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I watched nearly all the videos, and to see how much love I had for Nicholas was absolutely beautiful. I definitely cried here and there, could you blame me? I am in my florist office at the moment, unable to stop laughing our old relationship.
I saw the excitement on my face when we figured out a name for Rose, he recorded every stage of my pregnancy. He really did love me. There was one last video, but before I could press onto it-a knock on my office door alerts me and I glance up to see Nicholas.
"Hey." I whisper as he steps inside and closes the door behind him.
"Hey, I thought maybe we could-"His eyes snatch onto the camera, "you went inside then..."
"Yeah, these videos may have made me cry three or nine times." We both release a chuckle, and he settles down in front of me, I settle the camera down knowing it was time for us to talk. "So..."
"So..." He repeats.
"Nicholas, I love you-not the past you but this you. I'm sorry for forgetting and-well...running away."
"Sophia-Arabella, there is no need for you to apologise. None of this is your fault, I love you-past you and present you. We're just going to have to make this work, if you want too-I don't want to force you into anything."
I take his hands into mine.
"I do, I do want this, and I want to be closer to Rose and apologise to her and love her, I know I have not been present in her life and trust me I do want to change that, and I understand if it will take time for her to warm up to me." Tears graze my cheeks; I wipe it with the back of my hand, but it did not go unnoticed.
I understand that I could never go back in time, the moment where I was pregnant-I wish I could re-live every moment again to have an understanding on how much I adored Nicholas. But like they say, and Lauren says- there is no point on thinking about what's already happened and to move on and think about what is about to happen.
I had to learn that the hard way, that way being losing my own family.
He gets out of his chair, comes over to me, lifts me up, and places his lips against mine. As his arms around my waist, I tiptoe and place my hands on his chest.
Once we separate, we look into each other's eyes.
Pressing our forehead against one another, his nose brushing mine.
"I'll see you at home then?"
"I'll see you at home." He gives me one last kiss before leaving, and I brush my lips before returning to my desk. I lift the camera once more and start the video, Nicholas was recording me once I finally gave birth.
"She's losing blood." I hear murmurs around in the video, I slowly begin to sit up and watch how Nicholas set the camera down onto a table facing me directly as he rushes to my side. "Someone get him out of here," doctors yelled, beeps are heard.
The nurses try to push Nicholas out of the room, but we're unable to.
I fast forwarded the video, unable to hear anything until it was just me alone in the room.
Just as I was going to turn off the video, on the moment I fell asleep. My eyebrows furrow as I struggle to make sense of the lingering shadow. The shadow approaches my side as well as swings around, walking past the camera. My spine tingles as he brushes my hair back.
"Nicholas..." I hear myself mumble.
"No baby, It's me..." My eyes open, and they widen as I glance into the figures eyes.
"Mike?"
Everything around me stopped, I drop the camera and look up to my shop floor to see Mike handing out a bunch of flowers to an old lady.
No. It couldn't be.
I play the video and watch as the man inserts an injection into my drip. "Mike! Mike what are you doing!"
"Making you realise who you're in love with. And it isn't Nicholas, Sophia. It's me! Mike!"
"No-No, what have you done Mike..." I watch myself fall asleep, fear crawls up the back of my spine as the figures hold drops, and it hit me.
"I saved you." Hey whispers.
Mike.
The same man in my flower shop.
My jaw tenses as I shut the camera, staring at the back of his head.
"They thought I worked in an involvement with a woman, that I injected her drip. Turns out they got the wrong guy."
But they got the right guy.
As I struggle to find my phone, I slide out of my seat and pack my belongings. A knock on my door just before closing time startled me, and I jumped while looking directly at Mike.
"Mike. Urm, is everything okay?" Act normal.
"Yeah, just sent of the last customer, he kept talking about his grandson- I think he thought i was gay and I ordered us some takeaway," he lifts a takeaway bag with a smile.
"Oh, I actually have to get going." I chuckle, rubbing the back of my neck.
His face falls.
"Come on Bella, ten minutes isn't going to kill you." He walks towards the desk and drops the bag on top of my things, I sit back down as he hands me my wrap and some chips. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."
I look down at the food.
For some reason, I feel like I have.
A ghost that has put something into my IV drip that has made me forget everything, "oh no, just the stress of the florist and all." I take a bite, my heart racing- my anxiety flaring up.
"Oh right, how's the husband?"
Don't talk lovey about him.
"So, the Nicholas Hernandez, I'm sorry but how do you even get with a guy like that?"
Memories of our last conversations with enter my head, "he's good." I whisper.
"You know I was about to get married," he chuckles.
"Oh, really..."
"Yeah, but funnily enough she was forced to marry someone else." He dips his chip into some sauce before pushing it into his mouth, "she promised she would find a way to leave him and ended up falling for him."
It is definitely Mike.
"the fact you hated me because you were in love with someone else at the time."
Nicholas words ring into my ears.
"Wow, what an awful woman." I act shocked.
"She will never be awful to me, I loved her- I know it was her husband. Playing mind games, manipulating her."
I couldn't breathe.
He watched me, as-as if he knew.
"I need to get going now, thank you for the dinner, Mike. Lock up before you leave." He nods, and I lift my bag before putting the camera inside and closing it. Just as I am ready to open the door, I leave the office and proceed to the front door.
I find out that it's locked.
"Mike, why is the door-" I see him through the window standing behind me and I immediately turn around. "Mike what are you doing?"
"You know." He whispers, pushing a strand of my hair behind my ears.
"Know what, Mike."
"You know it was me." My jaw tenses, I shake my head.
"What was you?" He slammed his fist beside my head, I jump from the fright. The glass door gently cracks, his eyes shine into mine as they travel down my noses-lips and then back to my eyes.
"You know it was me! You know who I am! Don't fucking lie to me Sophia!" He shouts into my ears.
"Who the fuck is Sophia! What are you doing Mike!" He yanks my bag from my fingers, takes everything out, lets the camera fall, and then turns to look at me. As soon as he raises and opens it, I grab a glass vase off the ground and slam it across his head before sprinting towards the office.
Grabbing the camera with me as I sprint, "now you just got me angry Sophia!" I hear him yell, I lock the door and use my strength to push my desk against it. I could hear his heavy footsteps, and for some reason they allowed me the knowledge to tell that he is pissed.
I push the camera into the box, before the sounds of a rattling doorknob comes to my attention. He smashes the window, cleaning the glass with his sleeve before sliding inside. He storms towards me, grabbing me by the throat.
"You just need to remember that it's me! I am the man you're supposed to marry, love...have children with."
"And you'd grab the love of your life by the neck? Hurting her?" I whisper, his pupils dilate. "I would have never loved a man who hurt me, who would endanger me."
"Stop talking." He growls.
"You're hurting me Mike," I hold onto his wrist, the way his eyes melted-the way he realised that I was still 'his Sophia' was the moment he gently slides his hands away from my neck and releases me.
"I-I would never hurt you Sophia, I love you, you have to remember that." I nod my head, grazing his cheek with my hand. Watching those late-night murder movies with late night murder movies with Lauren has done me some good.
I know that Mike has a soft spot for Sophia and that he would do anything for her to fall in love with him, men are more determined to want things they cannot have and, in this case, -Mike wants me. He wants the woman before me. He wants me to love him. To remember him.
And to think I have to give it to him to protect myself is upsetting,
"I know Mike, I remember you loving me." His head falls into my neck, if he could hear my beating heart then he'd know it was all fake. I remember nothing. "I remember."
"I'm sorry, I just wanted you back. Nicholas brain washed you."
I look around the room, watching for my escape.
"All we need to do now is kill Rose and Nicholas and go live our best life." He whispers.
My eyes widen in shock, he thinks getting rid of my past will help with our future-but like I said before, there is no reason to dwell on the past but to move forward. I have realised what I must do.
I am a mother and a wife, and though I don't know my own daughter- it does not mean I don't have a connection with her because I do. I knew it from the first time she slept into my arms.
I have to protect a family.
Sophia's family.
My family.
"I have a better idea." I mumble.