Page 107 of Manhattan Secret

Driving the quarter of a mile up to the house dampens some of my adrenalin slightly.

Sena Fierro opens the door with a curious smile.

Dressed in a pair of denim three-quarter jeans and a sleeveless white t-shirt. I love her red and black converse.

She’s so pretty and intimidating, my heart instantly starts to clatter.

“Hi. I’m not sure if you remember me…” I start.

“Of course. Delaney from the café.You’re a teacher at my kids school. This is a surprise. Do we have a meeting with one of my hooligans?”

“No. It’s nothing like that. I was hoping I could talk to you, if you have a few minutes.” She frowns, confused.

“I’m Laney. Lachlan’s girlfriend.”

Oh, yeah that bomb dropped nuclear style.

“I mean. I was. Not any longer.” Any semblance of warm greeting fell from her face. “I know you must be thinking…”

You could be forgiven for assuming Sena Fierro is just a soccer mom type of woman. When her eyes pierce me, there’s nothing sedate about her. “I’m sure you have no clue what I’m thinking.”

“Sorry. I just. Can we talk? I’ll explain everything as best as I can. I’m not here to cause trouble for anyone, not for Lachlan. I promise. I only have good intentions.”

“Are you pregnant?”

“Oh, my goodness.No.” I would have laughed if not for the frosty reception looking back at me.

“I suppose you better come in, because I want to hear this.”

She invites me in, and I stand in the foyer while she closes the door behind me. The house inside is just as beautiful as it is from the outside.

A gleaming mansion you’d see in a magazine.

A huge winding staircase in the middle of the foyer, with doors leading off to rooms surrounding it. She takes me through to a wide-open kitchen with the long sliding doors directly out to the backyard open as two dogs doze in the sun out on the deck.

“My husband is out, taking our youngest to dance class.”

“Thank you for giving me a few minutes. I know how this all sounds. Believe me, I went through it too. I won’t blame you for hating me.”

“How kind of you for the permission. Now, why don’t you get on with telling me how you, my son’s former teacher, was his girlfriend.”

I see why Lachlan loves his mom so much. She’s calm, pouring sweet tea into two glasses, the manners of a southern lady, but she looks like she wants to bruise me.

“I’m not here to make excuses. I had a relationship knowing I’m a teacher and Lachie, my student. That’s not why I’m here.”

“Why are you?”

“I want to be honest. And to be honest, even with myself, I have to face what scares me. I love your son, Mrs. Fierro.”

“You better make it Sena, since you’ve been sleeping with my teenage son.”

My heart hurts.

My belly hurts and every ounce of confidence is slowly seeping into the floor. Such is life, difficult situations will always come.

Facing what’s scary, that’s what I’m doing.

Consequences are never easy.

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