Secrets & Lies (Undercover Love Series Book 2)

by Michelle Iannarelli

  Alex was on her way down the hall to Eden’s room when Miles walked right by her not saying a word. Alex turned and called out to him. “Miles, wait up.”

  Miles stopped but he didn’t turn around. Alex walked in front of him. When she noticed he had tears rolling down his cheeks her stomach dropped. She thought for sure that Eden lost the baby.

  “Oh Miles, I’m so sorry.” Eden hugged Miles.

  Miles pulled away and wiped his face. “The baby is fine.”

  Alex opened her eyes wide as she gave Miles a puzzled look. “Thank God but then what’s wrong?”

  “I love Eden but she lied to me and Alex, I don’t know how I am going to forgive her this time. I’ve got to go. I need to clear my head.”

  “Miles, I’m here if you need me.”

  “Thanks.” Miles walked off.

  Alex headed straight to Eden’s room to see what the hell was going on.

  Eden was crying in Miguel’s arms when Alex walked into her room.

  Miguel heard footsteps and looked up at Alex. “Hey, do you think you can give us a few minutes.”

  Alex nodded and turned around to walk out.

  Eden cleared her throat. “Alex, wait.”

  Alex looked at Eden. “Sure.”

  “Miles just walked out on me. I kept a secret from him and I shouldn’t have but I did and now he, he…I don’t know if he will ever be able to forgive me.”

  Miguel stared at Eden for a minute. “Did you cheat on him?”

  “No. I’m going to tell you both because Miles is going to need someone to talk to. I’ve lived with this since I was seventeen and it haunts me every day.”

  “Sis, you’re scaring me.”

  “Miles and I were together up until the night before I left for college. I got pregnant. I tried to tell him when I was home at Christmas break but he was with someone else so I kept it a secret…”

  “You had a child and you didn’t tell me?”

  “I lost the baby. I had to deliver Drake and then bury him.”

  Alex grabbed Eden and hugged her while Eden quietly wept.

  Miguel just sat there stunned. “Ok, we’ll get you through this. I can go and talk to Miles if you want me to?”

  “No, he needs you to help him heal, not lecture or plead my case.”

  “Ok, I will do whatever you need.”

  “Just love me.”

  Miguel put his arms around her and pulled her tight. “I do love you.”

  MILES SAT OUTSIDE HIS house debating on whether to go inside or not. He couldn’t stop thinking about how Eden had lied to him once again. Finally, he decided he would text her to let her know that he was not coming home tonight.

  “I love you, Eden, but I need some time to think. I hope that you can understand.”

  It took a while but she did finally reply.

  “I’m so sorry. I love you, Miles, more than anything in this world.”

  Miles’ heart was breaking not just for him but for Eden too. As angry as he was that she never told him he was devastated knowing how much pain and suffering she had gone through all alone.

  Miles decided that he needed to talk this over with someone, someone who wasn’t family and could be impartial so he called Faith.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey, would you mind if I came over?”

  “No, not at all but is everything alright?”

  “Umm…not really. I will explain when I get there.”

  “Ok, drive safely.”

  Miles hung up and headed over to Faith’s house in hopes that she would be able to help him sort through his feelings.

  Eden sat holding her phone. Her first instinct was to call Miguel but then he would know that she was going to be alone all night and he would insist on coming over and spending the night with her or even worse…pack her up and bring her to his house. She decided that what she really needed was a friend. So she called Ryan.

  “Hey.”

  “Hi. What are you doing tonight?”

  “Carol.” Ryan laughed.

  “Oh, I didn’t mean to interrupt I…”

  “Eden, I was joking…well sort of. What’s up?”

  “I could really use a friend right now.” Eden sniffled.

  “Is it the baby?”

  “No. He’s fine. I kept something from Miles and…” Eden burst into tears.

  “Calm down. I’m on my way.”

  Eden hung up and then she rubbed her belly. “I’m so sorry, Cruz. I’m praying that after daddy has some time to process everything that he will come back home to us.”

  Faith pulled the door open and Miles was just standing there looking distraught.

  “Oh, Miles.”

  Miles grabbed Faith and hugged her.

  “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

  “Come in and we’ll talk.”

  Faith grabbed Miles’ hand and led him to the living room and then sat him down and poured him a glass of wine. Miles took the glass from Faith and swallowed it down in one huge gulp and then handed it back to her. Faith looked down at the glass and shook her head before refilling it.

  “I love Eden so much. I thought when we came clean with Miguel that there wouldn’t be any more secrets. Then today, today I find out she’s been keeping a secret from ME…the man she swore before God and our families that she loved.”

  “Miles, calm down. Eden loves you, she always has and you know that!”

  “Yeah, yeah you’re right.”

  Faith got up from her chair and sat down on the couch next Miles. She reached for his hand.

  “You love her, correct? Then tell me what’s going on and I will help you work through it.”

  Miles squeezed Faith’s hand. “Thank you.”

  “It’s going to be ok.”

  “Eden got pregnant when she was seventeen, the summer before she left for college. She never told me.”

  “Your baby I assume?”

  “Was my baby. He died before he was born.”

  “Oh, Miles, I am so terribly sorry.”

  “Eden, she never told me and she never would have if the doctor hadn’t slipped and told me that she had been pregnant before.”

  “Did you ever think that she wanted to spare you the pain?”

  “Truthfully, I think all she was thinking about was Miguel finding out. It was always about Miguel. She always needed his approval and was constantly panicked that he’d find out about us.”

  “Maybe but put yourself in her shoes…she was young and scared. I’m sure if the baby was born healthy she would have told you both. Since it wasn’t, I honestly think that she couldn’t come to terms with all of it and she didn’t want to burden you or see you looking the way you do now.”

  “I never even got to see him or hold him. He was my son and I deserved to know.”

  “Miles, you can’t change the past but what you can do is come to terms with it. Visit your son’s grave, grieve and then forgive Eden. God brought you two together and gave you a second chance to be a father to your son. Please don’t let the past ruin the present.”

  Miles just sat there with tears in his eyes staring at the wall. Faith hoped that what she said was enough for him to forgive Eden.

  Ryan showed up at Eden’s house with a gallon of Oreo cookie ice cream and a dozen donuts.

  “Ryan, I said I was upset not hungry.”

  “I know but when Alex is upset this helps.”

  Eden smiled and shook her head. “Thank you.”

  “So what has you so upset?”

  “I’m afraid that Miles won’t forgive me this time and I’ve lost him for good. He already called and said that he wasn’t coming home tonight.”

  “Any man who is willing to love another man’s child as his own because he loves the child’s mother is not going to walk away because you kept a secret from him.”

  “I was pregnant a long time ago with Miles’ baby and he died. I buried him and pushed it to the back of my mind. I suffered so much an
d I thought that keeping it a secret would spare Miles from the terrible pain and suffering that I had endured.”

  “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Of course.”

  “If you had to bury the baby then you must have been pretty far along. Why did you choose to keep the pregnancy a secret?”

  “I was afraid that Miguel would have had Miles arrested or even worse.”

  “But you could have told Miles and not Miguel.”

  “I tried to tell Miles one night but he was with someone else and I freaked out and left. After that night I decided that he didn’t want to have anything to do with a stupid kid like me so I never told him.”

  “And by never telling him you also didn’t have to worry about Miguel finding out.”

  “Pretty much.”

  Ryan couldn’t stand looking at Eden sitting all alone with her tear stained face looking so sad. He got up and walked over to where she was sitting and plopped himself down and wrapped his arm around her.

  “It’s a little uncomfortable for me being here like this because I’ve been having a hard time getting over the fact that your baby isn’t my baby too…”

  “Ryan, I’m so insensitive, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called you.”

  “Let me finish…if I feel this way about a child that wasn’t mine, then I can’t imagine your loss or how shocked and devastated Miles was to learn of his loss. I’m sure that after he thinks about it he will forgive you.”

  “I hope so.”

  “Maybe you should go get some rest.”

  “Not yet. Ryan, I’m sorry for how things worked out for you.”

  “I know that things worked out for the best but I also know that this experience has changed me.”

  Eden rubbed Ryan’s back. “Does this mean that maybe this time next year you will have a wife with a child on the way?”

  “I wouldn’t go that far but maybe one day.”

  “I think you should give Faith a chance.”

  “Nah, she’s into Zac now and besides, I don’t think someone like me is good enough for her.”

  “Someone like you?”

  “Yeah, she deserves someone who will treat her right and won’t cheat on her.”

  “Ryan, trust me, when you find the one…you won’t be able to think of anyone but her and you won’t cheat.” Eden placed her hand under Ryan’s chin and lifted up his head. “And…you are good enough. Don’t ever doubt that.”

  “Thanks.” Ryan looked away.

  “I’m serious. If I wasn’t in love with Miles, I…”

  Ryan stood up. “Let’s not go there, ok.”

  Eden could see how upset Ryan was looking. “How about I get you a drink?”

  “Yeah, but I will get it. Can I make you some tea?”

  “That would be nice. There is a box of peppermint in the cabinet to the right of the stove. Thank you.”

  Ryan nodded before walking off to the kitchen.

  Faith’s phone began to ring and she was in the bathroom so she yelled out to Miles, “Answer my phone, please.”

  Miles quickly pushed the answer button and said, “Hello.”

  “Miles?”

  “Alex, hey. Faith is in the bathroom and she asked me to pick up.”

  “Why are you with Faith?”

  “I needed some time to think.”

  “Think. So you ran to Faith?”

  “Alex, why does this sound like you are accusing me of running to her bed and not coming over to talk and try and work out my feelings?”

  “You’re right. I apologize.”

  “No matter what you think, I love my wife and I would never cheat on her.”

  “I know and I’m sorry. I was completely wrong.”

  Faith had walked into the room so Miles handed her the phone and walked away.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey.”

  “Alex, what did you say to get him so upset? It’s taken me hours to calm him down.”

  “I was a jerk and I guess I made it sound like I thought he was there for sex.”

  “ALEX!”

  “I know. I apologized but the damage was already done.”

  “We became friends a long time ago and that’s all we will ever be.”

  “I’m just so worried about him and Eden and I let my mind wander.”

  “So why did you call anyway?”

  “I called to ask if you had seen or heard from Ryan. I’ve been calling him for hours and he isn’t answering.”

  “No, I haven’t heard from Ryan and I don’t plan to hear from him either.”

  “Alrighty then.”

  “Alex, I hope you find him and that he is ok.”

  “Me too.”

  “Talk to you tomorrow.”

  “Good night.”

  “So you and Ryan aren’t on speaking terms anymore?”

  “Seems he was only happy with sleeping terms and well…I wanted more.”

  Miles wrapped his arms around Faith and hugged her.

  “I’m sorry, Faith.”

  “I’m ok. I have Zac now.”

  Miles pulled away and looked at Faith.

  “Is Zac someone you truly care for or is he just a rebounder?”

  “Maybe he was a, as you called it, a rebounder but now I think he is something more.”

  “Good. I’m happy to hear that.”

  “Now, back to you and Eden. Maybe you should get going?”

  “I know that you’re trying to help but I’m not ready yet.”

  “What can I do to help?”

  Miles hugged Faith again. “You’ve already done so much and I can’t tell you how much your friendship means to me.”

  “I feel the same way.”

  Eden was finishing her tea and the baby started to kick. She immediately wanted to yell for Miles to come quick so that he could feel Cruz’s kicks. She suddenly felt so very sad.

  “Hey. You alright?”

  “I am. Seems that Cruz may be a future soccer player with these kicks he’s got going on.”

  “He’s kicking right now?”

  Eden grabbed Ryan’s hand and placed it on her belly. Ryan’s eyes opened wide and Eden knew that he had felt her little kicker.

  “My God. Wow!”

  “I know it’s crazy, right?”

  “Yeah. The whole idea of a person growing another person is crazy in itself.”

  “It’s a beautiful thing though.”

  “Why don’t you text Miles and let him know that the little guy is doing alright?”

  “I don’t think he wants to hear from me.”

  “Bet he won’t mind.” Ryan handed Eden her phone. “Give it a try.”

  “Ok but if he doesn’t reply I am going to fall apart.”

  “He will.”

  “Here goes nothing then.”

  “I just wanted to let you know that Cruz is moving around and kicking a lot so we know that he is still doing ok.”

  “There, I texted…now we wait and see if he replies.” Eden put her phone down.

  “He will. Give him a minute to respond.”

  Eden looked down as if staring at her phone would make it buzz…and it did.

  Ryan handed her the phone. “Told you so.” Ryan smiled.

  Eden looked down at the phone.

  “That’s great. Thank you for letting me know. How are you feeling?”

  “Physically I am ok.”

  “That’s good. If anything changes, please let me know.”

  “I will.”

  “Eden, regardless of how I am feeling right now…I still love you and that will never change.”

  “I love you too.”

  Eden placed the phone down on the table.

  “You ok?”

  Eden nodded. Ryan decided he wasn’t taking no for an answer, she needed to go get some rest even if he had to scoop her up and carry her to bed.

  “Ok you, time for bed.”

  “I can rest here.”

  “Is it that you do
n’t want to be in the bed without Miles?”

  “I just, I don’t want to be alone.”

  “I’ll stay right here. You can call me if you need me.”

  Eden got up and she kissed Ryan on his cheek. “You’re a good friend.”

  Ryan watched Eden as she walked down the hall to her bedroom. He wasn’t quite sure if a good friend should be checking out their friend’s ass.

  MIGUEL KNOCKED ON EDEN’S door but when she didn’t answer he used his key and let himself in. He placed the donuts and bagels he brought for Eden down on the kitchen table and then walked down the hall to her bedroom to check on her. He was annoyed that the nurse he sent over must still be sleeping as well, even though it was after nine.

  Eden thought she heard footsteps. She got so excited thinking that Miles had come home. She got up from her bed and pulled the door open. Her face fell when she saw that it was Miguel standing there.

  “Hi.”

  “Don’t look so excited to see me.”

  “I’m sorry. I expected you to be Miles.”

  “Ahh, now I get it.”

  “Let me just grab my robe and I’ll be right out.”

  Eden turned around to walk over to the bed to grab her robe and the door opened a bit more. Miguel saw Ryan asleep on Eden’s bed and he freaked out.

  “What the hell Eden? You have one fight with Miles and you cheat on him.”

  “What? No. It isn’t what you think.”

  Miguel walked over to Ryan and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him out of the bed. Ryan fell to the floor before he even had a minute to wake up. Eden grabbed Miguel’s arm.

  “You asshole!”

  Ryan stood up when Eden grabbed Miguel’s arm.

  “Nothing happened. Eden had a nightmare and I came in to wake her up and I guess we fell asleep.”

  Miguel turned around and walked out of Eden’s bedroom.

  “I’m so sorry, Ryan.”

  “He’s just trying to protect you.”

  “He’s a jerk.”

  “I’m going to head home and shower and change before I go to work. Call me later.”

  Ryan and Eden walked down the hall. Ryan continued to the front door and Eden into the living room where Miguel was pacing.