005

005

CHERRY’S POV

I stirred awake sore to my bone. Memories of last night made me smile and made my heart clench at the same time.

Dylan was still fast asleep on the couch beside me. Well more like I was on top of him. After our wild session last night, he refused to let me go and insisted that he was going to cuddle me to sleep. I couldn’t tell if he was still drunk or sober when he said that. 

But I had to wake up and leave before he did. I didn’t know what to expect and I feared that he was going to tell me that everything was a mistake. But it was wasn’t it? After all we were both drunk and didn’t mean to have sex.

He looked so peaceful, I couldn’t help but touch his face. What I would do to get him to fall for me too. But he wouldn’t want me.

He stirred when my fingers grazed his lips. Another image of us kissing last night flashed and I swear I could feel butterflies roam on my insides. I snapped out of my thought fear gripping me that he was going to wake up.

I gently pushed myself off of him as I stood up. I looked around the living room and saw that our clothes were everywhere, more mine than his.

The fabric of the gown was everywhere. I hurried upstairs still naked and wore something simple and light before rushing back to living room.

I all but carefully picked the pieces up and draped a blanket over Dylan once I was finished.

“I’m going to have to explain what happened with his clothes.”

I thought to myself and I returned upstairs. Forty five minutes later, he opened the bedroom door with a distained look in his eyes.

My heart thumped and I could feel blood rushing through my veins. I watched him shuffle around the room like I wasn’t even there, like he had gone back to default mode.

I wasn’t sure what to say to him. “Good Morning.” I croaked out, trying to get a reaction from him but he said nothing and did nothing.

And that was how it went on for days. I would expect him to say something about that night but he doesn’t, in fact he doesn’t mention the divorce either.

Days turned to weeks and weeks to two months. One day I woke up feeling extremely tired even though I didn’t do anything the previous day or the one before that. My joints ached and my head felt like someone dropped a kettle bell on it. 

Since Dylan was not one to care about anything that involved me, I decided not to bother him or anyone else about it. 

That morning I got dressed and headed to the pharmacy a little far from the Alpha’s house. I didn’t want anyone gossiping on something that might not be true. 

Memories of that night made me quiver and uneasy. What if? That would mean...... 

I shook my head to clear the scary thoughts in my mind. Once I got the test kits and a few drugs for the fever, I shoved everything in my bag before exiting the store. 

I then walked to the park and sat on a bench. If the tests come out positive and Dylan found out about it, he would question me about that night and it would get ugly. Worst of all, he could deny the child, his child. 

My hands instinctively touched my stomach, already feeling protective of it even without knowing for sure if I was pregnant. 

When I got home and Dylan wasn’t home, I locked myself in the bathroom in case the maids or worse the Luna barged in. 

I closed my eyes, waiting for the minutes to pass and when it did, all kinds of emotions washed over me. I was glad that I was going to have his baby, but utterly scared that he would hate me once he found out. 

“He’s going to hate me.” I said to myself panicking. 

Realization dawned on me that I couldn’t stay with him. I had to divorce him this time. He would be glad about it too so it would be a win for the both of us. 

I searched for my phone to find a lawyer friend I knew back in school to ask for a favor he owed me. 

“I’ll get it ready into two days” he promised before hanging up the phone. 

I just had to act normal until then before running away.

Dylan can’t find out. 

My parents and his cannot. 

That night at dinner we sat at the table to eat when I felt nauseous but had to press it down. It was something I always ate but it smelt disgusting to me this time. But in order to keep the act up, I had to eat.

And I did. But only a little before I excused myself saying I was full.

I could feel Dylan staring at me, but I didn’t know why since he hadn’t looked at me more than once since that night.

Oh dear goddess that night.

And just like that two days rolled in and I was able to get the divorce papers. My heart was heavy as I stared at it, and it broke even more when I signed it. But I had to.

I hid the papers away and booked a flight for the next day which was a perfect date as Dylan and his parents would be at a fundraiser. I never got to go with them and I had been turned down too many times to want to give it a try anymore.

Once the day rolled in and they were gone in the evening, I booked a ride for the airport and got my bags ready.

It was amazing how much Dylan didn’t care even when he might have seen that my bags were arranged on the floor. Another confirmation for me to leave him.

I dropped the signed divorce papers and a fairly long letter addressed to everyone, my parents included.

When they married me off, I didn’t get to follow my dreams and this was an opportunity I didn’t want to let slide.

Not wanting to get caught, I had the maids hurry my things to the cab. They tried to ask me questions but I shut them down saying I was going to miss them.

The car drove away from the house and I felt like a big part of my heart was left behind with it.

SEVEN YEARS LATER

“Selena stop running or you’ll get hurt.” I called after my daughter. She was too energetic for me to keep up with her.

Behind her was my husband, Jake, he caught her pretty quickly and she broke into a laughing fit as he tickled her.

I had my laptop in front of me, working on some designs before my presentation when my phone rang. I didn’t look at the ID before picking up and I wished that I did.

“You need to come home as soon as you can Cherry, your mother doesn’t have much time.” My father’s voice from the other end said. From the way he sounded I knew he was telling the truth.

I didn’t even know that my mother had been sick and it had gotten to the point she might die.

I dropped my phone and I felt tears pool my eyes. I didn’t want to go back there in case I had to meet him. But this was my mother and she needed me.

I turned to my husband who after seeing my face put our daughter down. When I told him what happened, I broke down unable to hold the tears.

That’s how we ended up in front my parents house.. I wanted to come alone and stay with them for a while before turning but he insisted to go with me. Something about him being there for me which I appreciated.

Was I ready to see them? No!

I especially wasn’t ready for all the questions they would ask about why I left and I feared that it would only stir up trouble.

I knocked on the door after taking a deep breath. The door swung open and my father appeared. He looked broken, exhausted and most of all disappointed, not that he didn’t think I would show up.

I wanted to hug him, like I used to when I was a kid but I stood frozen.

My father opened the door for me to enter and I did, my husband and daughter in the car. I left the door open for when they were ready to come in and followed my father to the bedroom.

I didn’t know he had guests. But as we inched closer, someone stood out to me and when he turned his head towards me, I almost passed out. Dylan!?

My eyes snapped at my father’s, whose eyes told me he had deliberately called him here.

Panic and fear danced in my chest and I didn’t know what to do.

How do I explain to Dylan that I'm married? And he has a daughter?

Everywhere was tensed as Dylan took a few steps to me. But something was different. His eyes, which had once been cold and distant, now softened, and warmth.

Daddy! Selena exclaimed happily from behind and rushed to Dylan, her little feet pounding the ground as she leapt into Dylan’s arms, wrapping him in a tight hug.

As his eyes lifted from Selena, Dylan's face drifted to mine and then landed on Jake who has surprised expression as well.

I covered my mouth with my palm, trying to stifle the panic rising inside me. My heart pounding faster.