We Are Family

Chapter Six: The Truth Revealed

Lionel sighed as he sat down next to Gerard, they were at a bar and the footballer was concerned about his friend; he had never seen Gerard like this before but if he didn’t do something then it was all over for Gerard and Hailey.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Gerard asked as he sipped on his beer, he glanced at Lionel as he wondered why everyone in his life thought that it would be right to lie to him; he felt sick about what he had missed in his children’s lives because of what had happened.

Gerard looked at the letter that now lay on the bar, he cursed the moment that he had opened it; it had torn his life apart and he would never able to forget the betrayal that he felt right now.

“Have you read it all?” Lionel asked as he looked at the letter, he didn’t know what David could have written but the lawyer had no idea of how much damage he had caused; the Argentinian could still see Hailey’s heartbroken face as Gerard stormed out.

Gerard snorted and shook his head as he sipped on his beer, he had no interest in what the dead man had to say; he couldn’t believe that Hailey had kept his children from him.

“She didn’t do it willingly Geri,” Lionel said as he sipped on his water, Gerard wouldn’t listen to Hailey so he would have to be the one that explained things to him; Cesc had remained behind in an attempt to comfort the devastated blonde.

Lionel wasn’t sure what use he would be since the two of them weren’t on the best of terms right now, Cesc had made it clear that he was on Gerard’s side in all of this.

“What do you mean?” Gerard asked as he looked at Lionel confused, he would have done anything to protect Hailey and the twins if she had just told him what was going on; now it was six years too late and he had missed out on so much that he had never get to experience with them.

“When Hailey found out she was pregnant after your affair… Natasha found out, she threatened if Hails ever told you then she’d take the twins from her,” Lionel said softly as he looked at Gerard, he had been planning this since the moment that he had found out.

Lionel had always known that it would end up like this, he’d be the one forced to tell Gerard the entire truth about what had taken place six years ago; he sighed wishing that this could have happened sooner.

“I could have protected them,” Gerard snapped as he glared at Lionel, he knew that it was wrong to take his anger out on Lionel; he was just trying to help him understand and now he knew what Hailey had been trying to tell him since he had arrived.

Lionel offered his friend a small smile, he knew how hard Gerard would fight for them and that was what had scared Hailey; her parents had known that the blonde would not risk Gerard.

“They were slipping drugs into her food… told Hails if she went back to you or even told you then they’d have her sectioned and the twins would go into care,” Lionel said as Gerard stared at him in disgust, he remembered the time that Harold had arranged to have drugs hidden in his car when he had first started dating Hailey; he had been bailed out and had nearly done time.

Gerard closed his eyes wondering what he was going to do, he didn’t know if he could forgive and forget what had happened.

“Geri… por favor, Hailey didn’t want to lose you, she still doesn’t,” Lionel said as he tried to talk his friend around, he knew that Gerard would be even more upset if he lost Hailey now.

***

Hailey sniffled as Cesc handed her a hot drink, she was dressed in a hot pink playsuit with a hot pink kimono over it; she was thankful that the twins had gone to bed without a fuss after what had happened.

“You haven’t said it yet,” Hailey whispered as she looked at him, she saw that he had been waiting to say the words I told you so since the moment that Gerard had exploded; she deserved it even if she had been trying to protect him.

Cesc stared at her confused for a moment before he shook his head, he’d been horrible to her for a while but she didn’t deserve any of this; she had done what she could to protect Gerard and the twins at the cost of her own happiness.

“I am not going to say it,” Cesc said as he tried to cheer Hailey up, she looked so sad and it made him feel even worse for how he had treated her; he wished that there was some way to fix it all for her.

Hailey wiped her nose on the back of her kimono sleeve and looked at him, she knew that he was only being nice to her and she didn’t deserve it; she had hurt Gerard in the worst possible way.

“Why not I deserve it?” Hailey whimpered as she looked down at her drink, she knew that there was no way that Gerard was going to forgive her; she might as well starting packing her things for Barbados since she had nowhere else to go.

Cesc frowned at her words before the front door opened and closed, he looked at Hailey who was too busy sulking on the couch; she wouldn’t be in the best of moods to deal with a drunk Gerard.

Pushing himself to his feet, Cesc headed for the door and sighed as he looked at Lionel who was trying to stop Gerard from doing something stupid.

However Gerard was having none of it and pushed straight passed Lionel, who wobbled slightly as he headed straight for the living room.

“Hailey,” Gerard said loudly making the blonde jump in fright, her blue eyes looked at him as terror claimed her; she couldn’t stop her hands from shaking as her mind flashed to what a violent drunk David had been.

Gerard didn’t even notice the change in her behaviour to him, his hands grabbed her shoulder making her yelp as he pulled her to her feet; his blue eyes staring at her as he tried to think of what he wanted to say.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Gerard slurred as Hailey whimpered as she started to feel dizzy, she could feel a sweat breaking out and she knew that if he didn’t stop then it wasn’t going to end well; Hailey couldn’t remember the last time that this had happened.

Gerard stared at her as he waited for an answer, he ignored her pleas to let go because he was hurting her; he needed to hear it from her, not just from Lionel.

“I need to know Hails why?” the footballer pleaded with her, he slowly started to realise that she was shaking and he looked at her concerned as he noticed that the colour had completely drained from her face; there was something very wrong happening.

Hailey pushed Gerard away from her, tears poured down her face as she started to shake violently; the blonde started to hyperventilate as she backed away from Gerard in fear.

“Por favor… don’t Lo Siento,” Hailey pleaded as she wrapped her arms around herself, it was like she was trying to protect herself from something and it terrified Gerard; he cried out for Cesc and Lionel as he tried to comfort Hailey.

Cesc was the first to arrive as he hurried over and moved Gerard away from the blonde, he knew what had triggered the attack and he knew that she wouldn’t want the footballer near her right now.

“She’s having a panic attack,” Cesc explained as he tried to calm Hailey down, there were things that Lionel wouldn’t have told Gerard and this was one of them; the footballer watched in horror as his best friend tried to help the blonde not knowing what to do.

Gerard had never seen Hailey like this and it frightened him.