Keeping Secrets

Chapter Twenty-Three: Coming Together

Megan rolled her eyes as Marisol, Nicola and Annie cooed at her 18ct gold third carat diamond cluster engagement ring, the brunette was joining them for dinner while she still could.

Unfortunately for Megan, her mother and half-sister had joined them for their meal; Maria had been thrilled when she had learnt that Megan was engaged to her footballer boyfriend.

“The wedding would be lovely in a church… which one have you chosen?” Maria asked making Megan’s friends glare at her, they didn’t know why Maria was hovering around and they didn’t trust her.

Megan took a deep breath, she shook her head wondering why her mother wouldn’t go away; she had told her that she wasn’t welcome but Maria wasn’t listening.  

“We’re not getting married in a church,” Megan said making Maria’s mouth dropped at her daughter’s admission; she frowned knowing that this certainly wouldn’t do.

Lily hadn’t wanted to come with her mother to meet her older half-sister, she knew that the rift between her and her older half-siblings could never be fixed.

Lily wasn’t stupid like her parents to think that turning up after nineteen years without speaking to any of them; Lily knew what her parents were up to and when she got the chance she would warn Megan.

“So when where you thinking of tying the knot?” Nicola asked ignoring Maria who looked like she had been slapped; Megan was all too aware that her mother was now born-again Christian.

However it meant very little to Megan, she wanted nothing to do with her mother’s new life and she wanted her gone as soon as possible.

“We were thinking after the Euros,” Megan admitted with a small smile, Sergio didn’t want football to get in the way and Megan hadn’t wanted to be the size of a balloon when they got married.

“Well it’s the 15th of August now… so you have a year to find a decent church to marry in,” Maria said hopefully making the four friends look at her, she wasn’t going to give up on the idea of her daughter marrying in a church.

Megan rolled her eyes, she wasn’t going to listen to Maria who was starting to annoy her with her talk about the wedding; Megan didn’t want her mother there and Sergio was only happy to agree with her since they didn’t trust her.

“Megan,” said a voice making Megan turn surprised to see her brothers, Karl and Rory; they stared at their sister, they hadn’t seen her since their father had sent her to the Home for Unwed Mothers.

Marisol and Nicola looked at Megan concerned as she looked at the two brothers; they didn’t know what to expect it had been weeks since she had last seen them.

Rory looked at Karl before he moved to hug his older sister, he had missed her so much but that was Gerard’s fault; he had banned anyone from seeing Megan without being disinherited like her.

Karl smiled softly at his sister as he glanced down at her swollen stomach, he was happy that she had been doing well; however he smile fell when he spotted their mother.

"Karl,” Maria said as tears formed in her eyes as she looked at her two youngest sons, she couldn’t believe how much they had grown.

Karl ignored her and looked at Megan, he could see the annoyance that Maria was here with her on the brunette’s face.

“We’ve missed you,” Rory said sadly making Megan nod, she looked at Karl who pulled her into a hug as the younger man released her.

***

“None of us have spoken to Padre since he sent you away,” Rory revealed quietly as he sat in the living room of Megan’s home; they were furious when they learnt what Gerard had done.

Megan nodded sadly, she was upset that Gerard couldn’t accept that she was with Sergio and that they were having a baby; she had never been happier than when she was with the Spaniard.

“Marcus and Adam would love to see you again… we didn’t think you’d want to see us after what happened,” Karl said hopefully making Megan shake her head, she had missed her brothers.

They sat quietly for a moment, the silence was awkward and they didn’t know what to say since this had come as a surprise to them all after what had happened.

“How’s the baby?” Rory asked excitedly, he couldn’t wait to be an uncle again and he would do anything to make up for what had happened after they had all found out that she was pregnant.

Megan smiled at them softly and shook her head, making them look at her worried; everyone had heard about Megan’s miscarriage after Gerard’s confrontation with her and Sergio in the street.

“Babies… I’m having twins,” Megan said making them look at her surprised, Rory grinned as he looked at the brunette’s swollen stomach, she was twenty weeks pregnant and everything seemed to be going so well for her.

“How’s Sergio?” Karl asked making Megan look at him; he knew that the footballer didn’t have any games since he was a Real Madrid fan as was Rory.

***

“How could you mess this up?” Carlos Garcia asked glaring at his wife of nineteen years, she flinched back away from him knowing what happened when he lost his temper; she knew what was at stake if they didn’t get the money.

“I didn’t… she’s doesn’t want me around, it’ll take a bit more time than we thought it would,” Maria said trying to calm her husband before he lashed out; Lily sat quietly as her parents turned to look at her; they knew that she wasn’t pulling her weight in this scheme.

Carlos stalked towards his daughter who flinched back away from him, she didn’t want any more bruises; she just wanted things to go back to normal.

“I told you to get close to her…” Carlos said grabbed Lily by the arms and pulled her up; the blonde cried out in pain as he held her, she didn’t want to be a part of this.

“Por favor you’re hurting me,” Lily cried as Carlos shook her, he shouted at her for being lazy and wanting them to starve.

Maria sat quietly and watched him, as long as he wasn’t hurting her; she didn’t care, she couldn’t help but wonder what Gerard would do if he could see her now.

Carlos released Lily only to slap her face, she stumbled back and looked at her father with tears in her eyes; she had given up on hoping that her mother would stop him.

Carlos frowned at her as he reached for his drink that lay on the table, he didn’t want to lose everything that he had worked so hard for.

“Do you know how hard I have worked to provide for this family? I ask you to do one thing Lily and you can’t even do that,” Carlos hissed as tears fell down Lily’s face; she was only sixteen but she knew what her father had planned, she would warn Megan when she had the chance.

"You will befriend her Lily… you will help us,” Carlos said stepping back towards his daughter, she flinched away from him.

Maria nodded they needed to do this, they had to get what they had come for she smiled at Carlos as he moved to sit next to her; he pressed a kiss to her lips.

“You are a part of this family… not that one, remember that Lily,” Carlos said making her nod, Lily knew she had best agree with them; they would do worse to her if she tried to argue back with them..