Gabriel
“What?” She sits up straight. “What do you mean?”
“Just what I said.” Troucentrate on keeping my voice calm, the last thing I want is for this to turn into a fighe: “Ariana” I take her hand in mine. “Tarie a beautifd venman, Intelligent and sweet and every man’s dream wife.”
“But not yours
“No. You are.” I pause as 1 try to articulate my thoughts clearly. “This week I’ve found out some information that has changed the trajectory of my life-
“What’s wrong?” she stammers. “Are you sick?” she takes my face in her hands and I pull them down into mine
“No. It’s nothing like that.” I swallow the lamp in my throat, I really don’t know if I can hurt her like this “Sweetheart.” I push the hair back from her face as she stares at me. I found out this week that I have six year–old twins from a relationship that I had years ago “What?” Her face El
lied to you last weekend and I went to meet them in Maine. Her eyes with tears. “Who, where who is the mother? Here we go.
Her name is Seraphina Locke.”
She frowns, “Dolknime her?”
“No. She was my PA for seven years.”
She flies off the couch. “What?” she screams. “You got your fucking PA pregnant?” She begins to pace. “You got your PA pregnant, am I hearing this
right
“How could you?
“It’s not something Em proud of, believe me.”
“And you knew nothing of this?”
“How much money does she want? What is she threatening?” she s
“It’s nothing like that.”
“It’s everything like that, Gabriel. You think it’s a coincidence that she has come locking for you three weeks before you get married.” She throws a cushion at my head; she’s flying off the handle and completely losing her temper.
“went looking for her.”
She stills and turns back toward me. “You went looking for her?” I nod, ashamed.
“Why would you go looking for her? She drops hack to sit down beside me, her eyes filled with tears.
I stare at her, the guilt in my soul feels like it’s about to smother me to death
“I don’t know,” I whisper.
“Yes you do.” A tear escapes and rolls down her cheek. “Tor god’s sake, Gabriel. If you care for me at all, you at least owe me honesty.”
I roll my lips, unsure what to say to try to keep this from tipping her over the edge.
“Did you love her she whispers.
EXPERAT
“Back then, did you love her?” she says more sternly.
ר
“So why did you break up
Berne she wası İtalian“
Her face falls as she puts the pieces of the puzzle together. “So you went looking for the woman poi found all those years ago to find that the han
Her chest rises and falls as she battles for control. “You want a life with them
Her silhouette blurs the lump in my throat blocking the air.
“Gabriel?” she whispers as her eyes search mine. Tlease tell me I’m wrong. “No!
“No, you don’t want a life with them?” she asks hopefully
I mean. You are not wrong. “I shrug. “The last thing I want to do is to hurt you, Ariana Flove you. You know I love you.”
“But are you in love with me?” she whispers.
Thlink to stop the tears.
Slap
I feel the sting of her hit as it turns my head.
“We are to be married in three weeks,” she cries as she loses all control. “How the fuck could you do this to me?” She picks up her wowglass and hurl it at my head, it smashes against the wall Red wine sprays everywhere.
Calm down,”
“Calm down!” she screams.” will not fucking calm down. You are leaving me for another woman nineteen days before our wedding. What happened last weekend, did you sleep with her?” she yells. Is that why we haven’t had sex this week, because you still had the taste of your trashy PA on your
1 stand, my temper beginning to rise. “Enough.” I yell
“The imitations have already gone out, what do you expect me to do. Everything has been paid for.”
“Keep everything in credit for when you do marry, you can still have the wedding you want one day. Take your girlfriends on the honeymoon, go and enjoy yourself”
“What?” she explodes. She picks up the television remote and throws it at me. “I don’t want a honeymoon with my girlfriends.“She’s in Ball blown bysteries, crying and screaming. love you, Gabriel. How could you do this to me?”
“I hate myself for it. But what do you want me to do?” I try. Twill not lie to you, you know that.”
“We work it out,” she yells “Of course you are randed, you just found out you have children. It’s bound to confuse you, but what we bace is real.” She takes my hand in hers “Don’t do this.”
“How do we get around it?” I shrug
“We get married and we work this out like ad All relationships have exes, Gabriel Children from a previous relationship shouldn’t matter, I will accept them as my own I promise you. We can pe a blended family, your kids, and our kids.”
I stare at her heartbroken face and take it in pry hands. “Sweetheart.” I kiss her forehead. “This isn’t just about the children. My affection for Seraphina is real. I wish that it wasn’t there, but I cannot deny it any longer. It has been with me all along, and now I don’t want there to be three people in ALT marriage, you deserve better.”
She cries on my chest and I hold her tight. I can feel how hard her heart is breaking and there a damn thing I can do about it.
Thate myself for doing this to her.
C
