Chapter 3

  On days like this Lauren hated the mornings because she would have to face the fears the day would bring. She turned to face little Harry whose face was pressed into her neck. She watched his tiny form breathe and take in life.

     She remembered when she first found out she was pregnant. She had to be angry that the baby growing inside her would remind her of what she had lost, what could have been. But with time she started to love her little bundle of Joy. He was the one that made life bearable for her, he made her life worth living.

     Lauren wondered why Nathan never mentioned the baby looking like Damien. The two had been best friends since childhood so he was bound to know where the green eyes and jet-black hair came from.

     She felt Nathan stir on his own side of the bed before she felt his hand embrace her and Harry. Lauren was sure they looked like the perfect happy family at the moment. They were far from it.

     “What are you thinking off this early in the morning?” he asked, rubbing the spot above her elbow with his eyes still closed and a voice deep with sleep.

     She wasn’t sure if she should talk to him about Harry, why it never bothered him that she had his ex-best friend’s child whilst they were married.

     “I was just thinking about Harry, you never asked any questions even when he was born and all you could see were green eyes,” she said softly, afraid of what his reaction would be.

    He stood up from the bed, the duvet falling from his body to reveal well-sculpted muscles, every part of Nathan was hot, Lauren acknowledged that, but at the end of the day, he wasn’t Damien.

     “What do you want me to say?” Nathan asked her as he walked into the closet to grab a t-shirt before entering the bathroom.

     Lauren stood up after making sure Harry was still asleep and followed him. “I don’t know, anything. We’ve been married for almost four years and you’ve not mentioned anything. Are you angry that I had him? Are you…”

     “I’m mad!” he said, turning to her. “I’m angry that you had a kid for your ex when married to me, is that what you want to hear?” he was almost yelling now, his hands gripping the sink tightly.

     “I’m sorry” She whispered.

     “You see? That’s why I never said anything because all you’ll be able to do is say sorry” he walked slowly to where she stood “I can’t change what happened no matter how much I want to. So, I’m choosing to not dwell on it and instead focus on us all as a family. I love you, Lauren, I always have, and I won’t let anything ruin what we have”.

     He put her forehead to hers, slowly breathing in her scent. At that moment Nathan looked nothing like a man who would cause a breakup for his own benefit. Lauren believed him at that moment that he would never genuinely hurt someone. Not when he loved her like this. If she couldn’t have Damien, Nathan’s love was enough to get her through life.

     They stared at each other for a while before Nathan claimed her in a kiss. Slowly ravishing her mouth as he carried her and placed her on the sink. Standing between her legs he tilted her head for better access.

     Lauren moaned into his mouth as his hands roamed her body before coming to rest at the curve of her back. He broke the kiss and pulled her nightgown over her head. She felt his gaze roam her body, setting every part of her ablaze with just his eyes.

     “You are beautiful,” Nathan said with admiration in his eyes “I don’t know how he ever let go of you but I’m glad he did,” he said before dipping his head and claiming her again. Lauren surrendered her entire body to him as he drove them both into ecstasy before coming down from their all-time high as Harry’s high-pitched cry broke through their moment.

     “Is it okay to say I hate babies?” Nathan whispered to her with a lazy smile as they both recovered.

     “Not at all,” she said, caressing his jaw “I feel exactly the same right now”. They laughed before entangling themselves, Lauren pulling her gown back on and going to check on Harry. Meanwhile, Nathan ran a hot shower, he was already late for work and he had his beautiful wife to blame.

     “Why do you wake up at the strangest times?” Lauren asked with a smile as she cradled Harry in her arms. He smiled as he understood perfectly what she was saying. She put him in his babysit and made him breakfast.

     She heard his stomach grumble at the sight of the food “You must have a big appetite this morning” she teased, tickling his sides and making him laugh.

    “I’m off for work baby,” Nathan said as he walked into the kitchen, he kissed her forehead and then Harry’s “I’ll be late today, don’t wait up for me” he called out as he left. Lauren watched his car leave the driveway.

    Just when she finished feeding Harry and was about to run his bath, she saw a black Audi drive-in. She wasn’t sure who it was, so she carried Harry and placed him on the bed before going to the door.

    The knock came just as she reached the door. “Who is it?” She asked and opened the door. Standing there in all his masculine glory was Damien.

     “What are you doing here?” She asked, stuttering in the process.

     “Good morning?” He said with a smile.

     Lauren looked around to make sure Nathan was not around somewhere before letting him in, it wasn’t like she was doing anything wrong. she just knew it would be a disaster if Nathan came back to see Damien in his house.

     It was strange watching Damien step into the house that belonged to her and Nathan. His presence immediately dominated the house, him walking in like he owned the entire ground he was walking on.

     “Why are you here?” Lauren asked, settling on the chair in the kitchen.

    Damien turned his attention to her when he was done looking around the house. “You look good,” he said with a flirty smile and even winked at her. His eyes didn’t leave her which made Lauren look down at what she was wearing.

     She immediately crossed her hands over her chest when she realized she was still in her nightgown which was transparent and didn’t hide anything leaving her body for Damien’s consumption, which he was enjoying to the fullest.

    “You don’t ever have to hide from me,” he told her, his eyes turning to slits when he saw her reaction.

     “It’s not proper anymore,” she said, forcing the words out as Damien’s gaze kept distracting her.

     “I’ll be the one to decide that, where is he anyway?” he looked around as if Nathan would just pop out of nowhere.

     “Work” she answered.

     “Can I see him?” Damien asked, remembering why he was there in the first place and cursing himself out in his head for letting Lauren’s almost exposed body distract him from his mission here. Despite that, he felt his pants stir.

     “He’s asleep,” She said, turning defensive. She didn’t like that she was alone with him in the entire house. Nathan shouldn’t have left for work as early as he did.

     “Don’t lie to me Lauren, that’s not you” he chastised.

     “People change” she stated simply, praying that Harry wouldn’t cry out.

     “You promised to grant me a paternity test at the least, satisfy my curiosity,” He said, he was standing right in front of her. Evading her personal space, trusting his masculine scent into her senses. She stood up, unable to bear the closeness and her body’s reaction to it.

     “And if the child is really yours, what would you do?” she asked, her heart beating in anticipation of his answer.

   “Then I will have what is rightfully mine”

     Lauren’s heart broke at that “You will take him away from me?” She asked, her eyes beginning to water with unshed tears.

     “I never said that. I will have him and you, where you truly belong- with me” he said with an air of authority that made Lauren know he wasn’t bluffing. Damien was a man that always got whatever he wanted, any means necessary.

     Lauren would have been delighted at the idea of Damien fighting for her but after her morning with Nathan, she didn’t want to hurt him. Nathan was her husband and family, and she wasn’t going to betray that.

     “I can have my doctor come over here…”

   Harry’s cry interrupted her. This was bad timing for her. Meanwhile, Damien’s eyes widened with excitement as Lauren strode past him and into her room. He was tempted to follow but he respected her privacy.

     When she came out, carrying Harry in her arms, Damien froze. It was like he was looking at an old picture of himself at a very young age. The baby looked so much like him that it was almost scary. No paternity test was needed, it was as clear as day that Harry was Damien’s child.

     “Can I hold him?” he asked quietly.

     Lauren gave a quiet Harry to him and watched the awe that was in Damien’s eyes as he held his son. Damien pressed the little boy to himself, inhaling his every scent which was intoxicating to him.

     Damien was about to speak but he was choked with emotions, unable to utter a single word. Lauren watched a single tear escape from his eyes.

     Meanwhile, Harry looked so calm, looking at his father with the same intensity. And just to the shock of everyone uttered his first word.

     “Dada”

     Lauren and Damien froze, eyes wide, their wars unbelieving of what they just heard. Lauren held a hand to her mouth to stop herself from crying. Her little Harry finally said it. Since he had started to utter a few intelligible words including Mama, he never was able to call out to Nathan.

     They stood there, looking at each other, not knowing what to make of the situation. Damien gave Harry back to Lauren, quickly pulling his posture together.

     “He’s a fine young man,” he said and put his hands into his pockets to prevent them from wandering back to his son. “A test then?” He asked

     Lauren took a look at Harry and nodded, she didn’t trust herself to speak without breaking down in tears.

     “Tea?” she asked when the silence became awkward. He nodded.

     “Let me put him back in bed,” She said, carrying a now sleeping Harry inside the room and turning on the child monitor.

     Damien wandered around the house, looking out for anything that might pose a danger. He was heading back to the kitchen when something caught his eye. It was a picture of Nathan carrying Harry but that wasn’t the problem.

     Nathan’s eyes in the picture caught the reflection of the sun from the window. Damien squatted before the frame and ran his palm across the picture till he found what he was looking for. There was a camera attached to Nathan’s eyes.

     Nathan was watching him right now. Damien moved closer to the picture and smiled, it meant that Nathan had seen their little scene in the kitchen. A plan was already forming in Damien’s head and when Lauren walked in with that revealing gown of hers, it just wasn’t a plan anymore.