(Blake's POV)
The rain has not stopped yet, and I was praying it won’t. I stood by the doorway listening to the hissing rain. Perhaps if it was just a drizzle, Tara must have pushed me away. I suddenly worried about their place because there were no lamp posts outside, and the only lights came from the inside of the house. My heart was aching as I recalled the day her father died, and I was furious again.
“Uhm... Blake?” I turned around to see Ivana. She smiled shyly. “Please join us in dinner,” She invited.
I nodded and followed her, although I was not hungry yet. I saw Tara sitting on the head seat, Gianna sat on her left-hand chair and Jules beside her. Ivana pulled the chair on Tara’s right-hand but did not sit there. She sat on the next chair beside it. I assumed it was for me, so I sat down quietly.
“What’s wrong?” Gianna gave Jules a look
(Tara's POV)The rain had stopped, and I could hear the sounds of the crickets and frogs outside. I have finished my last class for today, and before I stood, I glanced at the wall clock. It was eleven ten already, and Blake had been sleeping on the sofa for three hours already.I turned off my laptop and stood up, walking to the sofa.“Blake, wake up, don’t sleep here,” I said, tugging him lightly on his arm, but he did not move. My siblings would be frantic if they woke up and found out he stayed here sleeping but sitting on the sofa.Seeing him again made me realize that I could not get mad at him for a long time. My heart must be crazy, overpowering my brain again.This is insane, but I miss him so much. The last two weeks of not seeing him and not hearing his voice was hard for me. I should be mad at him for all his lies, but it was also my fault, not listening to his explana
(Tara's POV) “What the...” Stella’s eyes widened, covering her mouth opened in shock as she blinked and stared at me, then at the man who rolled on his other side. I pulled the blanket to make sure he was covered. He was like a Greek god sleeping beside me. “Explain yourself, young lady!” She said in an angry whisper. “And don’t tell me nothing happened between the two of you! Don’t you dare bluff at me,” She gritted her teeth, still hushing her words. I breathed, glancing at Blake. “I’ll give you a minute, Tara, to put on your clothes.” She shook her head. “Let’s talk outside,” She did not wait for my answer. She flounced herself out of the room, closing the door behind her. I took a deep breath, feeling relief that she didn’t slam it. I climbed down the bed, looking for my clothes that he tossed somewhere, and I almost laughed when I found them all over the floor. I picked my
(Blake's POV)Heaven seemed to have sided with everyone because the weather was great today. The sky was clear, and since I wasn’t driving, I could enjoy the scenery with Tara. Stella literally begged me to allow her to drive the Range Rover Sports car and promised she would be careful.Our first stop was in the hospital, and I did not argue with Tara and Stella that I should stay in the car. I leaned on the backrest of the seat and closed my eyes. I knew it was a risk proposing to Tara, but in my heart, this is how all this chasing should end. I will marry Tara, and I don’t care what my parents say.My smartphone rang, and when I looked at the screen, it was Samantha.“Have you gone mad, Blake?” She screamed angrily at me. “You will go there to make up with Tara, not proposed to her. Don’t you think these crazy media won’t know?”“How did you e
(Tara's POV)Stella walked around the kitchen, singing White Christmas as she glanced at me but chose to ignore me. She poured coffee in one cup and milk in the other cup. She took them on the table, sat down across me, and gently placed the cup with milk in front of me.“Would you like me to buy you a dozen, Tara?” She sighed, looking at my face. “Just to be sure?” It was a joke, I know.I nibbled the fingernail of my thumb and blinked. I stared at the five sticks on the table. I have been doing this for days, and today’s the fifth day, yet the result is the same. We cried in excitement and fear the first time I saw two lines on the test kit. The next day, we screamed in delight, but I guess I was too scared of my future that I tried another stick, hoping it would give us a negative result.“What do you plan to do?” She asked, sipping her coffee and waiting for m
(Tara's POV)Sean squealed when he saw me walking towards the living room. I had to kneel because it has become his habit to jump into me excitedly whenever he sees me the first time. The little boy ran with excitement, his eyes twinkling, as he ran to me.“Aunt Tara, it’s almost Christmas!” His little arms were weaved around my neck. I rose and carried him. My eyes focused on the giant Christmas tree in the living room. Jules and Ivana would be very excited to see this, but with Mama’s condition, it’s better to go home than risk a long trip for her.“I know,” His excitement was contagious. This would be the first Christmas in a very long time that I could really greet everyone with merry. “You think Santa would be here tomorrow night?”He nodded. “I just hope Santa would give me what I want this year,” He said in a sad tone. He fidge
(Tara's POV)“Pizza, everyone!” Samantha came inside with two large boxes of pizza. She tiptoed going to the living room, trying not to wake up her son, and carefully placed the boxes in the middle of the table. Eric tossed the fifth toy he wrapped on the side and lay down on the floor.“This is insane,” He groaned, watching Matthew and Blake as they continued gift wrapping.I pursed my lips as I watched the two as they seriously wrapped the toys. Matthew tilted his head and smiled smugly at Blake. He seemed to be enjoying the task, while Blake cursed every time Matthew finished one.I have no idea what Matthew is up to or what he is trying to prove to me. He had completed ten, and Blake had wrapped just nine. Eric was the one who usually competes with him, and he now got frustrated for being slow.Samantha opened the box and took one slice, and she winked at me. I stood up
(Tara's POV)A smile curved my lips before I opened my eyes. I covered my face with my hands, and I giggled as I felt the heat in my face. We have shared a perfect and wonderful night. I placed my hands in my belly, smiling sweetly and dreamily for my little Blake. His... or her, I giggled again, well his life will be perfect. My baby has the best dad in the world. I slowly opened my eyes and got up in bed. I sighed and then chuckled as I stared at the nightwear that I never got the chance to wear. The smartphone Samantha said was also there. I was all-smiling as I stood up, walked naked in his room, and went to the bathroom.The good thing about having photographic memory is remembering every detail of our lovemaking last night. Even after the shower, my face is still red, and I feel hot, wanting to see him again, loving the idea of having him inside me, claiming me as his.But first things
(Tara's POV)“My God, Tara,” It was Samantha who ran to me when she saw the blood trickling through my palm to the cream-colored carpet. “I told you not to use the cutter,” She said, crying. I was unsure, though, what her tears were for.When I realized the blood was coming from the cut in my hand, I closed my eyes and exhaled a sigh of relief. I fidgeted for a moment, wanting to burst out laughing. I was convinced for a second that I had lost my little Blake. It would have been unbearable.I must have gripped the cutter hard that I did not notice it wounded me in my palm. She went to me and helped me get up. Her tears kept rolling in her cheeks, and she held my hurt hand as she led me to the stairs.It was funny to think that I could not even feel the pain from the cut in my palm. A bitter smile curved my lips as I stopped. I turned my gaze at Samantha. Her eyes were puffy from cr
(Tara's POV)It was a bizarre dream, but I could not remember where I was, except I was walking endlessly on the bridge with Clarice when I heard Bree calling me. When I stopped walking, Clarice seemed to understand. She smiled at me and nodded. I must have walked far because it took me time to reach the end, but I heard them talking about me every day. I listened to Bree as she read stories and sang to me. Whenever I heard Blake’s voice calling me to wake up, telling me how much he loves me, I would run.This morning, Bree woke me up with her song, but I couldn’t open my eyes. When I could finally open my eyelids, it was the god-like face of my fiance that my eyes first laid on. I feasted my eyes on him and thought of the day I saw him at the office with Sadie. It hurt me, but my heart was telling me how much he loved me, and that was enough for me to give us another chance. I closed my eyes again and fell into a deep sleep, dreaming of Blake and Bree on the island. Their loud chats
(Blake's POV)It has been a week, but Tara remained unconscious. Jerome would use the term sleeping whenever Bree is around. He is always careful of his words, especially when my daughter’s almond-shaped eyes turn round at words she hardly understands.Fear still crept into my heart of losing her, and the only consolation I have that she would wake up one of these days is that her ventilator support was already taken away. She could breathe without the support of the machine, but when I asked him why she was not waking up, he explained many medical reasons. My heart has one explanation, though. Tara was giving up on me, and what scares me is hearing the words coming from her that she didn’t want me in her life.I watched Bree as she reads her book to her Mom. Her voice has become my alarm sound in the morning. She would sing to her and read her a story. After Stella or Gianna fed her breakfast,
(Blake's POV)For how long I was staring blankly at nowhere, I did not know. My heart was aching much that all I wanted was to be with Tara, but I went out of her room because I felt dying, seeing Tara in her bed, still unconscious, and the beeping of the heart monitoring machine was driving me nuts.I lost the entire day with Tara when I woke up in one of the hospital rooms. I yelled at every nurse who came, hating they put me to sleep. What if Tara woke up and asked for me? No doctor, not even Jerome, could calm me down. Then Nana Shea came into my room, surprising me.“Blake,” She called my name, and I saw myself like I was a little child again. I cried and held onto her when she came to me.“Get a grip, Blake! Tara and Bree need you right now,” Nana Shea said, wiping my tears. “Unless you calm down, they won’t allow you to see Tara. You don’t want to scare Bre
(Blake's POV)Before my eyes could open, the corners of my mouth lifted already. As she snuggled closer to me and held on to me tighter, I felt to be the luckiest man in the world. I kissed her forehead before getting up from the bed slowly. I watched Tara, and with her uneven breathing, I now felt guilty for tiring her out last night. I kissed her shoulder and moved out from the bed slowly, letting her rest.Humming La Vie En Rose, I went down and started picking up our clothes I tossed anywhere last night. Bree will be coming home soon, and I didn’t want to explain why our dresses, especially the underwear were everywhere around the house.When I heard Bree and Jem entering the house, I still had our clothes in my hands, and I had to put the clothes on the couch because Bree ran to me excitedly. I crouched down and opened my arms to her.“Daddy!” She beamed and kissed my cheeks.
(Tara's POV)Slowly, my eyelids opened, and the morning sunshine greeted me. I rolled to my bed and realized I was alone, but my lips curved a sensual smile as I remembered what happened last night.“Show me that good sex you’re saying a while ago, Kitten,” He whispered in a raspy voice as we entered the elevator. His lips curved a playful smile as he pinned me to the wall and kissed me passionately.I never thought that those simple words would turn him on.I grabbed the sheets of my bedcovers, biting my bottom lip now as I recalled how I kissed him with lust and love. I was too angry with Sadie that another side of me came out of my body and soul.“You’re mine, Blake!” I uttered, kissing him and biting his earlobe as I whispered those words. “Every part of you is mine!” I said as I took off his tuxedo and opened the buttons of his dress suit.
(Tara's POV)Being rich must be tiring, I said to myself as I looked around. The beautiful gown I was wearing today, including the shoes and accessories, could feed a family, or maybe an entire community for a week already.The pledges of the guests tonight were overwhelming, and surely the institution benefitting it would be thrilled. They have already exceeded the needed fund of the group for the charity they were supporting. Before I met Blake, all these were only part of my imagination existing only in movies and novels we used to read. Being here made me realize that two worlds were created—one for the rich and one for the poor. Yet one thing is needed to survive in both worlds. You have to be strong.“Shall we dance?” Blake asked, extending his hand to me.I smiled, feeling the relief of finally having Blake with me. He had been busy talking with many people tonight.
(Tara's POV)I stopped by the door, admiring Blake in his black tuxedo. He was too gorgeous that I wished to be selfish tonight, not wanting other women to look at him. “Just to remind you, Blake, this is a charity event, not your wedding yet,” Samantha grinned as she reminded him while fixing his bow tie. Samantha looked beautiful in her red gown with elaborative lace embroidery from top to bottom. Men would surely ogle at her as her long gown was designed with a high-cut halter neck and sheer side panels, but she kept on telling me I must be ready because cameras would be on me today, eyes of every guest would be fixed on me because of curiosity.She tapped his chest and turned him around to see me. She giggled when Blake opened his mouth, but no words came out.I shrugged, smiling sheepishly as I walked to him. “Samantha made me wear this,” I said, blushing.
(Tara's POV)Blake kissed me with a mix of anger and love, but he stopped when I started touching him. It was as if he was burned with my touch, and when he saw me panting after that breathless kiss, his face went pale. His eyes suddenly were in a panic that he got up immediately and helped me sit.“Are you okay?” His eyes were round, and I could recognize the panic and fear overwhelming him.My eyes narrowed, and I looked at him. “I’m okay,” I said, still panting from the kiss.“Can you breathe?” He asked, now pacing in front of me, which he didn’t know stresses me now.“You’re overreacting, Blake,” I uttered as I took my clothes and started getting dressed.He shook his head. “I told you, we won’t do anything until I talked to your doctor until we have you thoroughly check and-”I stood up, now feeli
(Tara's POV)Samantha had brought me a long list of wedding planners she knew, and all I had to do was select the best one. We were about to go back to the office to talk about the charity event we would be attending when Blake startled us as he stormed inside and went straight to the bedroom.“What happened?” Samantha asked, standing up.I shook my head, leaving the magazines and papers on the center table, and we went upstairs.The door was opened wide, and as we stepped inside the bedroom, I could hear movements in the bathroom. My heartbeat was getting crazy at first, but I felt it stopping when we heard Blake screaming in anger.When he came out of the bathroom, his face was red, his eyes were flaring in anger, and he was breathing heavily as he threw everything in his hand. My eyes widened, and my body quivered as I recognized the things he threw in front of me. I gasped when I sa