(Dean)The room falls silent, Ethan's words hanging in the air. I just stilled, letting his words sink in.I don't know but the thought of seeing Bella with Calvin, losing her to him, the fear of it, it makes my stomach twist, it leaves my heart feeling empty.But then, I'm still confused about a whole lot of things.My mind's a jumbled mess.I look at Ethan, my expression softens completely. "You remember the little boy from the mall, the twins?" I ask, holding Ethan's gaze.He shrugs. "Yeah, I do. What about them?" He asked, eyebrows raised.I swallow hard. "Bella's their birth Mom," I say, my voice strained.Ethan tilts his head, his eyes wide open. "Huh?" He exclaims, his eyes darting on me, he has a look of disbelief registered on his face. "Bella has kids?"I nod. "Yeah, she does," I reply, the words as simple as it sounds, feels so heavy in my mouth. "I'm just so—- confused," My shoulders slumps. Ethan narrows his eyes at me, studying my expression carefully and then he says in
(Ashley)As Dean disconnects the call, a smile creeps up my face, I cross my legs, taking a sip of my wine."Don't tell me you're going ahead with this?" Evelyn, my friend asked, her eyes fixed on me in disbelief.I smirk. "What do you think?" I wink, swirling my glass, the thought of having Dean wrapped around my fingers brings an undeniable joy to me.The thing is, I've been following Dean for quite some time now. He wouldn't talk to me, pick my calls nor return them.It's so clear that Dean doesn't want me but he doesn't have a choice here, I'm going to be by his side and that's it.I didn't relent in following him and then one day, I saw him talking with that bitch openly, it made me so furious, so angry that it almost knocks the breath out of me.It felt like I couldn't measure up to her, no matter what I do.I've done literally everything to get to Dean but none of them has ever worked.But then again, I've come too far to back down, not now, not ever.So, I knew if I didn't want
(Bella)Two days has passed since the ridiculous stunt Dean pulled at the restaurant. I swear, he's beginning to get on my last nerves.But I did tell him off, and I don't know if that'd make him stop. I doubt this few days respite will last that long. Dean's never easily deterred.I also need to work through the feelings that have stirred up deep inside me.But right now, I can only hope he stays away and stop bothering me.Calvin on the other hand. Well, he's been there. And every damn time I look into his eyes, I see the curiosity in them, but he didn't ask about what Dean said that night.Maybe he just didn't know how to, or he doesn't want to pry. Or perhaps he's waiting for me to open up about it.And thankfully, there hasn't been any meeting scheduled for the project with Brenco. The air feels lighter without Dean throwing taunts around, at least for now.So, we have a new client on board and the weird, well not so weird thing is that this client said he'd only commit after a de
(Bella)Judy is trouble, her presence is imposing and unsettling. And that brings me to my question.Why's she here?On the surface, Judy Brennan was a vision of perfection, with every detail of her appearance meticulously refined, from her thousand-dollar outfit, her rehearsed smile, down to her annoying serene posture. But looks can be deceiving, there's more to someone than meets the eye.Things aren't always as they seem.I hold her gaze and there's a smile on her face, a rehearsed smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes.My nerves are a little short and for a second I consider turning back but then again, I don't have to give Judy the upper hand, I'd rather not have her think she has me worried.My heart ramps up but I'm not going to show weakness.I take a deep breath and walk up confidently to the table, my gait smooth and fluid.I take a seat. "Really?" I spat, keeping my voice down. "Setting up a client's profile just to get me here?" I say in a low and distasteful tone.Her s
(Dean)So, it's Friday evening, the day Ashley had asked to come over to my house and talk things out.Personally, I'd prepared myself for tonight, because something deep inside me tells me that Ashley can't just accept rejection without a fuss, her response almost sounds like there's an ulterior motive behind it.Well, tonight I'd know."It's all set," Ethan says, his voice cutting through my thoughts. I take a quick sip of my drink before turning to face him."Thanks man," I say earnestly, and almost on cue, the doorbell rings, Ethan and I share a look, he has a smirk as he shrugs into the couch."I guess it's time," I say with a grin, raising my glass of wine. Gently, I bring it down and head out of the guest room to get the door.I get to the door, and take a quick look through the peephole. Ashley's standing there, a bottle of champagne in hand.Without hesitating any further, I hold the doorknob and slide it open, revelling Ashley.Her face breaks into a fake smile, one that beli
(Ashley)I blink awake, my eyes struggling to adjust to the light streaming into the room. But then, my mind reels with satisfaction as I noticed my hands wrapped around a firm body.Dean, I mutter inwardly, flipping my half awake eyes open, a smile creeps up my face as I tilt my head, holding onto his body firmly.And then I pause, my face drains of any color, realizing who was sleeping next to me.My mind is still a hazy mess, I look around and it isn't Dean's room, it's mine.I froze, pulling my hands away from him quickly, his body reacts to my sudden hand withdrawal but he doesn't wake up.Still in shock, I flipped the bedsheet open, taking a look, I'm naked, we both are.Fuck shit! What have I done?It was supposed to be Dean sleeping next to me, cuddled up in each other's arms and not this gigolo, this good for nothing jackass.I clench my teeth hard in frustration.Last night was supposed to be my best night, a night I anticipated for with every fiber of my being, but it has tu
(Bella)So, it's one of those boring Saturdays. I'm in the living room, idly flipping from one channel to another. Anne's busy in the kitchen and the twins are in their rooms.I stare at the television but honestly I'm not really feeling it, my mind's elsewhere.Judy hasn't tried her crap on me again since I walked out of the restaurant but I'm certain she's still working together with Ashley against me, she's always loathed me that much.While I probably should be relieved that my past hasn't come back to haunt me but strangely I'm not, because deep down I know that this is just the lull before the chaos lurking around.Judy isn't the one to just back down without a fuss. I'm sure she's out there plotting on how to get to me.It's just—. It's hard not to think otherwise.Plus, my unnerving thoughts hasn't quiet down since my last encounter with her. It feels like she doesn't want Dean to know about the twins, otherwise why didn't she outrightly tell him?I just don't get it and I real
(Dean)I had two intentions in mind, get answers from Bella or find it myself.So as Javier ran up to me, I ruffle his hair, gently pulling a strand of hair, a careful act that almost seems like an absentminded gesture.I carefully held the strand, discreetly slipping it into my pocket.Almost on cue, Javier whirls around, facing Bella. "Mommy, he's the handsome mister from the mall!" He squeals.A smile creeps up my face, mirroring his excitement, it tugs at my heart.My eyes lands on Bella, she looks thrown off for a moment, as if trying to process the whole thing. My eyes moves from her to the little girl.She has a grin, as she stares at me, her curiosity shining through her eyes, she's — she's looks like a miniature version of Bella, same lips and she's got the brightest smile I've ever seen just like Bella.I look between her and Javier, the striking resemblance is hard to ignore.It's just— I can't explain how I feel.Seeing the curious look in her eyes, her bright smile, Javier
(Dean)I blinked, trying to be sure that my mind wasn't playing a cruel trick on me, but hell it isn't.I give Ethan a quick glance before grabbing my phone in a rush. Leaning back, Ethan just stares at me.I might have held my breath as I slide the green icon."Hello," her breathy voice wafted into my ear, soothing every frazzled nerves. "This is Bella,"I swallowed. "I know," I say, my voice barely audible as I try not to sound as nervous as I already am."Ok.." she goes silent and then her voice comes up again. "Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you could come over sooner, the…my kid's are fussing over seeing you,"There's a long pause from my end, I roll my eyes, glancing at Ethan briefly while trying to process if I've heard her correctly.I guess she misunderstood my silence because her next words pulled me out of my trance sharply. "Well, if you're busy I could just….,""No, I'm not." I blurted out, my words stumbles out quicker than I intended. "I'm totally free, whe
(Dean)"So, let me get this straight," Ethan says, bringing his glass down, his eyebrows raised. "You bought those and showed up at Bella's doorstep?" he points at the items I had gone with to Bella's apartment."What?" rolling my eyebrows, I drawled, taking a long sip from my glass. "I just wanted to do something nice, you know." I say defiantly."And you ended up messing things further up." He locked his eyes on mine, shaking his head briefly.I leaned back on the couch, restlessness building up in my gut. "I guess," I mutter in a whisper, acknowledging the truth in his words, and then I remembered her words, the part that makes my stomach churn and decided to share.I run a hand through my hair, the hurt resurfacing. "She said she doesn't love me anymore," I divulged, my voice a little tight as the weight of my words settles over me.Downing his drink, Ethan gives me a look. "I don't think she meant that,""You say that like you know for sure," I worked my jaw and sigh, not in anyw
(Bella)I flip through the last document on my desk, breathing out in relief. But that wasn't all for the day.I have a meeting with a client in a couple of minutes, I know I probably should hurry but the scheduled venue isn't far from Clein's.I've been a lot cautious since Judy pulled that client bullshit on me and it's safe to say that this was truly a client, not some red-hair grumpy woman disguising to be one.I exhaled deeply, closing the document and almost immediately a gentle knock comes to the door and Cynthia pops out her head from the doorway."You busy?" She ask, giving me a quizzical look but I don't miss the nervousness in her voice.I glance at my phone, looking back at her, I reply. "I've got to meet a client but I can spare a few minutes, come in," I offer her a tiny smile.She nods and steps in."Please," I say, gesturing her to take a seat.She settles in, dragging in a sharp breath, she looks at me and then let out an almost awkward laugh. "I know this sounds stup
(Bella)I step out of my office to Calvin's. I did stop by earlier to say hello but he wasn't around. Apparently, he hadn't been since morning.His secretary said he'll be coming in late and it baffles me that he didn't tell me, that's unlike Calvin but then I figured it must've been something really urgent.I knock gently and invite myself in."Bella," he raises his head from his laptop, a warm smile creeping up his face.I return his smile, walking over to his desk."Please," he says, gesturing to the chair just across from him.My smile gives way to a light chuckle, deciding to tease him a little, I retort. "You say that like I'm some stranger walking into your office for the first time,"That elicited a chuckle from him, he places a hand on his chest dramatically. "My bad, pardon me." He says between chuckle.I laugh, the both of us."Is everything okay though?" I ask as soon as our laugh quiets down, my eyes pinned on him. "You're just coming in, that's unlike you," I add.He lea
(Bella)I walk Derrick to the door, he steps out, turning to face me. "Don't overthink anything, one step at a time, you'll get through this," he gives me a comforting hug."Thank you, Rick. My regards to Ebony," I manage a small smile.As I shut the door, I lean against it, trying to steel my mind from everything.Once done, I made my way to Jasmine's room, quietly pushing her door open. There she is, already asleep, her small frame curled up under the covers, alongside her doll.I walk up close, and when I take a closer look at her face, I see the remnants of dried tears that crisscross her cheeks, leaving behind a subtle map.My heart aches as I carefully caressed her cheeks, my mind reminiscing over what happened earlier.I shouldn't have lost it in front of them like that but Dean he– he just have a way of getting under my skin.I gently brushed a strand of hair away from Jas's face, a small smile creeping up my face.After a while, I quietly walk to the door and carefully closed
(Bella)As I walk away from where Dean is, my steps are firm but there's a tight feeling in my chest, I'm not really sure why.I walk into my apartment and silence filled the room, a subtle reminder that I've got kids who are undoubtedly mad at me, I shouldn't have lost it in front of them like that.I see Anne walking into the living room. "They're mad at me, aren't they?" I ask, dropping my bag on the couch.Anne noticing the worry in my voice, nods slowly. "Yes, they are, but I already cheered Jasmine up, she isn't crying anymore," she tells me.I let out a deep sigh, slipping out of my heels. "Thank you, Anne. Please get the things in the car," I say, settling into the couch.She gives a polite nod and leaves.As I sit there, my mind drifts back to Dean, my thoughts a chaotic mess and for some weird reasons his hurt face is stuck in my head, refusing to go.I angrily told him that I don't love him anymore, that's not exactly true but I want it to be, for my sanity, because it just
(Dean)Her words hit me like a punch to the guts, and I struggled to find the right response. "I can't, I— I just can't stay away," I admit, my words stumbles out in a stutter. "Please don't shut me out, I'm sorry, I really am." My voice cracks, barely above a whisper.I look at Bella and she has this look, eyebrows all scrunched up. "I don't care, sorry doesn't fix anything," she spat, her voice trembling with both anger and hurt."I know, it doesn't erase the past," my voice cuts in sharply. "But moving forward I want to be the man you once knew, the man you fell in love with, a better man for you, our kids." I say and paused. "I do not want to be that man who runs away from problems anymore," I say, my voice filled with raw emotion.She takes a step forward, her eyes narrowing on me. "How thoughtful!" She mocked. "I should probably pin a medal on you or something," she spat, her voice dripping with sarcasm.Even in the midst of sarcasm, I can see the hurt buried beneath her words.
(Bella)"Mommy when's mister Dean coming again?" Jasmine asks between mouthfuls.I blink, taken aback by the sudden question but quickly I compose myself, knowing exactly how to dodge this. "You don't talk while eating sweety," I remind her with a gentle tone.Thankfully, that worked, she just nods and continues eating.I don't know how to feel about this whole thing, it's been a whirlwind. I'm angry, scared and even confused, all emotions in one, but anger is at the top of it.I've been restless since Dean showed up at my doorstep. Now Jav and Jas sees him as their new friend, they'd definitely want him around and then what?I just can't let him waltz back into our lives like nothing happened. And I definitely do not trust him, not anymore, his mother has already tried his crap on me.Jasmine's voice pulls me out of my reverie. "Mommy?" She calls, dragging my attention to her. She opens her mouth a little wider and I catch the hint. "See? I'm done eating mommy," she gives me a smile.
(Dean)As I drove home, I can't help but replay everything in my head.The pain I saw in Bella's eyes as she shut the door in my face, the way she looked at me, it's stuck in my head, like an imprint refusing to go.The deafening silence after she shut the door, it just feels like she's shutting me out of her life completely.Why did I ever let her go?That feeling when something's within reach but yet out of grasp.I feel even worse knowing I have a family I'm not part of, it leaves me feeling so empty.I don't know if there's anything I say or do that'd change anything but I do know that I'm never giving up on her, my family.I take a deep breath, my mind spirals.Ethan was right. I didn't handle things well, I should've fought for what we had. I shouldn't have let anger get the better part of me.If l hadn't, we'd still be together, raising our kids like we've always wanted.I deeply regret everything.I grip the steering, beating myself up mentally.The fear and the guilt of what