What We Once Were

Chapter 9.

No amount of rehearsal of this conversation in her head could have prepared her for this. Bridget froze in her tracks and it felt like someone was ringing her neck so she couldn't speak or breathe.

"Bridget, I want the truth. Is Juliet my daughter?" Greyson's stern voice penetrated all those years of lies. She knew now that this was just the beginning of facing her past, and she was not ready to confront the demons that haunted her. Bridget wasn't sure if she wanted to crawl into a hole and weep or stand here and cry.

"Grey-Greyson, I...I...I can explain." Bridget stuttered.

"Explain what? That you hid our daughter from me for almost five years?!" Greyson was losing his edge, and Bridget couldn't blame him, but it had been a long time since she'd last seen him angry like this. His eyes were black as night and his words were his ammunition.

"I wanted to tell you about her, Greyson. There were so many times over the years that I wanted to tell you, but I just...couldn't bring myself to do it." Bridget's eyes stung, the tears were only beginning and she knew that once they started, they wouldn't stop either.

"I hope you have a damn good reason as to why you didn't Bridget." He turned and glared at her, "You knew didn't you? Back then, that day at the lake. You knew and didn't tell me." His voice tumbled in a low undertone that sent goosebumps all over Bridget's body.

"I wanted to, and I was going too. But then you had something to say, I let you and then you broke my heart Grey." Bridget's voice cracked as they stood at a standstill in the middle of the street. The sky above them was orange with looming grey clouds overhead.

"You still should've said something." He turned away and kicked a pebble on the street.

"Said what? What should I have done? If you were breaking up with me because I was leaving for eight months to go to college, then you sure as hell couldn't handle being a parent. Which by the way is so much harder than going to college." Bridget snapped, her voice echoing down the deserted street.

"Don't you dare accuse me of not being ready to handle being a parent. Don't you dare try and put this on me." Greyson turned to face her again, his eyes ablaze.

"How can I not?! How was I going to be able to trust you and believe that you could handle a huge responsibility if you couldn't even deal with me going away for less than a god damned year!" Bridget cried.

"That's no excuse!"

"Yes it is! You ended things between us because you said that you didn't want to hold me back, that'd I fall in love with someone else but wouldn't let myself because of you. Damn it Greyson, I wanted you! I would've been happy no matter what happened next as long as I had you. You were everything I needed to be happy, whether or not I got my degree I would've put it on hold to raise our daughter with you!" Bridget began to sob, her body quaked and she felt like she couldn't stand for much longer.

"But then you wouldn't have gotten your dream job you always talked about, you never would've been happy with me and you would've always resented me for holding you back." He countered.

"Jesus Christ! There you go again! Why do you still think you weren't good enough for me? I don't understand that Greyson, what did I do to make you think that? I'm sorry for whatever I did to make you think that, it was never my intention and I'm sorry. But I always thought we were equals to each other, apparently I was wrong." Bridget wiped her eyes.

Greyson whirled around and glared at her, his eyes dark with emotions too powerful for his resolve. "Don't you ever think you made me think less of myself. When I was with you I felt like my best self beside you."