Steph's POV: I walked back to my room as hot, angry tears streamed down my face. I needed a fucking break from all of this. One after the other, some problem would just miraculously present itself in my life. There was only so much I could take. Where the heck had Brian suddenly appeared from? I had to give it to him, for coming up with the craziest and most unusual things. Before this crazy episode had taken place, Beck had been confessing to me. Beck wanted to give me and him a chance, a date was what he had been asking for. I wanted to go out with Beck. I liked him, I had always liked him, felt a tiny bit of tension with him too, but a lot more comfort too. And wasn't that the most important part of being in a relationship, being as comfortable with your partner as you can? Before Brian had shown up, I would've probably said yes. But seeing him there had made me skeptical. But then, even if not Beck, I couldn't possibly end up with Brian, I knew how toxic fan bases of cel
Steph's Pov “I hate this. This is just making me sad.” Stella said, wrapping the show pieces in bubble wrap. Our results were to be announced in a week and our graduation ceremony was the week after. Moreover, the university had asked us to clear the apartment by the end of the month and we begun to pack the ornaments, and things that we didn't really use on a daily basis. The only problem with that was, it made the realization that all of us were going our separate ways and might even drift apart because that was what life was like. However, after living together for almost four years, it led to attachments and bonding. We all truly cared about each other and that love was making all of this extremely difficult. “You remember this?” Sarah said, pulling out a china cow from the cupboard. The cow was to put some creamer in and then you could add the creamer to your coffee. Then you'd lift the cow by its tail and tilt it to pour creamer into your coffee. In
Steph's Pov I had picked a beige dress for myself to wear at the graduation ceremony. All of us girls had decided to match. I pinned my hair to the sides, the hairdo made me look like a young school girl. Our robe was black in colour lined with red. The graduation hat itself was black with a red tassel hanging off the top. “Off to a new start.” I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror and said with a whisper. Sarah, Lucy and Stella's parents were going to be there. Simon unfortunately could not make it but I had sent Simon the link to the website, where the live graduation ceremony would be shown. “How did you suddenly grow up to be this big?” He had asked me with a big grin, and funnily enough he hadn't made fun of me. “Honestly, I don't either.” I replied. Ever since the incident with the article, Simon had checked up on me frequently. But something had changed, he never pried, didn't ask any questions, just checked up on me, and I was tru
Steph's Pov3 weeks later “Nurse Stephanie, Doctor Amanda needs you at the emergency, now!” Caitlin informed me when I went to place the files at the front desk. I rushed to the emergency, adrenaline rushing through me. As hectic as my routine would get, I found myself settling into this new life. I chose a nurse corps scholarship program which provided a complete scholarship for my MPhil, in exchange for a minimum two year, full time service at the Springfield General hospital. After graduation Simon had surprised me with my very own apartment, as a graduation gift from him, Rita and the baby that was on the way. I was so happy to finally have a home of my own. Mainly because, I hadn't had the chance to feel lonely, because of how busy my routine was. The apartment was at a walking distance from the hospital, making it even more convenient for me. Lucy was working at Springfield General with, which had been a cherry on top. We'd often facetime
Steph's Pov My breath hitched as he placed both his hands against my waist. He puts his mouth in the crevice of neck and I find myself looking up, giving him more space. His lips find mine and I find myself melting into his mouth, my head slowly bobbing, everytime he opens his mouth to take mine in. Slowly he increases the intensity of the kiss, it is now full of desperation and hunger. His frantic hands pull me closer into him. I can't help parting my legs for him and he moves between them. His hand moves up and down my back as his tongue finds its way to mine. Suddenly an alarm goes off startling us. It was Brian's. He pulled it out of his pocket, switched it off then looked at me again. “I need to go for my flight right now. But I will come back to you Steph. “ He said and left. Ever since then, he'd often send gifts and he'd send messages daily. Mostly I wouldn't be able to find time to reply to any of them. But he'd call occasionally and I'd take his calls. He'd try to ke
Steph's Pov At about four in the morning, my bell rang. Who could it possibly be at this hour? Beck, Lucy, Zach and I had played Fortnite last night and I had lost horribly, which didn't bother me. Gaming really wasn't my forte, but it was fun and I liked watching these guys trying to kill each other, to win. They had left at around one, Beck had helped clean everything before leaving. He'd even helped wash the dishes with me, making soap bubbles in the water and flicking the water onto me. In all this teasing and playing soon the dishes were clean and it was then time for everyone to leave. I had just come out of the shower, in my shorts and shirt, when the bell rang. I took cautious steps towards the door and looked through the peephole. My feet staggered when I saw the face outside the door. It was Brian. But wasn't he in Wisconsin for his scholarship program? I opened the door, “What are you doing here?” He looked like he hadn't slept well. He walked inside my apart
Steph's Pov I was woken up when the first ray of dawn shone through my massive bedroom window onto my face. The sun rays bounced onto Brian's face next to me, causing him to squint his eyes. He looked beautiful in the golden light of the sun, and once again I was reminded of why I let this man hold immense power over me. He lifted his head to look at me with one eye closed and smiled, his dimple creasing into his cheek. He lifted one arm and pulled me closer into him, his musky smell stronger than usual.“Come here.” He said in a deep voice, and I melted into his arms, my head resting on his chest. I felt like I could stay like this forever. This could've been us. This could have been our life.Before I can contemplate further, I hear my phone ring and vibrate against my side table. I try to reach across the bed to take the call, but Brian holds onto my arm. “Mmm, stay…” He says, nuzzling his nose in the crease of my neck, and I feel electricity buzzing through m
Lyla’s POV: I had to revisit the godforsaken hospital once again. The only reason why Richard had chosen this hospital was because it was away from our place. Every other hospital near our place, we had already visited. They all knew of my dear Richard's tiny secret, that he was a drunken maniac. There was more chance of me escaping his shackles if we went to the same hospital. He wouldn't have returned to this hospital either, had it not been for his fucking baby that he put in me. Day after day my life was turning into a mess. A big fucking mess I didn't know how to take care of. Ever since Brian had gotten out of my life, it had just taken a turn for the worse. But back then my ego did not allow me to accept that. There was no relationship I wanted to form or get into after Brian. There were several flings and one-night stands. Men I'd meet in the morning, say goodbye to at night, and then never see their face again after. It became a routine then, a cou
Steph's Pov It was one of the other event of Rita and Simon and to be honest, I had lost count on how many parties they threw for their wedding..pre-wedding, post wedding etc etc I walked over to the buffet table, scanning the offerings. The waiter removed the cover from one dish, wafting the aroma of the succulent shrimp into the air. All of a sudden, my stomach did a flip and a wave of nausea washed over me. My face paled, and my mouth started watering in a bad way."Oh no," I muttered to myself, my hand over my mouth. "Not now."I didn't hesitate, turning and making a quick departure, my hand over my mouth as I hurried to seek out a secluded area in which to compose myself. The pharmacy was compact but well supplied, with rows upon rows of medicine, toiletries, and other necessities. I walked to the family planning area, my heart racing in my chest. I looked at the shelves, my eyes finding a familiar brand of pregnancy tests. I picked one up and quickly headed towards the check
I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, looking at the bright red mark along the nape of my neck. I pressed it tenderly, it didn't hurt as much, but it looked pretty serious. As much as I loved this mark on my neck, I knew I couldn't go out like this. Especially not in front of Simon. Moreover, today Simon and Rita had organized a pool party for everyone, which meant swimsuits, which meant if I went out wearing a hoodie everyone was bound to find out what was happening. I sighed heavily looking at myself in the mirror, then began to fish for a concealer in my makeup pouch. “Is something wrong?” Brian said, walking in, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his chin along my shoulder. His deeper voice sounded sexier in the morning. I smiled at my half-asleep boyfriend, with his hair ruffled, as his spicy masculine smell hit me. “My very loving boyfriend has left his very own mark on my neck, and now I don't know how to cover it.” I complained to him. “I don't remember he
Steph's PovBrian and I walked into the suite Simon had booked for us and froze the second we entered the room. It had two twin beds. I really had to give it to Simon, he was consistently playing the role of a protective brother really well. I looked at Brian and rolled my eyes and he grinned.“Well, this clearly won't do," he said, locking the door and began to push the two beds close. I wanted to mock Simon saying, “See, ya got nothing on me,” but we were really too old for this so I decided against it. While Brian fixed the beds, I explored the suite. The bedroom was truly beautiful with a gold and white colour combination. Right next to the beds was a massive window down to the length of the floor, overlooking the clean, magnificent blue sea of Hawaii.The bathroom was tiled with wooden floors, with a massive bathtub covered with glass doors. When I saw the shampoo, soap and toothpaste on the shelves, the hoarder in me wanted to grab at it immediately, however I controlle
Steph's Pov I was curled up around Brian, with his arms around my body. This had been more intimate. Back then I was young and cautious, I didn't know what to do. Today, I was sure with Brian, I knew he loved me, and I wanted to prove it to him that I loved him more. I wanted to touch him; I wanted to be weird, and I was not ashamed of it because I knew he would not judge me for it. “I've had sex after a very long time. I'm glad it was with you. I wouldn't have it any other way.” I said to him as he played with our fingers. It was this that I had wanted. The care after the sex. The assurance that I was not only wanted for this. That nothing had changed; if anything, this had only brought us closer. We ordered pizza. When he went to pick it up, I wore his shirt and looked at myself in the mirror. It looked better on me than it did on him. It smelled just like him. Man, I could bathe in his scent. I was immersed in these thoughts when he came back in. Seeing me in his shirt, his f
Beck's POV: Each time I came into this room, there was a new challenge, a new obstacle waiting to be cleared. Today, however, was different. Today, I had the most vicious man I'd ever had the misfortune to meet - Richard Rivers staring right back at me. Thankfully, things were looking in our favour. Whatever amount of money Richard had paid Tony Martinez evidently wasn't enough, he was wasn't prepared, totally. He was seated in the front row, his face having a smug look, playing dumb, playing the bereaved husband. We all knew, however, his dirty little secret. I knew he was guilty of Lyla's murder, of the atrocities she had been subjected to at his hands. I sucked in a deep breath, bracing myself for what lay ahead. It was time to put a stop to Richard's game. It was time to play my strongest card. I addressed the judge, speaking firmly. "Your honor, I'd like to have Miss Stephanie Hudson take the stand." Stephanie got up, looking me straight in the eye, and walked toward
Stephs POV: The courtroom was filled with hushed conversations and the occasional sound of papers rustling. I took in the room, my eyes finding the familiar form of Brian, his shoulders set and his jaw clenched.But I was able to get to him before I could, as a frazzled-looking reporter blocked my path. He was a rumpled sight, wearing a tattered hoodie and jeans, his eyes puffy from lack of sleep. He looked like he'd been running around for days picking up leads.".......and welcome back to NBS News," he declared, his voice echoing through the courtroom. "I'm reporting live from the courthouse, where the much-awaited doping case against NBA star Brian Lockwood is about to be played out. The public has been waiting for answers, and today, they'll finally have their opportunity to witness justice being served."He took a moment, his eyes sparkling with a blend of enthusiasm and fatigue."Lockwood, the golden boy of basketball, stands accused of taking performance-enhancing drugs to get
Steph's POV: I sat on the couch, watching as Cirril paced back and forth across the hotel room. It had been a week since we'd received the devastating news of Lyla's death, and the days that followed had been a blur of lawyers, meetings, and media scrutiny. I still shuddered, when I thought of her death. She'd been driven to insanity, and the only escape she found was in death. Unfortunately, she took her child with her. Brian had been released from the hospital, but his health was still fragile. The dark circles under his eyes seemed to be deepening, his eyes sunken and hollow. He looked exhausted, both physically and mentally. Cirril was on a video call, arguing with yet another lawyer who was refusing to take on Brian's case. "You're asking for five times the normal price? That's ridiculous!" she exclaimed. I watched as Brian tried to calm her down, his voice soft and soothing. "It's okay, Cirril. We'll find someone else." But Cirril was having none of it. "No, we won't! They'
Brian's POV; I groggily reached for my phone, wincing as I sat up. Cirril's name flashed on the screen. "Cirril," I answered, trying to sound more alert than I felt. "Brian, where are you?" she demanded, her voice shrill with worry. "Do you realize the kind of mess you're in?" I rubbed my temples, trying to ward off the impending headache. "I'm at the hospital, Cirril." There was a pause on the other end of the line. "What? How are you at the hospital?" I sighed, not wanting to get into the details over the phone. "I'll explain everything when you get here. Can you please just come?" Cirril's voice was laced with frustration. "Obviously, I'm coming. Is that even a question?" I hung up the phone, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. Cirril would know how to handle this mess. As I waited for Cirril to arrive, I glanced over at Stephanie, who was sitting in the corner, watching me with concerned eyes. I smiled weakly at her, trying to reassure her. Cirril burst into the room
Steph's POV: I stayed at the hospital. I couldn't leave him. I didn't want to leave him. I am not going to leave you alone ever again Brian. The nurse in me kept checking his vital signs. The entire night I could not sleep. The nurse had given Brian a sleeping pill and a painkiller, to soothe his pain and allow him to rest. I kept walking around, tucked him in, but I could not put myself to sleep. There was this constant fear that something was about to happen. In moments when I did drift off to sleep, I would wake up, with a jerk with a sudden feeling that I was running away from something. At about three in the morning, I saw Brian's eyes flicker open. I immediately went up to him. “What is it? Does it hurt somewhere? Do you need something?” I asked him in fear. He slowly put his hand up and beckoned at me, then patted on his mattress beside him. He was asking me to lie down beside him on the bed. Tears began to stream down my face again, looking at Brian's condition. This