Chapter 8
OWEN
My dad guided me back to his truck and into the passenger seat, then drove us away from the crime scene—where my heart was left stomped on and bleeding out all over the dirty asphalt.
Mum took my car, probably driving it back to their house.
I didn’t pay attention to my surroundings until familiarity bleated like a siren in my head. “No, I can’t go there.”
Dad didn’t reply and continued until we were parked at Mercy Lake. Geez, why did he have to bring me here? As if I’m not tortured enough.
“We”re worried about you, son. You may be living under our roof, but you’re practically a ghost. You’re not talking to us… or anyone, from what it seems.” The exchange was surreal. Seth Ivans was a stoic man, not known for his emotional sensibility. Yet, there we were having the “talk”. Things must be dire indeed.
Dad ran a hand through his black-grey hair, sweeping his brown eyes to me. “That may be mine and your mum’s fault. We’ve never been great with expressing our… feelings. But we can all see you hurting, Owen, and we don’t want you to feel alone in this. We’re here.”
“I don’t deserve your concern, Dad. This is my sin to bear.”
“And how is that working out for you, huh? I’m here to share in your burden, so let me.”
I sighed, staring out at the waveless water, wishing it held all the answers. Instead, I confessed in the silent carriage of my father’s truck, letting the weight of my decisions unravel for the first time.
I cleared my throat. “It was only the one time. I was drunk out of my mind, and it could barely be considered sex. I didn’t even come.”
“Then how do you know this baby is yours?”
It was hard to miss the hopeful lilt in his voice. I had been there, too, once. The twisted feeling of immense loss took me so unawares that I relayed my memories and pain.
Since that stupid drunken night at Everly’s, I had managed to avoid her for three weeks, despite her desperate attempts to get in touch with me. I had blocked her number and turned into a hermit, not leaving the house unless absolutely necessary.
I was drowning in guilt and self-disgust, my only thoughts geared towards Alexis—how I would break the news to her, and what I had to do so she wouldn’t leave my pathetic ass. As you’d expect, I hadn’t come up with a solution.
A heavy knock sounded from the front door, and a sense of anxiety spiked through my system.
Alexis was at work, and our families wouldn’t bother knocking. So I didn’t have to guess who was on the other side.
My own personal demon had hunted me down—demanding my soul, no doubt.
Let’s get this over with.
I yanked the door open to find Everly on the landing, a pleasant smile on her face as if she was popping round for an innocent catch-up. Not today, Satan.
“Can I come in?”
“No,” I said, blocking her way. I stepped outside, slamming the door behind me. She processed my aggressive tone and gave me a wide berth, stumbling back a couple of steps. Don’t ever touch me again. “You’re not welcome in my house. My wife’s house. Whatever you have to say, you can say it outside.”
“Why are you being so hostile?”
“Because you’ve ruined my fucking life, Everly,” I hissed, keeping my voice low. It wouldn't do for me to start screaming, alerting the whole damn neighbourhood to our infidelity.
“So I take it you haven’t told her yet?”
“You’re still alive, aren’t you? That should give you your answer.”
“Well, when are you going to tell her so we can focus on us?”
Umm… what?
“Us?” I managed to splutter. My mouth was working on autopilot as my brain misfired.
“Yes.”
“What makes you think there’s an us ?”
“Please,” she scoffed. “You imploded your entire marriage for me . We wanted each other, and we finally gave in. It wasn’t the best timing, but we couldn’t hold back our feelings that night—the night we made love.”
“ Made. Love? ” I was frozen, my muscles taut as I tried to refrain from wrapping my fingers around her throat. How did I miss the fact that this bitch was delusional?
“That shit show could hardly be considered a quick fuck. I wouldn’t really call two sloppy, mediocre pumps the definition of ‘making love’.”
Fuck. I was going to be sick.
I started pacing, pulling at my hair while she remained serene and calm on my front lawn. She was looking at me as if I was the crazy one.
“Everly, what the fuck do you think happened? We were drunk, and I thought you were Alexis.”
“At first,” she snapped. I was stunned into silence when Everly straightened, expression resolute. “You thought I was Alexis at first . Then, when you realised it was me, you still kept going. You kept making love to me .”
How do I keep fucking up my life? It’s never-ending. Maybe I am cursed?
“Everly,” I stressed. “I may have processed for a split second that it was you, but you aren’t Alexis, and will never be my Alexis. I cut that shit and left. Don’t make the worst night of my life more than what it was. You fucking took advantage of me, and I’m going to tell Alexis exactly how it happened.”
“While you’re at it, you can also tell her that I’m pregnant… with your baby.”
Instantly, all my fight fell away. My thoughts fell away. My whole world just fell away .
How could one statement, a measly couple of words decimate me so completely? My mind ignited in a rapid-fire sequence.
I was already in hell, but now I was truly committed to an eternity in purgatory.
“You’re a fucking liar. I didn’t even finish.”
“You’re old enough to know that pre-cum can impregnate a woman just as well. You’re the father, Owen. I’ve slept with no one else.”
“I want a paternity test.”
“I’m three weeks along, so it’s too early right now. But when we reach that threshold, I’ll be more than happy to oblige. Mum works at a DNA clinic a couple of hours away, so we can have this expedited while keeping it quiet.”
My scalp was screaming from my fingers ripping at my roots as I subconsciously tried to pull those new poisonous revelations straight from my skull.
What have I done?
“So when do you plan on telling Alexis?” Her words cut through my psyche like a whip. Her serpent tongue calling my wife’s name—I couldn’t take it.
“Keep your fucking mouth shut, Everly.”
“You have a week, Owen. She deserves to know.”
“Oh, so now you want to play all innocent. Like you’re her friend? You’re disgusting.”
Everly paused, her features morphing in fake sympathy. “I know it’s a lot to process right now, so I will give you a week.”
My eyes closed tight with defeat. “I hate myself,” I murmured beneath my breath.
“What?”
“ I hate you ,” I said louder.
“What about the baby?”
My lids opened just enough to narrow on her. “If this is my baby, I will be a father, and I will take responsibility.” The statement was utterly devastating, ringing with finality.
The tips of Everly’s lips lifted ever so slightly. “You’ll make a great father, Owen.”
“Leave my house,” I croaked. “Now.”
One week later, my world came crashing down. Then, one month after that, when I was in the thick of my depressive spiral, we completed a paternity test, confirming I was the father.
If only I knew that the worst was yet to come.