Charlotte

03 // apple cinnamon.

"Thank you, Shawna for this," I lifted my bandaged hand. "I think i'm going to go now, though. I'm not feeling too well."

"Well, you did lose a bit of blood," she put her arm around my shoulder and walked me towards the table where Wren was already sat. He looked down at his empty plate. "You should eat something."

 

During dinner, I only spoke whenever Shawna asked me a question, and Wren hadn't said anything either. Much of the talking came from Shawna, as she went on and on about her career as a model and the latest fashion shows she had been asked to do around the country. My eyes were glued to the plate of food in front of me; I didn't dare allow them to wander.

When Shawna had realized that we weren't saying anything, she cleared her throat and threw her cloth napkin on the table, finally deciding to address the elephant in the room.

"Lesra, I'm sorry that my husband was so rude to you when you first came."

"Oh, that's ok-,"

Wrens laugh was chilling. "I'm not. Sorry, that is. I'm not sorry."

I shrinked in my chair and looked down at my empty plate.

"Damnit, Warren. What has gotten into you lately?" Her face began to turn a bright shade of red as she argued with her husband.

Wren clenched his fist on the table. "Don't act like you don't know. You knew what I wanted, Shawna, and instead, you went against it. I never get a say in any important decisions in our lives. You go on and take matters into your own hands, like always. And now we're stuck with-"

He stopped and looked over to me. I knew what his next word was going to be.

Her.

Now we're stuck with her.

He sighed and continued. "Adoption was what I wanted, and you knew that."

"And what about me?" Shawna cried. "Don't you want your own child? Someone who is made from your own flesh and blood? Because I do!"

I jumped up out of my seat. "I should go. It's getting late."

They both looked up at me; Shawna with tears in her eyes and Wren with anger and frustration.

"Yeah, that's probably best!" Wren added, also standing up.

Tears streamed down Shawnas face. It pained me to see her in such distress. I didn't even want to know what it would be like for her if she were to ever find out what her husband and I did just five days ago. But I wasn't the reason she was currently upset. It was clear her and Wren were in disagreement about the surrogacy way before I got put into the equation.

"I won't allow you to drive back in that car," Shawna sniffled, using her napkin to wipe at her eyes.

I sighed, remembering what she had said when I first arrived. I just really wanted to get home.

"Shawna, I have no other transportation. My car is fine, really."

"No!" she sobbed. "Please, that car is a potential sign of danger, and I don't want to risk our baby's life."

I wanted to roll my eyes, but decided against it. "I'll call a cab, then." I frowned. Cab fare was very expensive, especially taking into consideration how far away I was from home. Samuel didn't own a vehicle, and Shay was at work. My last resort was Noah, but after our argument, I didn't want to ask him for any favors right now.

"No cab," Shawna objected. "Warren will bring you home."

Wren laughed. He had gathered up his dirty plates and was washing them at the sink. Without turning around to face us, he said, "The hell I will."

I looked back to Shawna and crossed my arms. "Shawna you should bring me home. At least then, we can get to talk to each other more."

Wren turned around and narrowed his eyes at me. "On second thought, I'll bring her. I need to stop at The Vault anyways."

Shawna half smiled. "I'll finish cleaning up the table, and I'll talk to you tomorrow, Lesra."

.

.

I followed Wren out front to his black Impala. Using my bandaged hand, I opened the door. The interior of the car was sleek and smelled like a new car.

I strapped on my seat belt and sat back in the suede and leather car seat.

"I couldn't risk you being alone with my wife," Wren said.

I laughed. "You think I'm going to tell her what we did?"

"You have no reason not to," he murmured.

"When I told her that we'd get the chance to talk more, I wasn't referring to the chance to talk about that god awful night." I turned to look out the window. He didn't want to risk his marriage but I had a risk of my own. I needed this to work out.

Several minutes passed by in silence.

"How could you do that to her? How could you betray your wife like that?"

"My marriage has nothing to do with you."

I shook my head. "You're right. But If I would have known you were married, I wouldn't have even stayed to converse with you at the bar."

"Then I must ask; why were you at the club when you knew you were supposed to be becoming a surrogate? Why did you agree to sleep with me?" he asked.

I didn't say anything more. I couldn't let him know that our brief night together had made me reconsider becoming a surrogate. How naive I was.

"Now, stay quiet," he ordered.

I obeyed. After all, we were distances away from my house, and he had no reason not to pull over and let me walk the rest of the way.

For the rest of the ride I stole quick glances at Wren. Two things I now knew about him: he was off limits, and he was the biggest asshole.

Finally, my apartment came into view. The streetlights illuminated the empty street. I sighed in relief that I would no longer have to spend anymore time alone with him. He pulled up to the curb and turned in his seat to face me.

I hesitantly looked back at him.

"Listen, Lesra. I love my wife," he muttered.

"I understand that." My hands began to feel moist, as I watched the way my name rolled off his tongue.

"Just tell me, whatever it is I have to do to undo all of this and get you out of our lives; I'll do it."

I swallowed the bile in my throat. He wanted me out of his life. Of course he did.

"If these embryos don't work out, I promise I'll be gone, forever."

He nodded his head. "I hope that's the case then. Now, get out of my car."

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