Precious Secret

16. Revelation

Krystina.

The anguish in his eyes isn't surprising at all.

Unlike a lot of men his age, Stephen was always very vocal about his desire to start a family.

His love for kids at such a young age came as a surprise for me. Back then, I thought he was too good to be true. Handsome, financially stable, God fearing, AND family oriented? They don't make 'em like that anymore.

It's for that reason specifically, I've never really been able to justify not telling him about Bryan. Yeah, I was hurt - Devastated really, by what I thought had transpired. What I thought he'd done. But is that reason enough though?

The room is painfully silent.

Stephen stands before me, waiting for my answer.

"I think we should sit down." I finally say.

"I think you need to answer the damn question." He retorts lowly.

I move towards the couch, taking deeps breaths to calm my frantic nerves, before sitting.

"I was pregnant when I left town five years ago." I admit, anxiously glancing up at him.

He sinks into the seat opposite me, almost as if he can't keep himself upright any longer.

"Why?" He asks after a tense moment of silence.

I don't have an answer.

"How?", he continues, his wavering voice rising. "How could you do this to me? Why would you do this to me, Krystina?" He shakes his head in disbelief.

By now, there are tears flowing heavily from both of our eyes.

"I don't have an answer!" I let out. "I thought I did, but it turned out to be a lie. All of it was a lie!"

"And that would have justified it? Me supposedly 'cheating' on you, made it okay to leave the state with MY child inside you!? Made it okay for you to keep him from me? Are you fuckïng kidding me, Krys. That's the shïttiest excuse I've ever heard! That's not why you did it, and you know it. You know it!" He bellows, point at me angrily.

I choose not to speak, crying silently instead.

He steps closer. "You wanted to be malicious. You wanted to get back at me, and you figured keeping me from my only child, was the best revenge. Admit it." He growls in my ear. "Fuckïng admit it!"

"That's not true! That's not why I d-"

He hoarse tone interrupts me, "you're a fuckïng liar. You're a goddamn lie." He whispers, shaking his head.

He walks back in front of me, squatting down so that we're eye level with each other.

Grabbing my chin, he forces me to maintain eye contact. "I'm taking you to court." He says emotionless. "I'm not gonna let you keep me from my son, any longer."

"What? Steph, I'll let you see him. You don't have to do that?" I plead, reaching out to him.

"You think saying that means anything to me. You're a liar, Krys. I can't trust anything you say. You'll tell me I can see him tomorrow, and then you'll just vanish again. No." He stands, brushing me away. "And I don't want to just 'see him'. He's my child. I want to know him, and I want joint custody."

I open my mouth to speak, but he cuts me off before I can get a chance to. "You might as well save your breath, Tina. I'm not changing my mind."

He walks out of the living room and towards the front door. "My lawyer will be in contact." He says before the door slams after him, leaving me in total silence.