(Jessamine’s POV) I stared out the window, wondering what time it was. Earlier, Dad mentioned fixing the lights in the backyard. At first, it confused me, wanting to ask what was wrong with the lights, but as the sun was about to set, the dark backyard garden greeted me.Colleen said my bedroom had the best view, overlooking what I called an overemphasized backyard garden. Whenever I opened the curtain, I could see the colorful flowering plants and shrubs invading the backyard with pink, white, yellow, and red colors and the tree house where Aiden and I used to play.I used to love the sight of it, and as the dark ate the garden view, my heart ached, crying in silence and wishing Aiden had not returned home. I would not have lost my best friend.When Aiden lost consciousness after Benedict hit him, my heart faltered, and I panicked when he did not wake up. My instinct was to rush to him, but Charlie’s bark reminded me of what he had done, stopping me from running to his side. The fam
(Jessamine’s POV) “What?” I gaped, tiny sobs escaping my mouth.The anger and bitterness inside me were about to erupt, so I clenched my fists hard, not caring about the envelope I held. I was afraid that my emotions would overflow and end up hurting the woman I thought had changed. “How dare you not tell me, Mom!” I growled, gritting my teeth and placing my fists to my side, scared my hand would land on my mother’s cheek.She snickered, walking past me and opening the main door, glancing and silently telling our unwanted guest to leave the house, but Jeanne glued her foot to where she was standing.My nostrils flared in anger and annoyance at her, and maybe she realized I would not utter even a single word, so she placed her hands up in the air and sighed resignedly.“If you think I know about it before then, you’re wrong. Teddy visited me in my office the other day, telling me everything about his son,” she answered, throwing her hand in the air.My pursed lips trembled as I tri
(Jessamine’s POV) “Mom!” I screamed, crying for help, withdrawing my nipple from my baby’s mouth. It was all I could do. Other than that, I was terrified that I could not move as if I was paralyzed.Charlie barked, jumping on the door and reaching for the doorknob. When he could not open it, he scratched the panel and whimpered, barking again for help. My dog rushed to me, licking my foot and sprinting to the door again, yelping as he saw Mom and Dad running toward me.“Mom!” I cried, wanting to move, but I couldn’t. It was like my joints and muscles locked my body, preventing me from moving. “Kyle’s not breathing.”“Shhh!” She took Kyle from my arms, placed her palm on his chest, and leaned her cheek near my son’s nose. “Benjamin, call Colleen and ready the car.” My mother muttered calmly, taking Kyle from me. “Calm down, Jessamine. Kyle’s breathing,” she reassured me.My shivering body wobbled, hearing my son cough and then cry. I opened my mouth, letting tiny sobs escape my mouth
(Jessamine’s POV) Charlie opened his mouth, his head moving, following my mother pacing the living room of my apartment. Sitting on the single sofa, Dad was reading a one-week-old newspaper he found on the magazine rack. Either he was ignoring Mom, or he was used to it already.“You have to remember everything, Jessamine!” My mother muttered nervously, halting abruptly and clasping her hands as she faced me. “Did Aiden really…” She covered her mouth, stopping herself from the verge of crying.Dad raised his head briefly, his lips pressed together. When I didn’t answer, he returned his eyes to the paper, but I was unsure if he was reading or pretending to have his attention on it.“Mom,” I said, sighing and glancing at my sleeping baby in my arms. “I can’t remember everything, okay?” I gritted my teeth, then paused, recalling what had happened earlier. I could not bear another episode of losing myself and hurting my child… Or giving Aiden a window of opportunity to take my son from me
(Jessamine’s POV) Still in her pajamas, Colleen held the mug Aiden loved to use for his coffee and sat crossed legs on the single sofa, eyeing us curiously. She was on a night shift, loving the challenge in the hospital’s emergency room, but when she heard Deborah’s voice, like Charlie and my son, she woke up despite having only three hours of sleep.Deborah swayed her body slightly, dancing my baby in her arms, moving side to side, hoping he would fall asleep again.“You shouldn’t have taken him from his crib. Do we really have to include my son here?” I muttered impatiently, sitting on the loveseat, raising my brows at my sister.Colleen shrugged, snorting at me but moaning as she sipped her coffee.Deborah released a short giggle, her eyes on my son. “Of course! Kyle’s our main witness here. Right, love?” she puckered her lips but did not press her red lips on his forehead.“Witness my foot!” I sneered, rolling my eyes. “He wasn’t even born yet when it happened.”“Yeah,” Colleen b
(Aiden’s POV) Sasha called my attention earlier, asking me why I posted my picture of me with Eliza in my arms. It was an old picture. Eliza was two days old then and looked adorable in her pink onesies with the print Daddy’s Favorite Girl, which Aaron thought was a controversial message to the world.To ensure no pictures of us will circulate on the net, my PR team and security details had all the pictures deleted, but without telling them, I kept this one on my file. I was supposed to stay quiet and not disclose anything in public until I told Jessamine everything, but last night, while thinking of what to do, I uploaded the picture to my social media account.“Have you gone crazy?” Sasha asked angrily this morning but stopped asking more when I answered Yes.I stared blankly at the big screen of my computer, but not following the number of likes nor the emojis being sent to my post. I didn’t even bother to read the comments and ignored the chime of emails from my sister and the pr
(Aiden’s POV) “God, you’re wasted,” I murmured. “What happened to you, Jess?”I tried not to breathe, carrying her before entering the elevator. The scent of alcohol and my best friend’s sweet perfume was intoxicating, making me want to kiss her soft pink lips. She giggled, wrapping her arms around my neck and arching her body to reach my cheek.“Aiden, you came!” She moaned like a child, then grinned. “Is today tomorrow already?” She squealed, inhaling me, closing her eyes, and taking a deep breath. “God, I love your smell,” she murmured in her sweet, sexy voice, licking my cheek and biting my jaw playfully.Jessamine giggled when I jerked, startled by her flirty attack. I should have gotten upset, but I swore my manhood would disagree as I was now hard, my member wanting furiously to break free from my underwear and pants. Surely, I wanted to have my shaft buried tonight in any woman I hoped to meet in the bar, but I was not expecting God to drop my best friend from heaven into my
(Aiden’s POV) “Charlie’s missing?” My eyebrows knitted, talking almost in a hushed tone.I grabbed her hands on the lapels of my suit jacket, not wanting to break her hands off me but wishing to hold her and intertwine our fingers. My gaze locked in Jessamine’s glaring eyes, welling with tears. This was not how I wanted us to meet… or how I dreamt of her on top of me.“Your drama doesn’t work, whatever your name is! Return my baby to me,” Jessamine growled between tears, grinding her teeth like she was ready to bite me.“I’m calling the guards,” Heather said and yelped at the same time when my best friend raised her head, glowering at her.“You try!” Jessamine snapped, making Heather to step back.“Ha! Let her kill him.” Sasha hissed a mix of anger and amusement in her voice. My secretary grabbed her assistant’s hand and pulled her outside my office, closing the door behind them.I took my chance, pulling Jessamine, quickly wrapping my arms around her, and rolling, shifting our posit
(Aiden’s POV) Two years later… “Go!” Deborah chuckled and gestured her hand, telling me it was okay to leave. “We’ll bring Kyle to the hospital later,” she promised. I nodded, picking up the bag Jessamine and I prepared last night. I walked toward the couch, kissed my son, sleeping soundly on the seat, and patted Charlie’s head. He wagged his tail but didn’t bother to follow me. Kyle and Xyla had become his new best friends. Wherever they were, he would be there. Xavier brought Deborah and their daughter, Xyla, last night when Jessamine told them she was in labor. I didn’t know if it was because Jessamine was carrying our second child that everyone seemed relaxed. Only I was panicking, unsure what to bring or how to take my wife to the hospital. “We have a driver, Aiden. Why are you panicking?” Jessamine asked calmly last night as she climbed the bed. Benedict and Xavier raised the same question. Perhaps it was not the reason why my heartbeat was pounding fast. I would love to h
(Aiden’s POV) “I don’t know, Aiden,” Jessamine murmured sadly. “You love lying to me.”I shook my head and lifted my hand, gently wiping the tears on her cheeks. “I was honest when I told you I broke up with every girlfriend I had in the past, including my engagement to Naomi. Our dads set our marriage up, not me.”If I had to choose freely whom I wanted to be with for the rest of my life, Naomi would never be on my list. She was part of my rebellion, which I regretted when she got pregnant.“Eliza,” The tears streamed down my face as I struggled to speak through the lump in my throat.My heart ached for the little one when I heard her call Jessamine ‘momma’. Eliza didn’t deserve a mother like Naomi. I opened my mouth to explain but closed it again. “You named her after your grandma’s name,” she said.I shook my head. “She named her after my grandma’s name. Not me,” I corrected.If only Jessamine knew how we fought that day but gave in because Naomi was still weak in the hospital.“
(Jessamine’s POV) “Ha! Ha!” I raised my eyebrows and glared at Aiden. “You know what? It’s too late for that. Whatever you want to say, I don’t care.”I could walk away, but I didn’t move.“Jess, please,” Aiden begged.“Fine! Go ahead with your confession. Let’s get this over with. I just want to go home.”Yet, it would be my biggest lie. For almost a month of staying here in Adilene’s, I knew I was home. Leaving here would scar my heart. Forgetting Aiden would be hell. However, he is getting married, and I don’t want to be the best friend in his love story who hinders his happiness. My sarcasm didn't appear to bother Aiden. He inhaled deeply and fixed his gaze on me. It was for a while, then he turned around, pointing at the lake.“On the other side of the lake is St. Rose Property. I bought it and opened a new business there, a law firm, and I invited Xavier to head the company,” he said, ignoring what I said. He turned to me, blinking once while waiting for my answer.I opened my
(Jessamine’s POV) Awkward? Yes. Angry? No. Maybe.I stood on the porch, staring at Aiden as he kissed our son. He took him from my arms, and my trusting son didn’t even cry. My baby continued to babble ‘Ba-ba’ba’, and guess what? Everyone found it adorable. “Yes, he’s Dada!” Mom muttered excitedly, not considering the feeling of her hurt daughter.I was invincible to Sasha and Aaron. I wanted to scream that it wasn’t their house, but they greeted Deborah and my mom, said something nice to Kyle, and eagerly went inside when my friend invited them for a coffee. They should have at least waited for me, and then I pouted, remembering it wasn’t mine either.Aiden turned to my mother. “Is it okay if I talk to Jessamine alone?”“Of course,” she muttered. “You have all day,” she chuckled with her joke.I opened my mouth, wanting to protest, but I closed it again because it was also the same thing I wanted. Deborah was right. Every time he returned, something happened. He would sweep me of
(Jessamine’s POV) I inhaled to smell the sweet scent of fresh air in Adilene’s from the porch, but instead, I caught the whiff of the aroma of the coffee bean Mom was grinding from her hand-cranked grinder. I glanced at the crib, checking on Kyle. A while ago, he played with his toes, putting them in his mouth. Perhaps he thought of them as built-in toys. This time, he rolled over, reaching the tail of the giraffe stuffed toy.Kyle just turned four months, but he could do many things—normal baby stuff. He could bear weight on his legs when sitting upright, rolling over, grabbing toys or Charlie’s fur, and babbling a combo of vowel and consonant letters. When I asked him something, and he didn’t cry, it was up to me to decide what it meant. Deborah and my mom thought differently. My friend bet that when Kyle reached the age of six months, he could count numbers and recite the alphabet. Mom proudly told her he was probably like me, a history of my life she now loved to retell.‘Jess
(Jessamine’s POV) I caught Aiden wincing when I hissed, cringing as Colleen pressed her finger on my scalp. My sister must be waiting for us to be alone. I knew that my crying didn’t help, but she would understand why I wailed like a baby on the staircase. I would explain everything to her later.Colleen sighed and turned to Aiden.“Don’t worry, Aiden. She’ll live. Long enough that the two of you will probably see your ten to fifteen great-grandchildren, in case you get back together,” she muttered jokingly instead of giving him her prognosis of my condition.“When did you become a fortune teller?” I arched my head to see her face.Colleen shrugged and grinned. “It’s one of my many talents, you know,” she said, turning around and walking toward the crib. “Want to see the garden, Kyle? Let’s give mommy and daddy some privacy. What do you think?” she asked gently, scooping my son from the crib.As if it was Aiden’s cue, he held the door open and closed it gently as soon as my sister an
(Aiden’s POV) My heart was still racing, and my breaths came in ragged gasps after sprinting all the way from the driveway to reach Jessamine. My body was still buzzing with adrenaline, but when I saw her crying, I was like sucked into a vortex, returning me to the first time I saw my best friend.I was nine years old again for a split second, seeing a cute little girl in a braided pigtail, curled up in the swing, holding the same math book I had in her arms. At first, I thought she was hurt, but when I approached her, she was perfectly okay and told me, between hiccupping and crying, that she didn’t know how to answer her homework.Of course, she couldn’t. I doubted if she could even read the sentences in the book. She must be five or six years old. She should be in the preschool building, enjoying learning the alphabet or numbers instead of worrying about the word problems in the book.What was a little girl doing in front of the classroom of the third-grade class? She must have mi
(Jessamine’s POV) I reached for the doorknob, but before I could grasp the exquisitely crafted knob, I clenched my hand and immediately concealed it behind me as if opening the door was a sin. I was reluctant to leave the bedroom for a few reasons, but Anne informed me that Susan was waiting for me in the family room and wanted to speak with me.If only there were another way to the staircase without passing Naomi’s bedroom.“She went out to see her doctor,” Anne muttered.“Huh?” I turned around, lifting a brow, pretending not to understand what she said.Anne’s lips curved into a shy smile. “If you were worried about seeing Ms. Naomi outside, she left to see her doctor,” she said, repeating the message, perhaps thinking I didn’t hear her the first time.“Ah,” I chuckled and sighed in relief. “Thank you for telling me, Anne. I don’t want to have part two of our encounter in the garden,” I joked. Partly.She laughed briefly. “Don’t worry about Kyle. I’ll ask someone to get you if he c
(Jessamine’s POV) “Ouch!” I winced when Aiden pressed his finger on my scalp.It was a light touch, but the tingling on my scalp worried me that I would go home bald or I might be wearing a wig on my wedding day. Maybe my hair would have grown an inch or two at that time. Still, I would feel bad. I imagined having my hair loosely braided vertically and horizontally on that big day, but after what happened, I should think of another hairstyle.Aiden clucked his tongue, sighed, and sat on the edge of the bed, turning the chair I was sitting on to face him. I was still mad at him, but sometimes I tend to forget whenever I get stunned by his gorgeous face. I hissed, cursing inwardly and lowering my head to avoid his gaze.“Does it hurt?” He asked worriedly, lifting my chin to meet his eyes. “Tell me, Jess.” When I didn’t answer, he continued, “I’m bringing you to the hospital now.”I squinted, shaking my head. “I’m okay. This is nothing serious. Why don’t you check on Naomi?”He scoffed,