Page 58 of Something Reckless

ALBA

T here’s a sparkly welcome banner stretched across the lobby wall. Trays of cookies and pretty cupcakes sit on long tables. Giggly little children run around, weaving between the chatting adults at the end of tonight’s service.

The scene takes me back to my own younger years. Easton and I spent so many hours volunteering at the old church. It was all built on a lie.

I won’t stand back and allow Christopher to build yet another lie from the ground up.

Emmeline greets the members of her new church as she makes her way down the center aisle from the altar. When she catches sight of Easton and me standing at the back of the small chapel, the widest smile breaks out across her face.

She waddles quickly in our direction. “Alba! I’m so happy you made it!” She grasps my hands as her eyes move to Easton. “And you brought the hometown hero, too? How lucky are we!”

I feel a pinch in my chest. Emmeline seems like a nice enough person. I genuinely feel bad over what I’m about to do. But it’s time for the truth to be out in the open.

I lower my voice. “Emmeline, we need to talk. In private.”

Her eyebrows instantly draw down and she splays a protective hand over her baby bump. “Oh…?” She glances around and when she spots her husband she waves him over. “Um…there’s Christopher.”

The man’s eyes sharpen with suspicion as he walks quickly in our direction, assessing the situation with each step.

“Honey, look who joined us tonight.” Emmeline tries to maintain her pleasant expression. But her nervousness hangs in the air like a scent. It’s like she knows. That’s a woman’s intuition for you.

Christopher gives a brief nod. “Nice to see you both,” he says to Easton and me as he tries to usher his wife away. “But do excuse us. We need to make sure and greet every one of our churchgoers who showed up for our inaugural service tonight. I hope you understand.”

“Not so fast,” Easton steps forward, blocking Christopher’s path. “We were just about to have a conversation with your wife. You might want to join us.”

“Or we could just talk to Emmeline without you. If you’re so ‘busy’.” Making air-quotes with my fingers, I give a cutesy shrug.

Christopher’s skin turns an angry shade of red. He glares at me, his grip tightening on Emmeline’s shoulders. “We are busy. Whatever it is, it can wait.”

“It’s about Raya Anderson,” Easton says, and all the blood drains from Christopher’s face. I watch the way his fingers turn white on his wife’s shoulders.

Emmeline wiggles her upper body, freeing herself from Christopher’s death grip. “Honey, what’s going on here?” Her voice trembles as she stares at her husband. Yet somehow, she keeps on smiling for the benefit of her churchgoers.

The man pauses for a second, like he’s weighing his options. Then he hisses through gritted teeth. “Follow me.” When Emmeline tries to join us, Christopher shakes his head at her. “Not you. You don’t need to be a part of this.”

Her eyes bounce between Easton and me. Then she says, “I think I do.”

Christopher’s gaze sweeps the lobby of the small building that now serves as a church. Around us, his new congregation obliviously mills about. He quickly seems to decide that it’s best not to make a scene.

On a begrudging growl, he turns and leads the way.

The four of us walk down a short hallway to an office.

The room is small and the carpet is cheap, but there’s a huge mahogany desk and an expensive-looking executive chair in the middle.

Pictures of Christopher shaking hands with important-looking people cover the walls.

There’s not a single photo of his family in sight.

Self-important prick.

“What is this about?” Emmeline asks, a hint of worry in her voice as she gently closes the door.

“It’s about my sister, Raya.” Turning to face her, I dig the toe of my shoe into the carpet. I hesitate. “She says that Christopher is the father of her eight-year-old son, Jagger.”

Emmeline’s knees instantly buckle. Easton manages to catch her before she lands on the ground. I pull a chair in her direction and Easton maneuvers her into the seat while Christopher tries to save his own ass.

“That’s ludicrous. That’s a lie!” he shouts. “Emmeline, I have no idea what these people are talking about. ”

“So were you or were you not sleeping with my sister nine years ago?” I demand. “While you and I were dating, I might add.”

Emmeline’s eyes are wide and watery. “Christopher, is all of this true?”

“That’s an insulting question. This whole conversation is insulting. Defamatory, even. An attack on my character. I’m not going to answer it.” He stomps his foot.

Easton rolls his eyes. “A simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ is all we’re looking for, bro.”

I bring my gaze to Emmeline, trying to speak as gently as I can despite the anger brimming inside me.

“I didn’t know any of this until last night,” I begin.

“Raya claims that she and Christopher were sneaking around behind my back. I’m guessing that when she told him she was pregnant with Jagger, he wanted nothing to do with the situation.

So she never admitted that he was the father.

Instead, she told me that it was Easton’s baby.

” I sigh. “She figured that since he had left town to go play hockey, I’d never be able to verify the truth.

But now, Easton is back and Raya’s entire lie has fallen apart. ”

Each word tastes like bile on my tongue as I utter it. I’m so disgusted that Christopher not only cheated on me with my sister—while knowing I was saving my virginity for him, by the way—but he then dumped me while watching me break my back to care for his very own son.

I know a lot of shitty people in my life and he is definitely among the worst of them.

“You knew all this, Chris?” Emmeline’s voice shakes as she leers across the room at her husband. “All these years, you knew that little boy was your child and you never said anything? ”

“Raya Anderson is a liar,” Christopher accuses with a stomp of his foot.

Emmeline shakes her head. “Well, a simple paternity test should be able to put the issue to rest.”

“They can’t force me!” Christopher protests, folding his arms over his chest like a spoiled child. He turns to Easton and me. “You can’t force me!”

Emmeline slowly rises from her chair, her eyes containing more fire than I’ve ever seen in her before.

Her voice shakes the room. “If you have any desire to save this marriage, they won’t have to force you.”

Christopher visibly shivers. “Emmeline, what are you saying?”

She repeats herself slowly. “If you want to…save…this…marriage, you will do the right thing, Christopher.” She turns to Easton and me, putting on a congenial smile despite the tears in her eyes.

Spine straight, with a protective hand bracing her stomach, she wobbles toward the door.

“If you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to my congregation. Have a wonderful evening.”

My chest swells with pride as I watch her stomp away.

Go, Mama Bear .