OLIVER's POV
I couldn't decide what was worse at the moment. If it was Matty being here, or if it was that big mouth of his speaking up. He was grinning, looking all careless and happy, unaware of the fact he just said something that could possibly ruin everything. I knew it would catch up to me in the future, but it never even occurred to me it would happen in this kind of situation.
Slowly turning towards Victor, I could feel my face draining of any color, my eyes meeting with his. He was staring at me with this confident look, and it was driving me crazy. He knew something was up, and that was exactly what I didn't want.
"Kyle, can you take Matt to the back and give him some ice cream? I need a minute," I asked, ruffling my son's hair and putting him back down. Dealing with this was bad on its own, having Matt here would just complicate things unnecessarily.
"I got it. Sorry, Ollie." Kyle turned, waving his hand on my little angle. I was glad my brother had at least some consideration left in him. If he refused and decided to argue with Victor, I would snap at him. There was no space for acting like little kids now, and it was reassuring to see Kyle understood it as well.
"Come one Matt, there's some ice cream waiting for ya!" he said, smiling, but Matty had a different idea. He looked from Kyle to me, looking weirdly thoughtful, and smiled mischievously. In normal circumstance, I loved that smile. He always looked so cute I ended up doing or forgiving him whatever he decided to do, but it was a completely different case today. It meant trouble, a huge one at that.
"I'll have the ice cream here!" He started to run, and before I managed to catch him, his small legs too fast for me, he was over at the table where Victor was staring at him with huge uncertain eyes.
"Matt," I started, unintentionally using a much harder voice than ever before. This whole predicament was giving me a headache, and I hated the fact I was affected by it so much. Matthias didn't deserve such an attitude from me, he didn't do anything wrong.
This was all my fault.
I sighed, shaking my head when I saw my little monkey stop and look at me with wide eyes.
"Kyle, can you ask Mel to bring the ice cream here? This is getting ridiculously stupid," I mumbled, not leaving any space for argument as I turned and walked towards the two men that changed my entire life so much.
Seeing Victor and Matty next to each other, no one could deny their resemblance. If I wasn't reminded of it every day I woke up and saw the little guy, I would be too shocked to speak.
When Matthias was born, I was praying for him not to look like Vic. I wanted him to look like me, or like a mixture of us at the most, but as he kept on growing, I knew my wishes wouldn't be granted. He looked more and more like his father with each year, and there was nothing to be done about that. I came to terms with it after some time. There was nothing threatening me or him, and I always thought if Victor didn't appear right in front of us, no one would put two and two together. I simply kept on living without caring too much about it.
It was completely different now, though. They were there, next to each other, and it was suddenly too real to handle.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm down my trembling hands. This was too soon.
"Josh," I turned, looking at my fiancé with pleading eyes. I could see he was uncomfortable with everything happening around, and I felt horrible as I was about to make it even worse.
"I-"
He raised his hand, smiling softly.
"I get it. Don't worry about it. I'll go on ahead and prepare us something to eat, alright? Maybe we could take a hot bath after, hm?" he came over to me, kissing me on my forehead.
"You need to talk it out with the both of them. I understand." His eyes were shining with so many emotions it hurt, but this was the best option. I really needed to have an honest discussion with them. I might had imagined it being different, calmer and less abrupt, but not everything in life went the way we wanted to.
"Thank you. I'm sorry you have to be in the middle of this mess. I didn't expect it would happen so soon, if ever." I hugged him with all my might, hoping the nightmare would end as soon as possible.
All I wanted in the morning was for Josh to finally get home so we could spend time with each other. Looking at the situation now, I couldn't even believe something could go so wrong.
Letting go, he grinned down at me, caressing my cheek.
"Nah. You're worth it, so there's nothing to worry about." He smiled and went to say goodbye to Matty, my eyes following his broad back getting farther and farther away with each step.
It was hard, seeing him leave. But it was for the best with everything that was happening. Matty was here, and with Josh and Victor around, it could turn into something ugly.
Turning, I went straight for the table, looking at Alison with hard eyes. I didn't expect it to go so easily, but it was as if she could read my mind. She hopped up, smiling widely, and squeezed Vic's arm.
"I'll leave you to it. You have a lot to talk about, and with the angry boyfriend gone and this cute little angle here, I'm not needed anymore." Taking her purse, she looked at me with an expression I didn't understand, and left, leaving me alone with the two guys who looked more confused than me.
"Matty, sit down, Mel will bring you the ice cream in a minute." I smiled at him, waiting until he did just that, and taking one of the chairs for myself.
Victor was still staring at Matthias with eyes full of wonder and uncertainty, and I suddenly felt like the biggest asshole under the sun.
As much as I hated Victor, and as much as I thought he wouldn't be a good role model, he had a right to know he had a child. They both had a right to know there was someone related to them, and the guilt absorbing me from inside was starting to be too much to deal with. The speed of my opinion and sense of right and wrong changing was unbelievable. All it took was one look at Matt and Vic together, and I felt like a villain.
"One special ice cream from the loveliest person in the world!" Melanie's voice disturbed all of my thoughts, my eyes turning towards Kyle who was right behind her. He was standing there like a watchdog, his stance clearly stating his intentions. I could feel the hatred radiating from him, and that was something I didn't need at the moment.
"Kyle, I know this is too much to ask, but I need your help in the shop. Could you please help Mel and Charlie? You know how the register works, and I'm not sure how much time is this conversation going to take," I asked, hoping he would take the bait. He was the best brother in the world when it came to helping, and I was counting on it. I hated myself for using him this way and taking his caring attitude for granted, but I really needed to talk to Victor and Matthias alone. This was the only way to make him leave us alone.
And the guys could use some help too. I was sure he shouldn't have any problem with taking the money and giving the customers their receipts. It wasn't his first time here, after all.
When we first started, everything was too confusing and rush for us to manage, so Kyle came in on his days off to help around. It had been a long time since the last time, but things like this were hard to forget.
"Are you sure you don't need me to stay? I don't like this little gathering you have here." His eyes went straight towards Victor. He was staring him down so hard I thought his eyes would fall down for a second.
I was readying myself to answer, when Mel took his arm and dragged him away.
"I got it Oliver! I'll watch the big guy, so take as much time as you want. I'll bring you something to drink too. You shouldn't be high and dry in your own shop." She smiled, leaving and taking my brother with her. She was a real life saver sometimes.
Looking at Matt, I could see he was already devouring the ice cream, not caring a bit about his surroundings. He was always like this. Whenever he got something he wanted, he would get lost in it, not listening and paying attention to anything else. It was useful at situations like this, but it could be a problem in the future. Mum said he would grow out of it – that it was the same with me – but I still couldn't help but worry.
Shaking my head slightly while looking at him, I leaned back and closed my eyes for a moment. We would have to wait until he finished eating so we could talk, and I wasn't sure about what to do until then. Keeping quiet seemed like a good plan for starters.
"What was he talking about before? Since when are we old friends?" My short peaceful moment was interrupted by Victor's deep voice, my eyes snapping open.
I felt myself tense, my own mind yelling all kinds of swearing words at me. I kind of hoped he would forget about that tiny bit information, but as it seemed I wasn't so lucky.
Sitting up straight, I directed my eyes on the wall right behind him. How was I supposed to explain this without him misunderstanding? Was there even a chance to misunderstand? I myself didn't know what to think about it, and was confused as fuck, which just said how bad it actually was. However I thought about it, he would be right in whatever assumption he made. I was just too weak and refused to acknowledge it.
"I saw a photo of you with daddy!" Matty spoke up, his mouth full of ice cream. My eyes widened. Was he seriously listening to us right now?
"Don't speak with your mouth full, Matt," I scolded him, trying my hardest to avoid Victor's gaze.
I hated myself for keeping the photo. I didn't even understand why I did that, but I just couldn't force myself to throw it away. Which proved as a mistake when Matthias found it one day, and asked me who it was. I still cursed myself for it, but I told him the first thing that came up to my mind. And here we were, the stupid lie about him being my friend complicating everything.
It was our first photo – I'd even framed it, as stupid as it sounded. We were sitting on a couch, laughing to some stupid joke Nelson said, and he used that opportunity to take the photo. It was foolish. I remembered the moment as if it happened yesterday, and it was one of the memories I just couldn't get rid of even if I tried. We were happy at that moment. Our relationship was still too fresh to say if it would last, but we were happy. At that time, I wouldn't even consider him cheating on me. We were in love and that was all that mattered.
Looking at it now, I felt too embarrassed to say anything. It had been a long time since I actually saw the photo, but it was still in my house, and that was what was making this so wrong. I could blame it on my intention to show Matt the picture of his father one day, but that would be a lie. A lie that would make me feel even worse because it would make me a liar, someone, who I didn't want to be. Not any more than I already was anyway. Lying to my own child was wrong on so many levels that just acknowledging it hurt.
"But dad," he started, but I just looked at him, raising my eyebrows and waiting until he closed his mouth again.
"Finish the ice cream first, honey. Don't worry, we will have enough time to talk." I smiled, earning a cute smile and an energetic nod in return.
I looked back at Vic, who was still staring at me, and sighed.
"He found an old photo of us," I mumbled, not going into details.
"But that's beside the point. You wanted to meet him, and you did. Now, I didn't want this to happen so soon. I was ready to tell him, but not this early. I guess you have more luck than you deserve, but as I see it now, this is a great opportunity to lay all our cards on the table. I would much rather do this somewhere in private, but the sooner it's done, the better." I looked around, finding only five people in the shop, and they were all pretty far away from us, which was great. I wasn't really excited about my decision, but when I considered my options, this one was the only one that made sense. I didn't want to lie to Matt any more than I already did, so telling him was really the only thing I was left with. I wasn't sure how Matt would take the news, and even though it would probably be better to slowly prepare him for it, he wasn't the type to pout around and make a scene. I could only hope he would be the same as always even in this situation. Moreover, I already told him he didn't have a mommy but another dad, so at least that wasn't going to stand in the way of his understanding.
Just remembering our conversation on this topic made my head hurt a little. It was always hard to explain things like this to little children. I didn't really talk about the way he was created, that was just way too soon and someone could actually blame me for corrupting his innocent mind or something. But when he one day asked about his mum, I just couldn't lie to him and come up with some false story. That seemed too unfair.
Victor was staring at me, and it was clear he was at the loss of words. I could see he didn't know how to react or what to address first, and I was actually quite thankful for that. I guess he didn't expect me to break the news to our son right at this moment, and I was kind of happy I managed to surprise him.
Confusing him with talking too much, and about many things at once, was the only think I knew could work, and betting on it was a right move, especially considering such a serious matter.
We were sitting in silence for a while, the only sound being Matty eating the ice cream and Mel dropping by to give me and Victor a coffee with a piece of cake. I was surprised she actually knew Victor enjoyed sweet things based on the coffee she chose, but her nod towards Charlie told me otherwise.
I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Did he really?" I asked, not believing he would actually prepare a coffee for him. If anything, he should make something Vic hated. Like a bitter strong coffee without any milk or sugar. That would definitely made him pull a disgusted face.
"Told me he was doing it to calm the storm that was sure to come," she whispered, smiling gently and leaving me to my terrible fate.
Taking a sip of my double espresso, which I was thankful for as it was always a great helper in stressful situations for me, I watched Victor inspect his coffee and tasting the cream at the top. Charlie really outdid himself, and if it wouldn't be rude, I would go and congratulate him right this moment.
"Is it poisoned? I saw who made it, and I'm not sure I can drink this without fearing for my life," he mumbled, but took a spoon and tasted the cream.
"That's ridiculous, and you know it. I'm glad you realize you are not liked and deserve to be hated, though. That's a first." I nodded, taking one more sip before putting the cup down.
My ex looked at me as if asking if I was serious, but stayed quiet, finishing the cream in an instant, and drinking half of the coffee right after. He looked like he wanted to finish it all at once, but put the cup back down, looking at me with piercing eyes.
"So," he started, but was interrupted by Matt, who just finished his ice cream.
"I'm done!" he smiled, his whole face shining with happiness. He looked satisfied with himself, and it made me laugh.
"Was it too much?" I asked, chuckling when he shook his head rapidly, hair flying from side to side. It was getting long again, which signed it was probably a time to visit my parents. My mum was a great amateur hairdresser.
"If you say so." I shook my head, taking a bite from the cake, enjoying the soft structure and light sugary taste.
I knew I was stalling. Both of them kept on staring at me while I was eating, and it was clear Victor was ready for some answers, and Matty wanted to ask millions of question. Speaking of the letter one, I didn't want to even imagine how many question he would have after he found out who exactly the person next to him was. He would either shut up after being in too much of a shock, or he was going to torture us by speaking nonstop. I wasn't sure which option was better, but I was sure I was going to find out soon enough.
"Alright." I put the spoon down and looked from one to another.
"Matty, do you remember the time we talked about this man when you found the photo?" I asked, looking at my son with careful eyes. My heart was beating as fast as never before, and I could feel cold sweat breaking out on my back. I wasn't ready for this. There was no way I was ready to accept Victor back into my life, in whatever form, but I was doing exactly that by telling Matthias the truth. It was doomed to happen the moment I let the truth out of my mouth.
Matt looked at Victor, squinting a little, smile appearing on his lips.
"Yes! You told me it was an old friend from your school time. I'm making friends too!" He was swinging his legs playfully, looking so carefree it made me reconsider telling him for a moment. He was so innocent and honest. Just the imagination of ruining it made my heart squeeze.
This was a terrible idea.
I took a shaky breath, rubbing my hands together in attempts to calm down. Everything was too much all of a sudden, and if it wasn't for Matt being here, I would probably lose consciousness or something cliché like that.
"That's great honey. But I didn't tell you everything. I kept a little secret." I smiled, just barely keeping it together when I saw his shiny eyes widen.
Standing up, I came over to him and squatted down, placing my hand on his tiny thighs.
"Do you remember when you asked about your mum? Do you remember what I told you?" I asked, watching his face very carefully to see any indication for him to start panicking or getting confused.
"Yes. You told me I'm a special boy!" he grinned, his glowing aura making me chuckle a bit.
"Yes, that's definitely true. What else did I tell you about it?" I tried, hoping to get him remember it on his own. It would be less traumatizing, or at least I thought so.
Matthias fell silent for a moment, thinking really hard based on his expression. I didn't know if he would remember it or not, it happened several months ago, after all. But when his face lit up and he smiled, I knew his memory was in great condition despite him still being such a young child.
"You said I was special because I have two daddies. And you said I can't call Uncle Josh dad because he was not my dad!" I nodded, feeling relieved. Explaining everything from the beginning would be difficult.
"Exactly. Now, you know I said you couldn't meet your dad because he was far away, right?"
He nodded eagerly, his eyes getting unusually big. If I didn't know better, I would think he was actually figuring it out, but that was impossible.
"Matty," I said, hearing my heartbeat speed up again, my chest hurting under its pressure. I was feeling somehow lightheaded, and my hands started to shake terribly.
I had no idea how to say it. Everything would sound bad, and I was actually starting to freak out. Could Matt actually start hating me for it? He was still a child, but even children had feelings.
"Ugh," I sighed, looking him right into his beautiful eyes.
"Alright. You see," I directed my eyes at Victor, his expression hitting me like an iron fist when I saw the raw emotions all over his face. He was looking at me and Matt the same way he used to look at me all those years ago, and I was surprised by how much it affected me. I couldn't afford to think about it. This situation made me feel extremely vulnerable, and as much as I hated him, I didn't know what I would do if I kept on staring into his eyes right now. It was too dangerous.
Tearing my eyes away from his, I looked back at my son, but he was already facing Victor with curious and confused expression.
"Matthias," I whispered, and he looked back at me, mouth slightly opened.
"The mister next to you is not my old friend from school. It's your dad."
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To be honest, I feel like the chapter is unnecessarily long, but even after rereading it, I couldn't come up with a way to make it shorter. I hope it's not too boring or confusing!
Anyway, what do you think about it?
Was Ollie right to tell Matt the truth so soon, and in a coffee shop at that?
Was his way of saying it appropriate?
And what do you think will Matty's and Vic's reactions be?
Let me know what you think!