Matthew POV:
The cloud clinking of pots and music woke me up.
I lazily searched for my phone in my beige sheets.
Pulling the covers off the bed, I realized it wasn't there.
Panicked, I peered my head over the edge of the bed hoping it fell off. I huffed in relief once I realized it was on the floor.
It was 9 a.m.
"Vanessa?" My voice was loud but it was only from shock.
Her eyes met mine. Not saying anything she turned around and continued cooking breakfast, the R&B music still playing from the speaker.
Once she gathered the eggs to go with the bacon and waffles on her plate, she went to the dining room where she started eating.
Vanessa was here. She was back home!
But with bags underneath her eyes and a dull, weary face.
My poor baby.
I couldn't help but roar in happiness and rush over to hold her tightly from where she sat.
She smelled good. I kissed her forehead and played with the ends of her curls.
It felt good to have her back.
"Get off me Matthew! Who knows where your disgusting, filthy mouth has been?" She tried to push me off her but I didn't let go.
She slapped me just like the last time and headed up the stairs, ignoring her plate of food.
I was right on her heels, following her as she went to one of the spare rooms instead of our bedroom.
"Vanessa, wait!" I called right as she walked into the room. "We should sleep in."
"I have to get ready for work." She said bitterly and shut the door right in my face.
I did nothing but stand there, waiting for her to come out so I could see her.
She was actually here.
My phone beeped. It was Jenna.
I could see what she wanted later. Vanessa was my priority. She always has been.
I went to knock on the door but a constant motor sound kept playing. What was that?
The sound was muffled a bit and it wouldn't stop.
Looking around I couldn't find the source. The sound was getting louder and louder.
Covering my ears, I tried to see if Vanessa could hear it too.
But the door wasn't there.
Everything was dark.
Then eventual light poured in my vision.
Sunlight.
I woke up on the couch.
Getting up, I looked out the curtains to see the neighbor pushing his lawnmower.
I let out a disappointed breath. It was all a dream. The sound of the neighbor's lawn mower woke me up.
Vanessa really wasn't here.
I now understand why she left. Staying would've drained the life out of her, it would have killed her.
But it was time for her to come home. With enough patience, time, and love to repair us we could be made whole again.
Needing a pick me up, I went to the bathroom to slash some water on my face.
Right when I turned off the water, the doorbell rang.
Justin.
Quickly drying my face, I went down the stairs to open the front door.
"Justin you want a bee-" I stopped my sentence but only because it wasn't Justin I started talking to.
It was Jenna.
I had called Jenna over to discuss the baby. She was due in two months and we needed a plan. But she was here extremely early.
"Jenna come in." I moved over to let her walk through the door.
"I was surprised you called me." She said taking off her jean jacket and placing it on the coat rack, wearing a short sundress. Her belly bulged but not as much as it should have.
She was almost eight months pregnant. Suspicious and even more of a reason to get a DNA test.
"I wanted to talk." I said seriously. "We're supposed to meet later today."
"What did you want to talk about?" She ignored my last statement and sat down to take off her shoes and place them next to mine in the shoe closet.
I watched her confused. What was she doing?
"The baby." I told her just like I said over the phone.
"I want a DNA test." I stated. "I need to know if this is my baby." I added, before I stepped up and took responsibility, I needed a DNA test.
"That's fine." Jenna agreed, surprising me. I kept my expression passive, not wanting her to see my astonishment.
I expected her to fight me about a DNA test. Ever since she told me she was pregnant, I've been skeptical about paternity. Since she willingly slept with a married man, I reasoned that there were more men in the picture.
Talk about morals.
"I made an appointment for the test in a few days, that's why I asked if you were free." I told her, going on to explain that the test was completely safe.
"And the test won't hurt the baby?" She questioned for the third time. Right now, she had grabbed the picture of Vanessa that was laying on the coffee table and was inspecting it.
"No, Jenna, it's perfectly safe." I calmly repeated while slowly taking the picture frame from her.
"Did you want some water?" I asked so she would stop touching things and badgering me.
"Yes please." I was already in the kitchen before she answered and got her a bottle of water. I had set the frame on the counter in the meantime.
I don't feel any way about her but I'm being nice because she's possibly carrying my child. I don't have romantic feelings for her and I don't plan on having any.
The doorbell rang and I walked to the door to answer it.
But I was beaten there. Jenna had opened the door and was talking to Justin who looked confused.
"Hi I'm Jenna." She held her hand out to shake.
"Justin." He said back, reluctantly accepting her hand.
He turned to me and gave me a blank stare.
"Hey man, ready to get started? I have beer in the fridge." I quickly said to get them away from each other.
"I'll have a beer, thanks." He replied, sending me a look of suspicion.
"I'll go get it." Jenna was gone before I could say anything.
Justin narrowed his eyes. "What is she doing here?"
"We were supposed to talk about the baby later. She ended up coming hours earlier than what I told her." This was supposed to be the time that Justin and I talked.
I needed his support desperately. He's my best fri-
The sound of an object breaking had me jumping out of my seat and towards the sound of the incident.
Racing toward the kitchen, I didn't stop until I saw Jenna standing over glass.
She glanced up at me and started speaking. "I was just looking at the picture, I'm so sorry. It was an accident." I listened to her half-assed apology with an impassive expression.
How dare she? I felt my eye twitch when I saw Vanessa's smiling face on the marble tile with broken glass over it.
"Don't worry I got it." That was all Justin said as he came in with a broom and dust pan.
I quickly gathered the picture making sure there were no glass fragments on it.
She looks so beautiful, I thought to myself. I'll never give her up.
I didn't say anything as I went upstairs to put the picture in our bedroom.
I carefully put it away in the photo album I had composed.
The album was tucked in the safety of our shared closet.
Not wanting to leave Justin hanging, I rushed back downstairs where Justin was putting trash into a big garbage bag.
Heading to the pile of trash bags, I grabbed one and picked up the metal canisters of my favorite energy drink.
"I can help." Jenna said too eagerly, zooming over to grab a bag herself.
"We got the hang of it Jenna. I'll walk you out." I walked until I reached the coat rack and grabbed Jenna's jean jacket off of it. I opened the shoe closet to get her sandals.
She begrudgingly followed and put on her jacket and shoes.
"When can I see you again?" She asked curiously.
"The day of the paternity test." That was all I had left to say to her as I opened the front door.
"Drive safe Jenna." I didn't wish any bad on her, I just wanted her to disappear.
"See you later Matthew." She waved as she left out the door.
One problem down. A few more to go.
Looking around, I started picking up the cans in the living room.
Justin and I spent the next few hours deep cleaning the house. It seriously needed it, after I'd spent the past few months refusing to clean.
Justin never complained once, not even when he got covered in dust from head to toe.
On the other hand, I was embarrassed. How could I let myself go? But I thought about it, I lost the love of my life. That alone is enough of a reason to lose all sense.
Everything was sparkling. Dishes were washed, floors mopped, bathrooms cleaned, and everything was organized.
By then, I had gulped down all the water in the refrigerator. I was winded.
I took a shower in the newly and groomed my beard and haircut before changing into freshly washed clothes. It was finally time I got myself together.
Vanessa needed a better version of me to reconcile with.
Justin borrowed some of my clothes to take a shower in one of the guest bathrooms.
"Ready to go eat?" Justin asked, gathering his keys in my hand.
"I know just where to go." I told him confidently.
.............................................................................
I scarfed down all my food.
"How long has it been since you ate a solid meal?" He sounded concerned.
"A while." I answered. I actually didn't know how long it's been since I had a real meal.
I survived the past few months by chugging energy drinks and moping.
I didn't realize how hungry I was done with my burger.
I had chosen to eat at Rusty's. Vanessa's favorite restaurant.
Looking around every so often, I wanted to see if she came in.
"You want another one?" He gestured to my spotless plate.
"Yes." He ordered me another one. And another one.
Full from the food, I looked around to see if she was here.
"Look, she's not going to be here. Stop tryi-"
Just as he was about to finish his sentence, my sweetheart came in with her mom beside her.
Speechless, I watched them take Vanessa's usual table by the window.
She looked so beautiful.
Gaining my composure, I stood to go see her until a hand started tugging me back.
"Leave her alone Matt. Let's not cause a scene." He tugged on my arm harder.
I ignored him and continued to make my way towards my sweet baby girl, determined even more to reach her after seeing her smile.
Justin wasn't letting me move an itch with the death grip he had on my arm.
He just didn't want to see me happy.
However I was hell bent on seeing her, firmly dragging my arm out of his hard grip.
My lips turned up into a smile as I watched her nod at something her mom told before laughing. It urged me to move faster.
"Vanessa." I desperately called out wanting her to notice me.
I watched as her head turned to face me.
Vanessa POV:
I wish I could say that when I left him, I never looked back. The truth is that I think about Matthew more than I'd like to admit.
There was a part of me that wanted to know why. Another part of me held anger, sadness, disappointment, and other unreleased emotions.
I still needed to fully deal with these feelings. I know that if I hold onto them it'll only destroy me and prevent me from blossoming into the person I'm meant to be.
After I got off the phone with Mr. Jackson, I was a bit annoyed. How dare he come at me like I wronged his son? I'd never heard him speak like that.
He was a lawyer after all. Manipulation was how he paid his bills.
The annoyance was slowly turning into anger. I closed my eyes and thought about what Dr. Castillo told me. Breathe. Focus on breathing.
Inhale for a few seconds, hold for a few moments, then slowly exhale. Take your time.
I followed her instructions, focusing on nothing but my breathing. I didn't stop until the annoyance and anger went away and I was calm.
I sat there basking in the peacefulness I felt. Leaning back in my seat, I looked at my phone to check the time.
It was time to leave for my class.
I started my car and plugged in my aux cord to listen to some music.
The drive to the Red Cross Center seemed to take no time as I pulled into the parking lot.
I had some time so I grabbed the book I'd been reading after adjusting my seat. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.
It was insightful and has helped me break out of the shell I'd developed since the divorce.
I read a few pages before putting it in my purse and getting out of my car.
My footsteps were steady and consistent. I kept my back straight and my head up giving me a confident posture.
Dr. Castillo helped me develop this method for whenever I went anywhere. It's helped with my anxiety so much.
I went straight into the reception area to fill out the sign in sheet and get my name tag.
Once I did that, I put it on and sat in the waiting area with the other attendees.
We waited a bit until the receptionist led us to the spacious classroom.
Half of the room held tables and chairs and the other side lay the dummies that we were going to practice on.
"Your instructor will be here soon." He told us before he left.
There was five minutes until the class started so I pulled out my book and read until I heard footsteps.
"Hello everyone, my name is Miles Archangelo. I am a cardiologist at Gaspar Memorial Hospital. I'll be your CPR instructor." My body froze upon hearing the somewhat familiar voice.
I am going to knock Pablo's head off.
I looked up to see Miles who was looking around the room until he saw me. I gave him a polite smile which instantly earned me one back.
I didn't know that he was the instructor. He appeared surprised to see me as well, his eyebrows raising a little.
"Find a dummy to practice on and we can begin."
Since it was a review course, it gave me the refresher I needed.
Assess the individual. Call 911. Start chest compressions until help comes.
Then he gave a CPR demonstration on the dummies.
The muscles on his arms and shoulders rippling as he properly performed CPR on the dummy. I allowed myself to check him out, something I hadn't done yet.
I was too focused on his gaze to do anything else.
After that, he gave us the green light to practice on the dummies ourselves.
Walking around, he gave helpful critiques and praise.
"Good form." He commented as he walked past me doing chest compressions.
"Thanks." I replied back, looking up at him. I saw his blue eyes looking at the gold hoop on my nose.
Getting my nose pierced was something I've wanted for months and I've finally decided to do it.
Of course it stung but it was worth it in the end. It looked so good.
My mom and Tam went with me. My mom got helix hoop piercings on both ears. Tam got her upper lobes pierced and a stud nose piercing.
His eyes gave me the same assessment he did when we first met and I was doing the same.
His eyes never left my eyes and mine didn't leave his. I learned that you could tell some things about a person based on their eyes.
Miles had kind eyes, which I liked to look at because I rarely saw them.
He was still as attractive as he was when we first met. It didn't mean anything though. I thought my ex-husband was the most charming and handsome man and his actions made him hideous to me.
Looks aren't everything, personality and character mattered just as much as physical appearance. I wasn't looking for romance anyway, not when I was still healing from my divorce.
I slowly turned away from him, starting back up the chest compressions. My staring could give him the impression that I was interested in him, but I wasn't trying to pursue any relationships right now.
He walked away reluctantly. Our eyes kept meeting throughout the rest of the session.
I had just finished signing my CPR certificate when I heard Dr. Archangelo's voice.
"I love that book." He gestured to it as it peeked out of my purse.
"Me too. I'm almost finished." I said casually, our eyes locked.
By now, everyone was signing their certifications and leaving.
"There's this bookstore that's inside this coffee shop not too far from here, would you like to go there with me?" He asked without faltering.
I looked at him surprised. He wants to go out with me?
As he took in my hesitant expression, he quickly offered. "It doesn't have to be a date. We could go as friends getting to know each other."
"That sounds better." I said relieved. I just got out of a relationship, I wasn't trying to end up in another one so soon.
"When are you available?"
"Thursday afternoon a good day for you?"
"It is." He confirmed.
"Well, I'll see you then." I had plans to meet my mom for lunch. I turned to leave when Miles called my name.
His hand already had a business card ready.
"My number." That was all he said before putting it in my hand. Our hands touched for a few seconds, allowing me to feel the electric spark I did when we first met.
"See you later Vanessa, be safe." His voice serious before releasing my hand.
"Bye." That was all I said before I walked away. That was a bit too much for me.
I made it to Rusty's in no time, finding my mom waiting in the lobby.
"Hi momma!" Her arms wrapped around me tight.
"Hi baby." I hugged her just as tight. I missed her so much.
"How was Punta Cana?" I asked, as we walked towards our usual seats.
"Magical. You and your brother are going to love the souvenirs we got. I tried to send the pictures but my phone wasn't letting me." She said, making me laugh.
We were sitting in our seats by now, waiting to be served.
Her and technology never seemed to get along.
"I can show you the pictures later, did you have fun at your class today?" I nodded my head and was about to answer her when I heard a familiar voice call my name.
Matthew.
I turned my head in the direction of his voice. Why the hell was he calling my name?
Hello, beautiful people, I am so sorry for the delayed update. Enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think.
What are your thoughts on anything that occurred in this chapter? Any questions? Suspicions? Concerns?
The next chapter will come out soon so hang tight and keep being awesome!!