Chapter 106
D A N T E
I didn’t sleep last night not even for a minute.
I sat in my home office in the dark feeling the emotions dawn on me. Everything is so fucked up, everything was perfect and now it is all ruined.
I fucking ruined it.
I should have told her about Melissa. I shouldn’t have hidden it from her right from day one.
Melissa, my ex-wife, she was not supposed to be here, she was not supposed to walk back into my life not now, not when I finally had Ariana back.
Not when my family was whole.
Flashback
But she did, she walked into my office yesterday.
She looked the same.
Beautiful.
Composed.
And confident.
One of the qualities I saw in her that attracted me.
“Dante,” she said.
“Melissa,” I said. I was shocked. “What are you doing here p>
“We need to talk,” she said. “It’s important p>
I was impatient. I was thinking about Ariana about her walking in on us. I also had a meeting with her soon. “Make it quick please, you’re not suppose to be here… I thought I made that point very clear”
She took a deep breath. “Do you remember? Five years ago, after Ariana left you. We met at the bar p>
I remembered I was broken after Ariana was gone, thinking she betrayed me. I was angry and lost.
“We talked,” Melissa said. “And things… got intense. It only happened a couple of times and you know that, after that night, we still met a week later before you ended it. You said you couldn’t do it, you were still in love with her after everything she did to you p>
“Yes,” I said my voice hard. “I remember Why are you bringing this up now Melissa? Please everything was all a misunderstanding and we were never suppose to happen but we did and we both agree that we would move on with our p>
She looked me right in the eyes, cutting me off before I could finish. “I was pregnant, Dante p>
The world stopped.
“What?” I whispered.
“I was pregnant,” she repeated. “I didn’t tell you I was angry that you ended things so I left. I had the bab we have a son, Dante. His name is Leo. He is five years old p>
I couldn’t breathe.
A son.
Another son.
I felt like the floor had disappeared from under me as I stumbled back, but she reached out to steady me, hugging me tight as she broke into tears, burying her neck in my chest and that was the moment Ariana walked in and saw Melissa holding me.
It looked like a hug, a loving hug, but it wasn’t. It was my world falling apart.
And now Ariana is gone, she fucking ran away with Angelo of all people. Angelo!
I am so angry and scared. I love Ariana. I don’t want to lose her, not again.
I can’t.
I stood up and swept everything off my desk—the papers, my computer, everything—crashed to the floor as I yelled a raw angry sound.
“Fuck p>
Just then the door opened and Marcus walked in, staring at the mess on the floor, then he looked at me.
“Dante,” he said. “What the hell is going on?” The whole office is talking. I heard they saw Ariana run out crying and they saw you chasing her p>
I sank back into my chair as I put my head in my hands.
“Marcus,” I said, my voice broken. “I have fucked up. I have fucked everything up p>
“Tell me,” he said, sitting down in the chair across from me.
“It’s Melissa,” I said. “She came here yesterday p>
“Melissa? Your ex-wife? Why p>
I told him everything. I told him about the bar five years ago about the two times. I told him how I ended it because it felt wrong because I was still in love with a Ariana.
“She told me we have a son Marcus a five-year-old boy named Leo p>
Marcus stared at me, his mouth was open. “Holy shit Dante. Are you serious p>
“Yes! I have another son I knew nothing about and Ariana walked in right when Melissa was telling me she saw us holding each other! It looked… it looked bad Marcus. It looked like I was betraying her p>
“Well were you?” Marcus asked his voice blunt.
“No!” I shouted, standing up again. “No! I love Ariana. I would never do that. I have always loved Ariana. Melissa was a mistake! A stupid weak moment after my heart was broken I don’t love her, I don’t even want her, but now I have a child with her, a fucking child p>
I started pacing. “And Ariana, she left with Angelo, her fucking Ex too. Why would she go with him? Why p>
“Because she’s hurt Dante!” Marcus said, standing up to face me. “She saw you with another woman and God forbid she finds out she’s your ex wife what do you think she would do p>
“I don’t know but not that Never that!” I ran my hands through my hair. “I have to find her. I have to explain p>
“Explain what?” Marcus asked. “How do you explain a secret five-year-old son Dante? That’s not something you just explain away p>
“I have to try!” I yelled, my frustration boiling over. “I can’t lose her, Marcus! I just got her back! The kids… my kids… they need her. I need her. I love her p>
My voice broke. “I love her so much and now she thinks I am a cheater. She probably thinks I am like Angelo. I may be even worst… I was stupid, one mistake I made five years ago and it is going to cost me everything p>
I looked at my friend feeling completely hopeless. “What do I do Marcus? How do I fix this p>
Marcus was quiet for a long time, moving his stare to the mess on the floor, then looked back at me.
“I don’t know Dante,” he said softly. “I really don’t know but you need to tell her the truth before she hears it from somebody else”