Miguel's POVThe stretcher rolled towards me, and my eyes met the woman on it. Shock. The emotion exploded through me. Bella. My heart stopped, and every fucking muscle in my body along with it. No fucking way. I couldn't believe it.I blinked. Just to be sure I wasn't seeing things again. In the last few months since I lost her, I have had dreams about her, vivid dreams, and even at times, I saw her everywhere.I had been hallucinating her out of pure desperation to see her again so it wasn't so easy to just trust these eyes. But it wasn't easy to not trust them because it was what I really wanted to see —her. She was who I really wanted to see.I blinked again. The stretcher was closing in on me, and her along with it. It was happening so fast and my mind was churning.I couldn't believe my eyes but I also could never mistake that face for anyone else. Not like this. This wasn't a figment of my imagination. It was her. I was sure of it.“Bella?” I whispered as the stretcher b
Miguel's POVI was certain of it but I didn't know what it was. I knew Nando couldn't possibly be... I couldn't dare think about it.No, Ava wouldn't do this to me. But what if—“Mr. Castell,” one of the nurses approached me, “Gracie is waiting.” Fanculo! I had totally forgotten about her. I jumped to my feet filled with guilt.“How is she?” I urged.“She's fine. It's a deep cut but luckily it isn't infected. You can take her home.”“Thank you,” I muttered and the nurse left. I stood for a minute before slipping out my cell and calling Mason.“Hey, can you come to the hospital?” I asked the second he answered his cell.“Alright. I was on my way anyway. I'll be there in ten.”I hung up, slipping my phone in my pocket. I hurried to Gracie's room, and grabbed her a drink on the way, stopping outside the ward for a moment to stare at her before entering.“Babbo,” her face transformed into a smile as she saw me.“Hey,” I met her, sitting next to her, and glanced at her bandaged hand, “Doe
Ava's POV“She looks like you.” I heard him say, and my heart stopped beating in my chest. I lost my ability to breathe also as I froze at the sound of his voice which I instantly recognized. I knew it too well to miss it.Miguel?The sound of his voice resonated within me, every word, and my heart as expected overreacted, thudding so fast it felt like it wanted to tear its way out of my chest.I could feel my pulse racing all over me, and the pounding was so erratic that I hadn't even dared to look up at him yet. My eyes were still fixed on the beautiful baby in my arms —our daughter. Our beautiful child.I swallowed hard, trying to compose myself, and fearing what the sight of him would do to me. If his voice could already be causing so much damage inside me I feared what the sight of him would do."Ava, please look at me." He whispered and the crack in his voice broke my conviction. I couldn't keep hurting him.I looked up at him, meeting his keen gaze, and the pain sliced through
Miguel's POV“Your wife?” I echoed the words like they were poison, arching my brow. I hated the sound of it, and it made me sick to my very bones.“Yes,” Nando enunciated, placing his hands on hers while equally drawing my attention to the ring on her finger, “We are married, Miguel, and I'm the father of the child,” he smiled, and those words made me sick to my stomach.“You're the father?” I arched a brow, and glanced at Ava and she looked away almost like she didn't dare to meet my gaze. I stared at her, watching her evade my gaze.He was lying.“Yes, I am,” Nando answered, running a hand through her hair.I wished he'd stop touching her like that. It made me sick.“Is that true, Ava?” I asked with a note of skepticism in my voice, glancing at Ava, and she met my stare with a blank look.“Stop asking her ridiculous questions, Miguel. I already answered your question. I'm the father of the child, and Ava is my wife!” I exclaimed.“I don't believe you.” I told him without taking my
Ava's POV“Goodbye, Ava...” His words resonated through the room, and I didn't look up. I couldn't see him leave.I closed my eyes, biting my lips hard and ignoring the urge to look up at him.I couldn't bear to see his face, nor his back or any part of him. But as his feet disappeared through the door and time passed, I regretted my decision. I should have looked it up. I should have stolen one last glance or begged him not to leave but I couldn't do any of that, and now he was gone.I had heard the sound of his feet as he shuffled out of the room but by the time I looked up, he was gone. My heart cramped, the pain coursed through me, and even though I didn't want to, I couldn't help it as the pain shot through my body, and my eyes filled up with tears.Tears streamed down my face like rain dropping from the sky. I couldn't stop myself as they just ran down my cheeks. My heart felt like a thousand feet had stomped on it, leaving a raw ache that pierced through my entire body.It hu
Miguel's POVThe weight of what had transpired at the hospital hung heavy on my shoulders like a suffocating shroud. It followed me everywhere, and the hours that passed after that moment were the most dreadful times of my life.It was slow, and each passing moment felt like it was eating away bits and pieces of my soul, like a predator feeding on it prey. The drive back home was horribly long as well, which was why the minute I arrived home that evening, I had been unable to do anything other than head straight to my bedroom and climb into bed.I even ignored Gracie's calls downstairs as i was heading in. I didn't mean to, but it couldn't be helped. I needed to pull myself together and gather my strength, but most of all, I needed some time alone.To say I was a mess was to clearly understate things. I was more than that, but I had to hold it in and be strong if not for anyone, for Gracie, and for the hope of the new life I had planned before all this had happened.It was all cras
Miguel's POV “What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in Italy?” I asked him as we headed downstairs from the door i answered him from.“Mason called,” Perez mumbled, and we walked into the kitchen. “He told me what happened at the hospital.”“What?” I blurted, “Mason knows what happened at the hospital?” I questioned, watching Perez as he opened the fridge.“Of course, he does. He's Mason.”I cocked, “That explains much,” I mumbled.Perez grabbed a bottle of beer and opened it, offering me one, which I gladly took from him, ignoring the fact that it's too early to be drinking. I took a large gulp as I sat down across from him.“So if you're here, who is handing things over there?”“Niko. Not for long though, I just came to make sure you are okay after everything that had happened.”I laughed and gulped down the bottle, “I'm fine. You don't have to comfort me or anything. Mason probably overestimated everything,” I lied.“Or you're just pretending, Perez asked as he glared
Ava's POVI woke to the sound of the baby's cries piercing through the silence of the early morning. My eyes fluttered open, heavy with sleep, and I groaned softly as I pushed myself upright in bed.The sunlight filtered through the curtains, illuminating the room. My arms felt sluggish as I lifted myself out of bed, my body still heavy with exhaustion.The baby's cries grew louder, more insistent as they echoed off the walls of the room as I stumbled towards her cradle, and reached out for the source of the cries—my little angel.“Shh, shh, it's okay, baby,” I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper as I leaned over the cradle at my little troublesome princess. She sure was a crier.I gently scooped her up into my arms, cradling her close to my chest as I swayed back and forth, trying to soothe her but to no avail. Her cries grew even more persistent, rising in intensity, and I felt a pang of frustration mingled with exhaustion.“What's wrong, sweetheart?” I whispered, pressing my