Chapter 37
Let Me Go ~ Avril Lavigne ft. Chad Kroeger
"Isla," a voice summoned as I stared at my parents, clothed in bright white garments.
"Mom, Dad," I gasped happily. I ran over to them, but they were drifting the more I got closer. Until they were completely gone. Dark clouds surrounded me, and a fog prevented me from finding my way.
"Isla, wake up,"
"Mom, come back. Mom please, don't leave me here." I called out until everything faded into a blinding, bright light. I slowly blinked my eyes open, to meet a familiar pair of brown eyes.
"Island, you're alive! Oh thank The Heavens." Aiden wrapped his arms tightly around me.
"W-Where, huh? Mom? Dad? What?" I whispered.
"No no, it's us, your other family. We're so relieved that you're alive, none of us here even slept a wink." He told me as I tried to remember how we got to this situation. Yves.
I carefully but weakly turned my head to Katerina, Zoe and Dr. McCain. They were all encircling me, and Zoe, along with Katerina, were clinging tightly to me.
"I should have died-"
"Don't dare say that Isla. Don't say that, we want you alive, and we're willing to support you through whatever tough time you're enduring, why did you leave?" Zoe cupped my cheek. I had missed her so much.
"Yves fired me, there was no reason for me to stay anymore." I said in a small tone.
"What?! That's not possible, your contract is ongoing for another one month, and why would he do that? You're a great assistant!" Aiden was in shock as they all stared at me warily. I just shrugged nonchalantly in response.
"Her health has improved over the past two days. She's ready to be discharged," Dr. McCain spoke as he checked his clipboard.
"We're taking you back home though. It's odd how he's the reason you're like this but he has been sleepless and on the edge ever since you left. At some point, I thought I saw him crying." Katerina told me as she held my hand tightly.
"He doesn't want me, I don't want to come back. I want to apply for a death-"
"Isla, calm down. You're not going to die, and you're most definitely coming back home. With us," Aiden held my face between his palms as Zoe nodded.
"We don't want to lose you Isla, you're very special to us. I'll literally be visiting you every time I get the chance, you're my only best friend." Zoe had tears in her eyes as she spoke to me. I exhaled slightly, then faced all of them.
"Okay, I'm sorry. I guess I will come, but I don't want to see your brother, I don't even want to breathe the same air as him, do you understand?" They all sighed in relief, including Doctor McCain.
"Understood Ma'am." Aiden saluted me and I smiled slightly. I really didn't want to breathe his air at all.
~
I sighed lightly as I got out of my bathroom after a long hot shower. I had returned to the Nicholson mansion and it had been two weeks already. I hadn't even seen Yves either, which was great but I had heard that he was very relieved that I was found, and that he was patiently waiting until I agreed to finally face him. Of which that was never going to happen.
Katerina and Aiden had assisted me greatly in getting me back onto my feet; he had ironed out my exercise routine again. It was very therapeutic and less intense than the last time because the stress had made me so skinny. Katerina always cooked for me; I was eating more carbs now, and I was learning to take care and love myself again.
I wore more sexy lingerie to feel good about my body, and I always took a longer time applying moisturizer on my belly. It was getting much bigger now, and I couldn't be more proud of how much the baby was growing.
Since I was constantly in a very happy mood, the growth had spiraled and I knew that I eventually had to confess. I couldn't keep trying to hide it, because it was only four months old but it looked to be a very mature pregnancy.
"I can't wait to see you baby, imagine how cute you would look." I cooed whilst slipping my underwear on, along with an oversized, black t-shirt then some comfortable shorts.
"We could go for a picnic, we could watch television, while I feed you and stroke your hair. Oh how I would love that," I grinned widely to myself and brushed my longer chestnut hair happily.
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted in a fraction of a second. I paused and my body tensed almost immediately. The air around me was now cold and refreshing, like ocean aqua, and that's when my heart started pounding in my chest.
The nostalgia flooded my memory and I felt my throat constrict as I turned slowly, my head tilting high to face the stupidly handsome giant.
His grey eyes were solely focused on me, and he had a slight tug on his lips, signaling me that he had seen and heard everything. I wonder why it took me so long to smell him, to realize that he had literally watched me change and stroke my belly like the proud mother I was.
He looked good, but it was evident that he was recovering from a severely rough patch from his disheveled hair to the exhausted look on his face. It made me glad to know that he had suffered as well.
I wanted him to feel the pain. The pain of rejection. I sighed and shook my head before turning away from him and resuming with my routine as though he wasn't even there.
I hummed a small tune to myself as I took my folic acid tablets with my bottled water before scrolling through my clothes for my favorite white, large and warm nightgown. It was nearly 5PM so I had to go and have some fruit then sleep until the next day. It was that serious.
When I turned, he was still patiently waiting, and what annoyed me most was how hot he looked standing there in a dark blue shirt with matching trousers that clung to his perfect, athletic legs. His biceps popped out in the most tempting ways possible, and I was fighting the urge to-
"Why are you here?" I asked coldly, as he moved from the door ledge and stood straight. I suddenly felt extremely tiny and inferior, as he stared down at me.
"I wanted to see you, I couldn't wait any longer." There was a hint of desperation in his voice.
"Well, you saw me, now leave." I walked past him to my room and started opening my blankets and adjusting my pillows.
"You're sleeping? Right now?" Yves asked in surprise. I turned to him briefly and responded.
"Yes, it's good for my baby." I didn't hesitate to emphasize on 'my' as his jaw ticked.
"Listen Isla, I'd like us to talk, please. I want to talk about us, our child-"
"No thank you, I don't have time for that. There is no us Yves, and this is now my baby, point blank." I lit my scented candle then used the remote to shut the curtains and dim the light.
"Nice, I like your sense of humor. I'll see you in my office in five minutes." He didn't give me the opportunity to speak when he walked out, leaving me dumbfounded. He wasn't serious, was he? He couldn't do that to me, he couldn't force me to speak to him against my will.
I walked out of my room and headed downstairs to get the fruit salad that Katerina had readily prepared for me in advance before she had left for her evening shift at Nicholson. She really loved me, and she wanted me to recover from the depression I had suffered. They still had no idea that I was pregnant at all.
After taking the salad bowl and heading back upstairs, I contemplated on whether to actually go and hear what Yves had to say, or to just eat and go to bed, disregarding him completely. We were literally the only ones in the house, and I was nervous. I just wanted him to leave me in peace, not pieces.
I found myself walking downstairs again, all the way to his office. I got to the door and inhaled deeply, before pushing the huge door open.
Yves didn't see me enter because he was so absorbed in reading some kind of book. I squinted my eyes to see the title of the book and I was shocked to see that it read, 'Becoming A Dad'.
When I looked around, my eyes lingered on the books that were placed on his first bookshelf, and they surprisingly were all about having a child for the first time, being a good parent or anything related to that. I was quite startled that he was taking it seriously, that he had considered the whole thing and was preparing himself for the future.
When Yves finally noticed me, he quickly closed the book and put it away. His cheeks were faintly tainted pink, and I chuckled to myself.
"Don't hide it, I've already seen it." I sat in the chair before him. He exhaled slowly before facing me, his eyes warmer than the last time. I couldn't get the previous scenario out of my head, and I knew he knew by the guilty expression that etched onto his perfect features.
"I'm so sorry Isla, for how I reacted, for how I acted. It wasn't- I didn't expect to react that way myself, and I know that I hurt you. I regret it, and I hope you forgive me soon." Yves spoke in a low tone as I crossed my arms.
"You did, so much." I spoke without looking at him.
"I didn't mean to, I- thing is, I'm scared." He confessed as I finally looked up at him.
"Scared? Why?" I sounded confused.
"I don't know, I'm not sure of how to be a father, I've never really handled kids, and my birth was a very good reason why my parents drifted. That's why my mother got replaced. I fear that we will drift, I don't want us to ever drift Isla-" I stopped him by taking his large hand with my tinier one.
"Yves, listen. I'm scared too, this is my first ever baby, and I know we will find our way through parenthood, and you don't have to let the past haunt you like that, we will not drift." I told him as he sighed deeply.
"I'm really sorry for putting you through pain all because of my insecurities. I wanted to apologise right after, but you were gone. I panicked, wondering where you were, I couldn't sleep knowing that you were somewhere out there with our baby, I couldn't even eat or work. I canceled all my meetings and I organised a search team to look for you. I was so glad when they found you." He held my hand tighter as my eyes became glassy.
"I was so depressed, I couldn't stop seeing your reaction over and over again-"
"I know, and I hate it. I wish I had done things differently, and I want to tell you that I'm fully accepting responsibility for the baby. I'll be there as much as I can for the both of you." Yves smiled and I did the same.
"That would mean a lot to me, I'm excited to become a Mommy, and I know you'll be a great Daddy." I stroked the soft skin on his hand.
"You are going to be a wonderful Mom, to our child. I'm honored that you're carrying my child, it was very unexpected, but it's our little blessing." He kissed my hand.
"And our little secret. No one else knows yet," I winked at him and he chuckled.
"That's fine. We can keep it a secret, then maybe announce it on your birthday if you please, which is two weeks away," I gasped at his idea.
"That's a brilliant idea. I like it." I nodded as he continued to stare at me with adoration.
"I love you," Yves told me.
"I'm still hurt," I folded my arms, a serious expression manned over my features. I had every right to be upset, but he was so irresistible. Too irresistible.
"I understand, let me make it up to you, alright? Until you love me back again," he looked determined as he stood up and walked towards me.
"Okay, I'll let you prove yourself to me. Now, it's time for me to go to bed." I also stood up and smiled when he pulled me closer to his body.
Yves allowed his hands to trail to my belly, and this time he didn't flinch away, instead, he massaged it gently, kissed my neck and hugged me tightly. I couldn't help but hug him back, his scent bringing me serenity once again.
"Okay. I'll join the both of you for your sleep."
____________
I just had to, I love them
too much to make them
fight for too long heheh
(I'm sure some of y'all have
forgiven me now... No? Oh well-)
Imma take you on
an adorable pregnancy
journey anyway 💞