Damien's POV ♣️
Nina and the ladies were leaving soon. Meaning Kimia and I would be alone. I hadn't told Kimia the truth yet because I was scared of her reaction. She was out with Marcella getting decorations for the little going away party they were throwing leaving Nina and I alone at home.
I needed advice on what to do but Jason was busy so I decided to go to Nina.
" Hey Nina, uh, can I talk to you about something."
" Sure!, What is it?"
" Okay I did something really terrible. I lied to Amelia about something that's very crucial to our relationship."
" Oh!, What did you lie about?" She asked and luckily I already thought of a back story.
" Amelia's parents died in a car crash. My friend was the one driving that night and I was in the car. We were coming from a party and we were drunk. Everyone else but me was unconscious in the car I was in when the cars collided but Lia's parents were still conscious.
The car had started burning. And I was trapped in the car. And her parents came to rescue me. But while doing so, her mom got trapped and her dad told me to go get help. But before help got there, the car had burnt them both.
" Oh my-"
" I was the only one who survived. Lia's parents were taken to the same hospital I was and her uncle saw me and he was mad. I mean, he had every right to be. My dad tried to offer him some money but he turned it down saying he wanted nothing to do with me.
I saw Amelia come in worried about her parents. But once she saw the look on her uncle's face, she broke down in tears."
" I'm so sorry." Nina said placing her hand on mine.
" Even at 12, she was so beautiful. I couldn't take my eyes off her. And her uncle noticed and he told me to stay away from her. Fast forward 9 years later and there I was on his doorstep with his niece who he told me to stay from.
I never knew Amelia was the same girl I saw at the hospital. She had grown so much, and so gracefully. And she didn't know it was me because my father managed to get my name out of the papers.But when I saw her uncle it finally dawned on me. At first he didn't recognise me but once he heard my name, he did. "
" I was half expecting him to throw me out but he didn't. He and I talked while Lia wasn't there and he told me that if I could make her happy, he had no problem with me seeing her.
And when Lia asked me if I knew him. I said no. Then she showed me pictures of her parents and I pretended like I'd never seen them before. How was I supposed to tell her that I was the reason her parents were dead?!"
" Ian." Nina sighed.
" Whenever she talks about them I felt guilty. They were such wonderful people!, I don't know what to do. I hate lying to Lia!"
" Do you love her?"
" Yes!, I love her so much that's why lying to her hurts."
" Then you have to tell her the truth." Nina stated.
" I can't!, Nina I can't. It will break her!"
" It's better that you tell her than her finding out herself. Does your dad know she's the same girl from the hospital?"
" Yeah, he does."
" Don't you think he might use it against you?"
" I didn't think of that."
" Well it's possible. Ian by lying to Amelia, you're breaking her trust and trust is very important in a relationship."
" I know!"
" Secrecy is the enemy of intimacy, every healthy relationship is built on honesty and trust. You're supposed to able to tell her everything. Trust isn't something that's easy to get and when you break it it can never go back to being the same way it was. It either gets weaker or grows stronger."
" So what should I do?"
" The right thing."
***
" Hey." Kimia greeted and I gave her a chaste kiss on the lips.
" How'd it go?"
" It was fine, they're not suspicious of anything." She said then sighed.
" Hey!" I exclaimed tilting her face to look at me.
" I know you hate lying to them but it's for their safety and for the safety of other people out there."
" I know." She replied sighing.
***
Today marked a month since Kimia and I arrived in Havana. Nina and the ladies leave for the cruise tomorrow and we were having a little get together to celebrate.
" Okay, I know it's only been a month since we met but I feel like I've known you for months. You're like the grandmas I never had." Kimia said smiling.
" The feelings mutual." Rhia replied taking a sip out of her cocktail.
" How old are you guys?, You look so young." I asked curiously.
" Oh, you flatter us. But continue." Faye said and we laughed.
" Well, I'm actually the oldest at 56, Olie is next at 54. Then Faye follows at 52, Rhia at 50 and Nina's the youngest at 47." Marcella explained.
" Wow!, I'd have never guessed that Nina would be the youngest. I always thought it'd be Faye." Kimia said truthfully.
" You hear that Nina, I look better than you!" Faye exclaimed and Nina rolled her eyes smiling.
" Oh shut it Faye!"
" Mia and I have some questions we've been meaning to ask you."
" Okay but we have a question we want to ask you." Faye stated.
" Sure, what is it?"
" Sometimes you call Amelia Mia but most times you call her Lia, why?" Marcella questioned.
Shit!, I didn't realise I'd let it slip.
" It's a funny story really. The name tag of the waitress before me was Mia. So instead of getting me a new name tag, the changed the 'M' to a 'L' using a sharpie. But it kept on fading so I gave up trying to change it. So instead, I introduced myself as Lia." Kimia said coming to my rescue.
She smiled at me but the look in her eyes was not pleasant.
' Nice going idiot!' They seemed to say.
" So when the day I spoke, I called her Mia but she corrected saying her name was Lia as in Amelia. But I insisted on calling her Mia because name tags never lie." I said saying the ending part in a singsong voice.
" You two are so cute!" Rhia gushed and I mentally let out a breath of relief.
" Okay, since that's been answered, what are your questions?" Olie asked.
" Do you guys have children?" Kimia asked sipping her cocktail.
" I have two daughters, one in Santa Clara, Cuba and the other in England." Olie answered.
" A son in France." Rhia replied.
" Twin boys in New York." Faye chipped in.
" Six children. Four girls and two boys." Marcella said sighing.
" Six!, Wow that is a lot!" I exclaimed.
" I know,I know. My husband wanted a big family. Two of my daughters stay in Camagüey here in Cuba . I have a daughter in New Zealand and another in New York and both my sons stay in South Africa."
" Wow!" Kimia exclaimed the turned to Nina.
" What about you Nina?"
" A son." She replied monotonously.
" I take it that you're not on good terms with him." I stated.
" He's into some shady business that I want no part of."
I looked over at Kimia and she gave me a slight nod.
Time to get details on Fransisco.
***
Merhaba!😊.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Don't be a silent reader, Comment!
Comments help you earn rewards.
Stay home and stay safe 😷.
#Black lives matter.