Copyright © 2019 Nicole Mckoy
Caleb P.O.V.
After a night of drinking and feeling sorry for myself I decided to go to a meeting the next morning.
I almost did coke last night.
Courtney had it right there for me and I could have took it. But I didn't.
Instead I let her give me head when I should have said no to that too.
In the moment if felt good but it didn't make me feel better over all. I still felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest.
Zoey and I are really over. She's really having Stewart's baby and I have to accept that we weren't meant to be.
I sat in the back of the meeting listening to people tell their stories. Olivia wasn't here today and it kind of sucked not having her here.
After my meeting I went to the gym to work out and tried to clear my mind.
All I could think about was Zoey and her baby and I hated that.
I know it's going to take me time to move on from her but I wondered how long it would actually take. I don't know how much more of this heartache I can take in a sober state.
Zoey P.O.V.
I was at the office working even though Jasmine was out of town for the next few days with her family.
It must be nice to own your own business and have a rich husband. She can just pick up and go on a family vacation whenever she feels like it.
Here I was just trying to figure out how I was going to survive a pregnancy with Stewart.
After he hit me and I kicked him out of my apartment he had texted me all night apologizing.
Saying he loves me and didn't mean to hurt me. Saying he lost his temper and regretted his actions.
I didn't respond to a single message.
I sat at my desk typing up an email when someone walked through the front door.
I looked up because I heard the door open.
I saw Stewart walk in and immediately I grabbed my cell phone off my desk.
I stood up and he walked in holding flowers.
"I will call the police Stewart! What are you doing here?" I shouted.
"I come in peace. I brought you flowers," he said as he approached me.
"I don't want them!" I said angrily.
"Now Zoey don't be like that. I apologized multiple times for what happened yesterday," Stewart said.
"What happen yesterday was you hit me! Say it Stewart! Admit what you did," I shouted.
Stewart sat the flowers on my desk and took a step towards me.
I took a step back and he grabbed my wrist pulling me up against his body.
"Stop it let go! Don't you dare touch me!" I shouted trying to get out of his hold.
"Zoey I was upset by what you said. Do you not understand how it was hurtful hearing the words you said to me?" Stewart asked.
"All I said was I didn't love you! I don't love Caleb either if it makes you feel any better! Stewart I don't know what love is! So I can't tell a man I love him when I don't know what that feels like," I clarified.
"Zoey I can show you what love is. I can help you realize you love me. Baby I'm sorry I hit you. I didn't mean it," Stewart said as he caressed my cheek the way he use to.
Stewart moved his hand back and slid his fingers into my hair. He massaged my scalp and pressed his body into mine.
"I love you. I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you. I promise," he whispered.
"Stewart did you ever hit her?" I asked not falling for this shit.
"Hit who baby?" Stewart asked as he tried to lean down and nuzzle my neck.
"Kyla? Did you ever hit her?" I asked.
Stewart gripped my hair tight and pulled my head back.
"No! Why would you even ask me something like that?" he said tensely.
"You sure? You never fought with her and got rough with her?" I pushed.
"What the hell is this? No I didn't hit her! I loved her Zoey don't be stupid!" Stewart said furiously as he pushed me away like I disgusted him.
"Well you say you love me then you backhand me the next second," I said.
"I said sorry for that! Besides Caleb hit you too and you didn't react this way!" Stewart argued.
"So Caleb snorts coke you gonna snort it too?" I countered?
"Hell no! I ain't no junkie!" Stewart said defensively.
"Well alright then! Caleb was going through withdrawals! He shoved me! You just got angry and hit me purposely to put me in check. What you did was wrong Stewart and I will not tolerate it," I said stating the difference.
"Zoey that's not the man I am. I just snapped alright! I didn't mean it! I really didn't so can we please just drop it and move on.... For our baby's sake?" he said as he touched my stomach.
I pushed his hands away and moved around my desk.
"I have work to do. Thanks for the flowers and apology I guess... you can show yourself out," I said coldly.
"Zoey-"
"I said I have work to do Stewart! Leave me alone!" I said sternly.
"Zoey don't be so cold towards me? Baby tell me what to do to fix this," Stewart said as he turned my chair to face him.
He bent down in front of me as he rested his hands on my knees.
"Never has a man hit me like that before Stewart. You scared me... I don't want to fear the man I have to raise a child with," I said being honest as a tear ran down my cheek.
Stewart reached up and wiped my tear away.
"Zoey I promise you I will never raise a hand to you again. I promise you that is not the man I am or ever will be with you or our child," Stewart said.
"I want to trust that but your actins have shown me different Stewart. Just look at the way you beat up Caleb," I said.
"Why the hell do you keep bringing him up! He deserved to get his ass beat!" Stewart said getting agitated.
"Why? Was it to defend my honor or to get payback on Caleb for the death of your college girlfriend?" I questioned.
"Zoey he's a fucked up person! Like I said he's killed before and I was just making sure he-"
"I think we should talk about that. He didn't want me to tell you but now that we're having this baby together I think I should," I said.
"Tell me what?" he asked.
If Stewart and I had any chance of having a good co-parenting relationship moving forward I needed him to let go of this anger towards Caleb. It's eating him up inside and making him a different person. I don't want him to be so aggressive especially when a baby is about to be involved.
He was acting nothing like the man I fell for in Paris.
"Caleb didn't kill Kyla," I said.
"Zoey yes he did! He pushed her off a balcony and she died on impact, I told you that!" Stewart said.
"And I'm telling you it wasn't him," I said.
"It was him! I saw him!" Stewart said.
"You saw him what? Push her... or did you see him standing on the balcony she fell from?" I asked.
"I know he did it!" Stewart said.
"No you just jumped to the conclusion that he did it because he was there right at the scene of the crime. But Stewart he didn't push Kyla that night..." I said.
"If he didn't do it then who did?" Stewart asked.
"It was Courtney. You sister pushed her off that balcony. Your sister is the reason Kyla died that night not Caleb," I said.
Stewart got an offended look on his face as he stood up.
"Who told you this Caleb?" Stewart asked.
"Before you get mad just hear me out. Caleb told me everything he told me how Courtney was pissed that you and Kyla were secretly dating. Then she caught Kyla in a room talking to Caleb and got jealous. They argued and Courtney was pissed and pushed her by accident. Caleb took the blame for Courtney and your father helped cover it all up. Stewart your father knew you and Kyla were involved because Courtney confessed her actions to him. You father was more than willing to cover up your sister's involvement in the death of a black girl," I explained.
"He's lying! Everything he told you was a lie! Kyla and Courtney were best friends! My father treated Kyla like a daughter! He was friends with Kyla's dad! He wouldn't help cover something like that up and Courtney wouldn't do anything like what you're saying! Caleb's done nothing but lie his junkie ass off!" Stewart said not believing a word I said.
"Stewart if you don't believe this go confront your sister and ask her yourself," I reasoned.
"I'm not asking Courtney about something that hurt her just as bad as it hurt me! Yeah Courtney wasn't happy to know that Kyla and I had been keeping the secret of our relationship from her. But she was devastated that night Kyla died! She couldn't even go to the funeral she was so broken up! Zoey I don't know how Caleb got you to believe his lies but trust me they are lies! My father has his ways but he's a stand up man at the end of the day. As for my sister, she is a lot of things but she'd never kill her best friend and have it covered up!" Stewart said defending his family name.
It was clear Stewart wanted to keep his head in the sand about all this.
It was easier for him to keep the blame on Caleb than to even acknowledge that his sister might have done this even if it was an accident on her part.
I thought telling Stewart could help with his anger problem. But it seemed he wanted to stay in denial of what really happened the night Kyla died.