Becca.After tons of planning and purchasing tickets, I found myself standing in the bedroom packing my suitcases, going through everything that I was going to need while we were away in New Zealand. Initially, when I told Neal and Allegra about what I wanted to do, I was almost certain that they would disagree. Yet again, they surprised me, as they always did, and agreed that the trip would be a wonderful idea. Of course, considering the fact that the doctor had cleared me for travel, that is.Slowly going through all the clothing I had placed on top of the bed, I packed it into the suitcase with careful precision and then proceeded to grab all of my toiletries that were in their individual bags and place them in as well.It wasn't until I had placed some documents that I needed just in case something were to happen over there that the small letter that Mr. Shavers had given me that had been left by James fell out onto the floor.With how hectic everything had been o
Neal.The moment that the plane finally landed in New Zealand, I couldn't help but give a very large sigh of relief. Never in my life had it felt like I was on a plan for so long, and I had been to Australia before. Even though those flights were just as long, there was something about this flight that was just exhausting.Perhaps it was the fact that sweet Becca decided that we would ride first class like regular people all the way to New Zealand.I could have gotten us on a better plane—a more private plane even. But no, she wanted to have an adventure. Not that I was complaining, but my sister sure as hell was, and her complaining made Becca laugh."Did you see the way that guy looked at me? It was as if I was at a buffet, and he wanted something all you can eat." Allegra's disgusted tone caused both Becca and I to snort with laughter."Oh my God. It wasn't even like that, and you know it."Allegra turned to Becca with a glare on her face as she used the fan in her h
Becca.As soon as I stepped outside with the lovely Miss Rogers, the lady who owned the cabana that I had rented, I noticed how Neal seemed very frustrated with whatever kind of conversation that he was having. I wasn't sure what was going on. Perhaps it was work, perhaps it was something else. As soon as his eyes landed on me, he quickly finished his conversation. I found it curious how he was acting, but as he slowly made his way towards me, this frown that was upon his face once before disappeared and was replaced with a smile."So, how do you like everything?" he asked me as he approached."It's beautiful. Miss Rogers has been absolutely wonderful. She showed me everything that the house has to offer, and she's hoping that we have a wonderful two weeks' vacation," I replied as my eyes drifted from Neal to the woman again.Her soft, pale blue eyes crinkled at the corners as she turned her small smile into one that was larger, her hands clasped in front of her as she
James.The moment that I got off the phone with Neal, I knew he was going to be a complication. He didn't seem eager to help me, and I didn't blame him. After everything that I had put her through, why would he?What annoyed me the most, though, was he thought that he could actually dictate to me what I was going and not going to do. If I wanted to get to Becca, I could. I knew it was best for me to keep away, to be able to watch from a distance, and hope that she was okay, but the other part of me longed to be next to her again.I wanted to hold her in my arms, I wanted to get on my knees and beg her forgiveness, and I wanted to be part of my child's life. I had already lost one child because of my selfishness, and the last thing I needed to do was allow myself to lose another.Even my grandson wasn't going to be able to have me as part of his life because of the shit that I pulled. Perhaps it had happened back in the day, back when I was younger, when I made these terrible
Becca.I wasn't entirely sure what was going on. Or better yet, what Neal and Allegra were up to. Their whispered conversations behind closed doors over the past few days while we were on vacation were confusing. It wasn't like them to hide things from me.It wasn't like them to act this way in general."Sorry about that. I had to take a phone call." Allegra laughed as she walked over with her very alcoholic mixed drink and a strawberry virgin daiquiri for me."No problem, you and Neal seem to have a lot going on the last few days."She gave me a quizzical look with a small confused smile as she took her seat on the lounge chair next to me on the back deck. "What are you talking about? I haven't been any different than I always am.""Is that so? Then what's up with all the secretive conversations with your brother behind closed doors?" As if she had been found out. Her lips parted, and she looked around, slightly worried."I don't know what you're talking about.""F
Becca.As I stood before Neal, staring at him, trying to process the words that he had said, I felt my heart slowly beat faster. A man that I had shared a bed with many times and grown to care about was a cold-blooded killer.How was it that this kind, gentle person who had done everything in his power to take care of me could kill people without hesitation?I didn't know if I could believe that any of it could be true. I couldn't see Neal being that kind of person. Yet, as he spoke, I knew the words were truer than I wanted to admit. It was the first time in a long time that someone had been genuinely truthful with me, and that raw information gutted me to the core."Please tell me that you're lying, that all of that is just something you said to upset me. Tell me that's not true." As tears filled my eyes, I waited for him to say anything that would suggest the fact that he was simply making it up. But as I stared at him, I could tell he wasn't."Out of everything I just
Neal.When Becca left, my emotions rolled through me like a thunderstorm over a grassy field. I couldn't believe that I had acted the way that I did. She hadn't deserved it, and honestly, I felt nothing but remorse swelling through my body like an angry viper looking for a way out.After everything that she had been through lately, and all the countless times I had stood by her side, I had never given her a reason to doubt me, to doubt my allegiance to her, to doubt the safety that she felt with me, until she found out the truth.Even though she said she was okay, I saw it in her eyes, the resentment, the anger… and all of it because I couldn't be f*cking honest with her about who I was.Sitting on the edge of my bed, I held my head in my hands. I had been foolish to think that I was someone that could be desired. Never had I been a man to care what other people thought. But when it came to Becca, I cared deeply. And that was because I was in love with her.Without warning
Becca.I hadn't remembered falling asleep, but the light filtered through my open window, and as it did, my eyes fluttered open, giving way to another beautiful day. Stretching my arms over my head, my hand touched a warm body, and quickly looking to my left, I spotted Neals' sleeping form resting beside me.I hadn't even realized that he had come into my bed last night, but looking at him now, I saw him in a different light. He wasn't the man I once knew, but instead, he was much stronger than I realized. To be holding all of these secrets all these years and never having been able to talk to someone was something I would never be able to grasp. How lonely that must have been for him.Rolling to my side, I minded my baby bump and rested my head upon my hand as I reached over with my free hand brushing a strand of hair from his eyes. As quick as my touch had been, he grasped my wrist and slowly opened his eyes."Good morning, beautiful," he whispered in a rough voice a
Becca.I didn't need to push much longer until the baby was born. I let out a sigh of relief as a lot of pressure was released as the doctor announced the head was out. I was almost done pushing. Out came the shoulders, and then the doctor was able to pull the baby out. She lifted the baby up and smiled, studying the baby for a moment. "It's a boy!" she said, causing the room to erupt into cheers. I gave a very quiet cheer of my own, my body completely exhausted. I closed my eyes, tears still spilling down my cheeks. I was still worried about how healthy he was, though, since he had come so early. "The baby is healthy, even if a bit underweight. He'll get meat on his bones in no time," the doctor assured me, reaching over to hand the baby to me. Putting a few clips into place, the doctor handed James a pair of scissors, and he cut the umbilical cord. Then, she began the process of helping me pass the afterbirth while the nurses prepared to clean our son up while
Becca.Several months had passed since our honeymoon, and things had been going wonderfully. The baby was developing very healthily, and they were going to be on the way soon. I was tired as I sat on the couch, reading up on some news. The progress with Guatemala went very well. I had made contact with locals who were going to make sure everything ran smoothly and children would be getting what they needed. The thought made me smile. Children deserved wonderful lives. The kids were just put to bed about an hour ago. 8:00 PM was too early for me to go to bed quite yet, but I was feeling tired. Still, I needed a snack, as my cravings were intensifying lately by quite a bit. I walked up to the fridge and rummaged through it, pulling out a jar of pickles and giving a satisfied sigh. I grabbed a plate, taking out several to munch on while I watched television. Maybe this would help me wake up a little bit. I wanted to wait until James got home. He was busy worki
Allegra."I have made a list of reputable centers that we can look into," I said to Layla, leaning on her as we stared at a laptop on the table. At the moment, we were looking into adopting, though not right this instant. We wanted to do a lot of research first. Not to mention, Layla wanted to get another cat so Onyx had a playmate, and they'd need to adapt to our apartment first. The idea of adoption was a prospect both of us adored. Giving a child a loving home would be a wonderful thing. Layla pointed to the screen, saying softly, "I've heard about that one. Good things, thankfully. I think we should be open-minded about teens." She frowned sadly, closing her eyes. "They are often overlooked.""I agree," I said. "They may be a large responsibility, as teenagers can be rowdy, but I'm confident we can handle it. Can't be worse than being captured by the Russian mob," I said with a chuckle. Layla winced but gave a half-smile. "You still think about that, huh
Becca."This place is beautiful," I said, looking around the fancy restaurant in Florence and letting out a happy sigh. Vines practically dripped from the ceiling, making it feel as though we were in a romantic movie. My life was similar enough to one, at this point! Mariano and Neal sat together across the table from James and I, all smiles and warm energy as well. They sipped wine and nodded, agreeing with my observation about the atmosphere. I took a sip of water myself, always mindful of the baby."This is the place where we met!" Mariano exclaimed with excitement. "When I first laid my eyes on Neal, I knew a prince had entered the establishment. A handsome one that made me swoon in my seat," he said. He winked at Neal, and the other man blushed. I giggled, gushing, "You two are so cute! I'm so happy for you. It really does look like you connected, which is wonderful. Just like a storybook!" Mariano nodded, his grin only widening at the idea. This place had a
James. "Look at how wonderful and huge they are, James!" Becca exclaimed, causing me to smile. It was the day after our first engagement on the beach, and I was happy to relax. At the moment, we were looking at some giant tortoises with a deep sense of awe.She was right; they were the size of side tables. A guide handed Becca some lettuce, which she held out to the tortoise. She squealed with delight as the animal took a leaf from her and began munching, causing my smile to widen even further. I was so happy to be able to relax. Security had reported nothing odd happening, and they seemed to be having a ball as well. I was relieved, though I shouldn't have expected anything bad to happen. Not like the Cartwrights tracked our every move. At least, I hoped not. I shook that thought out of my mind as Becca continued to give a ton of attention to the tortoises. One of the security men walked over with a camera in his hand, beaming at us. "Let's get some pictures of
Becca.This was it. The perfect honeymoon, the one where James and I would have the time of our lives. I was thrilled, my heart singing even as I looked out the window of the airplane we were taking. With the money I had, we were able to charter a private jet. Even after all these months, I'd never completely gotten used to always being able to afford the best of everything. The staff was very kind, including the flight attendants who catered to our every need. Our money came with a lot of advantages. I tried not to think about that too much, though. It made me feel guilty.Rather, when my worries became too heavy, I reminded myself of the charity that I was starting off. I realized I couldn't physically go to Guatemala, but with my wealth, I reached out to locals for the best ways to run a charity for kids there. The representative I spoke with had been wonderfully helpful, and it made me beyond happy that I could still help while not being there. I had decided I
James."This is going to be such a wonderful trip, James!" Becca exclaimed, wrapping her arms around me. I smiled, returning the hug and holding her close. When she pulled away, I gave her a tender kiss.At the moment, we were sitting in the living room of the compound with a laptop open on the table showing all the activities we could do in Seychelles. The pictures of beautiful, pristine beaches with shining sand and deep blue water got me excited, too."I think we should see the tortoises and dolphins," Becca said, giving a smile. "The kids are going to love those pictures. Someday, we need to take them with us, to a kid-friendly area." No doubt she would be paying attention to that during our honeymoon. "That is an excellent idea, my love," I said to her, giving her another squeeze. We exchanged another kiss as she continued to scroll through the pictures and destinations. Thankfully, the trip was taken care of flight-wise and hotel-wise. Having money was
Neal.A few weeks had passed since I met Mariano, and the strong sense of attraction I had to both his looks and personality had not faded. In fact, we were hitting it off even harder now, and I couldn't be happier. Thankfully, I was brave enough to call Becca and say I wanted to visit as a friend. I meant it this time. There was no ulterior motive, not that there had been one, to begin with. She may have been stuck in my head a little, but that wasn't an issue anymore. After some hesitation, she agreed to see me. Likely because I wanted to introduce her to Mariano, which put her at ease for me not actually being after her anymore. I accepted that she was with James. Mariano and I were sharing lunch before heading out. I gazed into his eyes, my own full of adoration for the man. "We're really hitting it off, aren't we?" I chuckled, breaking the silence that had formed between us as we ate sandwiches. Mariano winked, saying, "I think we are, yes. I am thrill
James.Still feeling beyond happy about the news of the baby still being healthy, I walked over to the fridge to get myself a quick snack before meeting with Giovani. Becca was dripping with joy, which made me relieved, to say the least. She had no idea what was going on in the background, and I didn't want her to, either. She shouldn't suffer the stress of anything anymore. My wife was looking forward to a wonderful life with our expanding family, and I wouldn't let worry settle in her mind. At least, despite the stress on my end, we were going to have our honeymoon soon. The kids were happy, and that's all I could ask for. Speaking of which, I stopped into the nursery for a visit before heading off to discuss things with my cousin. Alessandro was playing around with a few cars and stuffed animals. Dahlia sat in front of him, doing the same, making happy cooing noises threaded in with a few words. When they saw me, they let out squeals of happiness and hobbled o