried so hard to make it all about her—play with her, sing for her—until she was pretty exhausted and went to sleep.

Few hours later and past midnight, I was sitting on the kitchen counter, having the talk with Grams.

She stared at me for a long while after I explained briefly what had happened in the last few days. "I don’t think you’re being honest with yourself, too, Livy. I was expecting Marcus to be here for her birthday, granted that you already told him about it, but now… he’s her daddy’s brother? That’s one tough pill to swallow."

I inhaled deeply. My head hurt from thinking too much about these.

"I know," Grams continued. "I know it’s a lot, but the ball is in your court. Don’t start a mess you won’t be able to clean up later. If you want Damon, let him know—let it out. Let Marcus know too. But don’t let Marcus suffer for your…I mean, I’m not siding with anyone. I know what you went through, and I don’t wish for that to happen to anyone, but what if it was all a misunderstanding?"

"No, Grams. It’s not. He really hurt me, and now he’s back, and it’s just so overwhelming…"

"Then talk to him about it, baby. Maybe you just need to be upfront and get the closure you deserve."

"But we talked. And he kept acting like he had no idea what he did…"

"And what exactly did he do? You never told me."

I was silent for a while, swallowing a lump in my throat. My voice cracked as I finally spoke. "He had sex with someone else."

I could feel myself tearing up as I said it. It felt like I was finally acknowledging what he did, even after saying it to him earlier. For years, since it happened, I never spoke about it. I couldn’t speak about it. And the way he brushed it off earlier, the way he denied ever having anything to do with Layla, still pissed me off.

Grams pulled me into her arms, patting my back softly. "It’s alright, it’s okay…"

She didn’t sound very surprised either. And when I pulled back to stare at her, she asked, "You wanna talk about that?"

I sniffed, my eyes burning with tears. I looked into her eyes, finding the courage I needed.

"Let’s take it one step at a time, okay?"

I nodded.

"So who did he cheat with?"

"Layla."

"And who’s this Layla?"

"His… best friend’s sister. We hung out often, but I always knew she had something for Damon. I knew there was something there… and he kept denying it."

Grams nodded, listening attentively.
"Okay, so you caught them together."

"I… yes, no. I mean, they weren’t being subtle about it."

She raised a brow, "What do you mean?"

"I walked in on them. It was the day I got the report that I was pregnant. I was so scared, I couldn’t even talk to Aunt Jane about it because I was scared she would inform my Mom. I was so scared and confused and lost. I didn’t want her to find out, because I knew how disappointed she’d be, especially since I was supposed to be "betrothed" to someone else.

"Damon was the only one I could rely on. The only one I FELT I could rely on, and I thought maybe we might find a way around it and be together instead. But…"

"But..."

I was in full-blown tears, sniffles, and hiccups. Thinking about that day, talking about it—it did something to me. But I continued.

"I got to the house, the living room, and the first thing I saw was her undies—her panties, her bra, her shorts—all the way to his room. And I…" I was sobbing now. "I heard them. He was having sex with her. He told me he didn’t see her that way. He told me there was nothing between them, but he was having sex with her. Can you believe that!?"

Grams held me close, rubbing soothing pats on my head.

She let me get my bearings, and after a few minutes, I was a bit calmer.

"So you talked to him, and he acted like he had no idea?"

I nodded.

"Have you… perhaps thought that you could be mistaken?"

I pulled back to stare at her. "No, I wasn’t. I’m not. I wouldn’t have left otherwise."

"You specifically confronted him about the cheating stuff?"

"I did."

"And he denied it."

"Exactly, Grams. I don’t understand why he just couldn’t own up to it."

"What if you were mistaken, Livy?" she said again, and I frowned.

"Grandma… I’m being serious here. It’s obvious he’s doing all this just so I won’t get married to Marcus. He specifically asked me not to marry Marcus. Ever since he showed up, it’s been series of issues…" I let out a huge exhale. "Just last night he had a physical altercation with Marcus which resulted in him being admitted at the hospital. It’s pretty obvious why he acts this way, but at the same time, he makes me feel… I feel vulnerable when I’m with him, y’know? I…"

"Well, you have four days left, hun. You need to sort this out so you don’t end up regretting. But if you’d want my honest opinion, I’d say give your baby’s daddy the benefit of doubt. I strongly think there's a misunderstanding somewhere, and I know this is an arranged marriage , but I doubt you would want to do this without clearing the air properly. If he wasn’t Marcus’ brother, it would have been a different issue. You don't want to be the reason why two brothers are having a fallout. Marriage is a lifetime commitment, and you’re going to be a part of that family for a long time. And what about Zoey? What happens when she grows up to realize her uncle is her real father? How would you explain that? She doesn’t even have your features at all. Would you want to do this and then find out later that you were mistaken? Talk to him, baby. Iron it out."

I sighed, feeling even more conflicted than ever. She made sense. She always does. But when I think about what I'd been through without him-- carrying his child, my heart hardened more.

I’d asked Damon to leave and stay out of my life. And deep inside, I really wished he’d disappear for good, because around him made me so conflicted.

~
Later, in the early hours of the morning, I went to Zoey’s room and knelt closer to her little mattress. I brushed the strands of hair on her forehead before leaning in to place a kiss on it.

Guilt tightened around my lungs, making it hard to b
reathe. Was I doing the right thing? My innocent baby deserved to know her real daddy, but what could I do?