(Jessamine’s POV)Brother?Oh, brother!I blinked, studying the face of little Aiden, a female version of him, on the screen. As Simone looked closer at her camera, I realized she wasn’t exactly the same face as Aiden. Studying more and seeing her mother, she got her gentle eyes and thin lips from her.“Did Paige send you my picture?” Simone asked in her adorable voice, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “I told her to send you and Jessamine my picture, so you’ll know I did great today in my recital.” “She did, baby,” Aiden muttered sweetly. “She told me she’ll send me the video. We can’t wait to see your dance.”“I wish you and Dad were there,” she said, her mouth downturned, but it was only for a few seconds, then she narrowed her eyes. “Is Jessamine okay?” She blinked, moving her head closer to her camera. “Her nose… it’s so red.”“Oh!” I lifted my hand, covering my nose with my palm. Thinking quickly, I forced a laugh. “I caught a cold today. I’m not feeling well,” I lied, leani
(Jessamine’s POV)It was the best wee hours Aiden and I had until I woke up and caught the scent of whatever Deborah was cooking in the kitchen. I covered my mouth immediately, afraid I might puke on the bed or, worse, at Aiden, then dashed to the bathroom.Whatever my friend was preparing this morning, my tummy wasn’t liking it very much. As if the butterflies inside me were in chaos, causing my stomach to lurch and gurgle, I threw up what I had eaten last night with Luke. I groaned, forcing my hand to open the faucet while my other hand rubbed my stomach, hoping it would calm down.I splashed cold water on my face when I felt my stomach relaxed. My skin was cold, and I quivered, catching my breath as I leaned against the sink and pinned my eyes on my reflection in the concave mirror. My eyes were wide, horrified, brushing off quickly at whatever my brain told my body of what was happening to me.“No…” I whispered, terrified at the thought that it had happened again.I swallowed hard
(Jessamine’s POV)Again.I blinked at the doctor, hearing her, not listening, as she blabbered about the words I sometimes thought were scripted if her patient was pregnant. My emotions were mixed but unknown. When she handed me the prescription, like a robot, I took it, smiled, and thanked her. I even promised to return on the date I had hardly heard of.I am pregnant!I should be jumping for joy, thinking of running to Aiden to tell him the news… if it was good news for him. I swallowed hard, my heart thumping loudly in my chest as I exited the clinic. My feet were heavy, dragging them to the hallway and hoping to reach the hospital’s exit door, but as I entered the elevator, my finger automatically pressed the floor number of my brother. I lied to Deborah. I didn’t visit the hospital to check on my brother’s gift. If our present were like last year, it would be fun to accept the claim that Benedict and I had the same thinking, except for the ‘being meekly obedient’ to our mother.
(Jessamine’s POV)“Hi,” Aideen greeted me, glancing at his wristwatch.He walked out of the bathroom looking like a Greek god who had just finished bathing in the fountain of youth. He stopped walking and stood still instead of advancing toward the closet. “Hi!” I smiled nervously, glancing at the towel wrapped around his hips. I didn’t need to ask for the time. It was past three in the afternoon, and I had just returned after I left early this morning. I could read the worry in his eyes because he had called and sent me text messages about my whereabouts, but I spent most of my time at the lake, crying instead of calling him back or replying to him.“I’m sorry for not answering you. I was at the lake in Adilene’s. Reflecting,” I explained, placing the formal dresses on the bed. “Reflecting?” His eyes narrowed, asking in a suspicious tone. “Reflecting about what?”My lips twitched, smiling nervously. “I’m seeing my Mom later. She’ll…” I closed my eyes, breathing deeply.“Jess, are
(Aiden’s POV)Sasha had forgotten to give me a heads-up about Coleen’s birthday party. Like Jessamine, she was probably not expecting this family affair would be grandly celebrated in a five-star hotel. It was a surprise, after all.Benjamin kept his mouth shut. Benedict and Shayla smiled, hiding their amusement. Colleen did not say anything, but her eyes showed a bit of disappointment. She was supposed to be the center of attention, the most beautiful woman in her birthday celebration… until we arrived at the hotel. Sonia would probably ask her daughter to change her dress if not for the guests. My fiancée was more beautiful and elegantly dressed in her borrowed evening gown than the celebrant. As Sonia kissed her daughter on the cheek, she grabbed her arm firmly and whispered something to her. After that, Jessamine tried to avoid being seen in the crowd unless someone from the relatives asked for her or the photographer had to take pictures of the whole family.I sighed, returning
(Aiden’s POV)“Do we really have to go here, Aiden?” Jessamine pouted, stepping back when the elevator door opened. “Can’t we just go home? I’m tired.”Benedict sent me a message telling me to go to the family room they booked instead of returning to the function room. He may not tell me, but the tone of his message told me Sonia was furious with us for leaving the party.It was on the seventh floor, so the time for this long discussion about going there or home was insufficient. We needed a hundred-floor building, then maybe we could decide without making her mad at me.“Aiden…” She whimpered, not moving inside the lift as if her feet got stuck on its floor.“Yes,” I said firmly, pressing the hold button. “We have to see your mother. I had to talk to your parents. We can’t be engaged, planning the wedding without them knowing. After that, we’ll go home.”“Aiden,” she grabbed my arm, stopping me from walking. “We haven’t exactly planned our wedding.”Jessamine stared at me, her eyes w
(Aiden’s POV)Gasps escaped our mouths when Sonia lifted her hand, slapping Jessamine in the face.“Why do you always have to do this, Jessamine?” Sonia’s body was shivering in anger.Benjamin dashed to her when she raised her hands, attempting to grab her daughter.“Stop it now, Sonia,” Benjamin shouted, perhaps the first in so many years of their married life because his wife’s eyes widened, shocked at him for raising his voice at her.“Stop it?” As if she fell apart, she cried and turned to me. “You knocked up my daughter without thinking of your future together? How will you raise your family? You don’t even have a job!” she snarled. "How will you feed my daughter?"I opened my mouth, but Benedict, standing behind his mother, shook his head, stopping me from answering. I closed my mouth, pressing my lips tightly.“You chose this perfect day to get back on me,” Sonia whimpered, clutching her chest and turning back to us. “Sonia,” Benjamin murmured worriedly and dashed to her side
(Aiden’s POV)“God, you scared me,” Deborah jolted after turning the lights on; her hand was still on the switch.She stepped back, startled when she saw Jessamine and me sitting in the dark kitchen. Her face was filled with questions, switching her gaze from her housemate to me as she walked toward the refrigerator to get bottled water, then leaned behind my back.“Now, you’re really scaring me,” she murmured, her eyes on Jessamine. “She’s still breathing, right?”“What happened?” Xavier asked, glancing at the time on the wall clock, and squinted to see it was only three in the morning.He walked toward Deborah and took the bottled water from her. Like her fiancée, his eyes did not leave her even when he drank water.I sighed, unsure where to start or how to tell them she had returned the engagement ring and broken up with me. If I weren’t worried about us getting into an accident, I would have wanted to cry with her on our way home. When we entered her apartment, she went straight t