She Brought Light || Guy's POV

Chapter 29: Her Story

Trigger Warning: Mentions of abuse, rape and suicide. Read at own risk.

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"Ben isn't my real dad." Veronica blurts out and, for a moment, my heart stops beating.

All I can do is stare back at her with my eyes wide. It's like I heard what she said but my brain failed to process her words.

I mean that was the last thing I expected her to say. I've seen Ben interacting with the kids and one would never say he's the step father.

It takes me a second to remember what Serena said yesterday. So her dad really did leave?

"I'm guessing this has something to do with what Serena said yesterday?" I ask hesitantly, not wanting to bring up yesterday's events. Veronica bites down on her bottom lip and nods, wringing her fingers together.

I stretch my legs out in front of me and grip Veronica's waist, pulling her onto my lap as I lean back and rest my back against my headboard.

"Do you remember the day we drove to the beach for the first time together and I mentioned the name Henry?" She asks and it takes me a second to remember. I nod and she takes in a deep breath before continuing. "Well, he's mine and Mason's real father." She breaths out.

Her eyes fill with an intense amount of sadness, but I am taken aback when I see that there is fear in her eyes, too. Was she scared I would leave after hearing her story? I take her hands in mine and intertwined our fingers together, silently telling her I'm not going anywhere. Veronica looks down at our joined hands and her lips twitch.

"I'm just going to say Ben and Henry because I feel like you're just going to get confused if I say 'my dad'." She chuckles and I nod with a light laugh. "Okay. Well, My mom, Ben, Henry and Matt's parents were all friends in high school, although the guys have been friends since they were in elementary school." She starts.

"Ben and Henry were best friends but Ben was in love with my mom, while mom was in love with Henry, claiming he was more her type." She lets out a dry laugh. "Henry was well aware of Ben's feelings for mom but that didn't stop him from making a move on her. The two started dating in freshman year. My grandparents hated Henry with a passion and didn't want mom anywhere near him.

"Mom was so in love with Henry that she actually went behind her parents' back and continued seeing him. Mom, Ben, Henry, Jenna and Brian - Matt's parents - all ended up going to college together and in their first year, mom fell pregnant with Mason. My Grammy and Grandpa were so disappointed in mom but they were willing to help her out if she cut Henry out of her life."

Veronica takes in a deep breath, her hands shaking in my own so I squeeze them reassuringly. She tries giving me a smile, but it is so weak and I hate it. I hate seeing her this way. I just want to see her smiling and laughing, her eyes twinkling and closing when she laughs loudly.

"Obviously she chose him. Again. My grandparents cut her off completely after that so she moved in with Henry. Henry's family is pretty loaded so he didn't mind at all. In fact, he was so excited to start a family with my mom that when she told him about the pregnancy, he proposed, claiming the pregnancy made it easier to propose. A year after Mason was born, the two got married." She laughes bitterly.

"Damn, he was that in love?" I ask and she nods.

"Apparently." She sighs.

"I'm guessing that didn't last long?" I question and she shakes her head, her bottom lip rolled into her mouth.

How did the two go from being so in love with each other to Lynn ending up with Ben? I always asked myself why Mason played the biggest role in Veronica's life, and maybe she hasn't said it yet, but I'm beginning to see why.