Liar Ch. 06

Sloane wasn't sure how long she let him lay on top of her, barely registering his weight on top of her. Her body was in heaven but her thoughts were in hell.

Here she was back in Reston and back in the same situation she had been in when she left. She felt more confused then ever. Although she had been a more than willing participant, sleeping with Gabe rightfully took it's place as the dumbest thing she had done tonight.

There were so many unresolved issues between them. Huge Issues. Extraordinarily huge issues between them that started with Gabe leaving her that morning and ending with her little secret named Ethan. Sloane stiffened.

"We didn't use anything." Sloane thought out loud.

"Oh shit." Gabe said raising himself up and rolling off her. He'd been so caught up in the moment he didn't even stop to pull out the condoms he had in his wallet.

"Are you...clean?" she asked softly, wanting to die as she heard her words.

"Yes." Gabe said seriously. Despite the her actions, she was clearly new to the whole 'hi-we-just-fucked-are-you-clean?' talk. Gabe couldn't help but be amused by her, "Are you?"

"Yes." Sloane said calmly, although her expression told him he had clearly offended her.

"I'm sorry. I don't know..." Gabe responded, trailing off when he realized that he didn't want to know what or who Sloane had been up to in the years passed, "Well as long as you're clean and I'm clean then we're good."

"No we are definitely not good." Sloane snapped, rushing to her feet then away from him.

Gabe looked at her and tried to focus on everything other than how sexy she was when she was pissed. Instead he braced himself for the inevitable incoming tirade.

"There are other things than just catching some disease Gabe!" She continued as she paced.

"We'll just make sure that we don't do it again..." Gabe started.

"Right."

"Unprotected that is."

"Wait, what?" She snapped her head back to see him giving her that damned smile. She was half amazed and half annoyed, "There isn't going to be a next time Gabe!"

"I forgot how sexy you were when you're mad." Gabe said still not taking her seriously.

"There are so many unresolved issues between us."

"I know that."

"We're talking 'deep-intensive-therapy' level issues." Sloane continued ignoring him, "I can't believe I let this happen again. I can't believe you let this happen again. Do you have any idea the consequences that could arise if-"

"Let's not get carried away now. It was just sex."

"Right. Just sex." Sloane breathed out almost too soft for him to hear.

When Gabe heard the words he had just spoken repeated by Sloane he wanted to kick his own ass for saying them in the first place.

"Sloane." Gabe said softly, rising to his feet and advancing towards her.

"No." Sloane said holding her hand up and shaking her head, "Don't."

"You know that's not what I meant." Gabe said ignoring her. He tried to take her in his arms, but she ducked out his embrace.

Sloane started laughing, but there were tears in her eyes, "A sick part of me needed to hear that. Just to remind me of what it was and always has been between us."

"That's crap and you know it. You know it was more than just sex. It always has been."

"You still left didn't you?"

Gabe sucked in a deep breath and stopped himself from tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "I never should've left you. I know that now."

"I think it's a little too late for that." Sloane said sadly, "You have no idea what you walked away from that morning. No idea at all."

"You're wrong. It haunted me for months, hell it still haunts me. That's what I'm trying to tell you." Gabe continued, "It was horrible. I had no one. I couldn't go to Dean. There was Jude but all he did was remind me of what an idiot I was."

"It sounded like a very difficult time for you," Sloane said sarcastically, pissing him off.

"I don't get you. You want me. You don't want me. You're here one minute, next minute you're off in the head of yours. You fuck me, but then you hate me. If it's not an apology you want then what is it? "

"Nothing. I don't want a damn thing from you. As far as apologies go, it's weird cause I think I forgave you a long time ago," Sloane replied so calm and deadly Gabe knew she was serious, "I don't hate you. I tried, trust me. You shattered my heart that morning, but you also gave me something that pieced it together and for that I am forever thankful."

"What are you talking about?" Gabe said lost at Sloane's cryptic words.

"You'll never know."

And with that Gabe watched Sloane walk away from him, hating every moment of it.

When he calmed down, Sloane words replayed in his mind.

He frowned.

****

The morning after was eerily reminiscent of one that she hadn't let herself think of in a long time. The warmth of morning spilled in through her window onto her back. She begrudgingly opened her brilliant green eyes, only to squint at the sudden brightness. The bright sunny morning was opposite of what she was feeling.

Sleep did not come easy, or peaceful for that matter. Sloane had tossed and turned throughout the night, while the sleep she managed to get was filled with images of Gabe and what happened last night.

Luckily a teenage couple had sneaked up on the roof a few minutes after her and Gabe's big blow out, giving her the salvation she desperately needed.

She hurriedly left the hotel, her thoughts racing about how she had freaked out on Gabe. She just hoped that he didn't read too much into her words. If he did, she was busted. Scrunching her nose, she released an unhappy sigh. She needed to call Gigi.

Looking around the room she didn't see her phone or clutch in sight. After a quick brushing of her teeth and freshening up, she was onto the daunting task of locating her phone.

Walking down the hallway she looked at the framed photos hanging on the wall when she came across one of her kindergarten graduation.

She had been such a proud and happy 6 year old beaming from all the attention, and right before her mother snapped the picture her oldest brother Nathan had knocked her cap off her head.

The picture caught the moment immediately following.

Nathan was doubled over laughing hysterically. Roman, the second oldest, was clutching his stomach. She stood in the middle, her chubby face blank with shock and Dean was staring at something out of the frame. She never really paid much attention to Gabe who stood on the other side of Dean, but as she examined the picture closely she realized that Gabe was glaring at Nathan.

Her breath caught in her throat looking at a 10 year old Gabe.

Sloane shakily sat the picture back down. With the exception of his green eyes, Ethan was a spitting image of Gabe. Same dark hair. Same features. Same mischievous grin. Anyone with a pair of eyes would be able to make the connection.

Lost in her thoughts, she nearly collided with Dean as she reached the bottom of the steps.

"Whoa there," Dean said reaching out to steady her.

"Dean?" Sloane breathed surprised. She eyed up Dean's casual appearance of a jeans and polo shirt. "What are you doing here?"

"Are you only now getting up?" Dean replied checking his watch.

"Uh...jet lag?"

"Well yeah..." Dean reasoned, "I guess that makes sense."

"Time zones," Sloane offered with a shrug, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be shacked up in a hotel somewhere with your wife? Or...I don't know...on your honeymoon?"

"Trust me, there's nothing I'd like more than to be bending my wife over, pound-"

"Over share." Sloane said, holding her hand up to stop Dean.

"Sorry little sis, I forgot how prudish you are." Dean chuckled, mussing up her hair as only a brother could.

Sloane stared at him blankly before slugging his arm.

"Damn sis!" Dean said, rubbing his arm, "You hit like a dude."

"Just like you taught me. Let's try this again, sans the graphic details please." Sloane asked walking into the living room, "Why are you here again?"

"Brodie sent me over here borrow Mom and Dad's luggage." Dean answered.

"Less than 24 hours into holy matrimony and Brodie already made you her bitch." Sloane teased, as she started feeling in between the cushions, "Who am I kidding? She 'had you at hello'."

"Whatever. Just because you feel some weird connection to Renée Zellweger's character doesn't mean that the rest of us are obsessed with that movie," Dean joked, "Speaking of cute kids, why didn't you bring my nephew with you? I haven't seen him in what? Two years?"

"Three years," Sloane corrected.

"You know what I realized? Ethan has never been here. With the exception of Dad, we've all been up to California to visit but never the other way around."

"I never realized that." Sloane lied.

"It's almost like you're hiding him." Dean's tone was void of the speculation that he tried to pass it off as. Sloane refused to turn around. One look from her brother and he'd know full and well that she had purposely done that - hide Ethan from someone.

"He was all set to go but then he got sick last minute," Sloane said without turning around, moving to the other couch.

"Well what kind of mother are you for leaving him alone?"

"He's not alone. Gigi is watching him."

"You trusted her with the wellbeing of your son?" Dean said flatly, "Very brave choice. Knowing Gigi, Ethan is probably watching her."

"Give her a break, she isn't that bad. I didn't leave Ethan with her at first, but Miss Jacobs had an emergency so Gigi graciously stepped in," Sloane explained, before changing subjects, "I thought you were here to get the luggage."

"I am. Is Mom and Dad here?"

"I just woke up, but I don't think so. They aren't down here and they weren't in their room when I walked by." Sloane replied.

"Their car isn't in the drive way either, I figured you had it." Dean shrugged, "Oh well I'm sure they won't mind if I help myself to it."

"Don't you have your own luggage?" She asked getting up and walking into the dining room, not remembering if she even went to the dining room last night when she got home.

Then again she was upset last night so who knows what she did.

"We do but apparently it's not enough," Dean called out, "It's just for two weeks, but the way Brodie is packing you think we were moving to Paris."

"Paris? Nice choice." Sloane said walking through the room to go into the kitchen, all the while Dean watched her with curiosity, "If you would tell her where you guys are going instead of keeping it a surprise she wouldn't pack so much. You know she hates surprises."

"After six years of being together, it's a miracle I kept it a secret from her this long. Do you know how hard it's getting for me to surprise her?" Dean said following Sloane into the kitchen, "Brodie doesn't know about Paris so don't tell her."

"Dont worry, your boring, clichéd honeymoon destination secret is safe with me," Sloane teased.

I know all about keeping secret, she thought, as she closed the refrigerator and moved to the cupboards.

She held up her three fingers, "On my honor as a Girl Scout."

"I'd almost believe you if you were actually in Girl Scouts." Dean said, before curiosity got the better of him, "Okay I give. What are you doing?"

"I can't find my phone," Sloane replied, as she closed the cupboard to look at him. "And my clutch for that matter. Have you seen it?"

"Clutch?" Dean asked, "As in the car part?"

Sloane rolled her eyes at Dean's clueless expression. Men.

"Purse. It looks like an oversized wallet."

"Oh this thing?" Dean replied, presenting her with the clutch she had been looking for this whole time.

"Thank goodness! I've been looking everywhere for this." Sloane said snatching her clutch out of his hand.

"You thought you left it in the refrigerator?" Dean laughed.

"Hey!" Sloane shot back at him as she emptied out the contents of her clutch onto the counter top, "You know I eat when I'm upset."

"What did Gabe do?" Dean asked suddenly surprising Sloane. In one moment Dean's easy going mood switching into serious big brother mode,

"Gabe? How'd you go from my stress eating to Gabe?"

"I know you were with him last night," Dean replied, "Well in his room. How do you think I got your clutch? The room was under my name, the hotel called and said they found it this morning."

It was then she realized she never got it out of the room before she left. Yet another fine example of how she could never think straight around Gabe.

"It isn't what you think," Sloane turned to face her brother as she started to explain.

"That's exactly what he said," Dean replied, "You two are peas of the same dumb pod, both blind to the extremely obvious."

"Well that's a little harsh-" Sloane started to say, stopping when Dean scoffed.

"When I saw you that morning leaving Gabe's house, I figured you guys got each other out of each other's system."

"What morning?" Sloane said, turning back around again to face the counter.

"The one before you left for college." Dean said behind her, "I saw you leaving his house in the morning. We live next door, it's not exactly easy to miss."

Sloane barely heard the words Dean was saying, her attention preoccupied with the contents of her clutch that was spread out on the countertop.

Where was the picture she kept of Ethan?

"Sloane are you listening to me?"

"Yeah. You saw me leaving that morning. Gabe thought I told you." Sloane said mindlessly, her thoughts still on finding that picture.

If someone found that picture of Ethan...she didn't want to think about it.

She racked her mind thinking of the last time she had it. She knew she had before the ceremony started. Where was it? She picked up her clutch and looked inside to see if it got caught on something.

Nothing.

"Did the hotel give you anything else?" Sloane asked.

"Why are you missing something?" Dean replied coming to stand next to her.

"Just a picture of..." Sloane started to say when Dean handed her back the picture of Ethan she had just been looking for, "Ethan."

Dean knows.

She stared down at the picture of Ethan for what seemed like an eternity before she found her words to catapult her out of her stupor.

"You went through my stuff?"

"I wasn't snooping if that's what you're asking. You're were busy dancing with Walker and you're phone was ringing non-stop." Dean said, "I thought it was weird that you were carrying around a picture of Gabe when he was little before I realized that it was Ethan."

"Did you tell him?"

"I almost did, but I only got as far as revealing I knew you two slept together. He was stuttering and beside himself explaining that away I knew there was no way he could've known that he fathered a child. Gabe isn't the type of man to run from his responsibilities anyways."

Sloane fought the urge to scoff, "So you didn't tell him?"

"It's not my secret to tell." Dean said seriously as Sloane released a sigh of relief, "Oh don't think you're off the hook."

"Can't you just pretend you didn't see this?" Sloane tried, grasping for any excuse to get out of the ear full she was about to get.

"Are you out of your mind? I know I haven't seen Ethan since he was a baby, but the kid in that picture looks exactly like Gabe. You better tell Mom and Dad. How are you going to explain it when they see him? Hell anyone that sees your son is going to know."

"I'll think of something when we cross that bridge."

"Jesus Christ Sloane! Are you listening to yourself? You need to quit lying to yourself, to everyone, to Gabe!" Dean leaned into her again, "You have to tell him Sloane."

Sloane shot him a look of pure disbelief only to see that Dean was dead serious.

"I can't-." Sloane sighed, fighting back the tears that were forming in her eyes, "I won't. I made a decision and I'm sticking by it."

"Do you have any idea how immoral you sound right now?" Dean asked, "You're really going to keep something this big from him? Gabe has a right to know."

"And that means that I should subject my son to him all the while wondering when Gabe's going to get bored and leave? I did what I thought was right for Ethan."

"Right for Ethan? Or for yourself?" Dean said seriously, "After you left, he was in pretty bad shape. I couldn't even kick his ass because I felt bad for him. Cut him a break."

"You think I left him?"

"Well didn't you?"

"He left me!" Sloane clarified, "I woke up that next morning and he wasn't there. The man who you said 'doesn't run away from responsibility' ran away from me. Twice! "

"Sloane, I had no idea. I just figured the way he acted after...this whole time I thought it was all because you left him." Dean said surprising her by softening his tone.

"The only thing I left him, was my heart. Then I find out I was pregnant with a man's baby who I foolishly fell for but wanted nothing to do with me. It was easy saying it was a one night stand because I was already so disappointed in myself I didn't care what other people thought of me.

I didn't stay away because I wanted too. I couldn't come back. I don't think I could've handled it if he left me again."

Sloane sighed deeply following the purge of emotions she had just relieved herself of. It was a long time before either of them spoke.

"Sloane," Dean said hesitantly, "I know you don't want to hear this and I know that he hurt you, but you're going to have to tell him. I know you can't change the past, but you can change the future. Don't be like him and run away. Even though I'm sure he had his reasons."

"This coming from his best friend..."

"This is coming from your brother." Dean corrected before starting in on her again.

She didn't have time for this. She needed to check in with Gigi.

She grabbed her phone and punched in Gigi's number. The phone droned and the display flashed 'No Signal'. Not again.

Sloane walked across the kitchen to grab the house phone. Dialing Gigi's number, she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion when it went straight to voicemail.

"What's the matter?" Dean said suddenly, pausing his lecture when he registered the concern on Sloane's face.

"I don't know." She replied as she redialed Gigi's number again.

Voicemail again.

Shaking her head to refocus herself, she disconnected and called her voicemail.

"You have one new voicemail." The automated system announced. When the system went on to announce the time stamp, Sloane went into full panic mode. It had to be wrong. The time stamp on the voicemail was from the middle of the night. As Gigi's voicemail started to play, Sloane released the breath she had been holding.

"Breathe woman, everything is fine. I know it's late but I wanted to check in before we board. I hate to do this to you but something has come up and I have get home before Daddy makes a colossal mistake. I'll explain more when we land. Hold on someone wants to say hi."

"Mommy? Hello Mommy? Aun' Gigi, Mommy isn't on here. Oooh...okay." Sloane's heart swelled upon hearing her son's voice. In one breath he continued, "Guess. What. Mom? I git to ride in a big plane! Do you know Myles High? I heard Aun' Gigi talkin' bout him. She says you know him but I dunno him. And he has a club! What? I'm not done. Aun' Gigi is grabbing the phone away. I gotta go. Love you Mommy!"

"You know I was just kidding about that little Mile High thing," Gigi said as she got back on the phone, "Speaking of naughty, I do plan on getting the details about last night - so be ready. See you in a couple of hours."

Sloane sat there blinking away the tears that had formed in her eyes. Today would mark the longest she'd ever been away from him, she missed him so much. Ethan's excited little voice seemed to remedy the morning she'd been having.