OUR LITTLE SECRET

Part 17

A QUICK UPDATE...

The following morning, at around 8 o'clock and following a mostly sleepless night, you were woken up by the sound of two voices arguing loudly.

One was definitely Cillian's; the other sounded like his brother Frank, who was one of the reasons your mother kicked you out.

You hurriedly pulled on yesterday's clothes and headed downstairs to investigate, arriving at the kitchen where they stood, facing each other and talking to each other angrily.

"You made your bed and now you have to lie in it, Cillian. Neither Sarah nor I will support you in your case against Danielle," Frank spat, his anger palpable.

"I didn't expect you to understand, Frank," Cillian retorted defensively, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "But Max deserves better. He only ever knew me as his father, so please testify next week. I fucking need this," he reminded his brother as, suddenly, they both noticed your presence.

"Hi Frank," you said reluctantly and with a quivering voice, catching him off-guard.

"You must be kidding me, Cillian!" Frank retorted incredulously, gaping at you in disbelief. "How bad do you want to ruin your life?" he asked rhetorically, shaking his head disapprovingly.

"Frank," Cillian pleaded, extending his arms imploringly. "This is not what it looks like," he tried to explain, his voice quivering slightly while his brother regarded Cillian skeptically, his lips curling into a sneer.

"Oh, no? So, you aren't having sex with my stepdaughter again?" Frank accused, his eyes boring into Cillian's.

"No, I am not. But I am looking after her because you and Sarah decided to put her out on the streets to fend for herself, without any fucking support," Cillian countered heatedly, his fists balling involuntarily. "What kind of parent does that?" he went on to ask but his brother interrupted.

"Don't give me that bullshit, Cillian," Frank snapped, his tone laced with disgust. "You know damn well she shouldn't be staying here," he insisted vehemently before continuing on, "and her being here is yet another reason why I wouldn't testify for you in court, against Danielle! Because you are really fucked up, man!"

"Frank, listen to me," Cillian pleaded, his frustration mounting. "All I'm doing is giving her a roof over her head because she needs help," he explained patiently, holding back his growing impatience.

"Bullshit, Cillian!" Frank barked, stepping closer to Cillian, causing him to take a cautious step backward. "This isn't about helping her. This is about your selfish and rather fucked up desires," Frank snapped, his voice rising sharply while you looked on, silently.

"Look, I don't need this shit right now," Cillian interjected, his voice strained. "Y/N is pregnant and I am going to look after her, whether you like it or not," he announced resolutely, his words cutting through the tense silence like a sharp blade.

Frank's jaw dropped, his eyes widening in shock. "Pregnant?" he repeated, his voice cracking. "But... how?" he stammered, struggling to process the information.

"How?" you chuckled, rolling your eyes at Frank. "Is that a rhetorical question?" you sarcastically remarked, crossing your arms defiantly. "Or are you genuinely wanting to hear the details of how I fell pregnant?" you challenged, your tone dripping with bitterness.

Frank's eyes bulged in shock, his mouth agape, as he struggled to find the words to respond. "And you didn't you think to tell your mother?" he finally managed to ask, his voice laced with disbelief.

"My mother has kicked me out of the house and has also not made any contact with me for weeks, so why the fuck should I tell her anything? She clearly doesn't care about her own daughter enough to be involved in her grandchild's life," you fired back, your voice trembling with anger.