The crinkly sound of nylon bags had her looking up. Sebastian. He shut the hospital room door. "I brought food," he informed her, "you haven't eaten anything since the cereal. You are carrying a child now, you shouldn't act recklessly." Her emotions were conflicted. Was she to feel warm at his concern or guilty at his scolding? "I'm sorry, I got carried away." He stopped unpacking the bags he brought long enough to shoot her a look. "I didn't say that to make you feel guilty, I said it so you won't allow the present situation to weigh you down." She blinked, "Oh." He smiled, a warm loving smile. "It's fine that you don't feel like doing much, it's understandable." He brought out two medium-sized food flasks and a transparent pack containing cutleries. "Zik's family still lives here. I had to bother his mother to cook us a meal since she said takeouts are not so healthy for a pregnant woman. Here." He handed her a flask. Of course, she knew Zik's family still lived here. Zik
She has been through a lot recently." "I am her fiance." "We don't stay here, we'll only be here for a short while but of course, I'll make sure she takes prenatal care at a hospital over there." Aurora's eyes fluttered open. She shut them when the world danced and opened them again. Sebastian was talking to a man in a white jacket, a doctor. She sat up, flexing her shoulders. "You're awake," Sebastian beamed. "How do you feel, miss Grazia?" "Tired," she muttered, looking at the middle-aged friendly doctor. "It's nothing big. I'll advise that you rest here for the night. Get lots of rest, you need it, and eat well. Pregnancy isn't so complicated, is it?" She shrugged. She wouldn't know since she had never been pregnant before. "First time, isn't it? Take things easy, yeah? I recommended a couple of vitamins to your fiance. Have a good night's rest." Her eyes darted to Sebastian at the word 'Fiance'. It still seemed so unreal. Her gaze drifted to the ring on her finger. "I n
"And what does that have to do with anything? You had a family, he had his. Why couldn't you both forget about whatever fling you had in the past?" Cecilia swallowed. "You of all people should know how addictive the emotion of love Is." Aurora looked away. "The night I had a one-night stand with your father, I had an argument with Williams. That was why I made such a reckless move and, not to offend you, I do regret it but there's an advantage to every disadvantage. Your father found out about my relationship with Williams and with them both being sworn enemies and with me also carrying his child, he forced me into marriage. I was heartbroken, Williams was bitter. We both thought we could do without each other but years passed and the feelings never faded, they only heightened. We began seeing each other again and unfortunately, I got pregnant." "Unfortunately," Aurora shook her head in disgust. "You may disagree but it would have been better for Ezekiel never to h
Aurora watched her mother cry. She still found it hard to believe all that she was saying. Once bitten, twice shy. "Williams told me if I didn't do it, he would have his men do it. The attack at the house was a distraction. I made him eat a peppery food that he hated the night before so that morning, he was running a high fever and he couldn't make it to school. I..." she bowed her head, "Patrick never suspected me again after that incident and everything returned to normal but I wasn't normal. Do you think I never felt guilty for once?" Cecilia raised her head to look at her. "If you did, it never showed." "That's why I became so hard on you!" Cecilia exclaimed, "that's why I was always so strict and harsh. That's why when I found out you were secretly seeing Sebastian, I went all haywire. I was scared. I was scared that history would repeat itself. I was scared that Ezekiel's sacrifice would be in vain. It wasn't because I hated him, I loved Sebastian like my own son." Aurora
"Let's have your stomach filled up in no time," Sebastian said, smiling widely when she got into his rented car just outside the station. She looked him over; his clean carefully pressed clothes, untainted sneakers, neatly combed hair, and beaming face. His eyes... They shone brightly at her but after what her mother had told her about him, she could see the caution in them, the hesitation, the loneliness. She reached out and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. "Let's take a walk to the park instead and you'll tell me all about your childhood and what growing up was like," she suggested, holding onto his hand. He blinked. "Sure. Whatever you want." Parking the car, they began the short trek to the park and as they walked, he told her of his lonely days as a child, the mother he never knew, the woman that took care of him for a short period and who he never saw again, the pain and fear his father instilled in him, the people he saw die, his suicidal thoughts and the girl that bro
"What?" Aurora blurted out but Nadia had cut the call already. She stared at the phone, blinking rapidly. She looked at the dining room with its door half closed and back at her phone. Something snapped and she was suddenly rushing into the dining room. "I'm sorry, I have to go," she said hastily, picking up her bag. "Why? What happened?" Sebastian inquired, getting to his feet. She began to rush out then she stopped, looked frantically around then raced out of the room. Sebastian followed after her, muttering quick apologies to the symphony family. "Aurora!" Sebastian called out, rushing out of the home. She was about to board a cab. She vanished into the back seat of the cab and it sped off. He could only grunt in annoyance and follow after her in his car. The cab was headed for the station, he noticed after some minutes of driving. He jumped out of his car when they arrived and hurried into the station before Aurora could get out. Detective Nadia was waiting. Several officers mi
"He went after you yesterday. Didn't you see him?" Rose answered when she asked about Sebastian's whereabouts. Aurora's entire body trembled in fear. "No, I mean yes, I saw him but I left him later at night and returned to the hotel alone but he hasn't returned and... I'm so worried." Aurora got to her feet, her limbs shaking terribly. The only thought that came to her mind was that he was in danger. Someone had killed her mother, what if they went after him too? The thought terrified her and she began to cry. "Have you tried his number? Of course, you have tried his number. What do you..." "I'll give you a call later, ma'am," Aurora said quickly and cut the call then she rushed out of the hotel. * "Aurora," Detective Nadia called in surprise when she appeared in her office. "Detective Nadia, I am so sorry to bother you but Sebastian is missing, my fiance. He hasn't returned to the hotel since the previous night, his phone is switched off and he isn't in any place I know," she
A black jeep parked haphazardly by the roadside. Rose and Gwen jumped down from it and hurried to her."Where's Sebastian?" Gwen demanded at once. Aurora, with her tear-stricken face, gestured to the bloody grasses."I found this," she told them.Gwen and Rose stared at it."And?" Rose demanded, "what does this have to do with Sebastian?""He was here!" Aurora cried, "this is his blood!""How do you know that?" Rose asked calmly, seeing her agitated state."I left him here last night. His car is still parked at the morgue entrance and I found his car key right here. He is in danger, we have to help him," she answered in tears.Rose stared at the car key in her hand."I did see a car that resembles his rented one while driving here," she muttered then looked up with a determined expression, "come on, we have to report this to the station."*"What!?"Gwen and Rose looked at Aurora at the same time."Your mother was murdered? Why didn't you say anything!?""Be calm, Gwen. She is carryin
The next two days, they spent letting the fire burn. No one was satiated yet, no one could stop them, no worries could bother them. On the third day, they finally stepped out to get some cool evening air and some groceries. "Everything feels different, better," she spoke as they walked into a store together, their rented car parked outside. They were in Tanzania. They rented a lone beach house which required a twenty minutes drive to get into town. It was perfect, just what they wanted. "And why is that?" He teased as they perused through shelves, hands locked. "Because we are finally finally together and my expectations of you in bed was superseded..." "Isabella!" He whisper shouted, wide eyes fixed on her. She laughed, pressing a quick kiss to his agape mouth. "What?" She asked with a smile, "do I not get to compliment my husband's bedroom skills?" He shook his head, looking around to make sure no one heard. He looked back at her, "Isabel, seriously?" "We should expect a baby
"I think you have done really well for your first week. You should be able to do things without supervision now... I guess that's the person that's been picking you up since you first arrived. Your boyfriend?"Isabel's lips twitched. "My fiancee," she answered with a smile. "Oh, wow, that's great. When's the wedding?" Isabel opened her mouth to reply just as Ezekiel rounded the car with a big smile in her direction. "What?" She heard Irene gasp but her mind was clouded with too much love for it to register. Her legs carried her across the road to him. "I love you," she mumbled as he enclosed her in a hug. "I think our engagement is making both of us jelly," he laughed, kissing her cheek, "I didn't even realize I was smiling so wide." She kissed him lightly and stepped back a little. Oh heavens, she laughed internally, remembering she abandoned her supervisor. "Irene?" She heard Ezekiel mumble. She turned around, seeing the dazed look on Irene's face. "Don't tell me..." she mu
Ezekiel whirled laughing Isabel around. She was clad in a purple graduation gown, her cap hanging loosely in her right hand."I'm dizzy," she forced out between laughs, holding unto him tightly. He set her down on her feet and kissed her loudly."How does it feel?" He asked, beaming."I don't know," she laughed, "you are rubbing your excitement all over me and I don't even know how I feel.""Exactly," Lily intervened, "you are acting like you have never experienced a convocation before. Get off her."His entire family came to celebrate her, his cousin and his beauty wife included, with their baby."She's not your girlfriend, Lily, mind your business," Ezekiel eyed her playfully.They moved off to a little spot they set out for a picnic and they spent the rest of the day being happy for her. The group stayed an extra day before leaving. It was just two of them left now.When their relationship was a year old, they sat down for a serious conversation. They rented a beach house for the w
Sebastian was just bringing the car around when Isabel and Aurora walked out of the airport."You must be Isabel," the man she recognized as Ezekiel's cousin spoke when he got to them."Yes," she replied with a warm smile, watching how he casually put an arm around Aurora's waist and kissed her hair, "it's nice to meet you."They shook hands. They definitely had good genes in their family. Ezekiel was her boyfriend, the man she loved but she couldn't confidently say he was more handsome than his cousin."Ezekiel is bringing the luggage, we can wait in the car. You don't mind, Isabel?""Of course not, he left me with the luggage in the first place," she answered with a roll of her eyes. Their little group chuckled and they moved to the car. Sebastian hovered over his fiancee as they chatted heartily about school, life, and anything else. Ezekiel arrived soon and Sebastian assisted him in getting the luggage into the trunk.Aurora and Sebastian's wedding was a week away so the atmospher
Ezekiel knew that there was a Supreme Being helping him to restrain himself because it was a miracle he didn't lose control after what she just said. Was she so oblivious that men were easily triggered sexually or was she doing it on purpose? She worked at a bar, she had to know."Your body belongs to you," he said slowly, blowing out a breath, "and to the God who made you. If we are married, you can say that but your body will belong to me and mine will belong to you only because we chose to let it be so. Do you understand?"She clicked her tongue, laying her head on his chest. "Let's get married then, you won't have any excuse to deny me what I want.""Oh heavens," he laughed in disbelief but somewhere deep within him, he began to consider it.*Weeks flew by and Isabel didn't think she had ever lived life so happily before. She woke up happy and blushing, she was much more interested in her boring classes because he always praised her when she performed well in the tutoring session
When she awoke bright early the next morning, he was still asleep and she was late for class. She stood at the entrance to his hospital room at a loss for what to do. She could rush to class and return after school to take care of him or she could stay and be with him throughout the day. She wanted to do the latter as she was the cause of his accident but on further reflection, she decided to choose the former, he'd prefer that.Ezekiel trudged into his apartment, burdened with a load of emotions. Drugs, really?"Stan found me, he sent me threat notes and has been stalking us."Was that true? He sighed, lowering himself unto a fur-covered couch. He didn't even know what to believe. What was her deal? Was it just the aftermath of the rape incident? It scared him that she would go as far as drugging him, how much damage did the incident cause her?If Stan was secretly stalking them then she wasn't safe. The police needed to be alerted and they needed to move away from town for some time
"Are you mad at me?"Isabel said nothing instead she focused on stabbing the potatoes on her plate."Have I ever refused you anything?"She blinked, thinking of an answer to his question though she didn't plan to reply, she discovered he always did what she asked and did more except for a few nos here and there but... He was always there."No," she answered curtly, guilt nagging at her. "Then you must know I have a very good reason for refusing you this one thing. Trust me, Isabel, please."She stared at her meal, fighting with her emotions. She thought of the drugged wine."Ezekiel," she began, looking up. Her eyes widened in horror seeing him bring down his glass from his lips."What?" He questioned, cleaning his mouth with a serviette.She opened her mouth and shut it. "I drugged your wine," she croaked out."What?" His eyes bulged out and he looked into his glass, "what are you talking about?"She kept silent, staring at him with wide eyes. He stared at her, his eye size matching
She was awfully alert the next day, constantly looking back and sideways, being suspicious of every male she came across, staying in open places where there were a lot of people. She didn't realize she was so on edge and tensed up until Ezekiel came to her at the cafe and she almost stabbed him with a fork.He dodged, his eyes wide. "Watsup!? Do you want to kill me!?"She sighed, her tense shoulders falling. The fork landed with a clattering sound on the table."I am sorry. I was... I thought it was someone else," she said apologetically.He raised a brow, sitting next to her, "is someone stalking you?""Don't worry about it," she sighed again and relaxed back in her seat. His presence was immensely comforting. She didn't know whether to be pleased or irritated, he was her boyfriend now."You could really have stabbed me if I didn't have quick reflexes. You wanted to harm the person. Why? What's going on?" He inquired.She kept silent. Why was she keeping it a secret?"Isabel..."She
"You're my girlfriend now," he murmured into her hair, "so you can't cheat on me ever again, you hear? You can't go kissing another man or letting another man touch you because you feel like getting down with someone. You are mine now and I'll tell you, I am very possessive and I get easily jealous."She blinked. What did she just do?"You forgot the second part," she mumbled, not sure of what she was feeling."No, it isn't enough to make me sleep with you."She groaned, surprisingly not feeling annoyed. "Why?" She whined."It only makes me want to protect you more, keep you clean and pure. I'll be your god and I'll keep you away from any filth," he replied.She fought the smile that crawled its way up her cheek. He pulled away a little and looked at her with so much tenderness, she felt she could melt from it."Do you still feel like getting down with me?" He asked, smiling.She shook her head."Good," he grinned, "I'll call your father now and tell him you're safe with me. I'll call