EDENI tucked Belle in for the night. She'd caught the flu somehow and it had dragged her down.I wanted to take her to the hospital but she was being such a baby so Roman somehow convinced me to leave her here and call the doctor.Belle was responding to treatments but she was still Ill.“If you keep checking up on her like that, she'll never actually sleep.”Roman's voice startled me.“I just went to tuck her in to actually get some sleep.”He nodded. And then the awkward silence that I had been avoiding for days settled in again.Once he got out of the hospital and came back home, I avoided him because I wasn't ready to have that conversation I knew he wanted to have.First off, I was afraid of what I'd said. I was afraid that I actually meant it. I know I did but I didn't want to admit it to him.Second of all, I was afraid he was going to say it back. Roman wasn't the kind of man that understood what love meant.“I’ll get some sleep now.”As I walked away, he did the one thing I
RomanI watched her as she slept, listening to her silent snores.Last night, I felt something, something I thought was dead. Something I didn’t think I could feel again.Eden really was the one for me. It wasn't a coincidence that she bore the only child I have and it wasn’t a mistake that I had found her and we had ended up together.I just wish she had things easier earlier on and I wish I had made things easy for her as well because I also had a hand in the things she went through.But I’m glad that we’re here now, with her in my bed.She was still sleeping soundly so I decided to check on Belle. She’d fallen sick as soon as I got into the hospital and I didn’t want to take her back there so I somehow convinced Eden to keep her here.I knocked lightly before I entered her room. When I pushed the door open, I expected to see her in bed being just as miserable as I was when I came down with the flu but she wasn’t.In fact, she was nowhere near her bed.“Belle! Belle!”I walked out o
NORAI should have known that Selena won’t keep her grubby hands off what doesn’t belong to her.She came to the house, I don't know how she found out where Roman lived but she had strutted her small ass in on that Saturday when I was upstairs. I knew I was hearing a voice that wasn’t similar but I didn’t pay any heed to it because I knew different people came to see Roman all the time.He had noticed that something was going wrong when I didn’t speak to him for days. Roman didn’t do anything so I shouldn’t punish him for Selena’s stupidity but I knew the kind of man Roman was. I also knew that he was a woman’s man. Meaning that at the end of the day, he may fall victim to her devices.I saw the kind of women that flocked around him, it tried to avoid it but I knew that everyone was trying to pitch their tent in his field. And he usually let them.I always wondered why he only ever got me pregnant. Or was it because he was drunk that night? Maybe he didn’t use protection. But that is
EDENSeeing him looking so helpless would have actually made me laugh if not for the seriousness of the situation.“What do you want me to say? The more I repeat it over and over in my head, the more desperate I sound. It’s embarrassing enough.”How the hell did I want to tell him that I don't want Selena or any other woman for that matter to come close to him? I wasn’t even his girlfriend.“Okay, I'll ask questions and you can answer them, okay?”I nodded.“Did I do something wrong?”I shook my head.“Did I say something wrong?”I shook my head.He frowned.“Am I the problem at all?”I almost laughed at his tone.“No Roman, you’re not the problem at all.”He turned me to face him fully and slid his hand around my waist, pulling me closer.“Eden, talk to me.”“Alright fine but i swear, if you laugh-““I won’t. Promise.”I sighed and wle away from him and wanted to sit on the bed, when he dragged me up and sat on the bed instead they pulled me into his laps."You were saying?”I rolle
EDEN“Hello girlfriend.” I looked up from my phone, looking around for the handsome owner of the voice.“Hey" I smiled when I saw him “What’re you doing?”He sat beside me, placing a hand in my thigh and squeezing. I liked it when he did that.“Are you busy? I was sending if we could do something today."I dropped my laptop.“Really? Like what?”I had ooanned on spending my entire day at home. I was feeling extra lazy today and I was so glad that it was a weekend so I didn't have to go to work.But If Roman wanted to spend the day with me, I didn't mind.“Um, I actually have no idea but I guess, we'll know when we go out.”“Okay, I'll freshen up."I ran upstairs, taking two steps at a time, quite excited about today.For a couple of weeks, I've been very busy with work and I get home very late, not being able to speak to him or spend time with him.Most times, as sok as I take a shower, I just fall asleep. But he comes and kisses me on the forehead.I ran to my room and let my hair do
EDENAs soon as I got to work, I was greeted with the news.The way gossip spread in my department dkicknees me. It was like they had nothing better to do.The way they huddled up rogwyhee like little chicks waiting for food and excitedly spread the word, often adding external information that was not a part of the initial gossip .I had just put my bag down on my chair when I felt someone tap me from behind.It was Larissa and if anyone knew the gossip even before it happened, it would be her.Sometimes, I wonder if this was a media company and my department was just for decoration.“What do you want, Larissa?”I didn't even want to hear what she had to say. The fact that she was the one that wanted to tell me what was going on pissed me off enough.I knew that Selena would have opened her big mouth and told the entire office about Roman and I.“Well, I heard that -"“You know what, Larissa, I don't evenw any to know what you have to say. I know what happened and I don't need you to
ROMANI knew something was wrong from the moment I woke up that morning. There was just something that told me that all wasn't well.My head was banging badly. I don't even want to know how I ended up home because I was sure pretty wasted.The clock beside me said it was Tuesday already. So I slept the entire Monday… wow. That was a record and possibly the longest I've slept in my entire life.I quickly freshened up and went downstairs. I didn't exactly have anything to do at the office today so I was hoping that I could do something with Belle and Eden.They were both at work and school so that gave me enough time to plan my day.Family Fun day… that's what I was calling it.Quinn was at the table when I got there and when she looked up and saw it was me, she dropped her phone.“Good morning, Alpha.”First indicator that something was wrong. I don't remember the last time she called me Alpha and she hadn't started eating.It was an old tradition that my father had started. The people
ROMANShe lost it. She lost my damn ring and now, I'm fucked.“I’m sorry. I didn't know it was that important to you. I would get you another-”“There’s only one, goddamnit!"She's going to be the death of me. I couldn't leave without that ring. What was I going to do?“Um, Roman, I think you should just calm down and I'll make it up to you. I promise. I can pay you back for it. Just uh, tell me how much it is and I'll pay for it.”If it weren't for the fact that we were out in public, I would have wrapped my hands around her neck and probably taken her life because she was the center of all my issues right now.She had stolen my ring, she had set me up and now my life was in ruins.“Do you have any idea what you have done? Do you have any idea how badly you have messed things up for me?”“Roman, it's just a ring. It's not that deep. I'll get you another one.”“Selena, if you say that one more time, I will kill you. And that is not a joke. What did you tell Eden?”She sat down on her
THIRD PERSON POVWhile everyone back home was looking for Roman, he was on the other side of the town, looking through his pockets and swearing that he carried his phone.The minister noticed that he was distracted.“Is there anything you need? Are you looking for something?”Roman looked up.“Yes, I'm sure that I carried my phone but now, I can't find it.”Roman knew that he would have gotten so many calls. He'd left the house very early and no one knew where he was.He didn't take any guard with him either.“Maybe it fell on the way."Of course, it did. With all those bullets raining on his head, why won't it fall out?It had been pure luck that he had escaped. He was almost at the minister's house when he noticed a car that he was sure he'd seen when he got off the highway.He'd rolled his eyes, not wanting to be involved in any of this today.“Can we do this in a week? I have something to do today.”What should he do now? He knew he couldn't avoid them.To make sure that he was ri
EDENIT was already seven pm and I still couldn't find him. I was ready and so was everyone else but he was nowhere to be found.I'd called him and so had Quinn but he wasn't picking up his calls at all.“Edem, are you sure he didn't tell you where he was going?”I thought back to last night and scrolled through our conversation.“No, I don't remember him saying anything about going anywhere. After I told him about the officiating minister, that was where the conversation ended. Nothing more happened.”Quinn came back.“His phone is switched off.”Wonderful, just great. Roman was missing on no other day than our wedding day.Where could he be? Even if he was stuck in traffic, he could at least pick up his phone.Or maybe he truly wasn't interested in getting married to me.But then he would have just said it then when I brought it up. Why didn't he say anything? He had the choice to reject me last night but he didn't.”Eden, don't worry. We'll find him in time for the wedding.”Alicia
EDENI woke up early that morning.Well, we didn't sleep after that.. we stayed up the entire night talking about everything we'd been through and it touched me.Eventually, I fell asleep on his shoulder and I didn't even know. I was sitting in his lap and I woke up on the bed.Alicia was standing above me .“Hey, wake up. Let's get you ready. Roman left the house really early this morning and I have to go back home to get a dress for myself. I mean, I can't wear this.”She had eye bags and her face was very dim. She has started crying again sometime during the night.”Alicia, sit down. We need to talk.”She was avoiding my eyes.“Eden, there's a lot to be done today. I mean, you don't even have a makeup artist or a hairstylist either. Your dress isn't here yet and the food isn't ready. There's a lot to be done.”I knew that all that wasn't truly her concern. She was just trying to avoid talking about me.“Alicia, please -”“Eden, there's no time. We need to get ready."I had to get
EDENWhen I finally got into the house later that night, I couldn't sleep so I just stared out the window at the stary night.Alicia had fallen asleep while feeding the kids so I would break the news to her tomorrow.I'd had to tell Quinn what had happened.“Really?! Was that why you were staring into the dark?””Yes, she was standing there. I'm not going to die, Quinn. I'm going to be here with my kids.”She pulled me in for a hug and held me tightly.“I'm so happy, Eden. You don't know how terrible I felt when you told me that. How can you die without watching your kids grow up?"I was just happy that I hadn't rushed to tell Roman anything that was going on.He was clearly exhausted because he didn't even wake up when I entered the room and when I got in the bed. I was equally so tired because I had spent a lot of time getting things ready today.My body was tired but my mind was still awake and buzzing.I was going to get married tomorrow. I should have told Quinn that we should ju
EDENWe got back home late that night.Mostly because we needed to pull ourselves so that we won't show that we've been crying.Everytime we finally stopped crying, Alicia started again and we started another whole process of consoling each other.“Please stop crying. I don't know what I'm going to do if you're like this.”She finally pulled herself together and we got into the car and drove back home.“Are you really not going to tell Roman?"“I don't have a plan to. I'm sorry, I just can't bring myself to tell him. He will be shattered, Alicia.”She still wasn't fine with it but she didn't say anything else until we got home.Alicia went into the house to check in on Roman and the kids while I went to the back of the house to check in on what Quinn was doing.She was actually on a chair and table with her legs up while eating everything she brought from the restaurant.“You seem to be enjoying yourself.”My voice frightened her.“Sorry about that.”“You guys surely took your time..
EDENWe'd ended up at a restaurant because the bar we wanted to go to was closed.Roman had already called me four times to ask Alicia questions about the twins and he sounded like he was about to lose it.“Let’s eat so much that we won't be able to walk again.”And that's what we did. I think we ordered everything in the menu and we basically had the chef at our call to make anything that we wanted.That was the first time I would be eating so much food in one day and it felt so good.“I don't think I can eat anymore. I'm so full.”Quinn had been the one to bring us here and now she was already full. Alicia's mood had changed and she wasn't speaking anymore.Quinn's phone rang and she stood up to answer it.“Alicia-”“What’s going on, Eden? And don't even tell me not to ask questions. Because you can't keep doing this. I'm your best friend. You have to be truthful.”What was sj to do at this point? I had no other choice than to tell her the truth.She deserved that much.“Balari came
EDENAlicia did come over that evening.And we stayed in the room throughout.“It’s fine. I'll take care of the kids. You guys just do what girls do. Whatever it is that you do.”Roman took the twins and left us.“What in the world happened? Why did you faint?"I acted like I had no idea what was going on.“I mean, I don't know. I just felt weak and tired and next thing I know, I'm waking up in a hospital.”“Woah, that is crazy.. but you're fine right? I mean, yorie okay?"“Yes, I'm fine.”I needed to change the topic.“Hey, about Henry, I've spoken to Roman about it and he had no idea that Henry wasn't home. He said he was going to help track him down.”I actually hadn't spoken to Roman about it but I just needed to say something that would make her forget about the previous topic.“Thank you. I just hope we won't have to go through everything we went through back then. He'll surely come back.”Surely, he will. He's probably just busy.Speaking of Roman doing things, I still needed t
EDENI'd come home the day after that. The doctor said that I was free and healthy to leave but I didn't feel free.“Why the long face? Aren't you happy to come home?”I turned to Roman who was driving.”Oh no, it's nothing like that. I'm just tired."What was the point of being happy when I knew what was coming? And I couldn't tell him. I didn't want him to feel responsible for it.Roman is very quick to blame himself and I didn't want him to. I should just die peacefully so that he would have the guts to move on from me.If I told him that it was because of him I was going to die, then I would mess things up.I recalled my last conversation with Balari.“Are you sure it's what you want, Eden? Men are not worth it. You can live with your kids and raise them in your own way. You don't have to do this.”But it seemed like the more we spoke about it, the more determined I was to do it.“I do, actually. I love Roman, I can't let him die for something he has no hand in.”“And you have a
EDENWhen I woke up, it was dark.Why was it dark and where was I? I knew this wasn't my room, and it surely didn't smell like this.I tried to move my hand and when I saw the IV line shake, I sighed. The hospital.How did I end up here and why didn't I remember anything?Me being here meant that something had happened to me but for the life of me, I couldn't bring myself to. I felt so weak so I just relaxed in my bed.I didn't even have the strength to call for help and eventually, I slept.The next time I woke up, the sun was out thankfully and my eyes didn't feel as heavy as a boulder.My stomach was hurting badly, partly the fact that I hadn't eaten in a day and half. I needed food or else I might actually die this time around..I sat up in my bed, clutching my stomach tightly. I also needed to pee. I've never been to the hospital before.Roman was born in the pack and Belle?Well, Belle was born at home because I had no idea I was in labor and since Alicia and I had never been mo