Kalia. After dinner, I went out by the pool. It was a beautiful night, the full moon out along with a sky full of stars. It was so beautiful and calming out here tonight and generally in the country. I had always wanted to raise my family in the country, away from the buzz of the city.I dipped my bare feet into the cold water, getting a certain satisfaction. I was still reeling from dinner, from that made up how we met. I had watched Jake all night, he seemed happy, he was so committed to the fake story that I wondered if he really did remember how we met. He could be a good actor because even I bought it. Which is why it was going to be difficult to read him, to trust him. My phone buzzed, and I looked at the watch on my wrist, it was past eleven almost midnight. Who would be texting me at this hour? Maybe something was wrong with my dad, that was the only reason I could think of why someone would be texting me this late. I quickly got out of the water, rushing to the table
JAKE.I watched as Kalia walked back to the house in tears, a part of me wanted to follow her, but I couldn't, she was right to want to leave and I was not going to stop her, but it was not because of what she thought, I was not going to choose Naima over her.My private investigator had just called a few minutes before I walked to join her by the pool. He had told me who was behind the accident, thats what I had come to tell her.But this was my fight with Naima and whoever else was coming after me, I could not drag her into it, especially not when she was carrying my child.Her leaving was for the best for both of us and I needed her to leave angry at me, it was harsh but it was going to work.If Naima found out we were no longer together, she would be off the hook. She would hate me, but she will be safe together with my son.I was not going to be here when she left, I couldn’t. I knew if I stayed there I would never let her leave me, not like that, and telling her my plan would ru
Kalia.My whole body felt numb, my hands sweating profusely, my legs shaking. I had heard about this feeling, but I had never experienced it before. So deeply. I was in shock for what felt like eternity, but in reality I had only stood there for atleast a minute, mouth wide open in shock. I could not believe it, for a moment there I for sure thought I was dreaming.We had not even been broken up one hour and he was back in Naima's arms.I looked at their direction again, one last time. Despite how much it hurt to see them, to see him, I needed this picture glued to my mind, I needed the reminder of who he really was and that I was nothing to him."Come on, let's get out of here." Maya said pulling me, my feet could not move on their own clearly, I was in shock."I can't believe this." i said rubbing the tears off my eyes."I am so sorry Kalia, this is all my fault. If I had known what my brother was up to I would never have forced you to come here." Maya said as we walked back to her
Maya.It had been atleast a few hours since Kalia left. The guilt was killing me. Sitting there, wondering if she was okay. She never even mentioned where she was going, not that we deserved to know anyway after how we had treated her. I had tried calling her phone several times, but it kept on going to voice mail. I sat in the living room in silence, tears threatening my eyes. What had I done.I looked over my mother who seemed like she had just lost a child."I knew she couldn't be trusted from the word go, I knew it." she said painfully as she sat down across from me."Mom, please don't.." i started, but she held her hands up, to stop me."Maya, don't even think about making excuses for her anymore. She betrayed us. I highly doubt that baby is Jake's either""Mom none of this is true, none of it." i blurted out, I couldn't take it anymore.I had wanted a sister for the longest time, a friend I could confide in and I had finally found that in Kalia, and now she was gone.Her face
Kalia.I saw Eric immediately and our eyes locked as I ran towards him and straight into his arms. As soon as he held me, my whole body melted and I started sobbing uncontrollably, and he let me do it.I don't know how long we stayed that way before we finally left, his car was waiting fully loaded with all my suit cases." Where to pretty woman?" Eric said jokingly as soon as we got into the car."Is that even a real question, the hospital ofcourse. I want to see dad.""Do you know what time it is Kalia?" he said shocked, looking at me like I had lost my mind or something."I know and I don't care, I will sit there until he wakes up." i said, meaning every word."The hospital it is." we drove in silence for a few minutes and I actually appreciated the silence, but he must have been reading my thoughts because he started talking."So what happened? Why are you here and alone also?""What do you think Eric?" I asked looking at him, my blood boiling as it hit me she had gotten to him to
Jake. It had been almost a week now, since Kalia left and Naima moved in. I had tried to reach out to her, but her old phone was disconnected. But I knew she was back in New York living in her father's house. I picked up my phone and started to go through the gallery, looking at some of the pictures we had taken together. "You did this you know, and I don't think that it's worth it." Maria said from behind me. "It's rude to snoop mother." i said irritated. I looked at her as she joined me in the living room. I had not seen her since Kalia left, she had been avoiding me, not that I could really blame her. I had given her, her space and privacy, but maybe now she was ready to talk. " Are you still giving me the cold shoulder, or are you talking to me now?" I said turning to face her, on eye level. She looked so much like my sister Maya who was also not talking to me. "Is it worth it?" she finally said after a long pause of silence, "She is out there all alone, carrying your baby
Kalia. New beginnings. As the big city skyline lay ahead, towering over building as we drove under the evening sun, I couldn't help but reflect on my life in New York. This is the only city I knew as home. I was born here, raised her and even my parents died here and were buried here. This was my home. And now I was abandoning my home, a big part of me wanted to remain, to stay and fight, but how could I when so much was at stake. I was also not thinking about myself anymore, I had to think about the little human I was growing inside of me. I sat in tje passenger sit, my hands twisting nervously as my father sat in the back seat together with Eric . Paul was our designated driver for the night. “Are you sure about this?” Paul asked, his voice steady but laced with concern.I glanced out the window, watching familiar sights fade into the distance. “I have to be. I can’t go back. Not now.” I said meaning it. I knew Jake well enough to know he would never really be able to let me
Kalia.I saw Eric immediately and our eyes locked as I ran towards him and straight into his arms. As soon as he held me, my whole body melted and I started sobbing uncontrollably, and he let me do it.I don't know how long we stayed that way before we finally left, his car was waiting fully loaded with all my suit cases." Where to pretty woman?" Eric said jokingly as soon as we got into the car."Is that even a real question, the hospital ofcourse. I want to see dad.""Do you know what time it is Kalia?" he said shocked, looking at me like I had lost my mind or something."I know and I don't care, I will sit there until he wakes up." i said, meaning every word."The hospital it is." we drove in silence for a few minutes and I actually appreciated the silence, but he must have been reading my thoughts because he started talking."So what happened? Why are you here and alone also?""What do you think Eric?" I asked looking at him, my blood boiling as it hit me she had gotten to him to
Jake. I stood at the end of the cracked asphalt driveway, staring up at the old, two-story house that had loomed large in my childhood. The faded blue paint peeled in the corners, and the once vibrant garden lay choked with weeds. It felt both alien and achingly familiar. I had driven here straight from the hospital, I needed the drive, it was therapeutic and helped my mind no to focus on Kalia kissing that man. I stepped onto the porch, the wood creaking beneath me like the groan of old bones. The door, a relic of better days, swung open with a reluctant push, revealing a dim interior that smelled faintly of mildew. Dust motes danced in the shafts of light that filtered through the grimy windows. I hesitated on the threshold, recalling a thousand small moments the laughter, the fights, the palpable fear.I was a rich man who lived lavish, but so was my father. He used to be among the richest self made men, but after my mother left, he started getting reckless, gambling, drinking an
Kalia.I turned around and it was Maya, she slowly sat on the cold pavement next to me. She seemed to be in so much pain. "You should be in bed." i said helping her sit comfortably. "No, I should be on a bed next to Jake in the ICU," she said looking away. "Everyone keeps saying I am lucky, but i don't feel lucky at all, not when it was my fault""Maya, accidents happen. It's not your fault, it's not your fault he is in there and you are out here." "But it is, I could have taken a cab, but instead I let him come pick me up." "I know Jake, there is no way he would have let you take a cab and you know that too. He will be fine, he will wake up from there, he is a fighter.""You really believe that?" "I have to believe that, I have to have hope that he will fight, that this is not how our story ends. He has to fight.""You know he talked about you, he told me alot about you." Maya said, catching me off guard. A part of me got excited, with little butterflies in my stomach. "Let me
Kalia. After dinner, I went out by the pool. It was a beautiful night, the full moon out along with a sky full of stars. It was so beautiful and calming out here tonight and generally in the country. I had always wanted to raise my family in the country, away from the buzz of the city.I dipped my bare feet into the cold water, getting a certain satisfaction. I was still reeling from dinner, from that made up how we met. I had watched Jake all night, he seemed happy, he was so committed to the fake story that I wondered if he really did remember how we met. He could be a good actor because even I bought it. Which is why it was going to be difficult to read him, to trust him. My phone buzzed, and I looked at the watch on my wrist, it was past eleven almost midnight. Who would be texting me at this hour? Maybe something was wrong with my dad, that was the only reason I could think of why someone would be texting me this late. I quickly got out of the water, rushing to the table
Kalia. After dinner, I went out by the pool. It was a beautiful night, the full moon out along with a sky full of stars. It was so beautiful and calming out here tonight and generally in the country. I had always wanted to raise my family in the country, away from the buzz of the city.I dipped my bare feet into the cold water, getting a certain satisfaction. I was still reeling from dinner, from that made up how we met. I had watched Jake all night, he seemed happy, he was so committed to the fake story that I wondered if he really did remember how we met. He could be a good actor because even I bought it. Which is why it was going to be difficult to read him, to trust him. My phone buzzed, and I looked at the watch on my wrist, it was past eleven almost midnight. Who would be texting me at this hour? Maybe something was wrong with my dad, that was the only reason I could think of why someone would be texting me this late. I quickly got out of the water, rushing to the table
Kalia. I had been working overtime for the money and the hours were starting to get to me. I was exhausted, but I needed the money. I turned away from the cashier’s counter closing it and slammed into a hardwall.. well, it felt like it was a hard wall, but in fact, it was a man’s solid chest. Large,powerful hands came around and gripped my upper arms to steady me.For a second it was all right. I had the apologetic, slightly flirtatious smile and appropriate words that passed for polite regret ready, I’m so sorry. But when my eyes flew past the broad shoulders up to his face my whole world tilted crazily. I felt the blooddrain away from my head and my face whiten. A part of my brain screamed, No. No. No.No fucking way. Not halfway across the world. Not after all this time.I had done a pretty good job of starting afresh, far away from my previous life, far from anyone that knew me. And for a while it had worked, or atleast I had thought so. I opened my mouth and… Closed it like som
Jake. I stood at the end of the cracked asphalt driveway, staring up at the old, two-story house that had loomed large in my childhood. The faded blue paint peeled in the corners, and the once vibrant garden lay choked with weeds. It felt both alien and achingly familiar. I had driven here straight from the hospital, I needed the drive, it was therapeutic and helped my mind no to focus on Kalia kissing that man. I stepped onto the porch, the wood creaking beneath me like the groan of old bones. The door, a relic of better days, swung open with a reluctant push, revealing a dim interior that smelled faintly of mildew. Dust motes danced in the shafts of light that filtered through the grimy windows. I hesitated on the threshold, recalling a thousand small moments the laughter, the fights, the palpable fear.I was a rich man who lived lavish, but so was my father. He used to be among the richest self made men, but after my mother left, he started getting reckless, gambling, drinking an
Pregnancy. "Oh my God, I don't feel so good." i said standing up, my hand on my lower abdomen. A few minutes I was kneeling by the bathroom vomiting my guts out. Maybe it was something I ate, it had to be something I ate. I said to myself going in for another round of vomiting. Now that I was thinking about it, I had been feeling nauseated and tired for almost a week now. I just thought I was coming down with something, but this was getting too serious. Maybe I needed to take a test. I slowly got up from the ground, washing my hands and mouth, before I looked at myself in the mirror touching my stomach. I tried to portrude my stomach a little bit, to get a glimpse of what I would look like pregnant. ' I can't be pregnant, not right now atleast.'I fished my phone out from my pocket and went straight to my period tracker. I was definitely a few days late. All I had to do now, was get a few pregnancy tests from the hospital. I slowly picked up my phone and walked out of my ro
The small town ice cream parlour buzzed with the sweet chatter of families enjoying their afternoon treats. Lively music played softly in the background, mixing with the hum of the old-fashioned soda fountain and the occasional scrape of spoons against cold, creamy bowls. Emma sat across from her son, Ryan, both savoring their chocolate and vanilla ice cream cones. She smiled at her six-year-old, his face covered in a delicious mess of chocolate smears. The sun streamed in through the big front windows, casting a warm glow on the tiled floor and the colorful, vintage décor of the shop.Ryan, as always, was full of energy. He hopped out of his seat to peer at the ice cream flavors on display, his eyes wide with excitement. He was a curious child, often getting distracted by the smallest of details. Emma watched him, content, her own cone forgotten for a moment as she admired her son’s wonder at the world.Then, a loud clink interrupted the peaceful moment. A man, tall and slightly dish
Jake.. No matter what happens, we will always be infinite. I looked up from my phone, and for a moment the whole world came to a standstill. I knew her. She was a brunette with all her hair held up in a bun, she was wearing a yellow sundress, and some sunglasses. She looked beautiful, but that was not what caught my attention, it was whose hand she was holding. A boy that seemed to be around two years was tugging on her dress. I didn't even realize I was staring until our eyes met, she almost gasped, one hand on her mouth, she looked horrified to see me, scared even. She quickly took the child's hand and seemed like she was about to run away when a man approached them with candy. He handed it over to the enthusiastic little boy who beamed with excitement. "Excuse me, do I know you from somewhere." I said touching the lady's arm and they all turned to look at me, including the little boy. "Are you my daddy?" the little boy said, looking up at me, with ice cream smeared all ov