“Well, you’re like a yo-yo, and it’s downright confusing. One minute you want me and are pleading with me not to go, and the next you’re throwing everything on me. You approached me two days before your wedding. Don’t forget that.”
“How can I forget?” Gina’s sadness diffused his anger.
Keith took several deep breaths. He licked his now dry lips. “This is ridiculous. What are we even fighting about? We can’t undo the past, no matter how hard we try.”
She looked down. “I don’t even know why I heaped all that on you. I feel scared that I had to meet my father this way.”
“I understand. But Michael and I also had to meet him after having one of the biggest fights of our entire life. Trust me, Gina. I had no idea.”
Gina was now curious. “What were you two fighting about, anyway?”
His heart pounded like a conga drum, but he had to tell her the truth. All the guilt that had been buried came back in full force. “He knows, Gina. Michael knows.”
Keith words sank in. Though Gina understood, she played ignorant. “No. How could he? That was years ago.”
“I’m trying to piece it all together myself, but, Gina, Michael knows we slept together all those years ago. Right now he hates me.” Keith’s voice broke after that comment.
Gina’s body rocked back and forth as she grappled with the news. “He must hate me too.”
“He’s angry and hurt,” Keith said in his brother’s defense. “But I think he’ll forgive you in time. He loves you and Trey too much to let you go. He’d be a fool to leave you, and trust me, Michael is many things, but a fool is not one of them. He knows he has a good woman in you, Gina.”
Her eyes looked glassy. Keith led her to the nearest chair. “My legs feel like rubber. I can’t believe it. Michael must think I’m the worst woman on the planet for sleeping with you. And he’s right.” She faced him. “He idolized you.”
“I feel like we’re on The Jerry Springer Show. Fall in love with you, and my life is now filled with all these twists and turns.”
Gina snorted. “Oh, please, Keith. Do I have to remind you of your ex-fiancée, Eve? She was with you and was pregnant with another man’s child.”
Keith nodded but decided not to travel down that lane.
“Michael’s a good man too,” she whispered in a voice that showed she was still racked with guilt. “I don’t know why I did that to him.”
“Don’t you dare place all the blame on yourself. Michael was no saint back then,” Keith urged. “Let’s not forget that he’d slept with Karen, and he had her living in his penthouse for months. So I’m not going to sit back and let you put a halo over his head.”
“Yeah, but that did not give me the right to sleep with you, of all people,” Gina countered. She put her head in her hands. “That must be killing him. You’re his precious Keith, and I’m at fault for destroying your relationship.”
Keith paced the room. “It’s not your fault. I knew what I was doing. I pursued you because I had fallen in love. I was in the throes of something I had never before experienced in my life. And I, for one, have no regrets. Being with you has brought me the biggest joy in the world.”
“Well, I have regrets,” Gina revealed. “I had morals and standards, and I should’ve kept them. I should’ve resisted, but it seems as if every opportunity I have, I run into your arms. It’s what I have done and continue to do. I’ve even used my son’s life-threatening illness as an excuse to try to jump your bones. When did I become so selfish? I don’t know myself anymore. How am I going to face him?” She buried her face in her hands out of self-recrimination.
He touched her shoulder. “Gina, you may be many things, but selfish is not one of them. This thing between us was—and still is—more powerful than either of us could manage. It was only a matter of time before we gave in.”
“But I could have resisted,” Gina replied as the tears flowed. “I could have, but I didn’t. Michael didn’t deserve this, Keith. We betrayed him. He trusted us, and we took that trust and smashed it to pieces. We’re getting too old for this tawdry affair. It’s time I think about my actions and the fact that there are serious repercussions for what I do.”
“Watching you cry, I feel remorse hit my soul. Regardless of what you say, I know I’m the one who got you in this predicament. But there was nothing I could’ve done about how I feel about you. I love you,” Keith said. “I love you, and I mean it with every fiber of my being. I can’t regret that.”
“I love you too, Keith,” Gina rose to her feet. “But I regret it, Keith. I regret it with every fiber of my being.” With that, she walked over, unlocked the door, and opened it. She stepped out of the room and closed the door with a decisive click. Keith flung his large frame into the chair that Gina had vacated. He felt great pangs of remorse over losing his brother’s trust. He wondered if he should have confessed it all. Should he have told Gina he was Trey’s father? Yes he should have. But she was so upset and mad that . . .
No, Keith thought.
The truth would’ve further complicated matters.
The truth was bringing him heartache right now.
The truth had taken away everything he held dear in his heart.
Keith could not take any more truths. He knew that somehow once he’d reasoned things out in his mind, Michael would forgive Gina. After all if it weren’t for Michael’s affair with Karen, Gina wouldn’t have slept with him. Also, Michael was the father that Trey knew.
But where did that leave him? Did loving his son meant he had to give him up?
Chapter Eighteen
“So what happens if I’m a match?” Jeff asked.
Michael stood next to him inside Dr. Milliner’s office.
“If you’re a match, there are options for being a transplant donor,” the doctor said. “You can either undergo an allogeneic transplant, where the bone marrow is taken from the back of your hip bones. The second option is what’s known as leukapheresis. You’ll be given shots over five days to help your stem cells move from your bone marrow into your blood. Then your blood will be removed using an IV line in one of your veins.”
After that lengthy explanation, Jeff gave Michael a reassuring pat. “We’ll begin tomorrow.”
Jeff’s eyes looked glazed, and Michael attempted to put him at ease. “Don’t worry if most of this goes over your head. I’m sure the doctors will give you step-by-step instructions.”
After Keith and Gina’s rapid departure from the hospital waiting room, the task of putting Jeff at ease had fallen on Michael’s shoulders. He’d succeeded, with a lot of finesse and charm.
After the conversation with Dr. Milliner, Michael offered to take Jeff to a nearby diner so they could talk at length.
“I don’t know how much pain you’ll be in, and your recovery might be challenging,” Michael warned once they were seated in a booth and had ordered from the menu.
Jeff said, “Painful or not, I’ll do all I can to help my grandson. I’ll get tested tomorrow to see if I’m a match for my grandson.” Michael saw his eyes soften as he repeated the word grandson.
“He’s precious,” Michael told Jeff. Then he returned to the matter at hand. “Before all that, though, Dr. Milliner will put you through an extensive physical and blood work, because he has to make sure you’re fit and well enough to do the transplant. But once you’re cleared—and I’m speaking that into existence—Trey will start chemotherapy and continue it for two weeks to destroy all his bone marrow so he’s ready for new marrow . . . yours.”
“Wow. I’m impressed with your knowledge. Poor Trey. He has a tough road ahead of him,” Jeff said. He sounded sympathetic. Michael saw him shudder.
“Yes, he does, but I have faith. I know in my gut that you’re the donor. I would stake all of my businesses on it.”
“Well, when you put it like that, I’m obliged to believe you. My daughter is lucky to have you,” Jeff said, praising him.
Feeling a strong urge to as
k Gina’s father the burning question most prominent in his mind, Michael resisted and decided to bide his time. Michael wanted to know the reason why Jeff had been absent from Gina’s life, but he’d leave that conversation for Gina.
Thinking of his wife, Michael felt the old resentment rise, but he made sure to show his pearly whites. “I feel the same about her. She’s a good woman. She cares about others. In the first year of our marriage, she spent a lot of time volunteering and helping needy high school kids.” The lie rolled off his tongue, but then he realized that he had spoken the truth. He was shocked when he perceived his genuine love for and faith in Gina. This revelation strengthened Michael’s resolve. He needed to remain committed to his wife, his son, and his marriage.
It would be difficult, and he wasn’t about to pretend otherwise. He could forgive Gina, but he knew he’d never allow himself to love her with the same intensity as before. From the moment he’d put that ring on her finger, he had been faithful and had kept his vows. He lived every vow he’d made that day, but she had failed him.
While he and Jeff were eating dessert, Michael called his car service and arranged to have Jeff picked up outside the diner in twenty minutes and taken to his hotel. His ever-efficient secretary had secured five-star hotel accommodations for Jeff with specific instructions. The hotel staff was to cater to his father-in-law’s every whim and would be well compensated for this. Michael intended to ensure that Gina’s father was treated with style.
After paying the bill and escorting Jeff to the waiting limo, Michael hopped into his car and drove. Now that he was alone with his thoughts, he dumped most of the blame for Gina’s infidelity on his brother. After learning about Karen, Gina had needed a shoulder to cry on, and Keith had taken advantage.
He turned at the light and glided onto I-285 for the short ride to Suwanee.
Michael’s heart burned when he thought about his brother, whose actions were unbelievable and despicable. Keith had violated the man code, the brother code, and the friend code. You cannot eat from the same pie. Bite from the same fruit. Eat from the same plate . . . It was just not done. That was understood.
Punching the steering wheel column, Michael knew that somewhere underneath all that hurt, he still loved his brother, but he didn’t want to see his face anytime soon—if ever. He couldn’t see his brother without thinking about Gina in his arms . . . in his bed . . . and who knew where else?
Michael pulled into his driveway. He saw that Gina’s car was parked in its usual spot in the garage. He sat behind the wheel, hesitating. He did not want to see her. He did not want to look at her face, knowing her deceit.
Michael twiddled his thumbs, lost in his thoughts. A part of him wanted revenge in some way. He wanted to make Gina pay. He wasn’t sure if he could feel any natural warmth toward her, and he wasn’t trying to pretend. There was a numbness around his heart because of her betrayal, and he didn’t see that defrosting anytime soon. He knew for certain he would not trust her around Keith. He was going to sever that bond between Gina and Keith for good.
Michael supposed that it was due time for him to experience true heartbreak. He had caused a lot of it in his heyday. He didn’t believe in karma, but this sure felt like it.
Michael got out of the car and slammed the door shut. He bent over and rested his head on his car. It hurt to even go inside the house. He didn’t want to face her. He heard his front door open and turned his head to see Gina standing in the doorway. He read the uncertainty on her face.
“Gina,” Michael whispered. He crooked his finger for her to come to him. He watched her take careful steps toward him. Her gait was uncertain, but she came with a brave look on her face. With every step, his heart broke. How could he begin to get her to understand the pain that wrenched his soul? He had to try.
“Why Keith? Gina, why him?” Michael uttered with a ragged, pain-filled voice.
“I . . .” Gina trailed off. She could not look him in the eyes.
“I was a dog. I know that. I can understand why you felt the need to pay me back, but why Keith?” Michael demanded in a guttural growl.
Gina wrung her hands. The words were stuck in her throat. She could not drive a knife in his heart by acknowledging her intense love for Keith.
“Tell me the truth,” Michael said. “Do you love me at all?”
“Yes,” Gina answered. “I do love you, Michael. I didn’t mean to hurt you. But that was before we were married. Keith and I . . . I didn’t see the point in telling you. It’s behind me.”
Michael looked at her as if he didn’t buy any of what she was selling. Heck, she was having a hard time convincing herself, but Trey needed his parents united.
Gina waited, watching her husband process the information. He turned on his heels and walked into the house. Gina stood rooted in the same spot. Michael was hard to read. She didn’t know what he was thinking. Michael turned suddenly and stretched out his hand toward her. With hurried steps, Gina joined him and placed her hand in his. The two walked into the house together.
Once they closed the front door, Michael turned to face her. His face had an inscrutable expression that made her knees shake. She had never seen Michael look like this. For the first time in their relationship, Gina saw the ruthlessness that Michael reserved primarily for business matters. Scared, she gulped and waited for Michael to talk.
“You will not have anything more to do with Keith,” he said. “Not a word ever again.”
“Yes, Michael.” She was too frightened to disagree.
“Trey is my son,” Michael said, emphasizing the word my, as if he felt the need to make that clear. He looked at her, expecting some sort of response. “Did you hear me? Trey is mine.”
Gina looked at him, experiencing a little confusion, but she was too penitent to ask for clarity. She was not sure where he was coming from, but she nodded her head in acquiescence. Gina was so glad that Michael was giving her another chance that she did not dig too deep for the reasoning behind his words. She was willing to eat crow.
“Good. That is all I intend to say about that. We will never speak of this again.” Michael stalked off without another word.
Gina found her tongue and raced after him, confronting him in the living room. “But . . . don’t you think we should maybe get therapy or something?”
Michael stopped in his tracks. His expression was unyielding. “We don’t need therapy for something that has already been resolved. You’ll stay away from Keith. Understood?”
“Yes.” Gina was too terrified to offer another retort.
She wanted to ask if he was going to patch things up with Keith, but she held her tongue. Michael was giving her another chance. Gina was grateful for his forgiveness. She wouldn’t let him down again.
Gina headed into their bedroom, undressed, and slid into bed. She felt the need to climb under a warm blanket to ease her shaking. Her teeth were chattering because she was so scared. Gina knew that things with Michael would never be the same. But she was the guilty party. She would have to pay the penance for her crime. Gina figured that she was going to pay for a lifetime, because that was how long it would take for her to get over Keith.
After Gina went upstairs, Michael strode into his study and closed the door. As he fixed a quick drink, he acknowledged that he had been tough on Gina. He knew that he had decided to forgive her, but thinking and doing were two different things. He needed time for the hurt to heal. But time was a commodity. Trey needed both his parents, and Michael was going to do everything to keep it that way.
As far as Michael was concerned, he was Trey’s father. He wasn’t giving up his son, biological or not. He viewed Keith as a sperm donor—a means to an end. He was the one who’d been there for all of Trey’s milestones, not Keith. He was the one who’d found Jeff, the man who would save Trey’s life.
Michael was glad that Gina had concurred with him on the issue of Trey’s paternity—or so he thought—because he couldn’t see Keith not telling her the tr
uth about Trey. He was glad she had agreed that Trey was his, and he was glad that Gina was his. He was not going to give Gina up, because Michael knew that Keith would step into his shoes in a heartbeat. Keith wouldn’t condone Trey growing up in a single-parent home. And he loved Gina too much to sit on the sidelines while she reared her son alone.
Michael wouldn’t let that happen. He wasn’t going to move out of the way for Keith to get the kid and the girl.
Michael smiled a vindictive smile. It appeared that for once, he was going to beat his brother at something. At the biggest game ever played. Love.
Chapter Nineteen
Michael had been waiting for him. He knew he’d come.
He wouldn’t be Keith if he hadn’t. His brother didn’t care if it was midnight. He was here to get “his” woman. Michael knew that stance. Keith had entered his house like a man on a mission—a man who wanted it all. He wasn’t surprised. He had expected this from his brother—had been waiting for it.
“Have you decided?” Keith jumped right to the point as the two brothers stood face-to-face in the study.
“I should think that’s obvious,” Michael taunted.
“Gina!” Keith called. When he didn’t hear an answer, he called again. “Gina!”
Michael watched Gina approach Keith from out of the shadows.
“So is that it, then?” Keith asked.
“What do you mean?” Her brows knit. She wasn’t following the choppy conversation.
“Are you staying with him, Gina?” Keith spelled it out.
Michael feigned boredom and walked over to the minibar to pour a drink. But he was all ears.
“Gina, this is it. This is our chance,” Keith declared. “I don’t want you to think too hard. I need you to follow what’s in your heart. So, tell me, are you staying with him?”
Gina found the words. “No, Keith, I’m not doing this. I’ve got too much going on. Michael’s my husband. I love him.”
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