Breaking Bailey (Now on Radish)

Chapter 11

I sat in Teddy's apartment, holding my niece as my sister showered. She decided to name the baby after my mom and me: Lillian Christine Nova. The two most important and inspiring women in her life. Teddy came home two days ago from the hospital and she couldn't have been happier. She asked me to move in to the apartment with her until she got settled, but in truth, she did it because I was depressed. I hadn't left Dad's house since we left Boston. Part of my motives were so the press would not attack me, the other reason was because I thought I would see something that reminded me of Seth.

In the three months that I lived at home, everything came out into the open. Starting with the truth about my mom. Well, for both me and Cal. As soon as we arrived home, Dad and Christine sat me down in the living room. They told me their love story, how they met, how Calvin came about. They told me how Natasha swept their love affair under the rug and had a hurry-up wedding with Dad. They told me about the arrangement with Natasha, how Dad and Natasha would divorce as soon as the last child turned eighteen. Dad and Christine told me how they kept their love strong for thirty years. They told me how they begged Cal to keep quiet about this secret when he turned eighteen. They told me how I was their happy accident, how they fought Natasha for the divorce and custody of me. I can't say I wasn't shocked by all of this. Christine was more of a mother to the five of us than Natasha ever was.

I took the cake in shocking information. I first told them about where I went since leaving home, starting with Nana Judy and ending with the Matthews. I told them that I wanted them to become our family friends because they treated me like family. Dad and Christine agreed with me, and would probably end up inviting them over to the apartment soon. When I told them I married Seth, the boy who wasn't there at lunch, everything changed. Dad's eyes nearly popped out of his head, and I knew why. I was his baby girl and I denied him his fatherly duty to walk me down the aisle.

Telling them about the divorce was worse.

"What do you mean he's divorcing you?" Calvin roared, storming into the center of the living room. My siblings and Sophia followed in after him, taking seats around the room. "You've been married for three days!"

"I lied to him, Calvin!" I exclaimed, tears coming to my eyes. "I married him under false pretenses, and even if I could convince him that I love him, he would never take me back. I hurt him, his pride is wounded. Besides, I doubt he'd ever talk to me again." Christine stood and sat next to me, pulling me into her lap.

"What do you mean, Bailey?" She asked, stroking my hair.

"He thinks that I used him. When the paparazzi bombarded us, he had already made up his mind on what he was going to do. He didn't want anything to do with me and no matter what I said, I was never going to change his mind." I whispered, wiping away rebellious tears. Christine held me closer, kissing away the tears on my cheeks.

"Then he never deserved you in the first place." Christine said, holding me tighter.

"Please tell me you're not thinking about him, again." Teddy stated, coming into the living room, fully dressed with a wet head. "He's not worth the heartache. Besides, Joe's coming by, again. He's sweet on you."

"You sound like Nana." I mumbled, kissing Lillian's head.

"Good, you listened to Nana more than you listened to Dad." Teddy said, sitting beside me. "I know you signed the papers. How are you feeling?"

"Like my heart's been ripped in two. But it's for the best." I whispered, handing my niece to Teddy. "It's not like I have anything to offer him anymore."

"If that bastard had any sense in his pea-sized brain, he would have realized that you had everything to offer him. Your loyalty, your heart, your devotion—"