Don't think this is your fault," he murmured frowning at me, his eyebrows pulled together. I sigh moving away from him to lean against the counter.
"Why did he hit you?" I ask, looking over at him. He didn't respond for a while, instead he glared off into the distance.
The silence seemed to stretch as we stood there, him staring ahead and me looking at him watching him as he sat perched on the counter. My eyes trailed over his face stopping at the dark bruise underneath his eye. I swallowed feeling guilty, my stomach knotting with sorrow. My throat began to burn as I felt tears forming in my eye.
I sniffle just a little catching his attention. His head snapped to me, his brows creasing with worry and his mouth turning down in a frown.
"Honey, why are you crying?" He slipped off of the counter and crouched in front of me.
"I'm crying because I'm the reason all of this happening. Tell me why your father hit you!" I exclaim becoming frustrated.
"He hit me because..," He trailed off, heaving a deep breath.
***
Connor's POV
My father burst into laughter looking from my mother to me in amusement. What was so fucking funny?
"Connor stop being bloody stupid, I didn't raise an idiot!" he exclaimed angrily.
"Why am I stupid, can you please explain that to me father? What did I do to deserve such an honor?" I cock a brow and glare at him.
He returned my glare with an incredulous look. "I really did raise a moron."
"Well, if you had raised me...you could probably say that, but you didn't."
"How dare you -"
"How dare I what? Tell the truth? You were never there, George. Mom was there, she raised me, and you were just the guy that provided the spermatozoa's and the money."
My father's face turned red. He was becoming really angry and I couldn't help, but egg him on even more. I hated him, he was selfish and he was evil. I wanted to hurt him and I was prepared to pull any trick to deliver any blow necessary to do so.
"I gave you this. Without me you are nothing. You or that little bitch you so call "love"." He placed air parenthesis on the word love. "That's not your baby. That bastard in her belly is not your baby."
I felt myself becoming infuriated at the thought of him referring to Jennifer as a bitch. I clenched my fist and unclenched it several times before I glared over at him.
"Don't you ever refer to her as anything, but her name. You don't have to get over your hatred towards her, but you will not call her a bitch, ever. And that baby, your grandson, you will never ever call him a bastard. "
He narrowed his eyes, opening his mouth before my mother's sweet, tender voice murmured his name. His eyes snapped to her clearly upset.
"Emily, how long have you known?"
My mother was quietly staring at the floor. Her eyes flickered to me and she sighed heavily before turning back to my father.
"I've known for two years, I told our son to follow his heart and his heart is with Jennifer. She's a brilliant young lady, you should give her a try," my mother admitted. She looks at me and gives me a smile of reassurance.
I return her smile, feeling somewhat happy. I had always known my mother was rather fond of Jennifer, but now she was admitting to my father her knowledge of the affair. I felt bad for dragging my mother into the mix of everything, but I needed someone to be there for me. I didn't have Peter and no one except Devon knew and I didn't have him either.
"Two years?" he yelled in disbelief. Before I could stop it, he picked up a teapot and threw it towards the wall, the dish missing my mother's head by only an inch. "You've allowed this infidelity? You've allowed our son to ruin his entire life? What if this child she is carrying is his? Which I highly doubt, but then we would have a trollop attached to us -"
"George, calm down," my mother's voice quivered as she sat there a bit frightened.
"Calm down? You want me to calm down?" He grabbed one of the cups on the table and threw it towards the wall as well. My fury and aggravation began to build up pass the point of control. Marching over to him, I grabbed his collar and hoisted him up glaring into the blue eyes of a monster.
"Calm the fuck down, you're scaring her," I growled into his face. He wrenched my hands away from his collar and pushed me away.
"Shut up, she is my wife."
"She is my mother."
Everything grew quiet as we stood there only inches away from each other and glared at one another with inconceivable amounts of animosity between us.
"I will not allow you to ruin us."
"You've already done that." I turn to leave, grabbing my suit jacket, before walking towards the door. I would've continued leaving. I probably wouldn't have looked back, but the next words that left his mouth made me turn.
"When you're done with that bitch and bastard, I might let you run my kingdom."
I didn't know whether it was the fact that he called Jenny a bitch or our baby a bastard, but I turned around, I approached him and I hit him. I hit him with so much rage, anger and utter fury, I didn't believe that I would be able to stop. I didn't notice the blows he had thrown at me until I was in the chauffeured car on my way to the airport.
***
I close my eyes wincing just a little at the pain that simmered at my eye. She was staring at me still even after I had told her the truth. I didn't want to because I already knew she thought that everything was her fault and it wasn't. It was my fault for not finding her sooner. It was all of my fault. I could be happy right now. We could be planning our first child with excitement and joy and not worry and panic.
I just wanted things to be different and if I had went after her before all of this, things could've been different.
She moved to stand in front of me, reaching up and moving the steak from my eye.
"Thank you for standing up for me," she whispered and stood on the tip of her toes and kissed my cheek. Before she could move away, I grabbed her waist and pulled her up close to me.
"I would never stand by and allow him to disrespect you. You're the love of my life. I would never let anyone hurt you," I declare passionately.
"I know, I know," she says, resting her head against my chin and cupping my cheeks.
"I'm sorry about all of this."
"It's not your fault, Connor." She looked up at me her beautiful dark brown eyes glowing with guilt.
"Stop it." I mumbled pulling her hands away from my face and gently pushing her away. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out as she stared up at me confused. I let out a deep breath and hopped off the counter and made my way out of the kitchen.
"Connor!" she called after me her voice trembling as she held back tears. This was the second time she was a verge of crying in the past hour and I had debunked it as pregnancy hormones.
"Jenny stop crying," I say, turning back around and looking at her. She was pouting and although I found it to be very cute I didn't want to see her cry...ever.
"Connor, why did you push me away when I was trying to comfort you? Was there something I did?" Her eyebrows pulled together in confusion. She was still frowning, but the confusion was the more clear emotion.
"Honey, no." I moved towards her and pulled her into my arms. "I just ...none of this is your fault. I want you to stop blaming all the fucked up things that are happening on yourself. None of this stuff happened because of you. This was all me, everything was because of me." I reached up and brushed her hair behind her ears. Her usually bouncy curls had grown and become even more lustrous than before she became pregnant.
"But -"
"No, Jenny. I don't want to hear it. You didn't do anything but make me fall in love with you and that's not a crime and I don't regret it."
My response seemed to appease her feelings and she wrapped her arms around me rewarding me with a hug. I kissed her hair, and then her forehead.
"I'm sorry for crying ...I know I must be frustrating to deal with, but -"
"Honey don't apologize. You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for. You're pregnant - pregnant people get emotional sometimes. You're going to be an emotional roller coaster for the next 4 and a half months."
She groaned leaning back to look up at me with a crooked smile. "Don't remind me."
I pecked her lips twice before letting her go and backing away. "I was saving this for later, but I feel as though this is as good a time as any." I took her hand and pulled her out of the kitchen and towards the back door. Samuel and Charlie both looked at me before looking at each other.
"You may follow, but not too closely I would like to have some sort of shred of privacy," I say, nodding to them. They both nodded following us as we walked out of the house. The sun was shining brightly as we exited the house and made our way down to the small pond located on the large acre of land. I took a seat on one of the large boulder like rocks and pulled her down into my lap.
"Feels good to be outside for once," she admits, lifting her head towards the sky and inhaling deeply. "The sun feels wonderful." Her head dropped to my shoulder and she cuddled up to me.
"You're need to take it easy. You just had an -"
"I know, I know. I just...get so claustrophobic."
I chuckle, closing my eyes and basking in the tiny moment we were having. It felt nice not to worry about things. It felt nice simply holding her like I used to do before all of this. It all felt so nice. The sun. The air. The slight breeze that wasps across my face every so often as we sat on the rock together.
"Will you marry me?" I whisper into her hair. I understood that we couldn't get married at this moment at least not until we had finally found the threat against us and I finally divorce Caitlyn.
Her head snapped up hitting me in the chin causing me to bite down hard on my tongue. I winced at the pain, my head shooting up.
"Holy shit," I stammer, holding my tongue out as it began to throb. Her eyes widened and she reached out to touch my tongue. "Don't touch it. I have no idea where your hands have been."
She gasped, before mockingly rolling her eyes at me. "Well, fine. I hope it bleeds."
I chuckle, mostly at her clumsiness and somewhat at her in general. She quickly joins in laughing loudly.
"How can I not love you?" I say my tongue still sticking out. She scrunches her nose up at me.
"I don't know, but stick your tongue back into your mouth. Seriously you're gross."
"Yet my dear you seem quite fond of my "gross" antics am I not correct?"
"You are correct, my dear," she answers mocking me.
Suddenly the air grew tenser, more serious as all the silly banter came to an abrupt halt and we were back to the beginning. She was now leaning away from me, my hands supporting her so that she would not fall and our eyes held each other's.
"Will you marry me?" I repeat softly.
Her eyes flickered away briefly before returning to look into mine. I knew that this was big; this was huge and she had to take her time to come up with an answer. I understood it perfectly, but it didn't stop me from wishing that she would come to a decision faster.
"You're still married to Caitlyn, Connor," she reminded me.
"Yeah, I know, but honey, we don't have to get married now. We can get married in a year or two years or we can get married as soon as my divorce is final, but I want you, the only woman that I've ever loved and will ever love to wear my ring on her finger. I hate that we're not married now and we can't get married now, but I want to place a ring on your finger as a vow that one day soon we will be married."
She bit her bottom lip thinking to herself. I felt my heart sinking as she sat there nibbling away at her lip and not giving me an answer to my very important question. I knew that in my heart this was the woman that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
"Of course, but Connor -"
I cupped her cheeks making sure that she couldn't look away and sighed. "I love you."
"I love you too and yes I'll marry you in the future," she promised. With giddy excitement I reached into the pockets of my long beige linen pants and pulled out a little black velvet box and opened it revealing a vintage halo diamond engagement band with a very large diamond. It was a family heirloom and I wanted her to have it. When I proposed to Caitlyn I had given her a ring that she had picked out personally from an expensive jeweler. It was nice, but I had never showed her the vintage ring. I guess all along I knew that she wasn't the person that wanted to marry.
She held out her hand and I took the ring out and slid it onto her slender ring finger. Her head bowed glaring at the gorgeous stone weighing down her hand.
"It's absolutely beautiful where'd you get it from?" she asks in wonder.
I moved her off of my lap and stood up, nodding towards Charles who was standing near the back door of the house. He smirked, turning on my Beats pill and turning away from us.
Flightless bird, American Mouth by Iron and Wine filled the air and engulfed us in musical bliss.
"The music?" she cocked a brow looking up at me with a smile.
Not answering her, I grab her hand and began to slowly sway with her wrapped up into my arms pulling her closer to me. Resting my face in the large, kinky curls that were her hair I inhaled deeply taking in the refreshing smell of her shampoo. The strong scent of peaches simmered underneath my nose.
"That ring has been in my family since I was just a lad. I wanted the person that I gave it to, to be a very important woman in my life and I wanted to be in love with that woman. I am in love with you."
"I would hope so."
I smiled before leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "No you don't understand." I spun her around receiving a giggle. "I can't live without you. I think I was at Yale for a reason, god didn't send me there to look at the campus, he had sent me there to meet you. I was supposed to meet you," I whisper almost breathlessly.
"Connor -"
"I planned all of this out, well not the getting punched thing, but the music and stuff. I just wanted to dance with you and hold you in my arm. The proposal...I've proposed to several times, but this time it just felt right."
"Or pregnant -"
"No don't say that, love. You may be pregnant, but I've was in love with you way before then. I've loved you since the first time you said my name."
"Connor -"
"See it just sounds right coming from you. Sweet, gentle ...sexy."
"How adorable," she mumbled sarcastically sighing against my shoulder. The songs had changed and we were now swaying to the sound of The Light by the Album leaf.
"When can we learn of the sex?" I ask curiously.
"Tomorrow if you would like. I've been waiting for you to come back so we could see it together."
"I still can't quite grasp the fact that we are having a lad or a lass. A baby. A living and breathing baby." I moved my hand down to her belly, feeling the roundness of her firm abdomen. She was around five months now and she was beginning to become much more round and I just loved it. The roundness of her belly made me smile because I knew that within it my child was safely resting, waiting for his or her entrance into the world.
"It's hard to grasp at first, but you'll get used to it."
***
"Are you sure this is okay?" I asked in a hushed tone as I glanced around the small white room that was the ultrasound room. We were forced to enter through the back door of the OB-GYN and now we were settled awaiting Jennifer's private physician.
The door came open and the doctor entered her head bowed, looking down at Jennifer's chart. The nurse had already taken her blood work and all the other necessary things.
"Okay, Ms. Turner -"She looked up and stopped, her mouth dropped in amazement and shock. "Prince Middleton, oh my gosh, your majesty," she stammered in surprise.
"Nice to make your acquaintance, Madame. I am Prince Middleton, I trust Jennifer has informed you about me."
"No actually she hasn't...are you the -"
"That information is classified and I trust that you won't go to some rubbish paper and chat with one of those bloody journalist?" I cocked a brow glaring at her.
"Of course not sir, certainly not."
I smile leaning back crossing my arms over my chest trying to seem somewhat intimidating. "Yes, this is my child and Jennifer is my fiancée." I was being a little careless with the secret, but at this moment I just wanted to be a doting father and doing so would give away the secret either way.
"Fiancée? But -"
"I am getting a divorce and Caitlyn and I are legally separated."
"O-okay well let's see this baby, lay back against the table," she instructed Jennifer. Jenny laid back just as she was told and smiled at me.
"I'm so excited," she squealed watching as the physician spread some sort of gel over her belly before placing the transductor there, gently running it in circles.
"Okie, there is your baby." The physician pointed to a point on the display screen. "It looks like a healthy baby girl with a very strong heart beat." The sound of the baby's heart beat filled the air and I felt my heart flutter.
"A girl?" I repeat my eyes glowing with instant adoration. I was having a beautiful baby girl, we were having a daughter. I had only felt this much love and joy when Jennifer had admitted to me that she was just as in love with me as I was with her. It was a feeling that was easy to recognize, but hard to find.
"Baby Aria Emelia Middleton," Jenny murmurs her eyes watering as she stared at the screen stunned.
"Our baby." The statement puts a smile on her face and it sends butterflies of nervous anticipation into the pit of my belly and it warms my heart. The fact that I was actually having a baby finally dawning on me and becoming real as we sat there, her hands tightly clutching mine as we stared in utter amazement at the display screen.
After the appointment we left the small private doctor's office and went to the large house that Jenny hide away in. I had finally felt as though things were coming together and maybe in a month or so I could come out with the fact that I was in love with Jenny and we were having a baby.
It was an exciting thing and I just wanted to share with the world my excitement. My phone began to vibrate in my pocket and with a frustrated grunt I pull it out of my pocket and pressed answer.
"Hello?" I growl.
"Connor, honey, are you alright? Where are you?" My mother's panicked voice said through the phone.
"Yeah, I'm fine, we just came from the OB-Gyn. Why do you ask?"
"Don't go home."
"Why not?"
"Trust me, "she pleaded.
"Okay, but can you please tell me why I can't go home?"
"Connor -"
"Fine, I won't push. I won't go home, but I do -"Before I could finish my sentence the line went dead. Coincidentally we pulled up to the large steel gate surrounding the premises of the house.
"Sir we are going to check the perimeter and then you and the lady may exit the car," Charles explained.
I shook my head dismissing the idea. "No, there is no need for that Charles, I was just informed not to return home so something must be amuck. I would much rather we go to a hotel."
"A hotel, sir? How are we going to get a room without being seen? The paps are becoming very suspicious I'm sure if we check the premises there won't be a problem staying here," Samuel insisted.
"Samuel we are going to a hotel, we'll figure that out later."
"Yes sir, but maybe you should grab some clothing or -"
"I'll do that -"
"No, how do you know -"
"Sam, I will figure it out, do you want to join me?" Charles snapped.
I cocked my brow noticing how off Samuel was being. Shaking off the eerie feeling, I turned to Jennifer as she leaned into me. Charles opened the door, closing it and walking through the gate. He walked down the long walkway up the front door and pulled out a key to open the door.
I watched as he turned the knob and the door came open. He stood in the doorway peering into the house. He turned around looking at us with a cocked brow. "Everything seems -"Before he could finish his sentence the house exploded sending his limber body through the air. Jennifer screamed and pressed her face into my chest.
"Oh shit..." I trailed off my eyes darting suspiciously to Samuel. What was going on?