CHAPTER FOUR: Strange Feelings

Anne’s POV

It was Nathan.

My heart raced as I confronted Nathan, the man who broke my trust and crushed my heart. His presence in front of me elicited a torrent of conflicting emotions in me, including wrath, hurt, and a tinge of yearning that I desperately tried to conceal.

"Anne," he said slowly, his voice laced with desire and grief. "We really need to talk."

I crossed my arms defensively, putting up a wall between myself and the torrent of emotions that threatened to consume me. Kiama stood on the sidelines, her face tense with anticipation.

"What exactly it is you have to say, Nathan?" I answered; my voice was a little firmer than I would have liked it to be but I didn’t care.

Nathan ruffled his hair, a sign of his anxiousness.

"I realize I made a mistake, Anne. I know I hurt you deeply, and I can't express how sorry I am. But, please, may we chat in private?"

Kiama looked at me, her eyes quietly asking whether I wanted to hear him out. I paused, caught between wanting to give him a chance to explain and harboring hatred. I grudgingly nodded after taking a big breath.

"Fine; we can talk, but not here," I answered coldly and distantly.

"Meet me at D'Angelo's in a half hour."

Nathan's face relaxed as he felt relief and thankfulness.

"Thank you so much, Anne. I'll be there."

With a small smile on his face, I watched Nathan walk away until he disappeared out of my sight.

"Are you sure about this, Anne?" she questioned, her concerned voice calling me back to the reality.

I sighed, my heart heaving under the weight of the choice.

"I'm not sure, Kiama. But I believe I owe it to myself to listen to him out, even if just for closure."

Kiama squeezed my hand reassuringly.

"Whatever you decide, know that I and the girls are here for you, okay?"

I mustered a faint grin, grateful for my friends' constant support.

"Thank you, Kiama."

Finally the time we had agreed upon came and I went to the club. Nathan was waiting there for me already, no drink on his table yet. I asked him why and he said De Andre refused to serve him and threatened to beat up the other bartenders if they attended to him.

“Serves you right,” I thought to myself.

I sat down across from him and asked him why he did it. I sat back and listened to all he was saying which was just him asking me to forgive him and take him back but I told him I was too hurt to do that. Still angry, I told him never to come to my house to look for me again or call me.

I got up from the bar stool, despite his pleads and walked out of the club. It was time to start living my life afresh without the involvement of any man. Little did I realize that another unforeseen twist was going to enter my life, changing everything once again?

Days progressed into weeks as I worked on restoring my life following the traumatic occurrences. Work kept me busy during the day, and spending time with Kiama and the girls helped to soothe my heartache. Nathan's inflicted wound was gradually mending, but the scars remained.

After another revitalizing girls' night out, I found myself wandering alone near a tranquil park one evening. The moon shed a soothing shine on the surroundings, and the pleasant breeze ruffled my hair. I couldn't stop thinking about the events of the previous weeks. I had stayed faithful in my choice to keep Nathan and other guys out of my life.

A sudden wave of sickness came over me as I resumed my stroll, leading me to come to a halt. My heartbeat elevated as I held onto a nearby bench for support, my thoughts racing to find an explanation. The weird feeling had been going on for a few days, and I had assumed it was stress or probably something I had consumed. But this time it seemed different, more powerful.

A sudden wave of sickness came over me as I resumed my stroll, leading me to come to a halt. My heartbeat elevated as I held onto a nearby bench for support, my thoughts racing to find an explanation. The weird feeling had been going on for a few days, and I had assumed it was stress or probably something I had consumed. But this time it seemed different, more powerful.

I began to feel really anxious so I decided to return home. But just as I turned to walk away, I saw a pharmacy directly across the street. I went across the street and entered the pharmacy.

I began to scroll through looking for drugs for cold and fever, but before I realized it, I was in front of the pregnancy test aisle. My mind went back to that night of sinful pleasure with the stranger.

"I can't possibly be, right?" I asked myself as my pulse was racing.

I shook my head smiling and walked past the aisle but 10 seconds later, I went back to the pregnancy test aisle and picked a package. I went to the counter and paid for it swiftly.

As soon as I got home, I went straight into the bathroom and locked myself in there. My hands were trembling as I unboxed the pregnancy test package and painstakingly followed the directions. I put the testing device face down, while secretly praying that it wasn't what I was thinking it would be.

While I waited for the results to show, time seemed to drag on to infinity. Finally the moment to check the results came. Slowly turned the testing device to see what the result was, my heart beating really fast while my hands were shaking in fear.

Finally, I turned it and saw the result of the test