Broken Ties (The Ties Book 2)

4: Supervised Visit

~ May 16 ~

Daniel

I waited hours yesterday waiting for Isabella to show up to work, but I never saw her Porsche. I checked the tracker and it said she was still at home. Isabella isn’t one to be late or miss work. Around lunchtime, I went to see if she was there. When I got near the cafeteria, I saw Andres and Maya.

If Andres was at the hospital and holding my daughter, that means he’s staying with them. I quickly grabbed a pen and piece of paper from the visitor’s desk. When I ran upstairs, Alyssa greeted me. I handed her my note and asked her to give it to Isabella and left. I didn’t want Andres to see me.

Thankfully, today is our visit. Mateo must be away for a while if he has Andres protecting her like this. I still want to talk some sense into her and with Mateo not being around, I have a better chance of getting through to her.

I promptly arrive at Yolanda’s house at four. Andres pulls around back in his gold Tahoe. I knock on the door and Yolanda takes me to the living room. I sit on the sofa and Isabella and the kids join me while Andres goes into the kitchen with Yolanda. Isabella hands Maya to me and she gets fussy. I don’t care because I can’t stop staring at Isabella.

How the hell did I let her slip away from me? She looks amazing. I’ve never seen her look this beautiful before. She dyed her hair light brown and straightened it. She has on a black V-neck Gucci shirt and jean shorts. It looks like she has a new rose with diamonds tattoo on her thigh. Looking at her makes my d**k get hard. She sits down on the sofa next to me and I see a huge heart-shaped diamond ring on her left hand.

“Our visit just started and you’re already huffing, Daniel,” Isabella says to me with a light chuckle.

“Sorry. I noticed your ring and it pissed me off. You didn’t have that last week.”

“Mateo proposed to me on my birthday,” she smiles.

What the hell? They’re getting married already? I know she still has to love me. Ignoring her statement, I ask, “Did you get the flowers I sent you?”

She nods her head at me. Before I can try to sweep her off her feet, Benny buts in. “Guess what else, dad,” Benny says to me while playing with a Naruto action figure.

“What bud?”

“I’m gonna be a big brother again,” he exclaims.

I turn to Isabella, slide closer to her, but she backs away. “Is he serious? Isabella, you’re pregnant?”

“Yep. Mateo and I are having a baby,” she grins and rubs her stomach.

“Isabella, this shouldn’t even be happening! You are supposed to be with me!”

“Here we go again, Daniel,” she sighs, rolling her eyes.

“Isabella, please just listen to me. If you got my flowers, I know you saw my note and I meant what I said. Our divorce made me realize so many things and I did you wrong. Physically hurting you should’ve never happened. I was wrong to isolate you from your family and friends.

Instead, I should’ve shown you how much I love you and what you mean to me. You don’t know how much I wish I could change things between us. I would’ve done right by you and treated you so much better. Isabella, I swear if you come back to me, I will.”

“Shoulda, coulda, woulda Daniel,” she smacks her lips. “It’s too late for all that.”

It’ll never be too late. I will get her back, but I can’t believe she’s pregnant.

“You know that should be my baby in your stomach. You said you wanted a big, close-knit family. If you were still with me, that could be our fourth child together.”

“But we’re not together, Daniel. Things went the way they did and we have two children together.”

“I killed our third baby. We could’ve at least had three,” I mumble remorsefully, and Isabella laughs hysterically. “What’s so funny, Bella?”

“That baby was Mateo’s,” she confesses, enraging me.

I sit Maya on the floor near Benny . “The f**k you mean that baby was Mateo’s? What are you talking about, Isabella?”

“Remember that night you couldn’t get me in Vegas?”

“Yeah, the night you supposedly got soooo drunk you passed out.”

“Truthfully, I was with Mateo that night. He made me realize what I had been missing for so long. He made sweet love to me for hours! We fell in love with each other that night, but we never expected to see each other again,” she reveals.

I knew her friends had in her Vegas doing some hoe s**t. I knew something was off that night. As I process everything, I stand up. “So, you’re telling me you lied and cheated on me in Vegas,” I ask for clarity. “How do you even know the baby was his?”

“He got a paternity test after you killed it.”

Unbelievable! She let me believe that was my baby. She loved him this entire time. Now I understand why she was so distant after the night of our dinner.

“Don’t act like you weren’t cheating on me with Alexis,” she continues in an irritated tone, but I ignore her and continue processing everything.

“Let me get this straight. You’re saying that the baby I killed on our anniversary night was Mateo’s? That’s why you were screaming how much you love him that night I caught you two together?! You lying slut!” I shout and move toward her. “You already had been with him! Are you f*****g serious right now, Isabella?”

I try to control myself, but I can’t. I prepare to slap her, but she calls for Andres. He grabs me before I can hit her.

“Isabella, I’m sorry. It’s my anger. I just… I can’t believe you did that to me,” I stammer and Andres continues pulling me away.

She reminds me I cheated with her sister and Alexis. I can’t even say anything. Andres gives me a good punch and throws me out the back door. Annabelle pulls up in her Chevy Cruze when I get in my car. She and Daisy get out and walk to the front door. Daisy should be about eight now and getting tall.

What am I doing? I can’t keep losing my temper like this. My phone lights up with two missed calls and a text from Alexis. She wants me to go with her on her prenatal visit on Monday. I don’t want to deal with Alexis right now, so I head straight for the gun range. I can’t believe Isabella cheated on me in Vegas.

Isabella

I feel very anxious today because I don’t know what to expect from Daniel. I try my best not to bite my nails because I’ve already taken off three of them. Andres senses my concern and assures me everything will be alright. Daniel is already at mama’s house by the time we get there. He parked his Discovery in front of the house. We usually spend our visits in the living room. Before I get out of the truck, Andres stops me and grabs my hand.

“I know Daniel will act weird if I’m in the living room with you, so I’ll give you and him some privacy. If he tries anything, yell for me immediately. I’ll be in the kitchen with mama,” he whispers.

“Thanks, Dre.”

It’s so refreshing having my brother around. I walk into the house and take a deep breath. Daniel is waiting for us in the living room on the sofa. I hand Maya to him, and she immediately whines. It’s crazy because Maya can be around everyone else happily and talk, but as soon as she’s around Daniel, she cries.

“Maya, it’s okay,” I try to pacify. “You’re with daddy right now.”

“No,” she bellows defiantly and kicks Daniel.

Daniel pays her no mind and just stares at me. Andres might be right. Daniel is acting stalkerish. He has a look in his eyes I can’t explain, and I know it’s not good. I’ve never seen him look at me like this.

He notices my ring and I tell him about the proposal. Benny also reveals to him I’m pregnant. Daniel begins his regular monologue about how he was stupid and should’ve treated me better. Blah, blah, blah, bullshit! He says the same damn thing every visit and I’m so tired of hearing it. He’s laying it on thicker than usual, probably because Mateo isn’t around. It’s too late for all that.

“I killed our third baby. We could’ve at least had three,” he says, and it almost sounds remorseful.

He really thinks the baby he killed was his. I’m sick of this bullshit! I tell him the truth; the baby wasn’t his, but it was Mateo’s. I confess what really happened in Vegas.

“You think the night of our dinner was the first time I ever saw Mateo? It wasn’t,” I taunt.

“What are you talking about, Isabella?”

Daniel clenches his jaw. His voice slightly radiates and I should tread more carefully, but I can’t because I’m so angry and sick of Daniel’s s**t. Some empty promises can’t undo his betrayal or change things between us.

“Remember that night you couldn’t get me in Vegas?”

“Yeah,” he nods. “The night you supposedly got soooo drunk you passed out.”

“Truthfully, I was with Mateo that night. He made me realize what I had been missing for so long. He made sweet love to me for hours! We fell in love with each other that night, but never expected to see each other again.

I found out I was pregnant the day before our dinner. He came over two days after our dinner and we made love. We also talked on the phone leading up to our sixth wedding anniversary night. I loved him then, but I was too stupid being loyal to you and you were cheating on me with Alexis!”

“Are you f*****g serious right now, Isabella,” his voice radiates.

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

He doesn’t like my sarcastic and defiant response, but I’m tired of his bullshit and lies. He thinks it’s okay for him to cheat, but it’s such a crime when I do it. Even if I stayed with him, he wouldn’t have changed. He’d still treat me the same. All those empty promises he keeps saying don’t mean s**t!

He just can’t take the fact that I’m happy with someone else. That’s what kills him and makes him regret everything. Daniel prepares to slap me, but I yell for Andres. Andres probably heard the conversation because in less than a second, he grabs Daniel.

“You should’ve never hurt me, huh? If I come back to you, you’ll do better by me, huh?” I mock. “Look at you! You were about to slap me! What about all that s**t you just said? Get the f**k out of here, Daniel,” I angrily shout at him.

“Isabella, I’m sorry. It’s my anger. How could you do that to me?”

“The same way you did it to me! Now you see how I felt when I found out about you and my sister and your w***e assistant!”

I’m so angry I cry. Benny is tearfully staring at Daniel and Maya hugs my leg. Andres throws Daniel out.

“I knew his b***h ass was gone try something,” Andres huffs. “Are you alright, Bella? Did you find out what you needed to know?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I shouldn’t have reacted out of emotion, but I think you’re right, Dre. He’s gonna stalk me. I can see it in his eyes.”

“Look, I’m getting a place here. Things are too crazy for me to leave again. I need a place for when I make Marisol mine, anyway. I’m thirty-two and I don’t need to bring her to my mama’s house. My point is, if you need me to go to work with you, even after Mateo gets back, just let me know because I’ll be around.”

“Thanks, Dre. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, osa (bear).”

After drying my tears, the front door opens and Daisy walks in. Moments later, Annabelle walks in behind her. This is perfect timing! Finally, I can beat her ass without Mateo interfering.