(Bradga; RPF) Affair of the Heart

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

After having been told by the doctors that they would not begin to wake Stefani for several days, Bradley had been convinced by his mother to go home so he could eat, sleep, shower and spend some time with Lea before he collapsed in exhaustion. After having a trusted friend get his motorcycle from Stefani's for him, he headed home.

"I thought you'd still be with her," Irina said when he entered the livingroom.

Bradley knew she was going to be angry, and if he was honest with himself, she had every right to her anger. He tossed his keys don and ran his hands over his stubbled face and through his messy hair.

He looked around. "Where's Lea?"

"She's taking a nap," Irina told him as he walked towards her and sat down next to her on the couch.

"I don't know what to say to you," Bradley finally managed. "I'm..."

"When did it start between you and her?" Irina wanted to know.

Bradley looked over at her. "Iri, I don't think..."

"No!" she screamed. "I deserve answers from you. How long has this been going on?"

With a deep sigh, he began. "Since...I guess since I met her. We had this...this connection and..."

"When did you start sleeping with her, Brad?" she demanded. "I know all about your connection. I want to know when you decided to fuck her."

Trying desperately to control his own rising Italian temper, he took a deep breath before he spoke again.

"I know you're angry and hurt," he began. "So, I'll forgive your crude language. If you really want to know the answer, it was Venice. Stef and I..."

"Are you even sorry?" she asked him. "Are you sorry you slept with someone else? Are you sorry you got her preg...pregnant? Are you sorry for any of it?"

All Bradley could do was hang his head. He wasn't sorry for anything related to Stefani and their relationship. How could he be?

When he looked up, he saw her tears and the first twinges of guilt weaved their way into his heart.

He reached over and took her hand in his. "I'm sorry I...I'm sorry this hurts you. I never wanted to hurt you. That was the last thing I wanted to do. But, I never expected to meet someone else and..."

When he stopped, she met his eyes, pulling her hand from his. "You say her name in your sleep. Did you know that? You call for her, like she's gone, and you are searching for her. You even...do you love her, Bradley? Are you in love with her?"

"Yes," he answered softly. "Yes, I'm...I'm very much in love with her."

Irina nodded slowly. "Do you...did you ever love me?"

"Irina, of course I loved you," he told her. "But, I...things change, you know. We weren't together for very long when we found out you were pregnant and before that...we've been together so long now with Lea being the only thing between us. You can't tell me that you've been happy this whole time."

Fresh tears on her cheeks, she nodded. "I know...we've been so far apart. But that's because of you...because of your stupid movie and because of...of her."

"Don't blame the problems between us on Stef," he warned her. "She doesn't have anything to do with the issues between us."

Irina stood then, waving her hands around. "Of course, it has to do with her. You have a family! She knew that and still she...what do I even say? She spread her legs for you the moment the opportunity..."

"Knock it off, Irina!" he scolded her like a child. "Stefani didn't make a move on me. It was the other way around. I wanted her from nearly the...the first moment I met her. So don't you dare try and pin any of this on her. You want to be angry at someone, fine. But it should be me."

"What are you here?" she suddenly questioned. "Your movie is a huge success. You're in love with her. She's carrying your...your baby. Why are you here?"

He sighed deeply as he stood. "I came home to have some food, take a shower and nap before I go back to the hospital. Stef's parents are coming and...look, I know this is hard and we need to talk about...about Lea and...but I can't right now. I'm sorry, but I need to be there for Stefani."

"What do you mean we need to talk about Lea?" she asked suspiciously. "What do we need to talk about?"

"Custody," he nearly choked on the word. "We have to work out a schedule and so many other things, but..."

"You want Lea with you, don't you?" she asked of him; her mother's words about him, Stefani, Lea and their child being a family ringing in her ears.

"Yeah, of course I do," he said. "That's why we'll need to discuss everything related to our daughter."

She watched then as he climbed the stairs and headed and disappeared into what used to be their bedroom. She certainly wouldn't be sharing a bed with him any longer, not when he'd admitted to being in love with another woman and having gotten said woman pregnant.

Her only concern now was her daughter. She picked up her phone and quickly dialed her mother.

"Mama, book those tickets to New York," she told her. "I think Lea and I will come with you after all,"

Upstairs, Bradley was in the shower thinking about Stefani and imagining their life together with their little one and Lea.