Twisted Truths & Leveled Lies

by Lessner, S. K.

My voice boomed and Miguel looked shocked. I surprised myself by saying that out loud. It was supposed to be a thought. Instead, it came out very loud and with a hiss. I didn’t notice Brett entering behind me, but he took a step to my side, looking at me with equal surprise after my comment. Maybe it was how I spoke to Miguel, maybe it was what I said, I wasn’t sure.

  “I’m sorry, Mel,” Miguel started, “I’d call first, but I don’t have your new number.”

  Yeah, and he wasn’t going to get it either.

  “What do you want, Miguel?”

  “I need to talk to you. Please.” He added the last word most likely because of the look of disbelief on my face. “And I’d like to see our son.”

  I didn’t even have to think of an excuse for that one.

  “He’s sleeping. He had a very long day today, playing and having fun at the park with Brett and me.”

  Ooo yes, I had anger inside me. There were a lot of swords I had to pull out and hurt him with. I wasn’t below using any of them.

  He flinched. It was clear the words stung him, but he didn’t leave.

  “Please Mel, just fifteen minutes?”

  Placing a calming hand on my shoulder, Brett decided to jump in the fun.

  “Excuse me, Mr. Sandviel, I’m Brett Caveleri.”

  He took a step forward, holding his hand out for Miguel to shake. It looked like Miguel might refuse the civil action. Maybe he realized who his competition was.

  Reluctantly placing his hand in Brett’s, he shook it as he glanced back at me with a pained expression on his face. Yep, he knew.

  Brett didn’t back down. “I’m in charge of your…Mel’s security here. I’d like to speak with ya for a moment before ya meet with her, if ya don’t mind.”

  Well, I guess he had some surprises himself. Watching it all unfold in front of me, I wondered what he was going to say. I’m sure it wasn’t as mean as what I had to say, but I’d love to know.

  “Since you’re in charge here, I don’t have a choice, do I?” Even Miguel was getting snippy. This should be interesting.

  “Come with me please.” Brett led the way to the kitchen, his steps strong and confident.

  I almost laughed out loud. Brett was leading Miguel through his own home. Well, it used to be his. If he didn’t get the picture now, I didn’t know what would make him see it.

  Once they left the room, I stood there, staring helplessly at Dale, neither of us knowing what to say.

  “I guess I’ll go to the living room. If they come looking for me, send them that way.”

  “Okay, Ms. Sandviel. If you need anything, just let me know.” He tipped his head in acknowledgement and resumed his post by the door. He must have decided to wait for Brett before returning to his car.

  I walked away and hurried to the other room, but not before my curiosity got the better of me. Standing quietly on the other side of the kitchen wall, I waited to hear what was said. Remembering the pictures spread across the table in there, I realized how good Brett was at this game. Miguel should like those.

  “I understand that ya need to talk to her. I agree, you do. But I’m gonna warn ya, you will not hurt her any more than you already have. I won’t allow it.” Brett was practically yelling at Miguel. His voice alone would scare me, if I were him.

  “I have no intentions of hurting her. I never did.” Miguel was growling his words through gritted teeth. “I made some bad choices. Choices I regret more than anyone will ever know. I just want to apologize and see if we can set something up so I can see my son. Do you think you can handle that?”

  Wow, this was not going to be easy. I heard enough to know that I had to go get control of my thoughts before I talked with him. Scurrying down the hall, I went into the living room to wait.

  CHAPTER 39

  I gave up on sitting after five minutes, and began pacing the floor continuously. Thank goodness Josie had gone to bed early. He’d probably love to see his father, but I wasn’t letting that happen until I knew it was safe.

  When fifteen minutes had passed, I decided to go tell Miguel it was now or never. I couldn’t handle waiting any longer. Taking a few steps across the room, I turned the corner, and both men appeared in front of me, almost colliding since I was going so fast.

  I took a step back, and glanced from Miguel to Brett. Having them side-by-side made it much easier to compare the two. They were similar in height and build like I remembered, but the contrast between Brett’s blond hair and blue eyes, compared to Miguel’s dark hair, dark skin, and brown eyes, was most prominent.

  Continuing my appraisal, I realized Josie could pass for Brett’s child much more easily than mine and Miguel’s. Miguel had dark features, and I had brown hair and green eyes. Huh, Josie had beautiful, wavy blond hair just like Brett. I was surprised I’d never thought of that before.

  “Mel?” Brett asked tentatively. I must have been staring at the two of them too long.

  “Yeah, um, okay. Miguel, do you want to come in here?”

  I had no clue how to handle this. I couldn’t remember ever inviting him in before. I had no reason to before. Now, I couldn’t find a reason to either.

  “Thanks.” He huffed and moved over to the couch. After sitting down, he began looking around, taking inventory I guessed.

  “Hey, can I talk to ya for a minute first?” Brett said softly, angling his head toward the hall.

  “Sure.” How about twenty minutes or an hour? I could avoid this all day.

  “I’ll be right back Miguel.” I looked over, catching his intense gaze as he watched me.

  He nodded, returning his attention to the room.

  I followed Brett out in the hall, walking a few feet, before we stopped. Turning toward me, he wrapped me in his arms, holding me tightly against his chest.

  “I just want ya to know I’m here if ya need anything,” he whispered. “I don’t think he’ll cause any problems, but it may be hard.”

  “Okay,” I whispered, grasping on to the back of his shirt like it was my lifeline.

  “I’m gonna go check on Josie and then I’ll be in the kitchen. Just scream, or throw some shoes, if ya need me.” He offered a small smile, encouraging me.

  “Sure thing.”

  He was trying to lighten the mood, but I couldn’t do it. I nodded into his chest and continued my hold.

  Leaning back, he reached around, taking my hands in his, and prying them open.

  “It’s gonna be okay, princess. No worries.” He brought our hands around to our front, holding them between us, as he looked down at them.

  Sighing, he brought his eyes back to mine. “You can do this.”

  “Thanks.” I stood on my toes, giving him a quick kiss on his lips. I had to. I needed it more than he knew.

  Rewarding me with a big smile before he released my hands, he kissed me again, this time playfully biting my bottom lip, infusing me with his strength. Chuckling at his powerful ways of filling me with peace, and desire, I watched as he walked toward the stairs, and out of sight.

  Taking a deep breath, I turned the corner, and went into the living room. Miguel was leaning forward, resting his forearms on his knees. I wondered if he could hear us out there. I didn’t think he could, but it was actually very quiet in here right now. Oh well, too late now. I was far beyond worrying about his feelings.

  I moved over to the other end of the couch and sat down on the edge, ready to run at any time. When he didn’t say anything, I decided to break the silence.

  “So, I’m not sure what to say.” I paused. “I mean, I have lots to say, but I didn’t know you were coming and I’m not sure where to start.”

  Miguel turned his body so he faced me. His hands were folded in his lap, his eyes filled with confusion.

  “Mel,” he said, then shook his head. “I’ll just say what I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time. If you want to say anything back afterward, you can. If not, I’ll leave.”

  “Okay. I can do that.”

  “I have
no right to ask, but you guys, you and Brett, are you two…”

  He did not just ask me that. I couldn’t believe the nerve he had.

  “No, you don’t have any right to ask that now. Brett saved our lives, Miguel. Mine. Your son’s. No matter what, you owe him everything.”

  He didn’t expect that answer. His eyes widened as his breath audibly caught in his throat. I guess he really didn’t have any clue what had happened during these past six months. I’d be filling him in shortly.

  “I didn’t know, Mel. I apologize.” He glanced around the room, his eyes skittering over the pictures and toys. Turning back toward me, I saw the sadness and frustration colliding in his gaze.

  “This is so hard. Looking around at our stuff, our home, and knowing I’m not welcomed here now.”

  I moved to the edge of my seat, prepared to flee at any moment. He would not come in here and expect me to feel bad for him!

  “Wait, don’t get mad, I know you had, or have it far worse than I do. I just want you to know it’s not easy so you’ll be patient with me as I try to explain things.”

  I nodded my head, biting my tongue from telling him off already.

  “I never lied to you when I told you that that you were my everything. You always were. You always will be. When we met, when we fell in love, when we married, I knew that I was choosing a path that would not be accepted by my family. I didn’t care. I loved you and wanted you. I should’ve protected you then, Mel, but I didn’t. I thought I tried, but I was wrong.”

  Leaning back, I tried to calm down while I listened to him. Obviously, this was going to take a lot longer than I had planned. I was paying attention, though. I wanted answers, and he was the only one who could give them to me. Maybe this was a good thing after all.

  “Remember when I went to Peru and came back all broken up?”

  I nodded my head yes, but after all the lies he’d told me, I silently wondered if Peru was really his home country or not.

  “I chose that Mel. My family lived by the old rules. You marry who they say, you marry in their religion, and you marry inside their culture. If you choose to step outside those rules, there is a price to pay.

  “After reading the letter you wrote me, I left it on top of my suitcase. It made me so happy, I wasn’t thinking about them. My brother, Osan, knew about you and saw you at the airport, but I don’t think he realized how serious we were at the time. Well, one of them went into my room and found it. When they confronted me, I told them I was going to ask you to marry me. In their eyes, I had to be punished. It hurt, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to be with you.

  “There was never a time while we were together that I regretted it. In fact, I’d do it again and again if I had to. I thought they had let go of their grudges against you and I. Or at least decided to ignore us and let us live in peace. I was wrong, Mel. Really, really wrong.” He hung his head, his hands lifting to brace himself on his forehead.

  I wanted to feel something, but I was becoming increasingly numb as he went on. I appreciated what he was saying, but I had no idea what was real or a lie now.

  Lifting his head, he turned his head, connecting his eyes with mine. His eyes red, I watched as two tears trickled down his face.

  “Mel, I’m so sorry.” He blinked, trying to contain his emotions.

  “Miguel,” I spoke softer this time, trying to be somewhat compassionate, even if I didn’t want to. “I need to know why you turned your back on us in Afghanistan and why you didn’t tell me where we were. I need to know everything. Now. I don’t want to live with this anymore. If you’re as sorry as you keep saying, then you’ll give me the answers I need to understand, and put it behind me.”

  He nodded his head. “I know, Mel. You deserve that.”

  He took a deep breath and sat back. His body tense, he tried to appear relaxed, tucking his knee underneath his leg and leaning his shoulder against the back of the couch.

  “First of all, I should’ve never hidden anything from you. When the doctor drugged you on the plane, I thought I’d open the hatch and throw him out. I was so angry, but when he handed me a letter from Osan, I didn’t know what to do. The letter told me not to tell you about the doctor, and he’d explain why when we got to his house. He said there would be repercussions if I didn’t do exactly as he said. I told you that night that I needed to talk to my brother in the morning. I had every intention of telling you about where we were and what had happened after I spoke to him. Well, I did until he threatened me.

  “The next morning, after you left the kitchen with Josie, he took me into another room. There was a chair and a desk, nothing else. He pulled out two files, one with my name and one with yours.”

  My eyes widened. He saw the files and never said anything to me about that either? Before I could formulate a question about it, he continued on.

  “The one with my name had information about the girl I told you about, the student at the university. It also had her obituary in it. The cause of death listed as poisoning from unknown source, and all the details to tell me Osan was behind it. He shredded all the information in front of me. Demonstrating how easy it was for him to do what he did and nobody ever knew.”

  That would explain why Miguel’s folder was almost empty when I found it and hers only had the picture remaining.

  He paused for a second, shaking his head about his thoughts before continuing.

  “Then, he pulled out your file, Mel. It had everything about you in it, your birth certificate, your parent’s information, even our wedding picture.”

  I’d give him this much, it was much more interesting to compare two sides of the same story. I was listening intently when Brett popped his head around the corner.

  “Hey, just wanted to check on ya. All okay?” He asked with a worried look.

  I thought Miguel would scream at the intrusion. He didn’t, but it was clear he wasn’t happy. His body tense, he took a deep breath, closing his eyes, and clenching his jaw and fists silently.

  “I’m good, thanks. Actually, would you mind getting me a drink? It’s, well, he has a lot to explain and it’s taking longer than I thought. I could really use something.”

  Brett started to grin and I wondered why until he spoke cheerfully, “Sweet and yummy?”

  I couldn’t believe he said that and was unable to hold back a breath of laughter. Poor Miguel. He was pouring his heart out and we were joking beside him. If only he knew this was the only way I’d been able to survive all this time.

  “You want anything, Mr. Sandviel?” He asked somewhat politely.

  “No, thanks.” Miguel gritted out his answer.

  Brett left the room, and Miguel opened his eyes, looking at me inquisitively.

  Holding my hand up, I wanted him to listen, before he started explaining again.

  “Wait, you have to understand something. We weren’t trying to be rude or laugh when this is so serious. Humor is the only way I survived, Miguel. Brett found the only way to help me live when all I considered was the possibility of the bomb going off and dying with Josie.”

  That caught his attention. Scooting closer, he reached his hand over, laying it softly on my thigh. I didn’t have any room to move further back, so I just sat there, motionless, as I watched him.

  “God Mel, please forgive me. I understand with you and him. Well, I kind of do. I’m trying. You needed someone, I wasn’t here, and he was. But please, just…I’m sorry.”

  “No, you weren’t here, but it’s not only that he was here for us. He saved us, Miguel. We were shot at, chased, interrogated, and endured hours locked inside a bomb shelter. Plus, the weeks at the hospital and months of Josie’s recovery after we returned. He used humor to help me through the tears, the pain, and the fear. He helped me find a way to survive during all the madness.”

  I looked down at his hand on my leg, asking him to remove it without saying the words. Slowly pulling it back, he rested it on his knee, but didn’t move back across the couch.<
br />
  “I’m taking what you’re saying seriously and didn’t want you to think we were laughing in your face. That’s the only reason I’m explaining anything about him.”

  Clearing his throat, Brett entered the room, carrying a bright pink drink in his hand. He must have heard that last few minutes and felt it was a good time to interrupt.

  Taking it from him, I realized it looked identical to the one I’d at the fundraising event. Lifting my eyes, Brett was grinning unrepentantly.

  He shrugged his shoulders. “I had the guys get the ingredients since you liked it so much the other night.”

  Brett and his double meanings. Poor Miguel, he had no clue what was being said, but I’m sure his assumptions weren’t too far off. I felt kind of like a bitch having a side conversation at a time like this, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying it.

  “Thanks.” I smiled and tasted it. “It’s perfect.”

  “Okay,” Brett said slowly. “I’m off to find somethin’ to do and let ya guys have some privacy.”

  He turned to walk away, but paused in the doorway. Looking over his shoulder, his eyes grew serious.

  “You know where I am if ya need anything.”

  I nodded my head, watching as he sighed, and walked away.

  Taking a deep breath, I turned back to Miguel. Refocusing on what we were discussing, I took another drink before speaking.

  “Let’s get back to where we were. So, he had the folder with all my information and pictures.”

  Taking another deep breath, he readjusted his legs and began explaining again. “Yes, well, I saw the folder, and my brother told me that if I didn’t do as he said, you’d end up just like Samantha.”

  Knowing Osan, I wasn’t surprised, but I still gasped.

  “I didn’t know how to handle everything. I wanted to tell you, but I kept thinking if I did, you or Josie would end up dead.”

  “Then, why were you gone everyday?”

  “He had me working on one of his overseas businesses. He wanted me to take it from illegal work to legal. He needed a legit company to use to hide his illegal activities. That’s the one charge that I didn’t get dropped. I didn’t do anything wrong, but I didn’t report what he was planning. I think I just shut off emotionally. I was trying to meet his demands as quickly as possible so I could get both of you home, but everyday he came up with new things for me to work on. I never wanted to treat you two the way I did, Mel. I just didn’t know how to handle it, and I screwed up.”