Chapter 76
The waitress had taken their orders and now they were waiting. Talk so far had been mostly about Chelsea’s education but now it was about to change.
“Chelsea, everything I did concerning you and that night was wrong. You came to me for support and I turned my back on you.” Major Whitlock reached out to take his daughter’s hand. “I was so scared for you, especially when you told me you weren’t going to tell the father…that you wanted to have the baby on your own.”
“Do you know why I didn’t want to tell Kevin?”
“Not exactly.”
“I knew what Kevin would have done…we would have gotten married and it would have been a good marriage abut I didn’t want that. I wanted Kevin to choose me because he loved me….not because he felt an obligation to me. All he had to do was say that he wanted me in his life forever…or at least try to make a relationship work…and I would have told him about Annie.”
“But he does love you.”
“Yeah, he does but neither one of us is IN love with each other, Daddy. You didn’t want me to lose my dreams, well, Kevin was never my dream guy. Alex is!! He’s loving and tender and passionate and well, he reminds me of you…just an extreme version of you.”
“How does Alex feel about Annie?”
“He loves her as if she were his own child.”
“How do you feel about Alex and Chelsea being together?” Major Whitlock turned the table on Kevin.
Kevin looked at Chelsea as he said, “I made a choice seven years ago that has haunted me every day since I made it. I was in love with two very beautiful and very smart ladies. I made my choice to walk away from Chelsea because my own career was so chaotic and I couldn’t ask her to give up her plans to be with me. I deeply regret it because I’m still very much in love with her. Alex is a good man…my brother…and I know they are very much in love with each other. That’s why I’ve told Chelsea that I’m leaving the group after this tour. It hurts too much to see them together.”
Major Whitlock looked at Chelsea. “I have to ask. Are you sure about your feelings for Alex and Kevin?”
Seven years hadn’t changed her father’s ability to ‘read’ her and she tucked her head. “I can’t be the ‘other’ woman and I won’t cheat on Alex,” she replied meekly.
“I filed for divorce two days ago,” Kevin stated. “Dianne was served with papers yesterday and by now, Alex and the guys know. I’m sure Dianne has at least called Alex.”
Chelsea felt her headache coming back ten fold and a wave of nausea washed over her. This wasn’t happening to her, not now. What about all the things they’d said in the hotel room…about this being their ‘good-bye’? She was going to be sick and in a flash, she pushed away from the table and rushed to the bathroom.
Major Whitlock grabbed Kevin by the arm to stop him. “Let her go. She needs time to absorb that bit of news.”
“I should have told her sooner.”
“Probably, but hindsight is twenty/twenty. What are you going to do if she stays with Alex?”
“Move on. I’ll still be a part of her life because of Annie.”
Chelsea’s cell phone rang in her pocketbook and Kevin recognized the ring tone. “That’s Alex calling her now.”
“Answer it,” prompted Major Whitlock. “It might be about Annie.”
Kevin shook his head as he pulled the phone out and handed it to the major. “Not me. Alex will blow a fuse if he knows I’m with her and she needs to make a choice now.”
Major Whitlock took the phone and answered. “Hello.”
