Chapter 20
Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.
—Bruce Lee
Drew
When your phone rings at two in the morning and wakes you from a deep sleep, you know it’s never good.
The ringing startles me and I reach for my cell where it rests on my bedside table, my heart thumping wildly.
Fable moves away from me in her sleep, rolling over on her side, her naked back to me.
I’m immediately cold without having her close and I glance at the phone, see that it’s my dad calling. Again.
Reluctantly I answer, keeping my voice a whisper. “Hello.”
“Drew. My God.” He’s breathing heavily and I restrain myself from blowing out an exasperated breath. I’m so over his drama I can hardly take another anguished phone call, another crying plea. “Is it true?”
It’s as if all the blood drains from my body. You tell yourself you’re prepared for a particular moment, a certain revelation, but when it happens, you’re still knocked on your ass. “Is what true?”
“Adele told me what happened between you two.” His voice lowers to an almost inaudible whisper. “Tell me, is it true?”
I don’t know what he wants me to say. Yes, it’s true or no, it’s not? Fuck, I’m confused. “What did she tell you?”
“That the two of you had an affair going on for years? Tell me, son. I need to know. Is she lying to me? Please say she’s lying.”
He doesn’t want to deal. Well, that’s just great because neither do I. “Dad …”
“Don’t beat around the bush. Just confirm it. Say yes or say no.”
I exhale heavily, my heart aching, my stomach turning. “I …”
“Say it! Yes or no. It’s as simple as that.”
Right. It’s so simple, admitting my deepest, darkest secret. “Yes,” I say, my voice harsh.
Dad is silent for so long, I wonder if he’s hung up on me. But then a burst of sound fills my ears, so ragged and pitiful, I almost don’t recognize it for what it is.
He’s … crying.
“I hate her,” he sobs, his voice broken. “She’s destroyed everything. My marriage, my son, my daughter. Oh God, I hate her so much.”
I climb out of bed, never looking in Fable’s direction. She might be awake by now, I don’t know, but I need to concentrate on what Dad is saying.
At the moment he’s sort of blowing my mind.
“I can’t believe that she had an … affair with you. An affair.” He laughs, but it’s hollow sounding. “She molested you. God, she’s sick! I never want to see her again.”
“You don’t blame me?” I fall onto the couch, my head spinning. All these years I believed that if he discovered the truth, he would hate my guts.
“Blame you? How could I blame you? She said this started when you were just fifteen. Fucking fifteen!” He’s crying harder.
“I’m sorry, Drew. I brought her into our lives and I’m so goddamn sorry.
I had no idea. No fucking clue she was doing that to you.
How could I be so stupid, so selfish? So blind? ”
“It’s not your fault, Dad …”
“Stop right there, just … stop. It’s all my fault.
I should’ve paid better attention. I should’ve been there for you but I wasn’t.
I hate that. I’ve let you down.” He takes a deep, shuddering breath.
“It’s over, son. My marriage is over. You don’t have to worry about her being a part of our lives any longer.
She’s no longer welcome in my home, in my heart, in my life. ”
I’m crying, too. The tears are falling and I sniff, trying to gain some control over my emotions. That tight feeling I’ve been carrying in my chest for months—hell, years—is slowly but surely easing. My dad knows the truth.
And he doesn’t hate me for it.
“When did she tell you?”
“She called me hours ago. I have no idea where she is. Did you see her? Did she come there? God, she’s twisted! I swear she’s obsessed with you.”
“I saw her. Fable tried to beat her up when she found out Adele had met her younger brother.”
“You’re still with Fable? I thought you two broke up.” He pauses for a moment. “Wait a minute, does she know what happened between you and Adele?”
“Yeah.” My voice is a raspy whisper.
He’s silent for a while, as if he needs time to process that bit of information. “Things must be quite serious between you two.”
“She—she figured it out when I brought her home.” Adele had been less than subtle. That my father couldn’t recognize her crazy, possessive behavior showed how oblivious he really was to it.
“I’m an idiot. I hope someday you can forgive me.”
His words take my breath away. “I—I feel the same way.”
“There’s nothing for me to forgive. You were innocent in all of this.” A little sob escapes him again. “I’m so sorry, son. For everything.”
We talk a little bit more and I promise to come see him soon. Hopefully going there without Adele present will remove the ghosts that haunt me in my old house. My dad needs me right now. I need to forget all those ghosts once and for all.
I end the call and go back into the bedroom to find Fable sitting up, leaning against the pillows, the bedside table lamp on its lowest setting.
She has the sheet tucked around her, her shoulders bare and gleaming in the soft light, and she’s twirling a strand of long blond hair around her finger, staring at the ends.
She’s beautiful. And so understanding, so accepting of all my secrets, I don’t know what I did to earn her trust and forgiveness. I love that she’s in my life. That she wants to be with me despite it all.
“Is everything okay?” she asks, her voice hushed.
Going to my side of the bed, I settle in beside her. “That was my dad.” I take a deep breath and stare straight ahead. I’m almost afraid to look at her even though she knows everything. “Adele told him what happened.”
“How did he react?”
“He doesn’t hate me. He feels awful for what she did to me.”
“See?” Her voice is quiet. “I told you he would be on your side.”
She did. I hadn’t believed her. “I guess you were right.” I release a deep, shaky breath. “I can’t believe how accepting of me he was.”
“Did she tell him about … Vanessa?”
Frowning, I turn to look at her. How could I have missed that? “He never mentioned it. So I’m assuming no.”
Fable lets the strand of hair she’d been twirling fall from her fingers. “Do you really think it’s true? That she was your daughter?”
I shrug. This is the information that makes me the most uncomfortable. I don’t want to believe it. That I could’ve been a father just … blows my mind. I have a tough time talking about it with anyone, even my therapist. It’s a subject I don’t want to face.
Especially since I haven’t a clue if it’s true or not. There’s no way I can prove it either way. Vanessa’s gone.
“I want to believe she’s lying to me because it’s easier.
” Fable moves closer to me, resting her head on my shoulder, and I slip my arm around her.
Closing my eyes, I voice what I’ve been unable to say since the day Adele threw that bomb at me.
“The day we came back here, after I dropped you off at your apartment, I called Adele. I demanded she tell me the truth. She said … she said she couldn’t get pregnant with my dad so she decided to try with me.
That she poked holes in the condom and she got pregnant.
All it took was one time, she insisted. One freaking time.
I hate her. I hate that she tricked my father and me.
I hate what she’s done to me. I hate that I let what happened between us control me for so long. ”
“I’m sorry,” Fable whispers.
I close my eyes and trail my fingers across her shoulder, down her arm.
I need to touch her. Having her close anchors me.
Reminds me of how far I’ve come in so little time.
“So am I. But I can’t remain in the past. I can’t let what she’s done cripple me for the rest of my life.
I need to let it go. Let her go, once and for all. ”
“Easier said than done.” Fable lifts her head so she can meet my gaze. “It’ll take time, Drew. I’m here, though. Even though I’m getting my own place, and I know you don’t like that, I’ll be here for you. I swear.”
“You don’t have to move—” I start but she cuts me off.
“I need to do it. I can’t be dependent on you. Not like this.”
“I want to take care of you,” I whisper. “I can do it. I have money. You’d never need anything if you and Owen lived here with me.”
She flashes me a quivery smile. “I know. And I love that you want to help and take care of me. But I need to learn how to take care of myself first.” She lifts her head and brushes her mouth against mine. “I need to show Owen I can do this.”
I touch her throat and she shivers. I slip my hand around her nape and bring her in closer to me, our mouths meeting, our tongues tangling. She melts against me, slipping her arms around my neck, the sheet falling away from her so I feel nothing but soft, bare skin.
After everything that happened today, my normal MO would be to run and hide. Pretend I don’t exist. Focus on anything else but living. Feeling.
Now, all I want to do is feel. Feel Fable’s mouth on mine, her hands on my body, her body moving against me.
Press her into the mattress, explore her skin with my hands and lips, and push inside her, finding that connection with the one person who means more to me than anyone or anything in this world.
As I stare into her eyes while buried deep in her welcoming body, I whisper that I love her. The smile she offers me in response, tender and so full of emotion, unravels me completely.
She holds my heart in her hands. And for the first time in my life, I give it over to her completely.
Freely.
Fable Maguire owns me. And I know I own her.
Fable
Yesterday was one of the craziest days of my life. A whirlwind of emotions swept through me, from the highs to the lows and everything in between.
I found the apartment of my dreams. I tried to beat the shit out of a woman who almost destroyed the man I love. The man I love was nearly brought to his knees when his father discovered his darkest secret.