Exposed

Chapter Thirty-Two

"Oh, Jesus!" my mother gasps, covering her eyes as she tries not to watch Matteo throw Charles up into the air for the third time. They're in the surf and since Charles is loud with fearless laughter, I do nothing but smile.

"He's fine, mom. He's barely throwing him. And he's got floats on."

Everyone is in the water but her and me, enjoying the cresting waves, the relief from the sweltering sun. My sister is in Cesar's arms, dousing him in kisses while Hugh throws a Frisbee with his boyfriend a few feet away.

"This place is like a dream," my mother says dazedly, leaning back in her lounger. I nod in agreement. We haven't even set foot out of the resort area and it's okay. This is enough.

A phone goes off beside me and I glance over at the screen, squinting in the sunlight to read the caller ID. Rory is calling Matteo's phone. I reach down and pick it up before it can go to voicemail.

"Hello, Rory? It's Emma."

He exhales with relief. "Emma, hi. I've been trying to get ahold of Matteo all day."

"He's been in the water. What's up?"

"Yes, well, I don't really know how to bring this up lightly, but you are in BVI and you're not supposed to be with Charles. I warned Matteo against this. I heard he was stopped at the airport."

I sit up, blinking in confusion. "Wait, I don't understand. Why can't we take Charles?"

"Because of the custody battle about to begin, Emma. You cannot have him out of the country. I would recommend coming back to New York immediately before-"

Custody... what?

"What the hell are you talking about?" I snap as my blood runs cold. I stand in a hurry and my mother gazes up at me, shocked by my abruptness. I take off towards the house, having a difficult time with the thick sand. The line is silent. "Rory!"

"I-I thought you knew."

"Knew what?"

"Charles father, his biological father, Eddie Castano is... He's asking for full custody of Charles. He's in the picture now." I clutch onto the railing of the stairs to our cabin, finding it difficult to breathe. No. No, this isn't happening. "I thought Matteo had told you."

"When did you tell Matteo?"

"Emma... I'm sure he-"

"When?"

"Almost three weeks ago," he confesses. "I found out over a month ago but couldn't reach him. The hearing is in less than a week."

"He can't have Charles. He's ours! He is our baby!"

"We are going to argue that Charles has had enough traumas, that he knows you well now and that Gwen did not leave him as a possible guardian on her will. I am going to do everything I can."

The world is spinning.

"Oh my god," I gasp, frozen. "Rory."

"We are going to try, but I need you to travel back to the United States. Matteo signed a form which allowed you to board a plane and leave the country but to law enforcement, it's still worrisome. We don't want anything marring your case."

"Do we have a chance? Rory, please tell me we have a chance!"

"I am going to do everything I can. Matteo has been very vigilant on this as well, working tirelessly while-"

My hands curve into a fist at the mention of his name.

How dare he keep this from me? How dare he do this to me?

"Rory, will we win?" The line is silent and that scares the hell out of me. "Rory, tell me the truth!"

"I honestly don't know. The man has a job, a home... and he's his biological father. His case is going to without a doubt argue that he has a right to his child. That he did not know he had even fathered a son and that does make things complicated for us."

"But, he's not his," I cry as the tears silently drift down my face, shock setting in. "He's not. We've taken care of him, loved him!"

"Hey! Your mom sent me after you," I hear Matteo say, coming up behind me. I hang up on Rory as my body goes stiff. I'm hyperventilating. I can't breathe. I feel his hand rest on my hip to turn me and I spin around, shoving the cell phone into his hand.

I want to hit him. I want to make him hurt. I know I won't do it. "Call him back."

"Call who?"

I bite out the word, shaking with rage. "Rory."

I hear him suck in a gasp and realize it isn't a dream. It's real. He kept all of this from me.

"Emma, please," Matteo breathes, grabbing my hand. I pull it from him, furiously, grabbing the door.

"Don't you dare fucking follow me."

I open the door and walk through it, hearing it slam shut behind me.