Savin' Us

Chapter 24 - I Know What You Did

Marcel

I go to work after I leave the guys. I haven't the slightest clue as to what to think or what to do. I just found out that these past months of my life has been one big lie. That the guilt that was consuming me was for nothing.

Ironically, that made me feel guilty all over again; if I didn't go to that dumb party and drank so much I would've remembered and-

No. I'm not going to go through these emotions again. Something else takes over.

Anger.

It's raw and passionate. I haven't felt this way since my parents died; I did all a ten year old could've done to get the people who took them from me. But it wasn't enough. It's not going be like that this time. I was going to fix whatever Ariel did- as best as I can.

I'm not arrogant. I don't believe getting Ariel to confess what she did will certainly get Evelyn to take me back.

I just want Lyn to know that I meant what I said years ago in college on our first date; I'd never hurt her. It was a promise- one I had no intention of breaking - but I did anyway, even though all this drama with Ariel wasn't true.

She believes it is. And that was enough to hurt her.

I'm​ about to get some work done to distract myself but after a few minutes I give up. My head is nowhere here.

I take my cellphone from my pocket and dial Ariel's number. She picks up on the second ring but before she can answer I question, "Where are you?" The minute she said she's home I'm out of my office and into my car.

I pull up in front of her house and she meets​ me at the door. "What's going on?" She asks when I brush pass her into the house.

"I know what you did, Ariel. And you're gonna talk or I go to the police." I get right to the point.

"Excuse me? What are you going on about?"

I have to let her know I have the upper hand. "The fraud ass DNA test you brought me, Ariel. That's what I'm going on about. I got the original and I know the baby isn't mine," I bluff.

She hesitates. "W-what? Of course it's yo-"

"Stop lying!" I snap. The woman is diabolical. Even when she thinks she's caught she still won't tell the truth. She's silent and I'm about to snap at her again.

"I don't know what you mean. The test wasn't fraud. You were there. You saw -"

I step closer to her and she steps back until her back is pressed up against the door. I trap her with my hands on either side of her shoulders.

"Tell me the truth, Ariel." I try to calm down so I could at least reason with her. "You're ruining me." She bites her bottom lip. "Why?"

"Because you deserve it, you son of a bitch," she spits. "You ruined me back in high school. Guess what, Marcel. This is what it feels like." I back away from her, wordlessly, shoving my hand in my pocket. She continues to speak with nothing but venomous hatred in her voice. "You led me on. Made me think you loved me then after you got what you wanted from me you left.

You are a heartless pig and you got what you deserved. I saw an opportunity and I took it. You were yapping on and on about Evelyn and I knew you were in it deep with that one. So my plan came together perfectly; trick you into believing you got me pregnant so you'd lose her. I figured if you tried to hide what happened with us at the party from her that I'd find some other way to get to her."

"By playing 'besties' with her." Yeah, Lee told me about that. She was even at Lyn's birthday party.

She laughs. More like cackles - like an evil witch. She was always like this. That's why in high school she was a good target for my playboy side. She was bitchy and mean but she was attractive. If I was the person I am now back in high school, I wouldn't look twice at her.

Moments like this makes me really hate who I was back then.

"She's so cute and funny and in a way....innocent. I see why you like her. I almost felt bad for what I was doing. But a girl's gotta do what she's gotta do," she shrugs.

"You hate me, Ariel. I get that. But why would you want the guy you hate so much to father your child? Do you even know who the father is?" I ask her.

She rolls her eyes and saunters off towards her kitchen. After taking a sip of the water she poured for herself, she confesses.

"Do you really think I was gonna let you raise my baby?" I stare at her, confused. "I was gonna take off before the baby was born, you idiot. And the father of my baby is none of your concern."

I continue staring at her. I take back what I said; she was never this despicable in high school. She was planning to trap me into being a father to her child then leave at the last minute. "The fact that you aren't ashamed of what you're saying right now tells me how disgusting you are. I feel sorry for the child you're carrying."

She doesn't even wince. She has no ounce of shame and I want so badly to wipe that smug smile off of her face. I had never hit a woman in my life and no matter how much I hate her right now, I wasn't going to start.

So I walk away.

"I hear there's a rich bachelor in the mix. You aren't getting her back, Marcel. Every girl loves a few pieces of carats," she sneers.

I don't stop to listen to her crap. Not all women are like that; Evelyn is proof of that.

I do stop, however, to let her know that the smug grin on her face doesn't mean she won. I pull my phone from my pocket and press a button. "You are a heartless pig and you got what you deserved," her voice is clear on the recording. Her eyes widen.

Good, that smug look is gone.

I leave. I get in my car and go to the doctor's office she and I went to. I don't even have to go through as much as I thought I would have to. The doctor recognises me and after I made up some lie about the test results​ being damaged and my girlfriend and I need it for something important, he told me he'd get me another copy. I waited for what felt like hours.

"Mr. Jamison?" The doctor calls. I practically fly out of my seat in the waiting lounge. "I hope you'll handle this one with care this time." He says as he hands me an envelope with the test results.

After thanking him I make my way back to my car. I'm​ barely in the parking lot before I can't take the suspense anymore and rip the envelope open. I pull the paper out and anger surges through me all over again - not that I'd calm down from before.

The result says I'm not the father. Seeing it drives​ the truth home for me; overwhelming me. Before I know what I'm doing I get in my car and drive.

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"So, it's settled then. You are not the father!" Joey yells in an over-dramatic Maury voice. He's trying to lighten the mood, I guess. We're at his auto-shop in a little room he uses as his office. I called Lee to meet us here.

"So what are you gonna do?" Lee asks. "You know I'm here if you need me."

I nod. There's no doubt Lee would be there for me. He always is - except that time he stopped me from telling Lyn about the baby myself. I don't know what he was thinking. "What about Kobe? Shouldn't we try to-"

"We will. Besides, from what we heard on that recording she didn't plan on staying in town. Which means she wouldn't be running to him to father her child. Chances are it's not his either," Joey says.

That made sense. But I know Kobe needed to know for sure; he's not a man to shirk his responsibilities. None of us are.

"She and Nessa made up after that fight I told you about," Lee starts. "She's not really giving me details but she says Lyn's holding up okay."

I nod. Of course she is. She's admiringly strong. Not one to let a guy stop her from living her life. But I still want to see her.

"I'll catch you guys later." Before hearing their replies I'm already out the door and heading to my car. A few minutes later I pull up to Hartford Bank - Lyn's workplace. She's heading out to lunch with her co-worker, smiling at something she said.

I wanted to have her smiling at me like that again.

I'm​ done beating myself up. Done with being away from her.

I have to go get my girl back.

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