Everything, At once.
March 5th, 2023
3 Months later
My birthday was tomorrow and I didn't know how to feel. I was obviously excited because i'd be twenty-two, but this would be the first birthday that i'd spend without my parents and sister.
It did hurt me but I finally felt at peace in my life.
Arlo and I's relationship was doing really well. He was going to therapy and I started going to, just to heal properly. We were communicating well and trying to stop old habits that were an issue to the way we love.
Now I feel like i've been the happiest i've ever been, i'm finally with someone who values me and adores me far more than i'd ever imagined someone would.
It was a complete upgrade and I'm glad the universe had brought us together.
I laid currently in his bed as we watch movies together,
his arms wrapped around my body as he's slowly dozing off. It was one of those nights for me where I stayed up and thought about how different my life had gone.
it feels like yesterday in June where I was in one of the lowest points in my life. Back then, if I were to get insight on what my life would be like now, i'd be in denial.
I hug him a little tighter and he groans quietly, I smile against his skin. Inhaling his scent.
"Val, what do you want for your birthday?" He suddenly asks with a raspy low voice. I raise my eyebrows, not really thinking about that.
Arlo planned a birthday dinner with just my friends and his friends. It was just a small gathering at one of the fine-dining restaurants in Manhattan. That's just about all that I really want.
"The restaurant is good for me. I don't need anything else, you keep spoiling me enough." I assure him, rubbing his chest as I stare down at my promise ring.
"It's not enough if I could do more." He whispers.
March 6th, 2022
Arlo and I were pulling up to my apartment in his Dodge-Charger. I was confused on why I was even here. He said he had a surprise for me but.. we're in front of my apartment complex.
"Arlo..?" I start off skeptically. I take my seatbelt off as I face the complex with confusion. I turn to him and he tilts his head slightly, "Trust me." Is all he says.
I mutter a little hmm, before I get out of the car with him. Spring is coming which means the weather is breezy but a bit warmer now. I was wearing a burgundy sweater over my black skirt with thigh high boots. Matching with Arlo's burgundy beanie and sweater with black pants.
He very intentionally copied my outfit, but I don't mind as he is always excited to do cliché couple things.
We walk towards my complex as Arlo holds my hand in his.
We get to my apartment and I unlock the door, still very unaware of what the hell is going on. We walk inside and my apartment is the same as how I leave it. I haven't been staying here much I basically spend all my time at Arlo's.
"Okay Arlo, what's going on?" I turn around to face him with my hands on my hips. He laughs as he shuts the door behind him. He just walks pass me and sits on the couch, where I notice a small brown rectangular box on the coffee table.
My eyebrow perks up now, intrigued.
I walk over and sit beside him. I glance at the box and then over at him. My leg starts to bounce with curiosity. He grabs the box and places it on my lap.
"Open it." He tells me and I pause before I grab the box and open the lid to it. A key.
A key?..
"What's this?" I ask him as I take out the silver key from the box. Looking at the numbers 253 on it.
"So I know that for a while this apartment has been what you could afford until you started working at Saintwear. Now, you hardly use it because you're always with me.." He starts off by saying, reaching into the pockets of his jeans.
He pulls out an identical key. "I think since the day we met we've always found solace in each other. We're already spending most of our time together so, I bought us an apartment."
Us, he said us. Not me or I, But us. Oh my god, he bought us an apartment! My mouth drops as I gasp, dumbfounded.
"Arlo you bought us an apartment?! what about your penthouse and what about my lease?" I ask him about a million questions that all pop up into my mind all at once. He smiles at me with his dimple popping out on his cheek.
"I have it all covered, love. I put my penthouse up for sale since I'm the owner. I already have a few people in line to buy. Plus your lease? Easy fix." He places his key onto the coffee table and reaches into his other pocket. He pulls out his wallet and takes out about more than one thousand, five hundred in cash.
He places it into my hand, "That should cover it."
My jaw is still wide open and I am speechless. My own place with Arlo. This is something I didn't think was coming.
"I want something new and fresh for the both of us. I want a place where it feels like both of us combined. It's up in Manhattan and it has about 4 bedrooms so I can have my own personal office. You can turn one of the bedrooms into your own closet. Whatever you want love, I just want it to be something that is us." He explains and I feel my eyes warm with tears forming.
"I also need to let my mother and sister breathe. I feel like everything is good enough since the divorce settlement to where I feel like I can be at peace now." He admits. I nod my head understandingly.
I throw myself on him on the couch and he laughs as he takes me into his arms. I kiss him all over as I can't believe what I'm hearing. I'm going to be living with Arlo Saint, together in our own little space.
"I can't believe it." I tell him as I lay on him, breathless. Envisioning it makes my head go crazy. My tears fall on Arlo's sweater and he holds me tight in his warm embrace.
"Happy birthday baby, I love you." He tells me in my ear softly with tenderness and my heart does a hundred flips. It's the first time he ever said those words.
I love you.
"Arlo, I love you too." I hiccup a sob of happiness into his shoulder. I'm crying because i'm happy. I came so far from where I was back when he found me. In this journey where I thought I wasn't lovable, was the path to me finding true love.
"I'm going to make it my goal to make you the happiest woman while you're with me. Everyday, my motivation, my muse, my everything is you." He reassures. His hand is now rubbing my back as we lay on my couch.
I look around my living room thinking about how i'll be out of here pretty soon and i'll be living with Arlo. What a great way to start off my twenty-second birthday.
"I already am the happiest woman with you." I tell him. Shortly after I could feel him breathe out a breath of relief.
...
We arrive to the restaurant where my birthday dinner is being held. I invited my friends and Arlo's friends, it was something calm and comfortable with people i've grown to have love for.
My dress is a skintight off the shoulder black dress, with fishnets that I paired with a simple silver necklace. My style has been very influenced by Arlo lately.
"Are you ready?" Arlo asks as he places his hand on my chin, bringing me on to kiss my forehead. He's wearing a white button down with a black tie, black trousers and dress shoes. I nod my head at him as a smile blossoms on my lips.
We exit the car, walking into the restaurant together where we meet the rest of the group. I give hugs to my girls and greet the guys. Vise versa for Arlo. We then get taken to our table as we sit down.
"Here you go, lovely." Minji passes me a small dark red bag. I take it in my hold with surprise. As soon as Minji's gift bag is on my lap, everyone else passes up their gifts too.
"I thought I said I didn't want gifts, guys." I reiterate with a little smile still breaking through.
"It's your birthday Val, cmon. Enjoy it!" Noor tells me and I accept defeat rather quickly. I peak at the bags and open some of them slightly. I see a beautiful silver shiny necklace in the bag Noor gave me. Minji gave me earrings that could be matched with the beautiful necklace.
"Thank you guys." I say, thankful. The girls wave me off humbly.
The boys had given me wine bottles. I grab one and raise it with my eyebrows perked up,"I'm not a drinker." I remind them and they both shrug their shoulders in unison.
"House warming gift, Valentina. We're going to help you warm up to your new apartment by getting drunk with you." Rylee tells me with pride at Khalil and his gift idea.
Khalil gives me a playful thumb up that causes me to laugh.
"it wont even take us both these bottles to get drunk while it'll take Val half of one, to get really fucked up. You're setting my girlfriend up." Arlo chuckles, finding his friends hilarious. He reaches for the wine bottle in my hand and takes into his, analyzing the brand.
"I'll just use one bottle to have a small drink with the girls as we do our first shit talking at the new apartment." I suggest and both Minji & Noor nod their heads excitedly.
"Emphasis on small." Arlo comments slyly and I give him a narrowed eyed look which causes him to laugh at me, patting the top of my head above my curly afro tenderly.
...
The night went well. I had the best time for my birthday dinner and it felt great.
Finally peace is something in my life that I can embrace.
We all sat at the table now just chatting away since we've finished our food. Everyone agreed to come by and help Arlo and I move places soon, since it was two separate apartments that needed to cleared.
It'll be a lot of work but we're hiring a couple of movers and some trucks to make it all go by quicker and hopefully it'll be less stressful that way.
I sat there as I drank some water from my cup, placing it down when I suddenly felt nauseous. Weird. I don't really vomit, it's never something I do when I'm sick but the feeling right now of nausea is so overwhelming, I shoot up onto my feet.
I excuse myself to the bathroom.
It was beautiful, gold decor accompanied by the brown doors and walls. The mirrors were long and had dim golden lights behind them. I pass right by all of it though and head right into a stall with a long door that covers from top to bottom.
I hunch down almost immediately and whatever happened next was out of my control completely. Almost everything in my stomach got emptied out.
As I finished puking, I close my eyes as the tightness of my stomach discomforts me. "What the hell." I mutter under my own breath. Thankfully i'm the only one in the bathroom at this moment. Not wanting to disgust anyone else as much as I am right now.
That was odd, like I said, I don't usually throw up at all. Last time I could remember was when I was about ten years old. I get up and use the walls of the stall to keep me steady on my heels. I flush the toilet with the bottom of my shoe. Then I exit.
I go towards the sink, turning the nozzle up to let the water flow. I cup the water in my hands and bring some into my mouth and whoosh it around, spitting it back out to clear the taste on my tongue.
I look up at myself in the mirror, the color drained a bit from my face but I guess it's just because I was a bit shaken up. Maybe the food didn't do my stomach good, but it was weird because everything tasted perfect.
I shook my head, disregarding my thoughts. Exiting the bathroom to get back to my dinner table.
...
We spent the next few weeks of march moving. Eventually getting everything inside the apartment and settled.
I loved it, I absolutely adored how it turned out. Our apartment really was a combination of the both of us.
It still had a lot of monotone colors but I did add color to the rooms, it's not all completely black and white. The kitchen had white walls with brown cabinets and marbled counters. Brown wood floors to go with it too.
There was a kitchen island in the center which I adored, with our two stool chairs for just Arlo and I.
The living room was very homey and comfortable. There was again white walls but our couches were leather and black, it was one of those couches that fit a lot of people just because we have friends who promised they'd visit a lot.
there was an electric fire place with a built with a tv stand with shelves included for our picture frames and decoration. A small black coffee table was centered in the middle with a big grey rug.
outside we had a spacious patio where I loved to sit and just moon-watch.
There were four bedrooms. Arlo and I shared a room.
Our room had grey wooden floors and white walls. Our bed had a black bed frame with black bedding. A dark brown carpet placed underneath the bed with black dressers and nightstands.
There was a guest room and then a room that was dedicated to be literally my entire closet with my vanity. Followed by a spare room that was Arlo's office where he created his designs and crafted some things by hand.
We laid in bed together just watching television. I turn to him which makes him turn to look at me when he feels my watch. "Hm?" He hums in question.
"We did it, we're living together." I tell him with excitement. He smiles in return. He grabbed me gently by the waste and brought me to sit on his lap. I straddle him as he sits up, my arms wrap around his neck.
"Our own place away from everything. It feels great, hm?" He asks and I nod my head in response. It really does feel good. Of course I was already spending most of my time with Arlo at his place but it's different now, this is both of our home.
We own it together and we now get to come home to each other every night. It's a dream come true.
I lean in to kiss him, he takes my lips on his softly before our kiss turns semi-passionate. His thumbs dig into the crevice of my waist and my arms tighten to close our space. When he pulls away he kisses my neck softly, bringing chills to my body.
I melt to his touch when he reaches my lower neckline. I encourage him to keep going, until he tugs down the tank-top I took out of his dresser and kisses my breasts. He then drops the sleeves of his tank-top off my shoulders, letting it fall to my waist as he takes in my nipple to his mouth. Grasping my breast in his hold with with tattooed hand.
soft whimpers release from my lips. He removes his own T-shirt. He puts an arm on my waist and turns us so that he is on top of me. He helps me completely remove the tank top off my body before he takes off his pj pants.
"Can I make love to you in our new home, Miss Morgan?" He gleams as he looks at my Lacey red underwear. Its from the new Saintlingerie line that he made specifically for me. A smirk breaks onto my lips before I giggle, "Of course, Mr Saint."
"This is the first time i'm ripping off the lingerie I created off a woman. I'm oddly turned on." He declares with a new excitement taunting his eyes.
"Ripping?" I repeat.
"I could always make you a new one baby." He tells me as he swoops in to kiss me again, passionately and messy. I grasp the back of his hair as he takes me whole. I surrender myself to him, as he knows how to please me the best.
He only pulls away so that he can tear the dainty underwear, ripping it right off my body until its broken into pieces. I laugh out of excitement now, this was a first for me too. He throws the pieces to the side as he lowers his own boxers. His length comes out from behind the fabric and my eyes widen a bit with eagerness.
He brings me forward a little by my hips, kissing me quickly on the top of my forehead before he slips his entire length inside. We both hitch a breath at the feeling. A grin that helplessly emerges on my face as he starts stroking.
10:25 pm
After sex, I was in the bathroom that was located inside our bedroom, cleaning up. I was washing my face at the sink, preparing myself to shower before bed.
Suddenly there was that nauseous feeling again. Causing me to hunch over with its power. The last few weeks i've been waking up like this and randomly throughout the day i've been getting nauseous over anything. It was abnormal but then moving process had occupied so much of my mind I brushed it away.
I turn off the sink and quickly dry my face. I drop the towel in my hand before I rush to the toilet before again, all the continents are being emptied out in front of me. My stomach feels like its caving in on itself as my body goes limp against the cold floor.
"Val?" Arlo calls out with worry, he runs over to me and before I know it, i'm in his arms. "What's wrong my love?" He says with panic in his voice.
I shake my head,"Nothing, I'm fine. I swear." I assure him just before my stomach decides to empty out more. Right in front of me. My eyes are tightly closed as I hate this pressuring feeling.
"Val, Don't lie. What has you throwing up?" He questions and I could feel his breathing get heavier in suspense. After I regain my composure I turn to him, rubbing his arm. Arlo's therapy has been helping but I know that watching me like this is bringing back awful memories that are causing him distress.
"I probably just have a stomach bug. I'll be okay." I reassure him again. Giving him a comforting look. He nods his head but I could tell that he isn't convinced.
"Lets take you to the doctors." He suggests.
"It's probably about ten-thirty at night. " I protest.
"The ER is a twenty-four hour thing." He declares and I know that this is final. I groan before getting up.
"Arlo it's just vomit, I'm fine." I tell him as he grabs hold of my hand and passes me a plastic cup that we have beside the sink. I fill it with water and refresh my mouth.
"I just want to make sure that if it is a stomach bug that you can get some medication. Bugs fuck with your appetite. " He explains, bringing me to the bed. He makes me sit and he goes to his closet, taking out a random black plain T-Shirt. He passes it to me.
"I can get dressed with my own clothes, it's fine." I assure him but he brushes me off. He puts the t-shirt over my bra. It's oversized on me.
"it's incase you vomit again on the way there, I don't want you dirtying your clothes, love." He retorts, grabbing some of his sweatpants and placing it on the bed. I take them and slide them on as he gets my slippers and places them beside me.
I slip my feet that already are covered by my fuzzy socks into my fuzzy slippers.
↓
I lay in the bed after all the regular tests and stuff are done. I'm freezing as i'm only in a gown now under these thin blankets. Arlo sits in the chair beside me, arms crossed, dozing off.
I find this very dramatic. I'm fine and there's nothing wrong with me. The nurses said that everything looked fine with my vitals and such, and that they'd be back to tell me any updates before I get to go home.
I was only here due to Arlo's worry.
I sigh as I watch how his eyes close and reopen like he's fighting with himself to not doze off into a nap.
Hearing nothing but the beeping of monitors.
Then a nurse comes in.
"Hey honey, Valentina Morgan, Isn't it?" She asks as she checks her clipboard. I nod my head, and she clicks her pen and starts writing some stuff down.
"I have some news for you hun. Is this your partner?" The nurse asks and Arlo's eyes shoot wide open.
"Yes Ma'am, I am. What's going on?" He questions.
"So, when we ran you up to the ultrasound room to check your stomach further, just to make sure that there were no further problems in your digestive system, we found something. But naturally we would never know for sure so we ran a different test on the urine sample you gave us and.."
"And?" Arlo is almost leaning out of his chair.
"Well you came back positive in being pregnant. The doctors are having you run another test that we provide from our trusted pharmacy's. Just so you can have that personal confirmation."
"Did you just say pregnant?" I gasp.
___
[Author note]
Oofff, how do you guys think Arlo's going to react?
Next chapter is the last ☹️ I'm so sad but I'm so excited at the same time because of the paperback and my next book idea!
But the book is almost done!! follow me on ig for more updates! @/nai.writing
Don't forget to vote 🌟