“Listen to what? More lies,” Damien retorts. “I don’t know what kind of twisted relationship you two have or don’t have, but I want no part of it. You’re my best friend, Gabe. You’ve been more of a brother to me than David ever was. How could you have kept something like this from me?”

Gabe raises an angry fist in the air and lowers it with a shake of his head. “Damien, it’s not like that. Let Aaliya tell you the truth.”

“Damien, listen to them,” Jonathan speaks for the first time since Damien has entered.

Damien whirls to face Jonathan. “And how are you involved in this sordid mess? Have you been conspiring with them against me? Is that what this is about? I know you’ve resented me for a long while now. Is this payback?”

Jonathan stares at him and huffs out a breath. “You’re insane to even think that!”

“Really, Jonathan? I’m insane? Here you are, two of my closest friends and the woman I almost fell for, looking quite cozy together. Did you know about the kid?”

Jonathan’s face falls and he gives me a helpless look because he knows it and I know it that the entire thing does look like we are conspiring together. Finally, after an interminably long few seconds, Jonathan says, “Look, I know about the kid, but you ought to listen to the two of them.”

“And you need to bugger off, Jonathan,” Damien responds.

He faces Gabe and me and gives him an accusing look. “Celia showed me proof of the two of you together with a kid that looks like Aaliya, but has the same dark hair like yours. Is he yours, the child?”

“How can you trust her, Damien?” I ask, lowering my head. “She tried to offer me money that night in the club when I left for the ladies’ room. And now she’s trying to destroy us.”

“That sounds like a convenient lie, Aaliya. Celia has hardly any money of her own, so how is she going to offer any to you?”

“How the hell should I know that? She said she has access to money to make me go away from your life. Perhaps it was your mother who would have funded her! God knows she too dislikes me.”

“Enough!” Damien slices his hand through the air. “I’m not going to believe anything that comes out of your lying, deceiving mouth.”

“Celia is a bitch. You know it and I know it,” Gabe shouts. “So, stop listening to her lies and listen to Aaliya. Let her explain, Damien.”

Damien

FURY CHURNS THROUGH my mind. “Celia may be a bitch, but photos do not lie. And I’ve seen photos of you together. The kid is yours, accept it Gabe,” I yell.