Chapter 19

•Robert's POV•

"You sure about this?" Nate asked me. The hesitation and doubt clear in his voice‚ I can tell. And to be honest I'm having second thoughts right now too.

But we're already here now and we are not turning back. I'm sure we can deal with my parents and sister for just a few hours. I mean could possibly go wrong as long as we have each other?

"Let's do this." I nod at him‚ gently taking his hand in mine and giving it a firm squeeze. The moment we had on the couch at his place still branded in my memory.

My words seem to have encouraged him enough. He lifted my hand giving it a gentle kiss before we both steppes out of the car and walked up to the hotel entrance.

As soon as we went inside‚ we were greeted by the receptionist. "Welcome Mr Eucliffe‚ Mr Cook. Here is your key card." I walk to her taking the key card. I know my Mom has something to with this‚ she loves having everything organised even have the receptionist greet you like you just entered some royal palace.

With the card in my hand now‚ we knew which room to go. I already knew which one it was before we even got the card. Of course it's the VIP suite at the top floor!

"This way." I say to Nate and then we walk to the elevator.

Inside the elevator we stand there awkwardly. Not holding hands because we agreed that it was not time for my parents to know about this. Ironically Nate insisted on this and I didn't protest when I realised why. He didn't want any drama tonight and neither did I‚ so I don't blame him.

'I just want this to be over soon and I also want to see what my parents are trying to gain from this.'

Soon the elevator doors and we step out. We walk down a hallway to double doors standing on the end of the path. That must be the suite because normal hotel rooms don't have double doors standing as an entrance.

I get the key card scanned and once the door clicks open‚ I take in a deep breath.

"By the way. Please keep it calm tonight." Nate whispers behind my neck.

I roll my eyes and push the door open. I can keep it cool‚ it's funny how Nate acts like I am the one with anger issues here that could surface any second. I know that he often needs to keep himself calm around my family and that's the only times when he ever keeps himself under control.

Anyway…

As soon as we walked in we are greeted by my mom standing there‚ dresses in a blouse with some black knee-length skirt and some other fancy stuff women call fashion. Not the kind I am interested in but I knew the moment we walked in‚ she would look at what Nathan is wearing.

This time I take Nate's advice and keep it calm before clearing my throat. "…Hope we're not late."

"Oh you're just on time!" My mom gave another pretentious smile she had stashed in her collection of pretentious expressions. "Welcome! Come on this way!"

She turns on her heels and leads us to what looks like the living room. This place is honestly so big it's hard to tell the difference between this and a penthouse.

As soon as we entered the living room‚ I hear Ana squealing my name‚ "Uncle Rwobert!" But I did not expect her to scream Nathan's name too. "Uncle Nathan!"

I look at Nate seeing he gave her a faint smile. A genuine smile‚ unlike the one my mom is putting up. Unfortunately Ana was not the only one inside the living room. Two of the most annoying faces in the world were here too.

"I didn't think you would come." My father said standing up from the couch walking to us and then extending a hand out to Nathan. "Nice to have you here with us."

Nathan's demeanor changes when he looked from Ana to my dad. Even I don't get this whole show they're trying to put up.

"Thank you. I would be lying if I said‚ I looked forward to this." Nathan gave a sarcastic smile before he firmly shook my dad's hand. "Afterall‚ the only person tolerable here is little Ana."

The tension instantly became thick in the air. I was more worried that Nathan wouldn't keep his calm tonight‚ but I also knew he was keeping his guard up aswell.

My dad only chuckled‚ looking at me. I give him a not so friendly smile‚ making it clear that I'm not playing along‚ so I turn away moving to the couch and then sitting on the armrest.

It started to become awkward when Nathan withdrew his hand. I don't even know what my mom was thinking when she invited us. Did she really expect something special out of this?

My mom came inside and then it looked like she was throwing signals at my dad‚ the way she normally does when she widens her eyes and cocks her neck to the side.

My dad sighs and grumbled incoherently before he looks at me‚ "Robert I would like to apologize."

"Apologize?" I repeat the word. I never thought I would hear him use that word.

"Yes. The way we treated your friendship was unfair and we didn't put into consideration of how much it meant to you‚ because we wanted to protect you…from his family."

'I know promised Nate I would keep my cool‚ but screw that.'

I stand up seeing that Ana isn't around too. Probably playing somewhere. Good. "So let me get this straight? You called us here to apologize and now we will just forgive you and act like everything is okay…and move on with our lives…pretending you care about Nathan?" I say then scoff. "I would like to see how that works out!"

"I am trying here Robert."

"Really?" I frown at my dad and fol my arms‚ "All you really tried was to ruin my life. You never cared about this friendship and never will…you are only doing this to throw us off your trail."

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

"Are we really going to play that game now?" Nate finally chose to say something. I looked at him‚ surprised he even spoke. He came to stand next to me. His fists clenched on his sides. "Maybe you should start telling us what's this big secret you're hiding. What could my parent's possibly have done to make you hate me so much?"

My father's mouth opened. It looked like he was stuck on not having any more words to say‚ only for him to look at my mother. I have lost my cool at this point and don't even want to be here anymore.

But then Robyn comes in deciding to cut off the tension herself‚ "Can we atleast not have this conversation here? Not when Ana is around?"

I feel slightly bad that Ana has to be around all this. Maybe Robyn was the one who took her out of the room. It won't belong before the girl takes notice of things and I don't want her to grow up the way I did.

I let out a sigh thinking maybe Nate and I should leave. Nodding at him‚ but as we turn around Robyn does add‚ "…I will tell you the truth Robert. What really happened 23 years ago. Something Mom and Dad should've told you years ago."

Both Nate and I look at her. A serious look on her face and my mom already began protesting‚ "Robyn. Please."

"No Mom! I have had with you and Dad!" Robyn snapped at her. Mom staying quiet immediately after that. "They will find out one way or another. It's better I tell them‚ since you two don't have it in you to tell them yourselves. This dinner got ruined before it started in anyway. Trying to cover it all up won't help. I am sick and tired of all these lies."

We then looked at each other. Nathan also looked like he was curious on wanting to know what this big secret could possibly be. It's even more serious than we all thought.

"I will tell him." My dad suddenly speaks up. He looks at me then at Nate. "I will tell you everything. On the night of 24 August 23years ago…your Mom went in labour…but you were not the baby born on that night."

Now he completely lost me. He has this terribly broken look in his eyes and even I am starting to feel scared now. My dad never looked at me in that way before. His gaze shifted over towards Nathan and pretty soon he blinked his eyes before using thumb and index finger to rub them. Next he has what looks like contact lenses attached to his fingers that came out of nowhere and when he looked at me‚ I saw that they were his own. The brown eyes I once thought were my dad's were now green.

"What's going on…?" The air suddenly feels heavy to breath. My whole life I thought my dad's eyes were brown bur they were infact green. Seeing the looks on Mon and Robyn's faces they don't look surprised at all.

"Both you and Nathan were born on the same night. Nine years later we found out that you were swapped during birth by accident. For 9 years the child of another man and woman has lived in our house."

My eyes widen and I'm finding this hard to believe. I stare at Robyn and my mom in disbelief. This not some sick joke they're playing with us. At the same time I still find it hard to believe. Nathan is older than me.

"How is that possible!? I am 24 not 23. I am a year older than Robert!" Nathan snapped. The anger evident in his tone.

"At some point t the two families had to come to an agreement." My mother adds before she stands next to me dad. Holding his hand. "We couldn't give up Robert. He was our son. And so we agreed upon cutting ties. Having no connection whatsoever and pretending this never happened. Liam arranged a forged birthdate for you Nathaniel and made it that it seemed you are a year older than Robert. You were already growing faster than he did and so we went along with that story. Just too bad they lived across the street from us…"

"They refused didn't they?...." Nate grits his teeth. I didn't know what was going on in his head but the wheels were definitely turning. "They wanted their son and you said no. So you bribed them into doing it. My dad used the money to make him and my mother addicts…and then when those two fucks saw me they got reminded of the two fucks who took their son away so they thought why not make the real kid of those two fuck's life miserable!?"

Nate was furious and I never saw him like this. It was worrying and I knew then and there that it was best to leave. I gently take his hand‚ but he only jerks it away. "Nathan. Calm down!"

"No!" Nathan growled only to grab my dad my his collar. "You have no idea what a monster this piece of shit‚ you call a father‚ is Robert!"

"Nate!" I flinch and quickly move between them. Trying to pull Nate back as my Mom and Robyn came to help too.

I manage to pull back Nathan on my own. This time even as he tries to push me away‚ I hold him still while pulling him back. The struggle keeps going on till he eventually calms a little down before he panted and looked at me. "I'm out of here!"

I let my guard down for one second. Unexpectedly he broke free from my grip right after shoving me aside. I feel back on the couch and when I wanted to go after him‚ he stormed out of the door.

I want to follow him. Go after him so badly‚ but my feet are not moving. I just stand there‚ staring blankly at the door that was left open and then I look at my dad. Or who I thought was my dad.

Staring at him as I shake my head. If this is true. What could this possibly mean for us? How would Nathan look at me knowing I was the reason his life was miserae.

I used to wish he never lived in that house with his parents and that I was the one who had to go through years of child abuse and not him. It turns out things should've been like that all along. And all because these fuckers ruined it.

"Stay the hell away from me. All of you." The words come out of my mouth without even thinking. "It's over. We're done."

And just like that I stormed out of the door. Heading to the elevator and once I am inside I stare at myself in the mirror. My cheeks glistening and when I feel to check what made them so wet‚ I realise these are tears.