VIVIENNE AND JEREMY sat in silence after Ezekiel and Vince left. Jeremy’s face was unreadable, and Vivienne couldn’t help but feel guilty somehow. Although it was not her fault because it was Ezekiel who kissed her, she had made it clear to Jeremy earlier that she and Ezekiel were just co-parenting, but now it felt like she had been lying. Ezekiel's kiss had complicated everything, making it look like they were back together.Vera, on the other hand, was smiling because happiness as her father’s number one supporter. “Mom, did you see? Dad kissed you! I think he wants to be with you again. We can be a family!” she uttered cheerfully. Vivienne forced a smile, feeling embarrassed. She glanced at Jeremy, who remained silent, and then turned to Vera. “S-Sweetie, that’s not what it means. Your dad and I are just trying to get along for you and Vince.”“But Mom,” Vera continued, her eyes wide with excitement, “I saw it! He kissed you! That means he loves you, right?”Vivienne took a deep
VIVIENNE“I can’t believe he did that!” Piper exclaimed as we sat at the bar. I had called her, needing someone to talk to and to help me make sense of everything that had happened. After all, she was the only person I could tell all my problems to. I took a sip of my drink as I shook my head. The bitterness of my drink crept into my throat but I didn’t mind. “I know. It was so unexpected. One moment, people were teasing me and Jeremy when the screen showed us, and the next, Ezekiel just kissed me in front of everyone.”Piper’s eyes widened as she shrieked. I couldn’t help but give her a side-eye.“It’s not something to be giggly about, Piper,” I reminded my friend. She cleared her throat and brought back her composure. “Alright. Sorry. Anyways, what did the kids think? I mean, they saw it, right?”I nodded. “Yes, they did. Vera was thrilled. She kept saying how happy she was and that she thought Ezekiel and I would get back together and be a complete family.”Piper laughed light
VIVIENNE“W-Why did you call?” I asked, trying to steady my voice as I answered Ezekiel’s call.For a moment, I went to the counter to answer his call properly and to avoid the guys who were trying to dance with me earlier. I couldn't help but wonder why he called right when I asked for a sign. My heart beat faster, and I felt confused. Was it just a coincidence? It seemed too perfect to be random. Maybe it meant something. Maybe there was still something between us worth figuring out. Despite all the problems and hurt, could this be a chance to see if we could make things work again? The timing felt too strange to ignore.“I wanted to ask if I could visit the kids right now. I bought them some gifts,” Ezekiel said, his voice calm but hesitant.I felt a pang of disappointment. Somehow, I had hoped there was more to his call than just the kids. “They’re with their grandparents,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. “Is that all?”There was a brief pause. “I hear a lot of noise
EZEKIELWhen Vivienne looked at me with those green eyes of hers, I couldn’t help but feel the heat. Her sleepy drunken eyes were making me horny and hard for some reason. Alright. Enough with my dirty thoughts. I shook my head and focused on helping Vivienne. “Let’s go to your room,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm as I looked at her. But she was drunk and stubborn, shaking her head and pulling away from me.“No… I’m fine… I can walk,” she slurred, though her steps were anything but steady.I sighed. There was no use in arguing with her in this state. So, without thinking twice, I scooped her up into my arms, carrying her like a bride. For a moment, I saw surprise flash in her eyes, but she didn’t resist. Instead, she let out a small, tired laugh and rested her head against my chest.As I carried her down the hallway, memories of our honeymoon flooded my mind. I remembered carrying her just like this, her laughter echoing in my ears as we stumbled into our suite. We were s
VIVIENNEYou know you’re fucked up when after drinking, you suddenly have a burst of confidence within you. And that was what I felt when I pulled Ezekiel for a kiss. His lips felt addicting and I didn’t think it was possible for me to stop kissing him anymore. I didn’t think it was still possible for me to stand up after I gave in. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as Ezekiel kissed me for the second time after I triggered him. Kissing him was never in my plans. But I just felt like doing so. I knew I would regret this when I sobered up tomorrow but fuck it! I don’t give a fucking care anymore. It was probably the alcohol’s fault but I didn’t want to stop. I could hear the sound of our kisses because the room was quiet. My heart raced, particularly as he went on top of me.His lips slowly moved away from mine to kiss my neck all the way down to my jaw. It got even more exciting with his tiny stubbles. I turned my head unconsciously to provide him greater access.“Are you sure
VIVIENNEThe next day, I woke up with my head feeling heavy and my thoughts still fuzzy from the night before. I blinked my eyes open and then suddenly… realized where I was—my hotel room. Memories from last night came rushing back. My cheeks flushed with embarrassment especially when it started to sink into my head everything that I did while I was drunk. Oh shit, did I really do that?!Although I could still remember everything that I did last night, realizing them now felt shameful. Okay… so not only I had kissed Ezekiel. I even encouraged him to have sex with me! Great, Vivienne. Just great!My heart raced as I buried my face in my hands, feeling the heat in my cheeks intensify. How could I have let that happen?I glanced around the room, noticing that Ezekiel wasn't beside me. Did he leave already?Somehow, a part of me was relieved, thinking that maybe it would be easier to deal with this if he was gone. But another part of me, a smaller, quieter part, felt slightly disappo
AS THE KIDS burst into the room, their energy filled the space. They made it impossible for Ezekiel and Vivienne to continue their awkward silence. Both exchanged quick, nervous side-eyes, neither sure what to say or how to react. Vera, with her boundless enthusiasm, immediately jumped into Ezekiel's arms.“Dad, you’re here!” Vera's voice was full of excitement as she clung to him. “When did you get here?”Ezekiel instinctively held her close, but his eyes drifted toward Vivienne, searching for a cue. Through his eyes, he tried to ask Vivienne. What should he say? How should he explain this? Vivienne caught his gaze, her eyes wide with uncertainty. She swallowed hard, trying to find her voice."H-He just arrived," Vivienne finally stuttered, trying to save Ezekiel from her daughter’s question. Her words came out unevenly as she glanced between Vera and Ezekiel.Ezekiel gave a slight nod, silently agreeing with the cover story. Vera didn’t seem to notice the stress between them as s
“LET’S GO TO your room for a bit, kids? Is that okay? You’ve had a busy day,” Alice Lancaster smiled softly at her grandchildren. She then held out her hand.Vera, still excited, grabbed her grandmother’s hand right away. “Can we play with the toys you got us?”“Of course,” Alice replied, leading the kids to their room. “We can play for a little while, and then maybe read a story.”Vince hesitated, glancing back at his parents. “But we just arrived. And we missed Mom. Can’t we stay, Grandma?” he argued. “Your grandpa wants to talk to your parents privately, Vince. Maybe later.” With what his grandma said, Vince didn’t say anything anymore. Instead, he followed his sister and grandmother, the door closing quietly behind them.With the kids gone, the room felt heavier. As soon as the door to their room closed, the atmosphere in the living room grew tense. Vivienne stood by the couch, her hands nervously held together. Ezekiel was near the edge of the couch, shifting from one foot to