6

Kiara

 

I don’t know how Thomas convinced me to go visit his mother. By the time I wanted to back out of my decision, we had already boarded a flight back to the city. I swore I’d never return, and I didn’t keep my word.

“It’s going to be a pleasant visit with my mother. We’ll have lunch with her and go straight back to the hotel,” Thomas assured me.

Months had passed since I left the city, and during that time, Thomas had become a true friend. One night of weakness, he and I kissed, and that’s how our love story began. I forgot about his brother, Jake. I forgot about the love story we once had.

But my babies reminded me he left his mark. Still, Thomas wanted to help raise them and be the father Jake never was.

I looked out the car window. The houses slowly disappeared behind us. The tall black gates appeared in the distance, coming into view. We had arrived at Helena’s house, his mother. My mother-in-law.

I didn’t know how she’d react to seeing her youngest son with his older brother’s ex-wife. This was awkward.

I definitely shouldn’t have come.

But when Helena greeted us and hugged us both, I felt some of the pressure lift. Still, it didn’t disappear completely. She smiled at me, but there was tension in her face. Her way of looking at me wasn’t hostile, but I could tell something was there.

And I realized what it was the moment we sat down to eat. He was there.

Jake.

With her. Irina.

The exchange of looks between Jake and me was inevitable. We both looked, surprised and far from happy to see each other. The room was filled with tension and hostility. I wanted to run away.

Instinctively, I covered my belly, protecting my children. It was fear speaking through me. The fear of him seeing them, but it was too late. Jake had already seen.

“Whose baby is that?” he demanded. He knew the answer, but I’d never give him the certainty.

I would never confess they were his.

I felt tightness in my chest and a flutter inside me, the babies moving, as if they knew what was happening.

“They’re Thomas’s,” I lied shamelessly.

Thomas looked at me for a moment, and I looked back at him. I silently begged him to take us out of there soon, but Jake grabbed his jacket from the chair and took Irina’s hand.

Did I say I forgot about Jake? I lied. Seeing him again… everything was still there. Inside me.

Who am I kidding? I never stopped loving him. Nothing had changed within me. Jake was still the owner of my heart, even while I tried to strip him of that place to give it to Thomas.

Jake took a few angry steps forward, then stopped abruptly, his furious eyes locking on me again.

“They are?” he asked.

“What?” I replied quietly.

“Plural. There’s more than one baby?” He narrowed his eyes.

“That’s none of your business,” Thomas cut in. He stepped in front of me so Jake couldn’t see me, but it was pointless.

I shifted aside, meeting Jake’s disgusted look. The same expression he gave me the last time we saw each other.

“You’re a whore, Kiara. I should’ve never married you. If I had known… Whore!” he shouted.

I stepped back, shaken. Irina’s lie was still standing, and I had reinforced it by lying about our children.

I convinced myself I’d done the right thing. The way he treated me… Jake deserved never to know about his kids. He would never care for them the way Thomas would. Jake was a bad man. He was the real shameless one in this story.

And she… Irina…

“Having fun?” I asked my sister, who was holding back a smile.

“See, Jake? I told you. She’s cruel. She didn’t care about sleeping with your brother while you were away.”

“Yes, you were right all along. I never doubted your word, Irina.”

My eyes burned with tears. The lump in my throat fought to break me. I swallowed the pain so I wouldn’t look weak in front of them, but my racing heartbeat gave me away.

Thomas looked at me and took my hand to leave.

“I’m sorry, Mom. You didn’t tell me Jake would be here. If I had known, we never would’ve come. I didn’t want to expose my woman to him. We’re leaving,” Thomas said firmly.

I wanted to run away.

“We’re leaving too,” Jake said behind us.

“No, please,” Helena pleaded.

“You shouldn’t have invited us both,” Jake snapped. Just as harsh as he’d always been with me.

“I didn’t know this would happen. I didn’t know Kiara was your girlfriend now.”

“I’m his fiancée,” I lied again. The room fell silent. Thomas’s footsteps stopped abruptly.

We weren’t getting married. There were no plans. But I wanted to hurt Jake the way he hurt me. I wanted to wound him deeply for believing Irina and for calling me a whore.

Thomas started walking again, but Jake froze when I dropped the false announcement.

“Thomas, son, please,” Helena insisted, but he ignored her.

“Goodbye, Mom.”

“I’m dying!” she shouted, stopping us in our tracks.