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Chapter 130
Settled in the taxi, Richie looked at his watch. It was 2 AM in California. He really needed to talk to Kevin and this was probably the only time he would be without Jesse. He'd just have to deal with the fallout. Maybe what he had to say would be enough to keep Kevin from being too pissed.
Pulling out his phone, he searched his contacts and pressed send.
Halfway around the world, Kevin looked at the caller ID before answering. "Hey, is everything okay?" he questioned with concern.
"Jess is fine. I needed to talk to you. I hope I didn't wake you."
"No, actually, I'm in the studio working on some music."
"I need to know if there's any way I could convince you to bring Stevie to the wedding. Jess is devastated that he won't be there."
"She told you what Kristen said?"
"She told me everything that happened that day."
There was a long pause before Kevin said, "I've been thinking about it. Stevie really misses her."
"I know you care a great deal for her and we got off on the wrong foot but it was because we both care for her."
"Yeah, you're right."
"The most important thing is that she's happy...and the relationship Jesse and Stevie have."
"I'm really NOT trying to destroy that, Richie," explained Kevin.
"Your actions..."
"Please, don't go there. I know my actions don't reflect my true intentions but there's a lot I can't tell Jess."
"Like you were pushed into the whole custody issue?" There was dead silence on the other end and Richie knew he'd hit the nail on the head. "Jesse said she felt like you were holding something back."
"She knows me...even after all these years," said Kevin softly. "Richie, you were right about how I treated her and that played a part in why I left the group. She deserves so much better...she deserves love."
"When Jesse loves someone, she loves them completely....with her whole heart...unconditionally."
"I know she loved me like that and I have kicked myself for it for six years."
"You can fix it, Kevin." Richie waited before playing his trump card. "Kevin, how much do you know about Jesse's pregnancy?"
"What she told me but I'm guessing that since you're asking, that she didn't tell me everything."
"No, she didn't. When Jess was five years old, she was hospitalized for about a month. They found a birth defect in her heart and the doctors told her father that when she was older, a pregnancy could kill her. Her pregnancy was a high risk pregnancy and it was a miracle she survived."
"Why didn't she tell me?"
"She didn't know until she got pregnant with Stevie. Then, she didn't tell you because you weren't a part of her life other than a monthly check. The reason I know is because we are getting married and she's pregnant with my child but she didn't tell me until AFTER she got pregnant." Richie paused to let the information sink in. "I don't want to put pressure on you to make a decision but Jesse could very well die because of this pregnancy and every day you keep Stevie is a day they BOTH lose. Stevie is going to be devastated if something happens to her. I just want to make sure they are BOTH happy."
"What about you? How are you going to handle it if she dies?"
"Right now, I'm doing my best NOT to think about it and make the most of our time together. The defect can be fixed but not until after the baby is born."
"Why didn't she have it taken care of sooner?"
"Money."
"She could have asked me for help."
"She could have but she's too proud for that. It took her a while to accept that I could give her expensive gifts."
Kevin knew he was right and changed the subject. "She always liked you and when she looks at you or even talks about you, she glows."
Richie smiled, "I love her, Kevin....as much as she loves me. Thanks for listening."
"I appreciate you calling and I'll let you know something."
Closing his phone, Richie paid the fare and headed into the studio.
