Page 11 of Ma Belle Marguerite (Hidden Secrets #1)

Isabella

T his man has got to be kidding me. I’m his? No man tells me what I can and cannot do! “Seriously, Rex, not happening. I suggest you watch what you say to me. I will choose, and you will deal with it.”

Taking a deep breath, I decide to keep going, and I may as well get it all out there now.

“Listen, I’m sure you had your fun and whatever else while I was gone.

I was heartbroken and found a way to make life bearable without you.

Adrien wasn’t just some random guy. I loved him.

He was there for me when I was falling apart because you weren’t around.

I refuse to apologize or feel guilty about that.

You’ll need to get over your shit. We are not back together. I have changed, and so have you.

“If I decide to give you another chance, it will be on my terms. You will agree, or I will continue my life without you. My children are number one now; the sooner you realize that, the better. No one can replace their father.”

I know I’m all over the place with my thoughts but it is just so much to process. I hoped for this moment for so long, but I can’t just act like nothing happened. I’m going to get a headache thinking about all of this. Why can’t my life just be simple?

Rex puts me out of my misery. “ Ma Belle Marguerite, I would never try to replace their father. I want to become a part of your life and theirs. I want to see how I can make up for all the lost years. If it takes starting as your friend, then that’s what I will do.

I would die for you, so don’t underestimate what I would do to make things right. ”

His face is filled with a look of determination, jaw clenched and narrowed eyes.

He really isn’t planning to back down from this discussion.

Looking into his eyes, I can see he means every word.

Why is this man so frustratingly perfect?

I want to kiss and smack him at the same time.

I don’t know how this will work, but I owe it to myself to try.

I can feel my heart slamming at the wall I built around it, trying to break it down.

There is just something about this man that is so hard to resist. I need to be careful.

I need to think of my kids, not just myself.

Standing up from my chair, getting ready to leave, I make a decision.

“I’ll be back tomorrow before my shift. I will consider what you said, and we can talk further then.

You need a shower, too, by the way.” I turn and rush away before he can say anything else.

If I linger, I’m scared he will be able to see past my feigned strength and break through.

I make it to my SUV without running into anyone—a small mercy after whatever that was just now.

I don’t even know where or how to start processing everything.

I will need proof of whatever letter he claims he got from me, that is for sure.

As much as I want to believe him, I just don’t know what is real anymore.

The last thirteen years of my life have been a lie.

I let myself have a quick cry and mini meltdown before pulling out of my parking spot. I don’t even know how I feel besides being overwhelmed. I will need a wine and whine session with my girls soon. Well, no, I need one now .

The drive home is quiet and quick, with only a few people up this late in a small town.

It’s so different from Stinson. Driving through town, you don’t see lines at clubs or drunk people staggering around.

The local bar is open, but only a few cars are parked outside.

I didn’t miss the drama associated with this place, but I did miss the tranquility of it.

The kids should be in bed, but they will most likely have guilted their Matante into letting them stay up late again.

At least it’s the weekend tomorrow. They have two more days until they start at their new school.

They already got to do a tour and meet some of their potential classmates.

I can’t wait until Sunday; I will have a day off to spend with them.

Pulling up to the house, I only see the faint light from the television in the living room window. So, when I enter the house, I try to be quiet, just in case they are asleep. As I suspected, Giselle and the twins are watching a movie in the living room. “Hey guys, what are you watching?”

“Mom!” Remi yells excitedly, almost spilling his bowl of popcorn in the process. “We’re watching Fast Five .”

Brielle looks at me with an eye roll, “He won rock, paper, scissors. I wanted to watch 50 First Dates.” Annoyance fills her voice, and I have to suppress a giggle and possibly annoy her more.

“I won fair and square!” Remi sticks his tongue out at his sister. They argue like they are still five years old, except they don’t pull hair and call each other ‘poopy heads.’

“Okay, brats, time for bed. You said you just wanted to stay up until your mom got home. Go brush your teeth and get ready for bed.” Giselle tells the twins. Waiting for them to leave, she looks at me and asks, "How was your shift? You look horrible.”

All I say is ‘Wine and Whine time,’ and immediately, Giselle is up and walking to the kitchen with her phone out.

Asking for this means something is really wrong, so she’s probably calling Camille to come over.

“I’m going to go make sure the kids are getting ready for bed,” I call out to her. All I get back is a thumbs-up.

The kids hear me coming up the stairs and come out of their rooms for their nightly hugs and kisses, something I hope they never grow out of. This is the innocence Rex and I had wanted for our family. Yet here I am back in the middle of this crazy world I call home.

Remi reaches me first. I squeeze him tight and kiss his forehead. “Goodnight, baby. Love you.” He’s always been my boy and can never get enough cuddles.

Brielle is impatient and pushes her way between us “Goodnight, Mom. Love you more.” Of course, she can’t be shown up by her brother.

“Hey, I was hugging Mom!” Remi pouts. “I love you the most, Mom.”

Shaking my head at their antics, I kiss Brielle on her cheek and say, "I love you both. Go get some sleep, please.” They take off running and arguing towards their rooms.

When I get downstairs, I hear Giselle and Camille talking in the kitchen. They look at me with curious gazes, like this is something big, as I enter the room. I guess my whole life has been something that calls for a girls night lately.

Camille looks from me to Giselle and back to me. I see the questions in her eyes. “Shall we take this to the living room and get comfortable?” she asks.

“Yes, just let me get a glass,” I reach for the cupboard that the glasses are in but Giselle’s voice stops me before I open the door.

“Already done. I got it ready while you put the kids to bed.” She wiggles a glass in my face as she slowly backs out of the kitchen towards the living room.

Sighing, I exaggerate an eye roll at both girls. I won’t live this one down for a while. I really need to do some grocery shopping, but Camille must have brought snacks. I grab them off the counter and head into the living room.

Once we get comfortable, Camille jumps right in. “So what’s going on? Do we need to murder someone? Need money? Running away? Spill the tea, biatch!” Dramatic as always.

“Settle down.” Looking at my wine, I take a deep breath and explain the last two days to them, from Rex being in an accident to finding out that he may not have even ghosted me all those years ago.

He could have been speaking the truth at the hospital, but I don’t want him to just be manipulating me to get what he wants.

The way he was raised was to be a ruthless leader so you never know.

“If he can prove to me that he isn’t lying about that letter I supposedly sent, then I don’t know if I will be able to hold a grudge.

I need to see it, thankfully he said he’ll get it to me.

I will still have so many questions. Like why did he just back down?

Why not come for me anyway? What are his plans for the future?

How will kids factor into that now? They are such a huge part of everything and I don’t want them to feel how we did growing up. ”

I know I sound crazy. Who doesn’t love the thrill of the unknown?

“I have a feeling that in the long or maybe short run I will cave, and that scares me, but it’s exciting at the same time.

So after we talked today, I instantly felt guilty and happy simultaneously.

I have so many mixed emotions, I don’t know where to start. ”

I want to start a new life here, but the kids need time to adjust to losing Adrien. They never knew we weren’t in love and just best friends making the best of what life threw at us, and that is the way we wanted it. They also don’t know Rex at all, which will be a whole other battle in itself.

Taking a deep breath, I finally look up, nervous to see disgust and who knows what else on their faces. Instead, when I look up, all I see is love and concern. That does me in, and I start crying.

Almost immediately, I’m wrapped in both their arms, and the ugly crying begins. They are patient and hold me until I’m hiccuping instead of crying. I don’t know what I did to deserve these two, but I’m so grateful.

“Are you good to talk now?” Camille asks me, concern lacing her voice.

Taking a deep breath, I nod. It’s now or never, and it needs to be now.

“First of all. You have been through so much the last six months and, quite frankly, your whole life. You’ve always been the strong one of us. Now, we will be the strong support that you need.” Camille has her serious face on.