Chapter 10
Stella was fuming; she let go of Kelly's hand and walked over to Jessica, stopping just inches away from her. Stella studied her face suspiciously. When Jess was younger, Stella could always tell when she was lying by how she looked around the room or how she would play with her hair. But now that she's a certified pathological liar, it's hard for Stella to read her like she used to.
Jessica stood in front of Stella's hot gaze with a smile on her face, like she had just accomplished the biggest challenge of her life. "Stella..." was all she got out before she was hit by a hard strike across her face.
Kelly, Gabby, and Matt's eyes widened in surprise, and their mouths dropped. Gabby couldn't help the smile that crossed her face after that slap.
Jessica held her right hand, as she stared at her sister in disbelief, she couldn't believe she just slapped her. Stella has never hit her before. "What the hell...
Stella slapped her hard again across the other cheek with the back of her hand. Jessica stood there in shocked silence.
The room was completely silent for a moment. Kelly watched Stella carefully; he knew she was going to break down afterward once she realized what she had done. She'll feel guilty, and he will try to convince her she has nothing to feel guilty about. Gabby, on the other hand, was in heaven and loved that Stella slapped Jessica twice; she's hoping she'll slap her again.
"The first slap was for telling Haley about Grant," Stella spoke in an enraged tone, breaking the silence of the room. "And the other slap was for that lie you just told."
"I didn't lie," Jessica said as she massaged her cheeks.
"You have been lying to me for over nine years. And thanks to Kelly, I finally know the truth about everything."
Jessica looked over at Kelly, who was looking down at the floor. "What the hell are you talking about? Lie to you about what?"
"One Grant is not Dylan's or Joshua's dad. I have the DNA results, and Grant knew they weren't his. " Jessica's mouth went dry. "I know about Grant's money." Jessica closed her eyes as Stella continued. "I know about you getting all his money and the two houses he left you. And when he was alive, he gave you money every week."
Jessica swallowed hard as her tears ran down her face. "How did you find out?"
"I have my ways," Stella tells her as she watches her sister cry, she wants to feel bad for her, but she can't because she has caused so much hell in her life. She can't just let it slide anymore. She is tired of all the drama and lies. "So, it's all true, huh?"
Jessica didn't answer; she just looked down at the floor. which Stella knew meant everything was true. "How did he get all that money? Why did he leave it to you? Why didn't his daughter get a dime of it? "
"You got his life insurance policy when he died; he made sure you got that if something happened to him."
Stella laughed bitterly. "It was a 10,000-dollar policy. The funeral itself was over 9,000 dollars; you know that you helped me plan it."
Look, I know you're upset over him not leaving you any money. But I can give you money; just say a price."
"I'm upset because I was lied to for over nine years. Screw the money; I don't want his money. I don't need his money. And I for sure in hell don't want any money from you. I want an answer to why his daughter was left out of his will, but you, his mistress, and your boys were in his will but not his biological daughter. That makes no sense. Help me make sense of that. " Stella yelled. She was getting furious with her.
"I don't know why Haley wasn't in the will. Grant didn't tell me everything like you think he did."
"He told you a hell of a lot more than he told me."
"We had a connection, a connection you wouldn't understand," Jessica told her as she wiped away her tears.
Stella arched her eyebrows. "How old were you when you and Grant started sleeping together?"
"That's a personal question," Jessica replied, looking down at her shoes.
Stella shakes her head. "This is what I think happened. Grant took your virginity, then realized how much of a mistake it was, and he tried to avoid you. You ended up sleeping with somebody else on purpose so you could get pregnant, and you told Grant it was his. But little did you know that when Grant was 18, he had a vasectomy. Am I close? I have a feeling I'm close to the truth. "
I don't have time for this." Jessica said as she turned to walk away.
Stella grabbed her arm and said, "Oh, hell no, you don't get to decide when enough is enough. The ball is in my court."
"What are you going to do? Hit me again?" Jessica barked.
"You have no idea how badly I want to beat the hell out of you right now. But there are three reasons why it won't go that far." Stella said as she let go of her arm.
Jessica bit her lip. "What are the three reasons?" She asked curiously.
Stella glared at her for a moment. "Reason number one, you would press charges, and I would go to jail and have to deal with all the legal drama; I don't have time for that."
Gabby clears her throat. "I would like to say we got the bail money, and we will support you in any way possible if you decide to take that route." She tells Stella with a smirk.
Matt elbowed her in the side. "Stop it." He whispered to her. Kelly shook his head, and Stella gave Gabby a reassuring smile.
"Anyways," Stella said with a laugh. "Reason number two: Because of Haley, my little girl looks up to you and admires you."
Jessica cocked her head to the side as she thought about her relationship with Haley. "You're right, I seduced Grant when I was 14. I don't even really know how I did it, but it happened, and he freaked out because of the age difference in the virginity issue." Jessica interrupted Stella's third reason. "And no, I didn't know about the whole vasectomy thing. I didn't know he got a DNA test done on my son's either."
"You were blackmailing him?"
Jessica ignored the question. "So, Haley isn't Grant's either, then?" Jessica asked, confused about Grant's vasectomy.
"Haley is Grant's; you know I don't sleep around. I've only been with Grant till recently."
Jessica looks at her and then at Kelly. "Wow, you two are together, huh?"
"Not your business; look, this whole vasectomy bullshit is confusing to us all," Stella told her as she handed her the folder. "There is a list of every DNA test he did; why did he do it ten times with your boys? I don't know."
Jessica read the paper over and over. "I have no clue; I know he wanted one, but I didn't know he did one, or he was constantly doing them."
"Did he ever hit you?" Stella asked; she needed to know if she was being abused too.
"No..."
Stella looked down at the floor. She couldn't understand why he hit her all the time. She did everything for that man. That man went in and had his vasectomy reversed so they could have a baby. And was thrilled when she got pregnant. She knew he loved her, but why did he hit her continuously?
"He hit you on purpose," Jessica said in a whisper, but everyone heard her. " At least the last year of his life was on purpose, not too sure about the whole time he was abusing you."
Stella's head jerked up. " What? What do you mean on purpose?"
Jessica sat down in the chair and put her head down. "Grant purposely beat on you because he was trying to get you to leave him. He called you names and told you he cheated on you when he was on the road; he wanted you to leave him. But you were so loyal to him, he cried every time he hit you. It broke him when he did it."
It was Stella's turn to be shocked into silence.
"Grant loved you, and I was blackmailing him. Threatening to tell you about him taking my virginity, I was going to tell you he raped me. And he begged me not to; he was so scared that he was going to lose you. I hated you."
Stella's eyes widen. "You hated me?"
Jessica looked up at her tears falling fast. "I was jealous of you."
" What? Why?" Stella asked confusingly. She didn't see this coming.
"Because you're beautiful, and you don't know it. Because you're smart and you don't believe it. You are the most independent woman I know. You're the kind of girl that guys never get over. Stella, you're the kind of girl that other girls get compared to. Grant would tell me all the time that he would never love me like he loves you. And it used to piss me off. Because he was my soulmate, not yours. Grant and I belonged together. I was in love with him, but he was so freaking in love with you, it made me hate you more and more each day."
Stella felt her knees get weak, and she sat slowly down on the coffee table. Her little sister hated her all these years and she never knew.
"He was so happy when you got pregnant; I never saw him that happy. Haley was his world, and he would have done anything for you and Haley. And I was jealous."
Stella couldn't believe what she was hearing. She sat there, emotionless.
"What about her marriage?" Gabby asked. "Why did you say they weren't legally married?"
All eyes went to Jessica, who stood up and said "I really should be going; I promised my boys I would be home tomorrow. So.
"Answer the damn question, Jess!" Stella exclaimed, interrupting her excuse.
Jessica sighed. "Stella, there are things best left unsaid."
Stella shakes her head. "You know what's right. Get the hell out and never come back."
"Stella..." Jessica said in a shocked tone.
Stella stood up. "Let me show you to the door." She grabbed Jessica's arm and pulled her to the front door. "Don't come back."
"Are you serious?"
"All I wanted was for all the secrets to be revealed. I'm tired of secrets and lies. And you can't even tell me everything; nothing you are going to tell me is going to shock me more than you already have. I'm done with you."
"Grant was already married when you two got engaged. He got married at 18; her name was Julie. But they didn't marry for love; I don't know exactly all the details, but I do know she paid Grant to marry her. " Jessica paused for a moment. "He was so in love with you and wanted to marry you, but Julie wouldn't give him a divorce. That's why he wanted two years to marry you. He was trying to talk her into a divorce, but she threatened to cut him off financially. "
"So, he chose money over me?" Stella asked as she tried to process everything Jess was saying. "I got my marriage license, and we had our preacher from our church marry us. So my marriage is legal; it has to be."
Kelly walked over to Stella and wrapped his arms around her waist. "There was no record of your marriage in your background. I was confused about it. But I didn't want to bring it up."
Stella looked back at him with confusion written all over her face. "I don't understand; I have my marriage certificate..."
"It's fake," Jessica whispered. "Grant paid his brother Justin to make a fake marriage certificate. When it comes to Grant's actual marriage, Justin knows more than anyone else about it."
Stella's eyes widened. "I can't believe this... It's like my whole life has been a lie."
Kelly tightened his grip on her; he didn't know what to say or do. He wished he could magically fix everything for her. She didn't deserve any of this. "Grant told you all this?" Kelly asked Jessica
"Not exactly."
"How did you find out my marriage wasn't legal?"
"I overheard Grant talking to Nicholas one night on the phone. And he told him that his marriage to you was fake. "
" Nicholas? Grant's older brother, the one no one talks to?" Stella asked, this was too much to process for one day.
Jessica sighed. "Yeah... He is Dylan's real dad, but only Grant knew," she admitted.
"I'm getting a migraine," Stella said as she rubbed her head. Kelly kissed the side of her head.
Jessica took a deep breath. "You're the one who started this," she tells her in an accusing tone.
Stella dropped her hands. "You are fucking kidding me, right? ... I started this... " Stella exclaimed.
"Yes, you came asking questions and...
"You bitch!" Stella hollered. She tried to break free from Kelly's grip. But he wouldn't let her.
"Stella, calm down," Kelly said as he held her tighter. "She's not worth it."
"Stella, she's just trying to get to you," Gabby said as she and Matt walked over to the other three. " Don't let her win."
"Screw all of you," Jessica said as she opened the front door. "You should have stopped with the questions; you shouldn't have looked into Grant's background."
"I looked into Grant's background, not Stella's," Kelly tells her.
Jessica's eyes widened. "What gave you the right to do that?"
"I did it for Stella; she deserves to know the truth," Kelly said in an irritated tone. " It's what you do for people you love."
Jessica was surprised by his words. "Sometimes the truth is best left in the dark," Jessica said, looking at Stella. "I never wanted to hurt you or Haley. "
"You're the reason there were secrets and lies in the first place," Kelly yelled. Stella could feel him getting frustrated. She turned into his arms. "Thank you for supporting me." She whispered in his ear. "It means so much, but let me handle her." She tells him before pecking his lips.
"Okay, but I'm not letting my grip on you go." He tells her this as he pulls her closer. She smiles as he kisses her.
Jessica felt sick looking at them being so loving to each other. She rolled her eyes,
Stella kisses his cheek before turning back around to her sister. "So, you never meant to hurt me? Well, I think you're full of shit. If you didn't want to hurt me, you wouldn't have slept with my boyfriend in the first place. You wouldn't have told me three years after his death that he was your kid's father. See, you started all this drama."
"I didn't start it," Jessica said as she denied her part in the drama again.
Stella laughed. "When Grant died, I was upset, but not because I was in love with him. I fell out of love with him years before he died. I was relieved he was gone, because the only good thing that man did for me in the nine years, we were together was give me Haley. I was sad because I didn't want Haley to grow up without a father. " She paused as she thought about what she was going to say. Kelly kissed her neck, making her feel better and stronger. "I put my past with Grant behind me after he died. I went to therapy to help me deal with everything he put me through. I got better, so I could be the best mom for Haley. I was doing so well; you and I were tighter than ever. I was happy in Springfield with Haley, you, and the boys. Life was really good again." She looked back at Kelly, who gave her an encouraging smile. "Then, eight months later, you ruined everything. You told me that your kids belonged to Grant, and you and Grant were sleeping together. I lost my best friend and sister that day. I couldn't even stay in Springfield anymore because I couldn't even look at you without feeling betrayed. So don't you tell me that I started all this; you started all of this. If you had never said anything to me, we probably would still be close, and I would have never left Springfield."
"I wanted you to know the truth."
Stella laughed bitterly. "It wasn't even the truth, Jess. Why did you lie to me?"
"It was partly true," Jessica said as she walked out onto the porch. She turned around and faced Stella. "You want the truth? Why did I lie to you?"
"Yes, help me understand," Stella said as she, Kelly, Gabby, and Matt looked at Jessica, all curious.
"Because I was and still am completely in love with Grant. And he was completely in love with you. You held his heart in the palm of your hand. And it broke mine in two. I was so envious of you; you were still wearing your wedding ring three years after his death. You didn't love him like I did. I thought I could make him fall in love with me, but the night before he died, He left me a voicemail." She took a deep breath. " He said, I can't live this lie anymore. You can't make a heart love someone; my heart is with your sister, and it always will be. Tell her whatever you want; I don't care anymore." She said this as she cried. The next morning you called in and said he was gone."
Stella was baffled. "You're the reason he killed himself."
"No, I'm not; don't say that," Jessica yelled. " You whore."
Kelly let go of Stella and looked at Gabby, both shocked. Neither knew how Grant died.
Stella walked onto the porch. "He said the truth was going to be revealed, and he apologized for his role in all of it. And asked for forgiveness. "
"When did he say this?"
"In his suicide note, he left."
"He left a note." Jessica was stunned. Why didn't she get a note?
"Yes, one for me and a bunch for Haley," Stella tells her she noticed the emptiness in her eyes, and a small, very small part of her felt bad for her.
Jessica stepped closer to her. "What did it say? I need to read it now."
Stella pushed her back. "No, it was a private letter for me from my husband, or not my husband, whatever the hell he was."
" Stella, I deserve to know what his final words were," Jessica yelled. "You owe me that much."
"I don't owe you anything."
Jessica grabbed Stella's hair. "Give me the note now," she screamed.
"Oh hell no," Gabby yelled as she got ready to jump on Jessica's back.
"Gabby stop!" Matt yelled.
"Just let me punch her once," Gabby begged while Matt held her back.
"You're pregnant; you don't need to fight anyone," Matt tells her as he tries to calm her down.
Kelly pulled Stella away from Jessica. "You need to leave!" Kelly yelled
"Let me go, Kelly!" Stella screamed. "Let me knock her out."
"Not happening," Kelly said as he lifted her over his shoulder. "Go back to Springfield."
"Yes, and never return you two faces, lying bitch." Gabby yelled.
"Kelly let me down... Just let me punch her one good time... Just once." Stella begged
Matt and Kelly shared a look as they both tried to calm their women down, who were kicking and wriggling to get out of their hold. "Closet," Matt said, pointing to the door behind Kelly.
"Gotta," Kelly said. As he carried Stella over to the closet and put her inside. Matt carried Gabby over and also put her inside. "Sorry, ladies," Kelly said before shutting the closet door. Matt got a chair and placed it up against the door knob to make sure they didn't get out.
"Let us out, Matt, now!" Gabby demanded.
"This isn't funny, guys!" Stella yelled furiously.
Kelly walked back to the front door, where a widened-eyed Jessica stood. "I don't blame you; I would have locked them crazy bitches up too."
"We locked them up for your safety," Matt said. " Your lucky we don't hit women."
"You need to get the hell off of Matt and Gabby's property. And don't call, don't write, and don't come back here. Stella doesn't need you," Kelly said as he shut the door in her face.
Jessica was surprised. "I'm not going anywhere," she yelled through the door.
"Matt opened the door. "I'm giving you three minutes to get off my property before I'll call the cops."
"I'm not doing anything wrong."
"You're trespassing; I have a no trespassing sign on my fence. Under the Illinois Criminal Code, trespassing is a misdemeanor. This can get you 30 days to 6 months in jail and a maximum $500 fine." Matt tells her. As he pulls out his phone.
Jessica glared at him. "Fine, I'll go for now. But I'll be back; all Stella needs is a couple of months to calm down. I'm the only family she has left."
"Wrong, we're her family now, and she doesn't need you," Kelly tells her before slamming the door on her again. Matt and Kelly waited until Jessica was long gone before walking back to the closet. "They are going to be pissed," Kelly said.
I know." Matt replied as he slowly removed the chair. "Now remember, we did this because we love you."
The door swung open. "What the hell, Matt?" Gabby said as she slapped his chest.
"What were you thinking?" Stella said as she punched Kelly's chest twice.
"We're sorry... But you left us no choice." Kelly said. As he backed away from Stella, who was looking at him in a way she'd never looked before.
"You ladies were out for blood," Matt said. "Now she's gone, and hopefully she doesn't come back."
"She actually left?" Stella asked in a stunned tone.
"Thank God," Gabby said as she walked to the kitchen.
"I threatened to call the cops because she was trespassing." Matt shrugs.
Stella smiled. "Thank you, Matt." She said this while hugging him.
"You're welcome, but I'm not the one who slammed the door in her face twice," Matt told her as Stella pulled back and looked over at Kelly.
Kelly shrugs. "I just wanted her to go away."
Matt smiled as he walked to the kitchen to find his wife.
Stella wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you." She said this as she kissed him.
"Are you okay?" He asked as the kiss broke.
She bites her lip. "I'm not sure yet; there's a lot I learned today. And I'm still processing everything slowly." She tells him honestly.
Kelly pulled her closer. "Well, whenever you're ready to talk, yell, or punch the wall, call me. I want to help you piece everything together. I want to be the one you lean on."
She smiles at him. "I honestly want to put today behind me and focus on my future. The past is called the past for a reason. I don't have to tell Haley her cousins are her half-brothers; I don't have to break her heart saying her daddy had other kids. And I'm so relieved. " She paused, as she looked into Kelly's tender eyes they had a gentle look that made her feel comfortable and relaxed around him. " You know what? I changed my mind."
Kelly's eyed her for a moment. "You changed your mind about what?" He asks, smiling at her.
"About telling the girls."
His smile faded; this is what he was afraid of; he knew she was going to want to take a break to process everything. Which he understands, but it just sucks. " Okay... " He removed his hands from her waist and put them in his pockets.
"Okay. That's all you have to say." She asked him, giving him a confused look. "Why are you acting so standoffish now?"
He stepped away from her. "I'm not; I understand you want to wait to tell the girls about us. It makes sense, and...
"No, that's not what I want." She said cutting him off.
"It's not?"
"No, I just told you I want to focus on my future; it's time to put the past behind me, at least for now." She sighed. "Because I know Jessica will be back a month from now, or six months from now, or a year from now, someday she will pop back up in my life unexpectedly, and I will have to deal with her drama again. But for now, I want to pretend she doesn't exist. And focus on my life, with Haley, you, and Madison."
Kelly's eyes widened, and his frown turned upside down. "I like that plan." He tells her this as he pulls her closer.
"I figured you would." She laughs before kissing him. "I want to talk to the girls tonight about us being a couple, and I want to do it together."
"Are you sure?"
"I like you a lot, and I know Haley likes you, so I don't think she will be upset or have an issue with it." She sighed. "It might be a little strange for her since she's never seen me with anyone but her dad." She cupped his face. "Strangely, I've only known you for two months and I feel more connected to you than I ever did with Grant in the whole nine years we were together. And I don't want to wait any longer; I want the whole world to know we're together." She tells him as she pecks his lips.
"I wanna shout to the world." He tells her as they share a passionate kiss.
"We already know, so you don't have to tell us," Matt yelled from the kitchen.
"I knew since the day Stella moved to Chicago," Gabby yelled.
Stella rolled her eyes, and Kelly shook his head. "Well, two people down." She said this as they kissed some more. Kelly pulled back as his phone dinged.
" It's my mom, the girls want to spend the night with her. Is it okay with you?" He asks her before he replies. " We can tell them tomorrow."
Stella nodded and thought about it for a moment. " One condition."
Kelly arched his eyebrow. " Which is?" He questioned confusedly.
" She can stay only if I can stay the night with you." She smirked at him.
" Most definitely." He replied by giving her a quick kiss before replying to his mom.
The next morning Kelly awoke, shifted, and then smiled broadly at the beauty that had her arms wrapped around him. Her face was peaceful and cute in slumber, a small smile on her lips as whatever she dreamed about held her unconscious attention. Stella liked to be extremely cuddled when she slept, but he didn't mind at all. He loved holding her close whenever possible.
His smile broadened, and he lifted his hand to push her hair away from her face. Compulsively, he stroked the softness of her cheek with the pad of his thumb, trying to imprint this image of her in his brain forever - the soft flutter of her eyelashes, the plumpness of her light tan cheeks, the bow in her full lips. He'd never felt such a sense of contentment in his life, but she did it for him. She made it happen. She was his girlfriend, and she was in his bed sleeping for the second time.
"Morning" she whispered as she felt him kiss the top of her head.
"It's a great morning."
She moved back so she could look at him. "What's so great about it?"
"You," he told her honestly. Then lean down and kiss her.
"Me huh?" she asked as they locked their eyes again.
"Yesterday morning and now this morning, I got to wake up to an angel more beautiful than words can describe."
Stella blushed and tried to hide her face but he didn't let her. He lightly blushes his lips across her's it was a sweet and simple little kiss that sent waves of emotion through both of them. "I want to take you on a date," he whispered against her lips.
"Really?" she asked, as she pulled back.
"Yes,"
"Our first date hmm... Could be fun."
"It will be fun and special, " he said, as he kissed her again. " Anytime I spend with you is fun."
"We need to talk to the girls," She told him, as she sat up, " I want to go out on a date with you too, but I want the girls to know we are together and get their feelings on it first. "
" We can talk to them today when my mom drops them off later."
" Sounds good to me," she said, as she caressed his face. " Now kiss me." She demanded.
" With pleasure." He whispered against her lips before kissing her softly. The kiss grew deeper, as Kelly's hands roamed her body. He moved his lips to her neck, as she moaned softly. He kissed her collarbone, down to the top of her breast. He licked her nipple a few times, making it hard.
" I need you lower " she moaned as he took her hard nipple in his mouth. She needed his mouth on her clit again.
Kelly looked up at her knowing what she wanted. " Tell me what you want me to do?" he whispered against her nipple, he sucked on it for a moment and then went to the other one.
Stella closed her eyes enjoying his mouth for a while, before pulling his face up to hers and kissing him hard. " I want you to eat me." She said in a flirtatious tone. " Eat me good."
"Yes, ma'am," Kelly said with a huge smile. As he leans down to kiss her again. " Now time to taste you," Kelly said, as he started to go under the blanket.
" Daddy! No, do not eat Stella!" Madison yelled from the doorway.
"Please, Kelly, don't eat my Mama!" Haley screamed.