Someone New

Chapter Twenty

Misha groans. "Vanessa, shut up. You're trying to start more drama, and quite honestly, we've had enough of that tonight."

I watch the two of them interact warily. If what Vanessa is saying is true, does that mean that Michael is actually Misha's son? Misha and Vanessa broke up somewhere around three years ago, since that's around the time Kira died. Assuming the pregnancy was around nine months, then a baby would be... Michael's age. Almost two years old. But if Misha has a son, why wouldn't he tell me? The only explanation I can think of is maybe if he just recently found out. Maybe even sometime close to Christmas. Sometime like last Saturday, when Vanessa showed up and Misha started acting crazy.

"You just found out, didn't you?" I ask him.

His eyes widen and he shakes his head. "No, Lex. I mean, yeah, she just told me last week, but that's not... what I mean is, I'm not Michael's dad."

A huge sense of relief washes over me. "You're not?"

"No," he declares, shooting Vanessa a look that could kill. "This is part of what I wanted to talk to you about. When Vanessa came over last week, it was to tell me that she thought I was his dad, and that it would be really nice to be able to give him a daddy for Christmas. It really freaked me out, so I called in a favor with a buddy of mine at the hospital, and we went and did a paternity test that afternoon. I didn't get the results until the day after Christmas."

"Why didn't you tell me any of this?" I interrupt. Everything is starting to make more sense, but my feelings are still wounded from the way he completely shut me out.

"Because I was afraid." He hangs his head. "Lexi, how am I supposed to be there for you, and be everything you need, if all of the sudden a kid needs me, too? How do I even explain that? 'Oh, Lex, by the way, meet the kid I didn't know I share with an ex-girlfriend. Isn't he cute?' I couldn't force that on you."

"Okay, this is great and sweet and whatever, but I'm cold and this is going nowhere," Vanessa interjects. "Mish, baby, we can still be a family. Michael adores you, and so do I."

Misha shoots her a withering glare. "Vanessa, seriously. Stop. You left me, and I have no time to pretend that we would ever work out."

She sticks her bottom lip out in a pout. "Misha, I only left you because you were in such a bad place. I swear, if I had known it wasn't that big of a deal, I would never have left your side. I never stopped loving you!"

"Not that big of a deal?" Misha starts laughing and stands to face her. "Do you even hear yourself? The death of my sister is a huge deal. You know, she always told me you were selfish, and I never listed. I am honestly so glad you left me. It was the best thing you ever could have done for either of us."

"But I love you!" she whines.

"No, you don't. You love yourself. If you really loved me, you wouldn't have immediately gone and slept with some other guy. Now please get the hell out of my face, and leave me alone."

I stare with my jaw practically grazing the floor as Vanessa's face scrunches up, first in disbelief, then in anger as she processes Misha's response. Her hand stretches out, then firmly slaps Misha across the face. Vanessa then stalks away, slamming the large wooden door behind her.

"Misha," I gasp. "Are you okay?" I stand and hesitantly reach out to touch the angry red welt forming on his cheek. He stands stoically, not reaching up to nurse the wound, but rather staring into my eyes as I caress the side of his face.

He takes a deep breath, then asks, "Is it just me, or is this wedding more violent than most?"

I dissolve into a fit of giggles, and he clasps his hand over mine, pressing it to his face, and then his lips. "There's that smile," he says encouragingly, causing me to blush.