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I called Michael five times before he finally answered. I guess he really was serious about being done with me since he refused to answer my calls. I was about to give up and go with Lyra myself when he answered on the fifth try. Thankfully he did otherwise he would have missed out on witnessing the birth of his son. He arrived at our house in a hurry and then within minutes he and Lyra left to go to the hospital.

There was no time for anything to be said, not that I wanted to say anything. What else could I say that would fix things? It was clear to me that it was over between us and I had no one else to blame but myself. But my pity party would have to wait. Michael and Lyra were going to be parents in a matter of hours and I was going to become an aunt for the first time. That innocent baby didn’t deserve to be born in chaos so I had to suck it up, put on my big girl pants and stop creating more problems for myself and everyone involved.

I asked Michael to call me as soon as the baby was born and he simply nodded before he left. Hopefully, he will. I was really worried about Lyra since she was still a few weeks early. I guess her little romp in the sack with the other Michael from her band helped push up the delivery date.

After a few hours, I lied down for a nap. I kept my phone nearby and turned the ringtone volume all the way up so in case I got a call about Lyra and the baby I would hear it and wake up.

I didn’t realise how tired I was because I slept for practically the entire day and when I finally woke up I could hear Lyra and Michael arguing. I wondered why neither one of them called to let me know about the baby. I guess neither one of them wanted to stay in the hospital for too long so they came home right away. I rushed to the nursery where I instinctively knew they would be. The yelling got louder as I approached the room but whatever they were saying was muffled by the sound of the baby’s cries. And then I heard a string of loud curse words and they were clearly from Michael.

What the hell was going on?

“Michael, I’m really, really sorry…”

“Sorry?! That’s all you can say to me right now?!”

When I entered the room my first instinct was to pick up the crying baby so I did. I glanced to the corner of the room where Michael had Lyra backed up against the wall by the window with tears in her eyes. He was so angry. I had never seen that side of him before. “Please understand…” she begged.

“You should have told me!”

“I know I was wrong. I made a mistake.”

“A mistake doesn’t even begin to describe what you did. You played with my emotions! You used me! And now you expect me to be understanding?!”

I was about to ask what they could possibly be fighting about when I looked down at my nephew and everything was clear.

Michael was not his father!

They kept arguing as I tried to calm the baby down. I couldn’t help but fall in love with him right away despite the chaos that was taking place around him. His dark skin, his big bright brown eyes, his cute button nose…Michael couldn’t possibly be his father but he was definitely Lyra’s son. He looked so much like Dad!

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice when the baby was born?” His voice lowered a little once he realised I was in the room. “Or were you hoping he would look more like you so I would never figure out he wasn’t mine?”

“I thought Liam was yours, I really did. I wasn’t trying to pull a fast one on you, I swear!” She pleaded.

“What else am I supposed to think? Cause that’s what it looks like to me!”

“I slept with the other guy days before you, and he and I used protection so I didn’t think it could have been him. That’s why I didn’t say anything.”

I watched Michael spin around and cover his face with his hands, something I realised he did when he was tense or angry. He then rapidly shook his head and then took a quick look at the baby in my arms before reaching for the door. “I need to get the hell out of here!”

When he stormed out, there was complete silence. Baby Liam had stopped crying so I put him down in his bassinet. Lyra stood there quietly sobbing into her hands before she looked at me. “Mai…listen to me…”

“Don’t…” I cut her off. “Not in here. Let’s go outside.”

I wasted no time as soon as the door was closed. “Who’s the father?”

She sighed. “Jude Patino.”

The name sounded familiar to me and then I realised why. “Luca’s cousin? The one you hooked up with in high school?”

She nodded. “About a couple days before the party where I met Michael. Jude and I ran into each other at the Rattlesnake and I went back to his place.”

“So why the hell didn’t you think he could have been a possibility?”

“I didn’t think he was. We used protection but I guess it didn’t work. I really thought it had to be Michael since I was with him last and we didn’t.”

“I asked you if you were sure it was him, he asked you, and you said yes because there was no one else at that time. You lied to the both of us! I’m your sister. After everything I’ve done for you, you didn’t think you owed me full disclosure?”

“I know. I know I should have mentioned Jude to you guys. It’s just that…Michael really stepped up for me right away and when I told Jude…”

“Wait a minute…you told Jude you were pregnant?”

“Yeah, a few days after I told you and Michael but he freaked out. He said the baby couldn’t possibly be his and that he wasn’t ready to be a father and that I was on my own.”

“So you knew there was a chance Jude was the father instead of Michael!”

“Well…not exactly…” She mumbled.

“Why else would you tell him anything at all?” I was losing control of my volume. I wanted to keep calm I mean she did just have a baby and all but the rage in me was rising steadily. “Be honest, Lyra!”

“Okay…so maybe I thought there was a chance but I seriously believed Michael was the father. I had a strong feeling he was. And the way he stepped up like that…I guess I just wanted him to be really bad.”

“Why? I was dating him! Why would you even want him to be the father of your child when he was with me?”

“Well, you broke up with him plus he’s a great guy and I guess I thought…”

“You thought he would take care of you, right? Because that’s what’s been done for you for your whole damn life! Someone always takes care of Lyra. Lyra always has someone to lean on, Watcher forbid you ever have to do anything on your own!”

“I…well…”

“You wanted Michael to be a father to your baby because you knew Jude wasn’t going to step up and at the cost of my relationship with him! I gave him up because you let me believe he was the father of your baby. You said there was no one else and now I find out there was someone else and you kept it a secret because you wanted to trap him!”

“It does sound bad the way you’re putting it…”

“It sounds bad? Didn’t you think about me at all, about how I felt?  I love him and I gave him up because of the lie you told! This is the most disgusting, selfish thing you’ve ever done!”

“Just stop, alright!”

“No, I’m not gonna stop! You screwed up! You created this mess with your lies so you deserve to hear about it!”

She scoffed and then rolled her eyes at me. “You’re always so judgemental and quick to assume the worst. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen, I apologised, what else do you want from me? Don’t act all holier than thou just cause I made a mistake when you’re not perfect either!”

“A mistake? This wouldn’t be an issue if this was just a mistake. You’re playing with other people’s lives, Lyra! Maybe I am a little self-righteous at times and yes I often jump to the wrong conclusions but what you did is unforgivable and you know what, I can’t do this with you anymore.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I’m tired of making excuses for you. I’m tired of cleaning up your messes. I’m tired of always defending you and always doing everything for you! I quit! I quit being your big sister when you’re supposed to be mine. All you had to do was say there was someone else and then I wouldn’t have gotten so crazy and Michael wouldn’t have gotten attached to your baby. Do you realise how bad you’ve hurt him? He would’ve been there for you anyway simply because that’s the kind of guy he is and for you to take advantage of him like that. If you had been honest he and I would have still supported you. This didn’t need to get to this…but you just thrive off of drama, don’t you? Everything is never your fault and is always someone else’s burden, usually mine! You never look out for me or think about me, you just take from me and I’m sick of it!”

“You act as if I force you to help me. You have a choice, Maia. You say I thrive off of drama, well maybe you do too. If I’m such a burden on you then why do you still bother? So you can rub it in my face later like you’re doing now?”

“You’re my sister and I love you and that’s the only reason why I put myself in this position over and over again. I let you take advantage of me. And I know when you’re doing it too and I just let it happen. Not anymore. You do whatever you want with your life from now on because I’m not gonna get involved anymore! I’m done.”

Sensing the seriousness in my tone, she instantly changed her tune. “Wait, Maia, look…I screwed up okay. Just…just tell me how to fix it. Please…”

“You’re on your own Lyra.”

I tried to walk away but she stopped me. I could tell by the look in her eyes that she was sorry for what she did but I just couldn’t forgive her. I couldn’t let this one go.

“But Mai…I need you, please. I can’t do this on my own. I don’t have Michael, I don’t have Jude, I don’t have anyone but you…”

“You have your son and he needs you more than you need me.”

She looked at me in a way I didn’t recognise. I wasn’t sure if it was hurt or betrayal, though she had no right to feel that way any more than I did. I felt so relieved after getting it all off my chest and that relief made me even more determined to stand my ground. I could hear little Liam starting to fuss a little and as hard as it was to resist the urge to go pick up my nephew I knew I had to do it. I had to stop this cycle because if I didn’t, it would just go on forever until I had nothing left.