Chapter 21

            It was a few awkward minutes before Tommy ran into his Mansion. Hope had been sitting quietly, talking to Eva as she explained her relationship with Tommy.

            By every second that past she felt herself grow more and more heartbroken.

            “Eva…it’s good to see you again.” Tommy walked into the room and Hope couldn’t even look up. She felt herself get sick.

            “Tommy, it’s been a long time. How are you?” Eva stood up and smiled at Tommy.

            Tommy knew better than to go near her, he just smiled back at her and sat next to his wife. He reached over to place his hand on Hope’s but she quickly moved her hand away, disgusted with him.

            “I’m fine.” He answered quickly. “Are you sure he’s mine?”

            “Positive… you were the only one I was with at the time.” Eva stated surely. “But if you want a DNA test, there will not be a problem.”

            “So when exactly was this taking place?” Hope finally spoke, and glanced back and forth at Tommy and Eva.

            “About five years ago.”

            Hope was enraged and she couldn’t stay calm anymore. Her Spanish heritage took control of her and she freaked out just like someone on the Spanish talk show Laura.

            “MARICON!! Hijo de puta!!!” She sent a few dozen smacks to his body, screaming every curse word in Spanish.

            “Hope… please calm down!!” Tommy was trying to shield himself with his arms but Hope went a little crazy.

            “FUCK YOU, TOMMY RYAN!!”

            Hope jumped to her feet and pulled a what she thought of as a “Natalia”. She picked up her car keys and ran out the door to her car.

            How could he have an affair and not tell her?! After all they had fucking been through together, he still had secrets.

            Hope was going to run. She had done it once before and she’d do it again, but this time it was for good.

            **

            I calmed myself down for the sake of my children and started to drive. I had no idea where I was going, but I drove.

            For some reason, I could relax myself when driving.

            Somehow, I ended up at JC and Savannah’s house. In a way, I wanted to mend things with Savannah. Ricky had definitely knocked the sense into me. I had forgotten about all my friends and that was fucked up.

            Getting out of the car, I left the windows open for the twins who were sleeping finally, I walked to the Mansion door and knocked.

            Tears were flooding my eyes once again and I feared that it would be too late to fix things with Savannah. I wiped my eyes dry and waited patiently for the door to open.

            “Natalia?” Savannah answered the door and stared at me in shock.

            “I’m sorry, Savannah!! I’m so sorry for being a bitch and not being here for you! I’m sorry for telling Justin everything about what happened!” I was a mess and it was evident in my actions and words.

            I was hysterical.

            “Natalia, calm down…” Savannah put her hand on my shoulder. “What are you doing here?”

            “I came…to fix things… with everyone…” I paused for a second to get air in. I was praying to god that I wouldn’t have an anxiety attack. “I was selfish and I was only paying attention to myself!”

            “Shhh… relax… where are the kids?”

            “In the car…” I sobbed, motioning towards the BMW, a few feet away.

            “We aren’t safe out here…we’ll bring the kids in and talk inside.”

            I just nodded and picked up a car seat, while Savannah picked up the other and we headed into the Mansion. Thankfully the kids stayed sleeping and we placed them in the living room.

            I followed her into the dinning room where she instructed her butler to make some tea. I sat down and rubbed my tearstained face.

            Why was it that Justin could only make me this way? I blamed him for making me crazy like this. He would probably be the death of me.

            “Now… talk…” Savannah smiled at me, and I could definitely see how affected she was by everything that happened. She looked tired and weak. I should have been there for her through this all.

            “I just wanted to apologize for everything. I’ve been a huge bitch lately… and I’m sorry…”

            “It’s forgotten… Justin told me you were just trying to help me… and I overreacted…”

            “No, you didn’t overreact. I had no right to tell Justin anything about… what happened. I just thought he could help you and I was scared…”

            “It was kind of better that he was told… we found out that whoever raped me was out to get all of us. Whoever raped me… was working to also poison Justin.”

            “Wow…”

            “Yeah… so actually… thank you Natalia, because you told Justin, I got help. I’m seeing a counselor.”

            I stayed quiet for a moment and then just launched myself over and hugged her. She hugged me back and there was just a silence between us. It was like all was forgiven with that simple gesture.

            The butler came and served us the tea. We pulled back from the hug and went about chatting and sipping at our tea.

            I said nothing but my mind was still on my heartbreak.

            “You know… when Ricky was here with the twins a few weeks ago… Justin was really expecting you to be there…”

            I visibly stiffened and the tears were noticeable in my blue eyes.

            “Ricky told him that you were dealing with a lot though. He understood but he was still hurt.”

            I stayed quiet and just nodded. I felt like I wanted to scream out loud, but I didn’t.

            God, I was really going fucking insane, wasn’t I?

            “He was also hurt when he heard you wanted to divorce him.”

            Anger filled my entire body in an instant. That son of a bitch. He was fucking hurt? I was fucking hurt!

            “And so was I when I went to see him and saw that he had sold our home and left without a trace.” I said coldly. “I came to try to fix things, to talk to him…to see if this was really it, and now I realize that it is.”

            “He sold your house?” She asked, it was almost like she didn’t want to believe what I was saying.

            “Yep… I knocked on the door and surprise surprise, a woman answered and told me that she had bought the house.”

            “I’m sorry…”

            “Hey… don’t feel bad for me. I’m fine… really…”

            Quite obviously, I wasn’t okay, but what the hell. If you say something enough, you could start to believe it.

            “Feel bad for the twins… because I can’t understand how he could just walk away from them.” I put my hand on my forehead and sighed. “My mother was right… he’s just a repeat of my father.”

            “I know that Justin is in hiding right now… I mean if you want… I can call him or JC and find out.”

            “If you do… please don’t let them know I’m here.”

            Savannah nodded and got up to go to the den and I followed after her. She sat on her crème colored couch and I sat adjacent from her on the matching chair. She put the phone on speaker and began to dial Justin.

            “Hello?”

            His voice threatened to reduce me to a sobbing, sniveling mess, but I kept my composure.

            “Hey J… how are you?”

            “Hey Savannah! I’m doing all right… the doctors said that I’m about 50 percent healed, thankfully. How are you?”

            “I’m okay… a little lonely though. But you’ll never guess who called me today.”

            “Who?”

            “Natalia.”

            Upon hearing my name, I looked up at Savannah, questioningly. She just held her hand out to me, as if saying, don’t worry.

            “Really? What did she have to say?”

            “She seemed a little upset, but she wanted to make peace with me. Apparently, she tried calling you at the house…”

            “Fuck.”

            “You sold the house, Justin? You didn’t even try to get in touch with her!”

            “I did try!! She wouldn’t answer my calls and I even sent something for her with Nikolas.”

            I wanted to scream out, BULL SHIT!!! But then I knew I’d have to deal with Justin and I couldn’t bear to.

            “She didn’t get it, I guess… or maybe she didn’t bother to read it… “

            “DAMNIT!” I could tell how frustrated he was. We were apart but I still knew him like the back of my hand.

            In a sick way, I wanted him to cry and beg for me. I wanted him to seduce me. I wanted him to win me back… but at the same time I didn’t fucking believe a word out of him his mouth.

            “I know what I have to do now…let me call you later, Annah.”

            “Alright, later J.” She hung up and looked at me. “Did you get anything?”

            “No.”

            “I don’t know… I mean the only thing I can say is to wait for whatever he is planning. You know there is like no escaping him.”

            “I just should go home and go back to my life. Besides making up with you, coming here was a mistake. It just made me hurt worse.”

            “Do you think you are gonna be okay?”

            “Yeah… I’ll go back to New York and just live my life…” I sighed and placed my hand on my forehead.

            “I’m not letting you go alone, especially in the condition you are in.”

            “I don’t know… I mean, are you sure?”

            “Positive. We’ll leave tomorrow morning.” Savannah hugged me and half smiled. “Now breathe… okay… go rest in one of the guest rooms and I’ll take care of the twins for now. You look like you need a break.”

            “Thank you…”

            “Stop with the thank you’s and go rest!”

            I gave Savannah a smile and headed upstairs to one of my favorite rooms. it was this ocean side motif, with whicker furniture and the works. The walls were painted in a way that it looked like water.

            I crawled into the bed and cried myself to sleep.