Mia Belle
The next morning, I woke up wrapped in Liam's arms- again. But this time, he was no longer a stranger, and I was quite relieved and comfortable, actually. The warmth radiating from his body made me very delighted, and I smiled, thinking of all the possibilities of this working out between us.
Looking up at his face, I see that he's still fast asleep, and his face is totally adorable. I imagine having a son who looks just like Liam, and there's nothing to do but smile. Adorable.
I'm about to get out of bed, but is pulled back into his arms. When I look up at him, he's wide awake and grinning, showing his white dazzling teeth.
"Where are you going, little lady?" He asks, placing a gentle kiss on my lips.
I feel my cheeks turn crimson. "I need to pee," I whisper and he frowns, but lets me go.
When I get back to the bedroom, he's already dressed and I frown at not having to cuddle with him any longer. That's the best sleep I've had in a very long time. Actually, forever.
However, a moment later, he answers my unspoken question. "I want to take you out for breakfast. And if it's okay, you could spend the weekend with me...Please?" He pouts and looking at him, I have no choice but to agree. Why would I dare argue with him on this? His pout is adorable and I want to spend more time with him, anyway. So, this is a win-win situation.
I nod. "I'd love to."
He kisses my cheek, tells me to get ready, and then leaves. I immediately go to take a bath. When I'm out of the bathroom and wiped, I walk to my closet, and grab an outfit to wear. I put on a black and white flannel shirt that fits me like a mini dress and a pair of black maternity leggings that fit my baby bump perfectly. I let my curly blond hair fall down my back, then quickly grab my wrist-watch and a pair of black flats. I'm not really a fan of make-up so I don't bother putting any.
Remembering that I'm spending the weekend with Liam, I grab enough everything I could possibly need and place them in a duffle bag. I grab my handbag with the correct books for Monday's afternoon session as I'll be going to the appointment in the morning.
When I'm about to lift the duffle-bag with my extra clothes, Liam enters the room, grabs it and my hand-bag from my hands. "I'll take these," He said as he left the room. I shrug. He gets to carry the load, anyway. I quickly grab my old blackberry and follow him.
Zoe is in the living room doing some work on her laptop when we enter. She smiles at me, and gives me her famous accusing look. I blush.
"I'll see you on Monday. Don't do anything that I wouldn't do."
I giggle. I'm not at all offended by Zoe's teasing. That's how we are. "That's okay. I'm already knocked up anyway."
Both Liam and Zoe start to laugh and my cheeks heat up. Getting uncomfortable, I leave the room and stand next to the elevator, waiting for Liam.
~**~
When we get to the ground floor, there are two SUVs parked outside and a man leaning against the one behind. I remember him from yesterday. He was one of Liam's companions at the campus. He's dressed all in black and has one of secret agents' ear plug. I realize that he's a body-guard.
He nods at Liam, opens the door and smiles at me. I get in and Liam follows me inside. Talk about 'class' in a vehicle. These SUVs surely cost a fortune from what I could see, and Liam didn't seem like someone who would care about the price of anything.
He helps me put on my seat-belt and by his gesture, my heart soared. He cared about me and the baby's well-being, and made sure that we're safe.
When I look in-front of me, I see that the body-guard is getting in and that there's another man in the driver's seat. He looks at me through the rear view mirror and smiles. He's bald but the bodyguard look suits him.
"Hi," I beam.
They both turn to look at me, nodding.
"Mia, this is my head of security, Ben Gordon," Liam says as he points to the man who opened the door for us, then turns to the man in the driver's seat, "And my driver, Caleb Jones."
"It's nice to meet you both," I say and reach over to shake their hands. "I'm Mia Belle."
They nod and I realize that they don't speak much, really. They don't smile much either. But, I guess this comes with the job. Got to be tough, huh? Clearly that's not the job for me. I prefer making people laugh, and finding happiness in the simplest things in life. What's the point to be sad or bitter, anyway?
I feel hot breath on my neck and I turn to look at Liam, who's watching me intently.
"Mia Belle, huh?" I chuckle and he continues, "Your surname alone tells me how beautiful you are."
I giggle and kiss his cheek. He blushes lightly at that and I whisper in his ear, "Wait until you hear my full name."
~**~
We stopped at the aquarium. I'd always wanted to go there but never had the chance because of school and finance. Well, mostly finance. Zoe could take me there if I wanted to, but I've never been the type of person to depend of anyone for anything. My earlier years had been spent on living at an orphanage and I hated most of it. When I was only a little girl, I had no idea what was going on, but when I grew older, I always felt inadequate having to rely upon someone else for my ever basic need.
But having Liam take me here, a place that brought some sense of joy and happiness to my life, I was ecstatic. I knew that anyone who'd want to visit there had to make bookings in advance. But Liam probably only needed to walk up to the manager, and he'd be granted immediate access. Nature held a vast portion of my heart. I'd always had an eye for the things in the world that people cast a blind eye to, but were really of great value in our lives. How could someone cast a blind eye to the beautiful creatures of this world?
I looked up at Liam and by the look on his face, he knew what I was thinking. "I've always wanted to come here. This is amazing. Thank you."
He smiled and kissed me and I blushed. It was so simple to be comfortable with him. I'd missed this. Ben opened the door for us and Liam helped me get out.
"I just decided to take you somewhere relaxing," Liam said and my heart soared.
"This is more than relaxing. This is unbelievable. Can we please go?" I ask giving him my famous pout. He nodded and that was all I needed to start my journey into the aquarium.
~**~
Liam Novak
Waking up next to her this morning was like heaven on earth. I hadn't had this much of a comfortable sleep in ages, and I slept so peaceful throughout the night. When she went to the washroom, I decided to take her out so I could spend more time with her. I immediately got dressed, and when she came out and saw me, I saw her frown. She'd thought I was leaving. I quickly told her that I was taking her out to get breakfast and asked her to spend the weekend with me. She'd smiled and rushed off to get ready.
So now, here we are in the parking lot of the New York Aquarium. Zoe had told me how they'd met and how much Mia loved aquariums. I immediately decided to take her, but I never realized how excited she would be. She was literally bouncing up and down in excitement.
When we stepped out of the SUV, I turned around to speak to Caleb, my driver, but when I turned back around, Mia was no longer by my side.
Hearing laughter, I turned around, and my bodyguards were all laughing.
"She's excited," Ben said, pointing towards Mia who was rushing towards the entrance of the building.
I sighed in relief and jogged so I could meet her. "Mia, don't ever run away from me like that again. You'll give me a heart attack."
She pouted and looked towards the entrance. "I'm sorry. I'm just so excited."
I wrap my arms around her and rest my chin on the top of her head. "I understand, sweetie." Noticing that my bodyguards are surrounding us, I nod at them and follow Mia into the aquarium.
I can't control my smile when I see Mia's facial expression as we watch the different fishes. Throughout the tour, she kept smiling and awing at the little fishes. It got me to remember the last time I brought a girl to the beach.
Natalia Roberts.
She was one of my university flings and one day I'd invited her to go out with me. I decided to take her out to the beach, and when we got there, and she saw where we were, Whining 101 began. She complained about the sand in her shoes and between her toes; the sounds the waves made that I thought were soothing; her hair flying in the breeze; the birds chirping; and the date being the worst she'd ever had.
Apparently, I was so frustrated in the first 10 minutes of the outing that I'd taken her home- immediately driving away and never looking back. Ben and the others had laughed so hard when I told them about the date. But this is history.
But we weren't even on the beach, and Mia was this excited. I could only imagine what she would do if I were to take her to my private villa in Florida. She would probably be over the moon.
Mia BelleI was slightly confused when I saw the neighborhood we were driving in, but the gates and walls that surrounded the houses told me all I needed to know. All the homes here were mansions which meant that the people who lived here were either millionaires or billionaires, hence the reason we were driving through this neighborhood.We drove for a few minutes until I felt the SUV slow down, and realizing we were here, I looked at my surroundings. Looking ahead of me, I gasped when I saw the 'house'. The vast land surrounding the mansion could've possibly amounted to an estate, but I couldn't be too sure. When we arrived at the gates, security there immediately let us through- recognizing Liam's vehicle. The drive from the gates to the house was ra
Liam NovakWaking up the next morning, I tried cuddling a little longer with Mia, but realized that the spot where she'd once been was replaced by a pillow.Her pillow. She was gone once again.But the only difference was that we weren't drunk last night and we hadn't had sex. We'd merely cuddled and it was indeed an amazing feeling.The only intimacy I'd known was to have sex with girls and leave right after, but I never let girls into my house, unless it were my mom, grandma or aunts. I didn't have much friends that were girls. What do you expect? I'd eventually end up sleeping with them, anyway.Mia however, had amazed me since the first night we met. From the moment I'd smelt the
Mia BelleI'd never had so much fun in such a long time-especiallywith being pregnant and all. Spending the weekend with Liam was absolutely remarkable. We spent Sunday at the pool and watching TV shows of Liam's choice- of course. He was very cautious about my health and was always willing to take care of my every need. From this, I knew he'd be a great dad, and I could only hope that he was.Being aware of his reputation with the ladies kind of made me uncertain about what we were trying to do for our unborn child, but I had to keep on reminding myself that it wasn't just me anymore. I was doing this for our baby, and he needed to have a chance to be a dad, whether he was willing to take up the responsibility, or not. Liam was a p
Liam NovakI stare at the screen in awe and astonishment. Hearing my unborn child's heartbeat for the first time is greater than scoring a new client or signing a new business contract. It's remarkable; life changing.This heartbeat was theevidence. The evidence that Mia and I created this human being, and that he or she was being protected in the confines of this wonderful woman's womb.I glanced at the monitor and was captivated all over again. I couldn't see my baby yet, but the monitor didn't lie. This brought tears to my eyes.Inevercry, but I'm being a big softy and I'm crying like a big baby. There was a baby growing in Mia's womb, and this made me the ha
Mia BelleWe enter the supermarket with Ben and a few other bodyguards trailing behind us. I'd grown used to Ben's presence over the weekend, and I knew Liam trusted him a lot. Ben is a good man. He is married and has a 5 year old daughter. I've yet to meet them, but he showed me a picture of his wife and child, and they were very beautiful.Women in the supermarket gawk at Liam-as usual- and scowl at me, but I pretend not to notice. I'm not so happy that he's shopping for me. I do my shopping every Saturday but was unable to do it last weekend being at his house, and all. I would do it tomorrow morning, but knowing Liam, I can't argue and he'll never listen, so it's better to shut up.His word is law.
Liam NovakIt was not my intention to make her cry or get her angry, but she was wrapped around thisguylike he's the father of her child. I'm not the type of guy to share. She'smine, and minealone, and it's about time she remembered this.When we get to the cashier, she's already paying for the tub of ice cream. However, everyone is watching her amused, but she seemed totally unaware of the obvious attention. I would've smiled if I wasn't so angry at her a while ago.She exits the building, not even bothering to spare me a glance. I nod to Ben, and he immediately follows after her.She's a little
Mia BelleI was hesitant at first to read the text message. What did he say? And what would I reply? Just maybe, my thoughts were fooling me, but what should I expect from a player? A womanizer? He's made a lifestyle off using women? Would he use me too? Yes, I love him, but he couldn't possibly love me back. I was a burden to my parents so they gave me up. Why would he think any different? My pregnancy was a burden to him. He would have to give up a lot for our baby, and it was all my fault.But it takes two people to make a baby and I wasn't entirely at fault here.After much arguing with myself, I finally decided to read the text, and opening the message icon, I stared at it.
Mia BelleThe next morning, the persistence of a hungry baby woke me up from an enjoyable sleep. Having no choice on the matter against this bossy unborn baby boy, I get out of bed to go freshen up. Coming out of the shower, I walked around lazily; so exhausted. Looking at the comfortable bed, I'm tempted to climb right back in, but I knew the baby needed to be fed so he could calm down.Bossing me around! He's a lot like his dad and he's not even born yet.Throwing on undergarments, a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt that Iborrowedfrom Liam's closet-along with a few others that he won't get back- I wobble down the hall. I thank the heavens every day that this
Mia Novak-8 years later-My eyes flutter open and I'm greeted by rays of sunlight shining into our bedroom from the glass windows. As I sit up carefully in bed, I take in what's supposed to be Liam's half of the bed. His side is cold, which means he must have left a while ago. I frown at the clock. It's 9:00 am on a Saturday.Liam didn't allow me to fall asleep until it was past midnight. He's still this amazing man I met all those years ago-eleven, to be exact. It always amazes me that we've known each other for that long. He still made me blush like a love-sick teenager, and his touch still made me shiver. He certainly knew what he was doing to me, and he loved it as much as he did al
Mia Novak-Two Years Later-I stare at the pregnancy test in disbelief. It told me all that I needed to know. Again, the signs were all there; nausea, vomiting, tender and fuller breasts, cravings and increased urination.Déjà vu?Actually, I'd known for a while, but I refused to believe that this was actually true. I thought that maybe if I waited a little while longer, it would all be a mere memory, and it would all go back to normal. Now however, there was no questioning the test.I was pregnant, and it would no longer be a 'mere' memory.It's been two long years. Not much occurred during those two years for the Nov
Mia NovakEver felt so invisible that you can conquer the world? Well, that's how I felt. Everything that occurred made me so certain that they were fortunate. ThatIwas fortunate. Along the lines of 'better than ever'. As the months went by, so did my relationship with my newly discovered family improve. They were a lovely bunch, and I learned to love them more and more every day. After living a life of sufferings, and all the scary things I'd been through, things were finally pleasant,for a change.I spent a lot of time with my family as Liam traveled on business trips, and the first time I saw the mansion, I cried. Everyone there was so lovely, and welcomed me home after almost 23 years. I met my parent's bodyguards
Mia NovakMy family decided to stay over for the night and I was elated. I wish they could stay forever, but I knew that they had their business to go back to. I was married now, with a kid, so I needed to stay here.They spoke about their home, and I felt sad not being able to grow up there. I knew I would have a loving family just by how they were. My parents have been married for 26 years, and were still madly in love with each other. They met in college and my mom got pregnant with Wyatt. Mom was nineteen at the time, and dad, 20 years old. They got married months after finding out that mom was pregnant and have been together ever since. They then had the twins two years later, and I came a few years after the twins. From what they told me, I was an unplanne
Mia NovakThe first thing I recognized as I awoke from my slumber was the intense silence of my surroundings. It was almost impossible for the house to be so quiet with a one year old around, unless he was asleep. So, it led me to think that heisasleep. As I turned to look at the clock, I realized that it was time for dinner, and our weekly barbecue. 'I'd slept that long?' I wondered.Getting up from the bed, I went into the bathroom to take a shower. After my shower, I stepped into the walk-in closet and picked out a pair of thick black leggings and a silver colored Mickey Mouse sweatshirt that went mid-thigh. As I dressed, I couldn't help but smile even through my earlier experience. I knew that I needed to be strong, and that's just what
Liam NovakMia surely handled herself tremendously well throughout the 'interrogation' with Neil, but when she broke down, it pained my heart seeing her like this. I wrapped my arms tighter around her, never wanting to let her go. I wanted to keep her in my arms, where she'd be safe for eternity, but I knew I couldn't.As we drove away from the headquarters, she sat on my lap, her face buried in my chest and my hands surrounding her protectively. I placed tiny kisses on the top of her head, and whispered words of love to her as she continued to cry.I could only imagine what was going through her mind. Her parents were alive. She could meet them after 23 years of her life, and she surely deserved to. She deserv
Liam NovakListening to Mia and Neil's conversation, I couldn't help but want to be in there with her now, holding her in my arms as she speaks to the man who took her away from her parents. Finding out all this information about her life must be difficult or at least challenging, but she didn't even cry. She was angry, I could tell, but I knew she wanted him to see how tough she is. She's one strong woman- my wife.I'd seen such a huge improvement since her therapy sessions and I was happy that she's at least getting back to being normal. Shedeservesnormal. Her life had always been filled with things that she had no idea of their existence. Now that she had a chance to redeem herself, I was happy for her. She needed joy and happiness. She n
Mia Novak-Two months later-To say that everything went superb during these two months, would be a huge lie, and frankly, I loved being honest. They were probably the most crucial months of my life-to say the least.I thought when we'd caught Neil, it would be easy to find out the truth about my past. However, things don't necessarily turn out as we plan- does it? That's always how life is. You think you're at the end of it all, and that you'll move on from whatever it is that you've been faced with. However, life throws a curve at you, and you realize that you're back where you started. That's exactly how I felt.Neil refused to speak
Mia NovakLiam has been sulking ever since our little exchange of words in the bedroom. Okay, maybe the exchange of words no matter how brief of a conversation it was, wasn't aslittleas it seemed at the time. And I probably overreacted too.What? I'm a girl.Girls overreact all the time. And it wasn't entirely true that I didn't want more kids. Truth is I did want a few more miniature Liams running around the house and creating havoc.Spending time with Logan, and seeing him grow, made me so proud at being a mom. It's like no matter how much pain I went through to give birth to him, seeing my little boy so energetic and adorable, made it worth every single pain. However, I was