A tear slips from the corner of her eye, descending slowly down her cheek, but she doesn’t remove it. She takes a deep breath, closing her eyes on an inhale.
My breath hitches, and my chest tightens, but I remain quiet. This is her story. One I have no doubt she’s needed to tell for a very long time.
“I gave birth to a healthy baby boy, and then I was forced to hand him over to a family I didn’t even get to meet.”
My hands fly to my mouth, the shock pressing down on my lungs. “He’s alive?” My question is barely audible through my labored breathing.
Nina is like a sister to me. We tell each other everything, and yet, she’s kept this secret all these years. It’s not only shocking but also heartbreaking. Having carried a child for nine months, I can’t imagine the devastation that would come from being separated from my baby.
“I couldn’t tell you, Alyssa. Not because I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t.” Her crisp blue eyes hold mine, and I see the desperation that hovers over her.
“I understand, Nina.”
I don’t actually understand, but I won’t make this harder for her. Nina must have her reasons for keeping silent on the matter, and I will respect that.
“Is that how you ended up in Fort Wayne?”
“Yes. When Gary was elected to the Senate, it allowed him the ability to move out of Indianapolis. Mom thought a fresh start might be best for us.”
Bullshit. Belinda and Gary chose a small town far removed from the city, hoping to keep the gossip at bay and Nina in line.
Regardless, I can’t hate them for the move. It’s what brought Nina into my life. She was bubbly and warm. Not a girl who showed signs of the trauma I know she experienced.
A seasoned actress, forced to perform.
Nina licks her lips. “I think Gary chose Fort Wayne because he would have an excuse to be overnight in Indianapolis every week. Made it easy for him to continue his affair with our former neighbor.”
I bite my lower lip, shaking my head. Nina’s grandparents tried to get her out of there on multiple occasions. I remember her grandma showing up, telling Nina to pack a bag and that she was going to live with them.
Belinda had thrown a fit, and Gary had ordered her grandma away. That was the last time I ever saw the woman around. At the time, I’d been grateful for Gary. I didn’t want to lose my best friend.
I didn’t realize that going with her grandparents was best for Nina. I was just a kid, unwilling to part with the one person who understood me.
“Before we moved, I was warned to never speak of the baby. I knew the ramifications of talking.”
My eyebrows tilt inward as I try to unearth the meaning of those words.
“They had already run the Whalen family out of town, Alyssa, and if Gary’s reputation was spoiled due to the scandal, they wouldn’t stop there. They’d have ruined them. Ian wouldn’t have had a future.”
Nina kneads her chest as tears continue to stream down her face.
It’s clear that her feelings for Ian ran deep.
“What does any of this have to do with Richard? What did you see when you touched him?”
She sighs heavily. “I’ll get to that, but first, you need to understand why I married him in the first place.”
I sit back, because this is something I’ve often wondered about through the years.
When Nina met Richard, it was not love at first sight. He went out of his way to woo her, and eventually she caved and went on a date with him. But it always baffled me how he’d made her fall in love with him.
“I married Richard because he made it clear he was digging around, trying to find dirt on me. He was determined to trap me.”
My stomach drops, and bile rises up my throat.
How had I missed the signs?
At Nina’s wedding, she wasn’t the blushing bride, excited to rush down the aisle. I’d assumed all the champagne she attempted to guzzle was to calm her nerves, but if I’d paid closer attention…I’d have known.
