All these years

Chapter 16

"We have to talk with Isabelle about it.", Jeffrey said earnestly. "It is about time."

"Talk about what?", Catherine answered irritated. It was only one week until Christmas Eve and Jeffrey and her, were enjoying a free evening without kids. Both girls were staying overnights at friends. The couple decided not to go out, but to have a nice dinner together at home. At the moment they were standing together in the kitchen in preparation of the meal.

"Come on, Cathy. You know what I am talking about.", Jeffrey said a little angry, stopped chopping the broccoli and turned around to face her.

"I really don't know what you are talking about.", Catherine said serious and also stopped what she was doing. Jeffrey went over to her, grabbed her gentle by her upper arms and kissed her.

"We should have talked about this big elephant in the room earlier, I know, but we both know it, aren't we?", he said leaning his forehead against hers. "But she is going to find it out now."

"Finding out what?", Catherine asked anxiously.

"That I am not Isabelle's biological father, Catherine.", Jeffrey stepped back from his wife and turned around again, taking his hands up to his teary eyes.

"But ... you are ... her father, Jeff.", Catherine stammered.

"I am not. I know that. You know that.", yelled Jeffrey angry.

"This isn't proven yet. For me you are.", Catherine whispered almost crying.

"Catherine, it is proven. We never slept with each other without a condom. And there were no accidents. This was always a lie. You know that, Catherine. And Isy didn't come 6 weeks too early. She was exactly on time.", Jeffrey explained.

"Don't say that. I don't want to hear that. She will never find out. You are her dad."

"She will find out. She asked me already three times which blood group I am. You have heard of her school project, havn't you?"

Catherine breathed out exhausted. "I've heard of it. Which blood group are you?"

"AB."

"Shit." Catherine hid her face behind her hands and started crying.

"Yes, shit. It is more than obvious; every dork can see it. She has blood group O. And it is almost too late to tell her now. Especially with Will being around. This is all a whole mess. What were we thinking, Catherine?"

"What were you thinking, Jeffrey? You knew it for so long and didn't say a word.", Catherine answered angrily.

"No, don't do that now. You also knew.", Jeffrey snapped back.

"I didn't.", Catherine claimed.

"Only because you repressed it.", Jeffrey yelled and threw a knife on the counter.

There was a long pause where no one said a word. Both of them were starring at the walls without even looking. Both captured in their own thoughts.

"Then we have to tell him, too.", Catherine finally whispered.

"You go and tell him ... Kitten.", Jeffrey said clenching his teeth.

"What do you mean? You meeting with him regularly because of the inherit stuff."

"Yeah, but you are making out with him and it's your child not mine.", Jeffrey answered angry.

"First of all, she got a name. It is Isabelle. And what do mean with 'making out'? Of cause sex was involved conceiving a child.", Catherine answered both concerned and irritated.

"I mean right now. I know what happened in the pantry. And that you met twice at his house.", Jeffrey spilled out.

Catherine standing in front of him not able to close her mouth. "How?", she whispered.

"What? Do you think your sexual encounter on MY birthday will stay undetected? Catherine, I know you never really loved me as much as you loved him. But did the last 15 years mean nothing to you? How could you?", Jeffrey demanded desperately and tears were standing in his eyes.

"I didn't had sex in the pantry. I do love you, Jeff.", Catherine stepped a little bit forward towards him and tried to lay her arms around him. "And please believe me I never thought of Isabelle as his daughter. You are her daddy."

She started to brush through his hair and he finally hugged her. He was never able to be angry with her very long.

"So, what happened between the two of you?", Jeffrey pleaded exhausted.

"Nothing.... Believe me, Jeff.... It was nothing.", Catherine tried to convince him.

"A hickey from nothing?"

Will was starring at the ceiling while listening to Noah and Amber making out in the living room. It was a little bit annoying but Will was also happy that Noah finally had found the courage to ask Amber for a date a week ago and it turned out quite nice. Even it was a little bit weird when Will met Amber the first time, because of what happened between them in Venezuela, but they both agreed that it was nothing more than casual sex and didn't mean anything to both of them. There had never been another woman than Catherine for Will in all these past years. Sometimes he felt something like a crush on some other woman or thought maybe made a connection to someone and thought it might turn out to be relationship material, but in the end, there was always Catherine on his mind and he felt like betraying her. So, he cut off all the feelings that might come up even before someone gets really involved.

While starring at the ceiling all his thoughts went again back to Catherine. Back to the kisses they had shared in the past few weeks. Seeing her again was all he was hoping for, but now he had touched her, smelled her, tasted her lips again. And it was more like that, because she somehow wanted it, too. More than he wanted it. She longed for his touch. It felt like that they were like magnets which were permanently drawn to each other. There was resisting from each side. They needed to touch. It was almost three weeks that he hadn't seen her and talked to her. And the pain not being with her was as intense as it was when he first left her. He sighed and gently touched his lips as if he could fell her on them by doing so. He closed his eyes and imagined her taste while he slowly put the other hand into his jogging trousers.

The doorbell rang.

"That must be the pizza, Will.", he heard Noah on the other side of the wall.

"Can you please go to the door and get it. Just put mine in the oven. I'll eat it later.", Will yelled back and tried to focus on Catherine again while touching himself.

He just ignored the cursing of Noah, when the doorbell rang a second time "I'm coming."

Will closed his eyes again and imagined that the hand around his erection wasn't his own, when suddenly Noah knocked at his door. "Will, that wasn't the pizza. There is a girl for you at the door. Didn't know you where on the younger side..."

"What?", Will said distracted, not even comprehending what Noah was talking about. "I didn't invite a girl. What girl?"

"What's your name again?", he heard Noah asking in a lower voice.

"The name is Isabelle.", he heard a familiar voice answering quite confident.

Will jumped out of his bed immediately and opened the door of his room, just in the moment when Noah was saying: "She said her name is ... Oh, hey ... So, you did expect her?"

Noah was looking confused from Will to Isabelle and back.
"Well, no ...", Will stammered. "But I know her, this is Isabelle and she is ..."

"I am his daughter.", Isabelle interrupted, pushed Will aside and entered his room.