These secrets will kill us Oliver Sykes

Chapter 57 ~ Silently I wait

Oliver's POV

"There you are Veronica, I wondered what happened to you!" my mother gushed as she stood up and pulled another seat over to the table "Here sit down, you must be starving." V looked at me and smirked as she sat down on her chair "Don't mind if I do." she said "Nice to see my caring family here as well, how've you been mum?" she grinned deviously, the guys all looked at me in shock expecting an answer as to why she was here. Karla set her fork down on her plate and ignored the question. The room went into an awkward silence "Oliver said you were away on business" Karla stated and V's eyes darted over to me "Did he really?" she asked, her gaze never leaving mine

"Yes, it's nice to see you've finally bothered to come home and be with your kids." Karla retorted, anger blazing in her eyes "Well mother, we all know who I got that from don't we?" Veronica fired back and I noticed Jordan choke on his water and Emma gave him a warning look. "Isn't this nice, family together!" my mum beamed "anyone want more turkey?" Chloe hit Nicholls' arm and made eye gestures to the turkey "oh right, erm I will Carol."

The rest of the dinner went smoothly with a few insults thrown in throughout, mostly from Karla or V. I was glad that it was over and I could at least try and get away, "Right now that that's over shall we go to the pub?" my dad announced and everyone cheered and agreed saying they'll get their coats "What about you Oli, are you coming?"

I hesitated as everyones eyes were on me "No, I'm going to stay here with the kids and clean up, you go." I smiled and began to carry plates into the kitchen, I closed the door behind me, steadied myself on the counter and took a deep breath, everything was happening so fast, I felt sick and I wanted nothing more than to run away but I couldn't, that's how everything got worse for us and this time I was going to face them. You know what they say, running away from your problems is a race you'll never win.

Veronica's POV

I watched as Oliver walked into the kitchen and closed the door behind him "Are you ready Veronica?" Ian asked and I shook my head "I'm going to stay too, I've had a long flight and need to talk to Oliver about some things but you go, I'll be here when you get back." I smiled and opened the door for them 

"If you believe that you believe anything." my mother muttered as she walked by and I rolled my eyes in response, I was tired of her comments. "Chloe can you lock the house up? I need to talk to Oliver, thanks." I said but as I walked by she grabbed my wrist 

"No, Oliver can wait, you spend time with your kids and then you can talk to him later. Do you know how much he's been through without you? He's being worried sick and you've been off in San Diego I believe for god knows how long without a phone call, text or a note. It's pathetic, get your priorities straight, you're a mother, act like it." she snapped and I pulled my wrist out of her grip

"How do you know where I was?" I asked, slightly worried

"I read magazines." she growled and my heart sunk, from what I could remember I wasn't exactly careful about getting noticed by reporters and paparazzi "Well, thanks for your advice but I'll decide what to do and when to do it." I smiled fakely "By the way the keys are over there." I pointed to the table and walked into the kitchen closing the door behind me. Oliver had his back to me, looking out of the window but I knew he knew that I was there, he was just hoping I would go away. "Are you going to ignore my existence or?.." I asked, breaking the silence. 

"Where have you been?" he asked, much calmer than I had expected

"Away on business." I replied, mocking his cover story. 

"You think this is funny? five months, Veronica. Five months you've been gone. That's five months I've been without you and five months that the kids have been without a mother." he snapped, turning to face me for the first time since I had walked in the room. "Alex is better off without me, it's obvious she prefers you and Ashley isn't even mine." I replied and as soon as I said that he wasn't mine I regretted it. Oliver shook his head in only what I could think of as disgust. "Do you want to know why Alex prefers me? It's because you're never here and you're right...Ashley isn't yours but his real mum is dead and you're the closest thing he's got to a mother figure not that you deserve it." he growled, taking me by surprise. I tried to open my mouth to speak but Oliver wasn't having it "Why did you even bother coming back? It's obvious you don't care about any of us so why bother ruining Christmas just because you want attention?"