The wardrobe door opens and Joshua towers over me. I put my head into my hands. I can’t even look up at him.
“Sweetheart, don’t cry,” he says gently as he puts his hand out to pull me up.
My haunted eyes meet his. “I’m so sorry. I should have told you.” I slowly get to my feet as I shake my head in disbelief at the ugly turn of events.
“Yes, you should have,” Cameron snaps from behind him. Oh god, not Cameron too.
“What’s going on?” Cameron demands.
My nervous eyes flick to Joshua and I swallow the lump in my throat. “I don’t actually know,” I whisper.
“What did my mother say to you?” Joshua asks gently, sensing my fear.
I swallow the nerves. “She came to me when I was blaming myself for Dad’s death.”
“And?” Cameron asks impatiently.
“She told me that when Scott was a baby your father was away a lot of the time and she was very lonely.”
Joshua crosses his arms angrily in front of him.
“And that your father had lost interest in her sexually,” I whisper.
“She said that. What-those words exactly?” Joshua frowns in disgust.
I nod nervously.
“Then what?” Cameron snaps again.
“I don’t know if the next part is true.” I shrug and pull my hands through my hair. “In fact I don’t know if any of this is true.” My eyes flick nervously between them.
“What did she say?” Joshua asks calmly as he takes my hand in his in a reassuring gesture.
“That she had a very short affair which she had deeply regretted and that she’d finished it. Both your mother and father confessed to each other their infidelities and decided to try and work on their marriage.”
Cameron and Joshua exchange looks and frown.
“Two months later she found out she was pregnant with Joshua but she never thought the baby could be the other man’s because they had always worn condoms. But then when Joshua was older he had an accident and needed a blood transfusion and it was discovered then that he was in fact the other man’s. She was devastated,” I reply.
Joshua drops to the bed as he seemingly loses his balance and Cameron puts his hand on his shoulder in support. My heart sinks.
“When you fell off the horse,” Cameron whispers.
I nod as the tears start to overfill my eyes again. “Yes then,” I reply.
“I remember something going on with my bloods,” Joshua whispers as he puts his hand over his mouth as if going to throw up.
“She said that is why she tried so hard to keep us apart from each other Joshua. She was scared that if we ended up together we would have genetic testing for our children and it would be picked up.”
Cameron holds his temples.
“She said she was scared of this man,” I whisper.
Both Cameron and Joshua’s eyes flick to me. “She is still in contact with him?” Joshua growls.
I shrug, oh crap, do I tell them it’s their dad’s friend… no, that’s going too far.
“I don’t know,” I whisper.
“What do you mean-scared?” Cameron demands.
I shake my head nervously. “I don’t know,” I cry.
“What did she say?” Cameron yells as his frustration hits another level.
“That she thought he was powerful and unstable and that he had a lot to lose if this comes out,” I reply.
Joshua stands angrily and Cameron punches the wardrobe door in anger, making me jump in fright.
“Why didn’t you fucking tell me this in the hospital that day when I asked you?” Cameron demands.
I start to cry and shake my head. “I was scared Cam, I didn’t know if she had told me this to test my loyalty to her.”
“Oh bullshit,” Cameron yells.
I hold my hands on my head. “Your mother scares me, she’s so mean… and I didn’t know if it was true,” I sob.
“You’re a fucking liar!” Cameron yells. “You should have told us.”
“Enough!” Joshua yells. “Get out, you do not speak to her like that… do you hear me?” He grabs Cameron by the T-shirt.
I hold my hands to my head. “Stop it,” I yell.
“You will show her goddamn respect.” He shoves Cameron up against the wall and I grab Joshua.
“Stop it. This isn’t going to help,” I yell. Oh my god, this is getting out of control.
“Our mother has put her through enough,” Joshua sneers.
Cameron pulls out of his grip and glares at Joshua as he seemingly regains his composure. “Sorry Tash,” he whispers.
“No, I’m sorry,” I whisper.
They both nod and sit defeated on the bed.
“It gets worse,” I whisper.
They both look at me. “I don’t think your dad has AB blood.”
Joshua frowns. “Why do you say that?” Joshua asks.
“Because Mum told me he has O Positive, but I’m not sure if she really knows.”
Cameron frowns. “That’s my blood type.”
I nod. “I think everything your mother has told me is a lie. I don’t know even what’s true,” I whisper.
“Fuck,” Joshua whispers as he puts his head in his hands. My heart sinks… what a terrible nightmarish situation.