THE HONOURABLE MAN

Episode 31

There is silence for a while and it gets uncomfortable as they eat while stealing glances at each other. There is a lot they both want to know about each other. She is wondering where his wife and child are and what led him to being admitted at a Rehab centre. He wants to know what she has been doing with her life for the past six years, does she have any children, he hopes not. How long has she been with Remy and does she really love him the way that she loved him? Does she hate him for what happened in the past?

Soon as they put the dishes away and head back to the living room, she decides she can’t wait any longer to get the answers she wants, “why were you admitted in rehab?” she directly questions. He sighs not knowing where to begin, he starts from the beginning by telling her about his friendship with Janet and how he asked her to be his date to Dina’s wedding, how she got him drunk and then seduced him.

Kiana listens attentively and does not interrupt him as he carries on.

He tells her how he ended things with Janet only for her to show up months later to inform him she is pregnant with his child and she wants to have an abortion, he also lets her know that this happened the very day he was supposed to meet her parents over dinner to announce their engagement, that is why he had to cancel and soon break up with her.

“So you are saying you were not seeing both of us at the same time and you were not cheating on her with me?” He is sorry that he hurt Kiana by leaving her to think that way for all these years, he regrets not telling her the truth but he thanks God he now has a chance to tell her everything.

“Kiana I wasn’t dating her I never did and by the time I met you, you were the only woman in my life and I was completely faithful to you.” She doesn’t say anything, she waits for him to carry on.

He proceeds to tell her how he thought she deserved better than being a step mother and being hurt by seeing the man he loves raising a child with another woman. “I thought you deserved way better than being stuck in a love triangle, it was just going to be too complicated and torturous for you.” “That wasn’t your decision to make,” she snarls before she stands up and walks over to the window.

She turns her back on him, she cannot bring herself to look at him and she does not want him to see the pain written all over her face. She gazes out the window and watches on going activities outside hoping that will distract her and stop the tears that are threatening to fall.

Bryce soon stands up to follow her, he stands behind her and gently fondles her arms in an attempt to comfort her. “I know that now and I’m very sorry. Janet wanted to abort the baby and I thought marrying her would be the best thing to do to change her mind and save the baby’s life but I couldn’t go through with it. I let her move in with me but I couldn’t marry her, I just couldn’t see myself exchanging vows with anyone else besides you Barbie and I never even bought her an engagement ring, I just couldn’t.”

Upon hearing that, she turns around to face him she is relieved to hear that he never legally married and therefore he is not a divorcee.

“So you just moved in together and cohabitated?” “Yes, that’s exactly what we did, what Janet didn’t want was living alone and raising the baby as a single mother. To convince her to keep the baby I had to ask her to move in so we could raise the child together as a couple and give our child a stable loving home with both mom and dad under one roof.”

“So what happened to the perfect plan?” she smirks. “I caught Janet sleeping around with other men and I was stupid enough to forgive her for the sake of our son but she didn’t stop so I kicked her out and to retaliate she took my son away from me.”

Kiana is appalled as she wonders what kind of a monster this Janet is? Little does she know the story is about to get even nastier.

“Bryce why didn’t you take her to court to fight for custody of your son, if you could prove that she cheated on you and she was an unfit mother you would have won.”

“The child isn’t biologically mine, she proved it to me by showing me the paternity results and the worst part is the results were dated five years ago and my DNA was not even tested.” He pauses and takes her hand to lead her back to the couch so she can sit down before he continues.

“The test was between two men Marty and Troy this is because she knew she was pregnant before she slept with me, she planned the entire thing. Getting me drunk, seducing me and making me believe the baby was mine.” “What! Are you kidding me?”

Kiana begins to think this is some far-fetched sob story that he is making up to gain her sympathy but he doesn’t blame her, he never expected her to believe him.

He excuses himself as he climbs up the stairs heading to his bedroom to search for the documents that will prove he is telling the truth. He hands her two documents, one which Janet gave him showing a positive test between Sam and Troy and then the second document showing negative results between him and Sam.

He had somehow convinced himself that Janet was lying and the results she gave him were fake hence he took his DNA sample and Sam’s tooth brush to the lab to get a test done.

Kiana is boggled and revolted as she reads the paternity results, she now believes everything he told her is true and she cannot help feeling pity for Bryce.

She cannot imagine how much pain he has suffered, she reaches out for his hand and takes it into hers and she gently pats it. Bryce carries on with his story.

“I lost myself Kiana, what hurt me the most is the fact that I broke your heart and let you go for nothing, now I know I made a wrong decision by not telling you the truth. I keep thinking if only I had told you everything maybe things would have turned out differently, maybe you would have talked me into having a paternity test and I wouldn’t have spent five years caring for a child that is not mine or wasted six years of my life on that lying witch. Most importantly I wouldn’t have broken your heart and I wouldn’t have lost you and what we had.”

He adoringly and desirously gazes at her very much tempted to cup her face in his hands and kiss her passionately. Kiana doesn’t say anything, she is at a loss for words but she feels his pain she leans forward and hugs him.

“The pain and the regrets were too much for me to handle I started drinking, smoking drugs and showing up late for work and I eventually got fired. Pete had to sedate me to get me to the rehab centre. I probably would have ended up committing suicide if he hadn’t done that.”

“Oh my gosh Bryce, you have been through too much pain It’s no surprise you ended up in rehab and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. I’m glad you are better now, come here,” she once again pulls him into her arms and embraces him and he is moved by her genuine empathy.

He wasn’t expecting her sympathy at all and he doesn’t think he deserves it not after what he did to her. As they embrace he smells the beautiful scent of her cologne and feels the warmth of her skin and the tenderness of her breasts as she holds him.

“Kiana will you please forgive me for breaking your heart and not telling you the truth, I guess I just thought if you hated me you would get over me soon and not keep on hurting.” “It’s okay Bryce, I understand why you made the mistake that you did. I was young back then I assume you probably thought I wasn’t mature enough to handle a complicated relationship.”

“Wow! You are amazing, do you know that? I honestly did not expect you to be so understanding and forgiving.” “Bryce forgiveness is not for the benefit of the person who wrongs the other but for the one who has been wronged so they can heal and let go of the unhealthy bitterness in their heart. And how can I not forgive you for what you unintentionally did to me when someone has intentionally hurt you like this?” She stares at him, her eyes gleaming with sympathy.