CHAPTER FORTY NINE
Alyssa stood there, her mind racing as she tried to come up with a response. She didn’t want to lie to Tim, her six-year-old son, but she also wasn’t ready to have the difficult conversation that she knew would follow if she told him the truth. Taking a deep breath, she mustered the courage to speak.
“Tim, honey, he’s just someone mommy knows,” she said, hoping to divert his attention. “Why don’t you go ahead and get ready for bed? I’ll be right there to tuck you in.”
Tim looked at her with wide eyes, clearly unsatisfied with her answer. “But who is he, mommy? I’ve never seen him before.”
Alyssa smiled, trying to mask the turmoil inside her. “He’s just a friend, sweetheart. Mommy will explain more later, okay? Right now, it’s time for bed.”
She gently guided Tim towards his bedroom, distracting him with small talk about his day at school. As she tucked him in and kissed his forehead, she could see the curiosity in his eyes. She knew she couldn’t avoid his questions for long, but she wanted to shield him from the truth as long as possible.
Once Tim had finally drifted off to sleep, Alyssa tiptoed out of his room and made her way downstairs to the living room. She poured herself a glass of wine and sank into the couch, her thoughts consumed by the events of earlier that evening.
Liam, the man she had been trying to avoid, had shown up unexpectedly at the bookstore where she worked. His presence had stirred up emotions she had long tried to bury. She knew he had every right to be angry with her after what had transpired between them, but his reaction had confused her. He had seemed distant, almost as if he didn’t care. And that hurt more than any words he could have said.
As she took a sip of wine, Alyssa tried to talk herself out of the flicker of hope that had ignited within her. She couldn’t allow herself to think that things could get better between them. She had made her choices and now she had to live with the consequences.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice the time passing until her phone buzzed on the coffee table. It was a text message from Liam, confirming their meeting. Sighing heavily, she replied with a simple “Okay.”
Alyssa knew she couldn’t keep avoiding him forever. It was time to face the music and have that conversation she had been dreading. Gathering her resolve, she locked up the house and headed towards Liam’s apartment.
The drive was silent, the only sound filling the car being her racing heartbeat. As she parked outside his building, Alyssa took a deep breath and climbed out. She hesitated for a moment before stepping inside the building, unsure of what awaited her.
When she reached Liam’s apartment door, she knocked softly, her heart pounding in her chest. As the door opened, she was met with Liam’s tired and distant gaze. She could tell he had been wrestling with his own emotions.
“Alyssa,” he said softly, stepping aside to let her in. “I wasn’t expecting you tonight.”
“I’m sorry,” she replied, her voice trembling slightly. “I just… I couldn’t wait any longer. We need to talk.”
Liam nodded and motioned for her to take a seat on the couch. They both sat down, the tension between them palpable.
“I don’t even know where to begin,” Alyssa started. “I never meant for things to get so complicated.”
Liam sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Complicated? That’s one way to put it. You disappeared, Alyssa. You left without a word, without any explanation. Do you have any idea how that made me feel?”
“I know, Liam. And I’m sorry. I never wanted to hurt you.”
“You never wanted to hurt me?” he retorted, his voice tinged with bitterness. “Well, you did. And now I’m left to pick up the pieces. I loved you, Alyssa. I thought we had something real.”
Tears welled up in Alyssa’s eyes as she looked at him, her voice barely a whisper. “I loved you too, Liam. And I still do. But I had to make a choice, a choice that would protect my son.”
Liam’s anger seemed to soften at the mention of Tim. “Your son?”
Alyssa nodded, wiping away her tears. “I found out I was pregnant right before I left. I couldn’t bring a child into the mess I was in. I had to protect him, protect us.”
Liam’s features softened, and he reached out to hold her hand. “Alyssa, I wish you had told me. I would have stood by you, no matter what.”
She looked into his eyes, searching for any trace of deception. “I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t know how. I thought it was best to leave without a trace.”
Liam squeezed her hand gently. “I understand why you did what you did, but it doesn’t excuse the pain you caused. I’ve been hurt, Alyssa. And I don’t know if I can trust you again.”
Alyssa felt her heart shatter at his words. She had hoped for a different outcome, but she knew she had to accept the consequences of her actions.
“I understand, Liam,” she said, her voice filled with sadness. “I don’t expect you to trust me right away. But please know that I never stopped loving you. I just hope that one day, you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”
Liam sighed, his eyes filled with conflicted emotions. “I need time, Alyssa. Time to process everything that has happened. But for now, I can’t promise anything.”
….
Alyssa woke up groggy from lack of sleep. She had spent the whole night tossing and turning, unable to get Tim’s words out of her head. She knew she couldn’t ignore him forever, but she just wasn’t ready to face him yet. She stumbled to the kitchen and began making a pot of coffee. As she waited for it to brew, she heard a knock on the door.
Thinking it was Liam, she rushed to answer it, but was surprised to find her neighbor, Mrs. Jenkins. “Oh, hello Mrs. Jenkins,” she said, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice.
“Good morning dear, I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Mrs. Jenkins said, peering past Alyssa into her apartment.
“No, not at all. Come in, would you like some coffee?”
“Oh, I’d love some,” Mrs. Jenkins said, settling into a chair at Alyssa’s kitchen table. Alyssa poured her a cup of coffee and sat down across from her.
“So, how was your night, dear?”
Alyssa knew Mrs. Jenkins was only making small talk, but she couldn’t help but let out a sigh. “To be honest, it wasn’t great. I had a bit of an argument with someone.”
“Oh dear, I’m sorry to hear that. Do you want to talk about it?”
Alyssa hesitated for a moment, but eventually decided to open up to her neighbor. She told her about Tim and how he had found out about his father. Mrs. Jenkins listened patiently, offering words of encouragement and support.
“Well, I think you did the right thing by being honest with him,” Mrs. Jenkins said. “I’m sure he’ll understand eventually.”
Alyssa nodded, feeling a bit better after talking with her neighbor. Just as Mrs. Jenkins was finishing her coffee, there was another knock on the door.
This time, it was Liam. Alyssa’s heart raced as she opened the door, knowing that they needed to talk things out. “Hey,” she said softly.
“Can we talk?” Liam asked, his voice a bit strained.
Alyssa nodded and stepped aside to let him in. They both sat down in the living room, a tension between them that was almost tangible. “Look, I’m sorry about last night,” Liam said, running his fingers through his hair.
“I’m sorry too,” Alyssa said, swallowing hard. “I guess I just didn’t know what to say. It’s not something I’m proud of, keeping something like that from Tim.”
Liam nodded, his eyes meeting hers. “I know, and I’m not trying to make you feel guilty. I just want to understand why you lied to me.”
Alyssa took a deep breath, trying to collect her thoughts. “It’s complicated,” she began. “I guess I just didn’t want to bring up the past. It was something that hurt me so deeply and I didn’t want to relive it.”
Liam’s expression softened, and he reached out to take her hand. “I understand that. But you have to understand that Tim deserves to know the truth. He’s old enough to understand and he has a right to know who his father is.”
Alyssa nodded, tears brimming in her eyes. “I know, and I’m going to tell him. I just need some time to figure out how to do it.”
Liam squeezed her hand, a small smile on his face. “I’m here for you, you know that right? We’ll figure this out together.”Têxt © NôvelDrama.Org.
Alyssa felt a sense of relief wash over her, grateful for Liam’s support. They spent the rest of the morning talking, working through their issues and trying to come up with a plan. By the time Liam left, they had made progress, and Alyssa felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
As she sat in her apartment, sipping on a cup of coffee, she couldn’t help but smile at the progress they had made. Things were far from perfect, but she felt like they were headed in the right direction. And for the first time in a long time, she felt like she was going to be okay.