DECEPTION - A Family Affair (28 page)

Doña Lupe enjoyed the drama in the room, nothing escaping her.  She spoke with a strong accent and broken English.  “Marisol, you join us for dinner?  I cook a lot.”

Drawing her eyes away from Liz Beth, she replied, “Thank you but no.  I just stopped by to see the baby and I don’t want to impose.”

“Yes, Doña Lupe she will be joining us for dinner.  Thank you.”  Marco responded on her behalf and strolled over in her direction his eyes daring Marisol to challenge him.

“Good. I will not take no for an answer. Marisol you are too skinny you need some meat on your bones to keep warm.  I go now to serve everyone.”  She said while waving her finger at Marisol. 

“Let me go with her before she adds more salt to the food. She somehow forgets she has high blood pressure.  I’ll be back in a few.”  Layla said clearly with a motive in mind to give them time alone.

Once the room cleared out she asked, “Why did you do that?” She frowned at him waiting for his response.

“Because I can and I want you to eat.  You are wasting away. How much weight have you lost?” His voice expressed his concern.  She rolled her eyes and directed her attention back to the baby and ignored his question. 

“Why are you here?  I thought you went back home to Texas.”

“I am here because I have a beautiful niece to cherish and I did go back to Texas to take care of some business and now I’m home.”  She stiffened when he said he’s now home.  What does that mean? 

He gazed at the lovely sight in front of him a true work of fine art.  “You look good with her in your arms.”

“Please don’t.”

“Please don’t what?”  He kneeled down in front of her and grabbed her knees but she refused to shift her eyes away from Liz Beth even with the electric charge that flowed through her body by his touch and nearness.

“This is hard for me.”  She whispered.

“It doesn’t have to be Babe.  I’m here for you.”  He rubbed her knee sympathetically.  “There are no more secrets between us.  My father told me about your visit with him. Our lives will no longer be entangled in our parent’s deceptions. I refuse to let it continue. There is so much I need to say but not here, after dinner we’ll continue this discussion in private.”

Panic filled her so she responded with the first lame thing that came to her mind. “There is nothing to discuss.  Look I am not that girl you once loved anymore, better for you to move on as I plan to with Nate.”

“Well that would be some tragedy since that girl was remarkable and breathtaking. 
AND
there is plenty to talk about but you can choose not to, but either way you will become my wife. I have already had a long discussion with that buddy of yours so you can drop the act.  In fact Nate has already given us his full blessing.”

That caught her attention bringing her eyes to meet his.  She looked like a deer in headlights.  He could see her fear, confusion and whatever else her emotions stirred up.  Nodding his head yes to confirm what she heard.  He grabbed her chin and leaned up placing his lips so close but barely touching hers.  “I’m not losing you again so the only moving on I will be doing is with you and only you.”  Her face turned pale since she all of a sudden forgot how to breathe.  Gaging her reaction his devilish smile was upon his face as he simply reminded her to just breathe.

After dinner Marco excused them both as they said their goodbyes.   Doña Lupe surprised Marisol by whispering in her that Marco was a good man and to trust her heart.  Once they were outdoors feeling the November evening chill Marco asked if he could drive and Marisol shrugged her shoulders despite the fact she tossed him the keys.  He opened the door for Marisol so she can get in.  She had abided her time to give a piece of her mind and now she can finally liberate herself.  How dare he bulldoze his way into her life like that?  What if it’s just a game to him, he has never said he loved her.  Adjusting the seat so he can fit properly behind the wheel she began to speak with a bit of annoyance.  “How dare you go speak to Nate behind my back?  What game are you playing?”  He looked over at her with a smirk on his face clearly refusing to respond and she did all she could to control her hands that itched to smack the arrogance off his face.

“We’ll talk once we reach our destination.”  He replied angrily as if he just channeled into her thoughts or could it be the mentioning of Nate again.  He was tired of the Nate game; of the love they shared friendship or not it was consuming him causing his jealousy to flare up.   Then he thought of Charley, wasn’t it the same scenario on his end?  He was livid when Charley confided in him about what she said to Marisol. He could only guess what irrational notions Marisol concocted in that mind of hers.  They both sat in silence until they approached his ranch.  He parked and she didn’t wait for him to open her door she was tailing his heels as they went straight to his office.

He settled his torso right on the edge of his desk gesturing with his hand for her take his chair to sit and she sat reluctantly and crossed her arms over her chest to control her vile mood.

“To answer your questions, yes I did have every right to speak to Nate.”  She was about to interrupt him as he continued.  “Let me finish what I have to say and then you can clearly speak your peace.”  He lifted his eyebrows at her to confirm his request before continuing.  “Know this and remember it clearly, this is not a game to me.  This is our life and I’ll be damn if anyone is going to dictate it any longer.  Our lives the past twelve years have been steered through our foolish parents’ entangled deceptions.  No more family affairs it’s about YOU and ME and only YOU and ME.  I have spent too many years festering in anger and hatred; it may have motivated me to survive but it ate away at my soul.  All I focused on was to come back one day and get the restitution I deserve.  I was destructive and so lost, if it wasn’t for Charley’s father who guided me and educated me I don’t know where I’d be today.  I lost so much, my family, the life I had here and most important YOU.  I never got to meet our baby girl and to think you suffered all alone and treated like a caged animal by your father tears me up inside.  I can’t tell you how much pain I’ve been feeling since you told me everything.”  He pauses to compose himself. Marisol sees the agony in his eyes and its killing her to know she is the cause.  She can’t keep her eyes off of him and is afraid to move from her seat since her legs feel too weak from trembling.  “Since I’ve return, I realized I never stop loving you Marisol.  I am no longer scared to let my heart free to feel again.  I’ve loved you since you were eight years old and I’m not wasting one more day without you in my life.  This is our time now Marisol.”  He stared right at her restraining himself from running to her needing to know what she feels at this very moment.

Staring down and raising her eyes back to meet his she knew she had to say her peace.  “Marco, your words humble me but how fair would I be to allow you more pain in your life.  My family has cost your family enough suffering.  I can’t allow myself to be a reminder of the evil that has touched upon you.  You suffered because of me, because of the love you have for me.  My father tortured you to satisfy his own betrayed ego because of my mom’s lies.  I couldn’t even save our daughter how could you not despise me?”  She choked on her grief and cried out covering her face with her hands.

Dropping to his knees as he rested his hands on her bent knees he whispered to her.  “Mi Preciosa Joya, how could I blame you, Marissa’s death was unavoidable and deep down you know that.  Release that burden from your heart; it is one of those unexplained acts of life.  We have to trust our faith to know that things happen for a reason.  Some women have miscarriages never knowing the face of their child, but you were lucky to at least have the chance to meet her and love her full heartedly even for a very short time you still got that chance.”  Shaking her head as the tears filled the palms of her hands.  He removed her hands so he can see her face wiping away her tears.  She never thought about it that way not even through all her years of therapy and she felt a sense of peacefulness flow through her veins gliding straight to her heart.  “Your father’s actions were inexcusable but seeing him and how he lived his life in pure hate only makes me pity him.  He does not deserve the daughter he was given. You were his victim just as much as I was and it’s sad he never saw the beautiful gem he had who loves him unconditionally. Loving you and needing you has freed me of the chains around my soul for I no longer hold any feelings of vengeance.”

“Marco, you deserve to be with someone like Charley.  Go to her she deserves you.”

Now it was his turn to shake his head in confusion.  “Charley?  Why would you say that?”

“I’m not dumb I know you slept with her.  I was there at the hotel that morning or did you forget?”

He bowed his head down and chuckled.  “Is that what you thought, that I slept with her as in having sex with her?  I did share her hotel room and it wasn’t the first time and probably won’t be the last time.”  He said with mischief written all over his expression and tone.  Seeing fury rise in her eyes was an actual pleasure as oppose to seeing sorrow.  He continued to laugh because now he knew she did love him, the green eyed jealous woman he loves is glaring.  “Charley’s real name is Charlene.  You are not the only one with a best friend who is gay.”  Marisol let out a sigh and slouched her shoulders to feel the relief surge though her mind and heart.  She looked up at him and joined his laughter as he took her face with his hands to kiss her senseless and then pulled back to stare into her eyes.  “Tell me, I need to hear you say the words.”

“I love you Marco Ortiz since I was eight years old pouting over some stupid goat.  You have been the only man I have ever loved and will only love but I’m so scared by the intensity of the love I have for you.”

“Don’t be afraid just relish in it because I will cherish you always.  I want you more than life itself.”  He kissed her again and the heat from their passion was scorching causing them both to ache from the burning. “Have you ever made love in a barn before?”

After their amazing intense love making they were lying half-dressed across the blankets Marco had laid out on the floor.  He held her in his arms while she lay on his chest feeling the comfort from his embrace.  He interrupted their blissful silence with his declaration to her.  “Marisol, you are amazing and I love you but know this my love:

When you fall.......I will be the one to catch you and help you stand again.
When you are sad.......I will be the one to hold you tightly in my arms and turn it into joy.
When you cry.....I will be the one to wipe away your tears and bring sunlight back into your eyes.
When you feel broken.......I will be the one to put the pieces back together and make you whole

It’s you and me babe from this day forward and there will be no turning back.  You got it?”

Marisol felt so overwhelmed with emotion could she finally be getting her happily ever after with the sex goddess of her dreams?  He consumed her gave her reason to want more and to put her fear at bay and take a leap of faith with him.  No more denials, no more excuses and no more walls - she loved him.  “What can I say to that?  I’m yours today and tomorrow and the day after that and after that and so on.  You own my heart my soul and my ever after.  You Marco Ortiz are truly my EVERYTHING and I agree with you I will become your wife.”  She couldn’t help the grin on her face as he flipped her over so he was facing her on top.

“I may not deserve you but I will make every day of your life a happy one.  By the way have you ever had
mad
sex in a barn before?”  And they both laughed as their passion once again took over….

Epilogue

Marisol Ortiz Braxton was dozing off by the fireplace in her bedroom only to be awoken by voices that seem to be in a dispute.  She opened her eyes to take a look around the room to see if she was having a bad dream.  Only to hear the two voices again to acknowledge it is not a dream.  The voices sounded like Charley and Nate.  Those two are going to be the death of her as she smiled whole heartedly.  It’s been almost a year since her wedding and she hadn’t had a night mare since.  It was refreshing to know she felt whole for the first time in her life.  Marco filled her emptiness, he was truly her everything.  He helped her gain herself back and he was all the therapy she needed.  It was quite funny when they immediately started their wedding plans to know she was already pregnant.  It was a small wedding at the ranch and it was everything she could ever hope for.  She often thought about their journey and all the obstacles they conquered to finally have their souls linked as one again.  It had to be fate or destiny for their bond of love was unbreakable. 

She now had a family and a new close friend in Charley.  They both felt indebted to Charley and Nate for always being there for them through all these years.  They broke tradition at the wedding, Nate was her Made of Honor and Charley was Marco’s Best Woman.  It was perfect and what made it even more wonderful Nate was finally free and truly liberated which she knew Charley had a big influence on him coming clean with his family.  Lucas was there by his side making the day complete, even though Nate’s family hadn’t fully come to terms at least they were trying and what more can one ask for.  She remembered when she asked Nate about his discussion with Marco since Marco didn’t elaborate with her the night of his declarations, and all Nate would say, “I got my wish, the woman I love will have her happily ever after.”  Every time she thinks of that day tears of joy fill her eyes to have a friend like Nate is a pure gift from heaven.  Her father was the crucial point of their wedding she went to him and told him of her news.  Through everything he has done she still wanted him to be part of the most important day of her life hoping he would feel remorse and wish her happiness but that dream deflated quickly.  His response to her
was over his dead body
and the morning of her wedding she received a call from the nursing home that he passed away in his sleep.  She no longer doubted the fact that he had a black heart if he even had a heart.  Marco wanted to delay the wedding by a day so she could mourn peacefully and not have their wedding or future anniversaries be over shadowed by William Braxton.  She refused; she felt this will be his repentance, to know he longer had a hold over her heart.  She is free from his vengeance and today is the beginning of their life together as one.  She will worry about his burial arrangements the day after for that day was theirs.  She felt complete with Marco and their new house that sat right on the property of the ranch.  To wake up every morning in their home and see the stable of horses and goats and now chickens were added to the family - this truly was her paradise.  Marco and Charley added an office in Raleigh and development in the area was going well for them and their company.  It was quite comical when Marisol’s due date was near she had Marco, Nate and Charley at her side driving her insane.  They all took her to the hospital and she was in labor for twelve hours Marco never leaving her side.  She gave birth to a beautiful baby boy who they named Marco Nathanial Ortiz.  She named her son after the two men who loved her completely.  Hearing the voices getting louder, Marisol got up to see what the racquet was all about.  She laughed while she stood at the entrance way of the nursery hearing Charley and Nate, they took their jobs as godparents quite serious and they were arguing over Nate wanting a trust fund set up for college and Charley wanting a stock portfolio set up instead while their two month old godson just laid in his cradle having his blissful dreams not waking up since he was already accustom to a noisy household and constantly having Mace curled up beside the cradle guarding him proudly.  The family has been coming over each day to help with cooking, cleaning, feedings and etc.  Marisol knowing she could handle it all on her own just sat back wanting to enjoy having family surround her and her son.  She then saw Marco across the hall staring out the window in their loft and she joined him as he gathered her in his arms having her back rest upon his chest.  “Life is a gift and living it with you and our son is a true blessing.”  He kissed her on the top of her head and she felt so cherished.