I'd Sell My Soul

Chapter 14: The Truth

Allison Monroe's POV

Aunt Carla looked at me with wonder in her eyes. We both hadn't spoke a word in the last five minutes, maybe ten. I had grabbed her a glass of water and stayed quiet as she regained consciousness.

"I'm in shock." She swallows hard.

"I was too." I nod.

"No honey...I...Allison I don't know what to say." Aunt Carla shakes her head, looking at the carpet.

"I was mad at her for a long time." I say.

"Allison that's not the truth." Aunt Carla grabs my arm.

"It is Aunt Carla. Farrah told me herself." I turn my eyes back to hers.

"Honey Farrah lied to you...I know because I was in on it. God I swore she told you the truth before she died." Aunt Carla let's go of my arm and puts her face in her hands.

"What do you mean?" I ask, confused.

"Honey Levi Colt is not Sophia's father. Farrah never slept with him. She told you that so you would still go to college and wouldn't stay in Colfax to marry him. Honey I promise she did it with your best interest at heart. I didn't know it went on this long!" Aunt Carla gasps and puts her hands over her mouth.

"No....no that can't be right." I stand up immediately.

"Honey I'm so sorry, I swear. She did it to save you. She wanted better for you. She didn't want you to become like your mother." Aunt Carla stands with me, pleading.

"How could you?! How could both of you lie to me for a decade! How could you!" I gasp, a hand over my chest. I'm backing up towards the front door.

"Allison, please listen to me." She puts her hands together in prayer formation.

"He was the love of my life! How could you do this to me?!" Tears well up and spill over as my back hits the front door.

"We wanted what was best for you." Aunt Carla attempts again.

"How...no." I turn away and throw the front door open, leaving in a rush. I'm crying all the way down highway 195. I'm devastated. Everything I knew was a lie. My sister, the one I trusted the most, lied to me for years. Betrayed doesn't even begin to cover how I'm feeling right now. All I know is I want to see Levi and force the truth out of him. He didn't chase me that day I gave the ring back, he just left. He spoke to a recruiter and took off without so much as a goodbye. Now I want answers. It was twelve pm when I pulled into the parking lot at Dawson's. His truck was parked in the back but I could see it peeking around the corner. I walked in the saloon and a dark haired hostess greeted me.

"Welcome to Dawson's table for one?" She asks me as I breeze past her. I walk into the bar and find Levi standing with a clipboard behind the bar with who I assume is the bartender. He's scribbling stuff down on the clipboard as they talk.

"Hey." I approach the bar. Levi looks up from the clipboard and smiles.

"What can I do for ya, Allison?" He chuckles.

"Can we talk?" I cross my arms suddenly feeling insecure. His face drops a bit and he swallows hard.

"Sure. Let's go talk upstairs." He nods. I follow him into the hallway to the left of the bar with the stairs. We climb two flights of stairs. The living space upstairs is empty now save for some boxes of restaurant supplies and a few chairs. "I finally bought my own place a month or two back." He explains the blank space.

"Good for you." I nod as we sit in the chairs.

"Yeah it's a cabin property, further out in the countryside. It's quiet. Peaceful." He nods.

"I just saw my aunt Carla and she told me something that completely shattered my world." I cut him off abruptly.

"And what's that?" He looks at me puzzled.

"Did you sleep with Farrah back in 2008?" I ask him. He looks down at the floor and back up to me again.

"What's this about?" He asked me, looking suspicious.

"So you did sleep with her," I accuse.

"No. I never slept with Farrah. What kind of sick person sleeps with the older sister and then dates the younger? I have a moral compass that's better than that." Levi narrows his eyes at me.

"Then my aunt Carla was right." I put my face in my hands.

"Ali...what's this about." He takes my hands away from my face.

"I broke off our engagement because Farrah told me you're Sophie's father!" I exclaim. Levi almost falls out of his chair.

"Why would she that?! We kissed like one time during spin the bottle at a party forever ago. That was it!" He looks around the room like he'll find an answer here.

"Because she didn't want me to stay here and marry you. She wanted me to leave for school." I start biting the nail on my thumb.

"Oh my god." He says in shock.

"For years I thought you were a piece of shit that got my sister pregnant and played games with my heart. Now I know that was all a lie, instituted by my sister." Tears start dripping down my face.

"This is...wow." Levi shakes his head. "Why didn't you just ask me?"

"I don't know. Maybe 'cause I was a kid. Look I mean we had no business getting married that young...but I loved you...and I was so hurt." I shrug. I don't even bother wiping the tears. At this point I just let them drip off of me.

"If Sophie was my kid, I would never have abandoned her. That's not me. You should've known that." He says quietly.

"I was so betrayed Levi! I wasn't thinking clearly." I sigh and stand up.

"Well...how does this information change things?" He rises walking over to me. I look at him for a moment. For a second I debate on kissing him, seeing if the same sparks flew from almost fifteen years ago. But I didn't.

"I guess it doesn't really." I look down at my feet, avoiding eye contact. I can feel his gaze burn through me. I look back up at him and smile. "But I'm glad we're close friends again."

"Me too Ali." He nods with a twitch of a smile.

"I should go...I have to pick up Sophie soon and figure out what to say to her. She was pretty upset at me this morning." I suck air in through my teeth.

"I'm proud of you. You've really stepped into that maternal role for her." Levi nods.

"It's still not enough. But thank you. I'll see you soon." I adjust my purse strap before leaving the saloon once more.