Their Confession

by S. Valentine

  Gabi blinked rapidly, and shook her head as she was brought back to reality. Taking in Gina’s tearstained face, and Darion’s remorseful expression, she was terrified to ask him to repeat his and Gina’s confession, their confession. But she had to know.

  “You and Gina what?” she asked, her voice trembling with emotion.

  “We have a son.”

  Gabi staggered back, her mouth dropping open. What? She moved her lips to speak, but speech eluded her, her brain aching. Feeling light-headed and faint, she slid onto the sofa, and stared at the floor for what seemed like the longest time. “Since when?” she managed to mumble.

  Braving a glance at Darion, she noticed his hands were clamped together; his expression pained, like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. “I only found out yesterday that he was mine.”

  “He was conceived before you and Darion got together,” Gina said quickly.

  “I don’t understand. How old is he? Why didn’t you tell Darion sooner?”

  “He’s two months old. And I wasn’t sure who the dad was.” Her head dropped in shame. “Darion, along with a few other men, were potential fathers. I wanted to be certain.” Gina wiped away a tear. “Darion had to take a paternity test.”

  “You should have said something as soon as you fell pregnant.” Gabi shook her head in disbelief, her heart breaking. “How did nobody know?”

  “I didn’t even know. I was just over five months pregnant when I left for London.” She snivelled. “It wasn’t until I kept getting sick that my mom forced me to take a test.” Gina’s bottom lip trembled, and she inhaled as if to hold in tears.

  Gabi shoved her hands through her hair and then released it. “How did you not know you were pregnant?”

  “My periods have been irregular since I was like twenty-one, sometimes they don’t come at all.” She hung her head in her hands. “I thought it was normal weight gain. The bump was so small…the…um…the baby has growth problems.” The tears came flooding out again. Gabi had never seen Gina so vulnerable.

  At that moment Lexi, Marnie, Wendy, Tiana, Lennie, and Travis stopped before the sofas, concern etched on their faces.

  “Is everything okay?” Lexi asked.

  Darion straightened his posture. “Can you um…give us a moment, Lex?”

  “Sure.” She threw Gina a sympathetic look. “We’ll be at the bar.”

  “He was diagnosed with intrauterine growth restriction,” Darion continued for Gina, drumming his fingers on his knee. “The baby was small in the womb. We’ve been back and forth at the hospital for results of abnormalities, heart defects, and whatnot.”

  Gabi swallowed. “I’m sorry to hear that.” She fiddled with her nails, not knowing what to do, think, or say next. “How is he?”

  “We need to keep monitoring his growth and development.”

  Gabi nodded. “Are you pair going to give things another go?” She couldn’t look at them. She felt tightness in her chest and a heavy ache in her throat.

  “No, we’re not,” Darion said firmly.

  Gabi noticed Gina’s head drop in disappointment. It was obvious she still loved Darion. Gabi would be lying if she said she didn’t feel threatened by Gina. She and Darion had once had an adventurous sex life. They’d always been there for one another. Would Darion look at her in a different light now she had his child? Maybe he’d finally love her in the way she wanted.

  Gabi flinched when Darion slid across the sofa and reached for her hand. She denied his affections. “I need some space.” She tightened her grip on her handbag, and slowly stood. She needed to be alone so she could let out her emotions. Darion and Gina had a child together. It was sinking in, and the future looked more uncertain than ever.

  “Don’t go,” Darion pleaded.

  “I need to be alone,” she repeated. “This is a lot to take in.”

  “I know that,” he said, rising to his feet and meeting her gaze. “Shall I take you home?”

  “I’ll call a taxi.”

  Gabi turned on her heel and pushed through the crowd as fast as she could. She needed to get away from The Black Door, Darion, and Gina. Her head was pounding, and she’d never been so heartbroken. The happy ending she craved with Darion could be no more. The fairytale ending she wanted was ruined.

  Lawrence had known all along. She felt foolish. She didn’t know where he’d gotten the information from. She wasn’t sure whether she would have preferred to hear it from Lawrence, or straight from Darion and Gina. One thing she was certain of was that she was definitely running, but back to Lawrence wasn’t her intention ever. She didn’t make the same mistake twice.

  “Trouble in paradise?” a sultry voice asked, pulling her back to the present.

  Looking up, she came face to face with Eva’s smug face. Darion’s past lovers were everywhere. She could never escape them. It was as if she was always fighting a battle, trying her hardest for their relationship to succeed. Surely it shouldn’t be that difficult.

  “Move, Eva,” she spat.

  “Leaving Darion in the playrooms with all of these beautiful women?” She cocked an eyebrow. “Aren’t you brave?”

  “At this moment in time, I couldn’t give a shit.” She pushed past her. Could it get any worse? The man she was in love with, and who she wanted a future with, had a baby with someone other than her. Many times she had fantasised about having the whole marriage and kids thing with Darion. It was everything she looked forward to. She hated the fact he’d been a playboy, and had slept around. How could he have been so careless? His wild days had certainly came back to bite him in the ass. Her whole relationship with Darion was one big rollercoaster ride, except there was no end. The drama never stopped.

  Hurrying down the steps, she sucked in air as soon as she was outside. Hot tears trickled down her cheeks, and she hated how selfish she was being, for caring more about her own feelings than his. The news must have shocked him to the core.

  “Gabi!”

  Shit. She hastily wiped her eyes, and continued striding down the street. The quicker she hailed down a taxi, the better. She heard Darion’s loud footsteps behind her, and groaned inwardly. Why couldn’t he just leave her in peace?

  “Gabi, stop.” He grabbed her by the arm firmly, and spun her around to face him. “Can we talk?”

  “Not now,” she snapped, yanking her arm free. Closing her lids, she tried to gather patience. “Please, Darion. Not now.”

  “I can’t let you leave like this.” He focused on the sky, as if blinking back tears. But Darion didn’t cry. She knew that. He believed it was a sign of weakness. “I have a son. It doesn’t change anything between us.”

  “It changes everything,” she mumbled, tears spilling again. “When I met you, I didn’t sign up to play stepmom.”

  “I’m not asking you to.”

  “So I’m meant to sit on the sideline and watch you and Gina play happy families?” She stared at him incredulously. “I can’t do that!”

  “It won’t be like that.” He ran his hands up and down his tired looking face.

  “What will it be like then?”

  He shrugged, obviously at a loss for words.

  “Why didn’t you use protection?” She turned her back on him, not wanting him to see how heartbroken she was.

  “I always use protection.” He stepped around her, tipping her face up so their stares met. “It must have split. I didn’t ask for any of this.”

  “When did you find out that you could be the father?”

  He chewed his bottom lip, and then inhaled deeply. “The night we made up, and I told you I was selling the club, I got a call from Gina.”

  Gabi glared at him. “So you’ve known for months, and you didn’t tell me.” She shoved him. “I asked you in the hotel if you had anything to tell me, and you lied.”

  “I didn’t have the results then. I didn’t wanna say anything until I knew for certain.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I was scared of losing you.”

/>   Gabi laughed mirthlessly. “I can’t believe this.” She shook her head. “We get rid of one ex, and now there’s another one in the picture, who will always be in the picture because she has your baby.”

  “She’s not my ex.”

  “Well, someone you fucked then,” she yelled, feeling her face heat with rage. She sobbed uncontrollably, her chest jerking, her shoulders bouncing. “There’s always something that comes between us, Darion.”

  “It doesn’t need to come between us.”

  “But it will.” She wiped her eyes. “Gina loves you. She always has. It’s only a matter of time before she worms her way back in.”

  “That’s not gonna happen,” he said sternly.

  “Whatever,” she mumbled.

  “What do you want me to do, Gabi?” he screamed. “You want me to leave Gina and that baby with no money, nowhere to live?”

  She remained silent.

  “What kind of woman are you if you want me to be the man who turns his back on his kid, neglects his responsibilities? Why would you want a man like that?”

  “I have to go.”

  “Go ahead then.” She saw the veins protruding in his neck. “Leave!”

  She had never seen Darion so angry before. His chest was heaving, his breathing loud, his eyes hooded, his expression one of exhaustion and sadness. She hated that a part of her still found him unbelievably sexy and so tempting.

  “Life isn’t all perfect like the romance books and movies you fill your head with. Sometimes life doesn’t go as planned. Shit happens,” he spat. “It’s how we handle it that matters the most. So go on.” He waved his arm in the air. “Go and run back to your perfect little life.”

  “You know it wasn’t perfect,” she said through gritted teeth.

  “It couldn’t have been that bad. You went running back to him when things got rough. Go do it again.”

  Gabi flew toward him and slapped him forcefully across the cheek. The impact heated her palm and sent his face to the side. When he slowly dragged his gaze back, Gabi’s breath held tight inside in anticipation. She remained frozen to the spot, not knowing what he’d do.

  He shoved her against the wall, his solid body preventing her from moving. Her treacherous body ached with longing, wanting him desperately, whereas her brain wanted him as far away from her as possible. Darion’s fingers gripped hold of her hair. Tilting her face up, his mouth crashed against hers as he kissed her frantically. His tongue swept in and silenced her pleasured moans. He lifted her into his arms, grinding and circling his hips. Gabi’s head rolled back on a soft sigh, helpless to the attraction between them. Her core ached as she became wildly aroused. Stop, stop, stop! the sensible side of her screamed.

  When Darion buried his head in the crook of her neck, kissing, nibbling and sucking, she spotted Gina over his shoulder. Mouthing “Sorry” for disturbing them, she vanished back into the club.

  “Stop,” Gabi pleaded, coming to her senses. When Darion failed to put her down, she yelled, “Let me go, Darion.”

  Shock etched on his face as he freed her.

  “Go and see to Gina. I need some time to think.”

  “Gabi…”

  Ignoring him, she took out her mobile and called a taxi. She continued walking away from the club as fast as her legs would take her. Glancing back, she saw Darion was frozen to the spot where she had left him. So Gina had no money, and nowhere to live. Darion was obviously going to come to her rescue and let her shack up in his apartment. Gabi believed it was only a matter of time before she was replaced.

  It was the most painful feeling ever.

  Chapter

  Twenty-Three

  Darion

  When Darion returned to the club, everyone was sitting around Gina, laughing and chatting, obviously none the wiser. Grabbing a drink, he tossed it back quickly, and poured another. He was about to scold Gina for telling Gabi, like he suspected she would, but as he took in her red, puffy eyes and downturned mouth, looking like she’d crumble, he kept his mouth shut. Gina hadn’t told Gabi to hurt him. She’d never do that. She’d told him several times to tell Gabi there was a possibility he had a child. She’d even called and texted him at inconvenient times to ensure he was caught out. He wasn’t stupid. He’d known of her game. She’d believed Gabi needed to know, that it wasn’t fair for her to be kept in the dark. Maybe she had been right. If he had told Gabi earlier on, would things have been different? He doubted it. Gabi was heartbroken. The news had shattered their world. He wasn’t sure if their relationship could survive it.

  “Hey, Daz, where’s Gabi?” Lexi asked.

  Darion swallowed and leant toward Gina. “Shall we tell them?”

  She shrugged a shoulder. “It’s only a matter of time before they find out anyway.”

  “There’s something I think you should know.” Darion took a deep breath. At that moment, Eva joined them, perching on the arm of the sofa. Darion clenched his teeth. Damn Eva. She always had a way of popping up at the wrong moment. He saw her brow rise, her lips pursed, as she nosily awaited his announcement. “Gina gave birth to my son a couple of months back.”

  “What?” Lexi, Marnie and Tiana said in unison, shock in their tones.

  Out the corner of his eye, he checked Eva’s expression. Her jaw was practically on the floor. Her eyes were bigger than he’d ever seen them. The devastation was apparent on her face. He’d thought his heart breaking days were over. Obviously not.

  “So, this was obviously before you met Gabi, right?” Marnie asked.

  He nodded.

  “Are you still with Gabi?” Panic flashed in Lexi’s eyes. He knew she was fond of Gabi. She believed he was a better man when he was with her.

  “I think so.”

  “Well then, congratulations.” Carl grinned and held his champagne flute in the air.

  “Yeah, congrats, Daz.” Wendy beamed, clinking her glass with Carl’s.

  “Darion’s a daddy.” Lennie approached him and patted him on the back.

  “Never thought I’d see the day,” Travis joked.

  “How about we congratulate Gina too?” Eva said sourly. “After all, she did do most of the work.”

  Lexi, Marnie and Tiana rushed over to Gina, pulling her into a tight hug.

  “How did we not notice you were pregnant?” Lexi gasped.

  “I didn’t know myself,” Gina told her. She then explained the situation with the baby.

  “I hope everything will be okay.” Lexi squeezed her hand. “If there’s ever anything I can do, you know where to find me.”

  “Thanks.”

  After everyone was up to speed, they resumed their seating positions. Although it was a shitty situation to be in—having a child with a woman who wasn’t his girlfriend—Darion’s heart swelled. The times he had attended the hospital appointments with Gina and seen his son had been overwhelming. It hadn’t properly sunk in yet. He hadn’t picked up the baby; he was so tiny, he was afraid of breaking him. His skin was grey, and all he wanted was for him to be healthy. It worried him sick.

  “So, what’s his name?” Lexi clapped her hands in excitement.

  “You thought of a name yet, G?” It suddenly dawned on him she’d never referred to the baby with a name.

  Gina took another sip of her drink before responding, “I still haven’t named him. I wanted us to choose together.”

  “Awww,” Lexi gushed. “Pick a name,” she urged.

  “Did you have anything in mind?”

  “Yeah,” Gina mumbled. “Axl, Ryder, Preston, Morgan, Brody…”

  “You have quite a list,” Darion cut her off and chuckled. “I like Preston.”

  Gina smiled properly for the first time that night. “He looks like a Preston.”

  He nodded in agreement. “He does.”

  “Well?” Lexi was unable to contain her excitement. “Do I hear a baby name?”

  Darion responded, loud enough for everyone to hear, “Preston.”

  Claps and che
ers echoed around the room. Darion lifted his glass to his lips, and finished the rest of his drink. Then he turned to Gina. He could never turn his back on the girls when they needed him most, and especially when he was partly to blame for the position they were in.

  “You’re not staying in that hostel anymore,” he told her sternly.

  “I have nowhere else to go, Daz.”

  “You can both move in my place until you find somewhere.”

  “I wouldn’t want to come between you and Gabi—”

  “Sssh.” He silenced her, pressing his finger against her mouth. “It’s just temporary. And that’s if there is still a ‘me and Gabi.’ She’s hurting.”

  “I understand,” Gina said glumly. “But I’m hurting too. I’ve lost Johnny because of this.”

  “Let’s hope they both see sense and realise how much we care for them,” Darion said softly, staring into the distance.

  If he lost Gabi, the only woman he had ever truly loved, he didn’t know how he’d get over it.

  ***

  Gabi

  Gabi pulled the covers up and stared out of the window in a trance-like state. The room was bathed in the gentle, white illumination of the streetlamps. She couldn’t hear a single sound. Her eyes were sore from all of the crying, her throat dry, and her chest was aching. She could smell Darion’s cologne on her pillow, and she missed him already. She wondered what he was doing at The Black Door.

  Rolling onto her back with a yawn, she closed her lids and attempted to sleep. Instead of her brain shutting off, it tortured her with memories of Darion: eating out at restaurants, getting merry at clubs, strolling around town sightseeing or shopping, the romantic weekend in London, even just laying together watching television. She missed it all. She had gotten so used to being around him, that being apart left her feeling empty inside, like a part of her was missing. He’d been more than just her boyfriend, he’d been the world’s most amazing lover, and caring, protective friend she’d ever known.

  His wickedly glinting eyes invaded her mind, his sexy, devilish smirk, his dirty sounding laugh, and that body. Fucking hell! She groaned inwardly, gripping her hair in frustration. Think of the bad stuff, Gabi. Ignoring her raging hormones, she forced herself to think of his faults. He’d owned an adult club for years, enjoyed the lifestyle of a swinger, had hundreds of sexual partners, whom they could never escape, and worst of all, he had a son with Gina.