DESTINYThe nurse gave me a mild sedative, which didn’t really help, because I was too angry. Angry, confused, disappointed, heartbroken. I read the report thrice to let the reality sink in. Pregnant. The look on James’ face… He didn’t believe that he was the only man I slept with. I know we’ve only known each other for a couple of months, but really? Did he think that little of me to believe that I would cheat on him?I don’t know how it happened. But he should be happy, shouldn’t he? Only he wasn’t. He said he saw the photos. I could kick myself. It was stupid not to have told him about it. Now I’ve gone and made it worse. Spoiling his friendship with Ronan, precisely what I didn’t want to happen.Not that Ronan, with his idiotic infatuation with me, is making it any easier. If James knew about it, he would flip his lid completely.But I don’t know if I want to go back home. I didn’t want to face an angry and accusatory James. And I certainly wouldn’t want to spend one more night a
JAMES“You’re right, Ronan! This is the same guy and with Jenna.” I would never forget that sonofabitch’s face. Just goes to show you, I’ve underestimated that snake of a woman again.Ronan whistled through his teeth. “This is an interesting turn of events. You should take this to the police. But why do you have it in the first place?”I told Ronan that I had her followed because I suspected her of trying to get Destiny out of the way. What I didn’t tell him was that I had him followed as well.“So, what are you going to do about this, Jimmy?” Ronan turned the photo over and over in his large hand. “She’s got some explaining to do.”“Indeed.” I wanted to confront her, throttle the truth out of her. Also, I wanted to rub this evidence in my father’s face before going to the police.“I know that look on your face, Jimmy. You’re about to do something stupid.” Ronan shook his head at me. “It’s not worth it, mate.”“I have to fetch Destiny from the hospital.” I took the photo from him and
DESTINY James and I drove alone in the Bentley while Mother followed us with her Datsun. She said she needed her own transport to go to work.“I refuse to sponge on you and your husband’s hospitality. You don’t owe me anything and I can look after myself, Destiny. I don’t need anybody’s charity.” She told me after James loaded her and Arthur’s stuff in her car.“I didn’t say you did. But think about Arthur. It’s the least you can do.”“You’re not making it easy for me to forget that I was a terrible mother, aren’t you?”“Please, Mother! Let’s not get into this.”“Yes, let’s not. We’re attracting attention.” James interrupted our argument. James was right. People were staring and pointing at us. Of course, James’ car was unusual for this neighborhood.“Fine, alright.” Aurora fastened Arthur in his car seat, and James held my door open for me.For five minutes, neither of us spoke. Then James was the first to break the silence.“So, your mother? You were so angry at me that you went
JAMES I had to walk away before I said something scathing. That woman! I would tolerate her only for Destiny’s sake. My sweet wife has such a forgiving nature, which I found endearing as it was something I am unfortunately lacking in.The manilla envelope in my bedside drawer burned me. I took it out to stare at the photo of Jenna with that bastard that took my wife. Of course, I should give it to your police, and I fully intended to. But before I do, I wanted to confront that bitch myself.Destiny mustn’t know about it. Not right away. She would give the game away. I want Jenna to hang herself with the rope I aim to give her.“James?” Destiny knocked at the bedroom door. I slammed the envelope back in the drawer. Why the hell did she knock? This was her bedroom too, for fuck’s sake. Although, I was relieved she did. I opened the door for her and took her into my embrace.She didn’t reject me, but she wasn’t welcoming either. “What is it?” I put her at arm’s length. Was she still a
DESTINY James said I was having nightmares, but I couldn’t remember a thing about it. There were scratches on James’ face and when I asked him about it, he changed the subject.“Did I do that?’ I turned his face to mine.Those blue eyes of his turned gray like the ocean on a cloudy day. “Forget about it, Sugar.” He took my hand and squeezed it lightly. “I’ve arranged for an alarm system to be installed. They’ll be here later on today.”“You’re not leaving me here alone, are you?” Not that I was alone, but I couldn’t face strange men being in the house anytime soon.“Sugar, you won’t be alone. I have a doctor’s appointment. But I’ll go after they’ve done, if that makes you feel better.”I nodded, feeling stupid and childish. My mother and Mrs. Donahue were there, after all. I wouldn’t be alone.“No, I’m just being silly. Go. I’ll be fine.”“I’ll be quick. I promise,” he said and pecked me on the cheek. Minutes later, I heard the Bentley drive off.***Mrs. Donahue and Mother were in t
JAMES The following day, Aurora went out again and left young Arthur in Destiny’s care. I wasn’t very happy about that. We didn’t sign up to be permanent babysitters to the kid, although he was cute enough. Aurora was secretive about her line of work, and, well, judging by how late she came in, I think I had a pretty good idea what she was up to.I stayed up late that evening. Destiny and Arthur had already gone to bed, and I opted to wait for Aurora. I wasn’t about to give her a key and the password for the alarm to come and go as she pleased. I didn’t trust her or know her well enough to do that. It was near midnight, and she still wasn’t back yet. Damn woman was going to get a piece of my mind.As soon as she walked through the front door, I called her into the lounge. “Mind if we had a word, Aurora?”“James! You startled me!” she faked a gasp.“A bit late, don’t you think? What type of boss keeps you working at this hour?” I hardly gave her a chance to kick off her ridiculous sti
DESTINYJames and I went furniture shopping for baby. It was nice to get out of the house. No, actually, it was awesome. The last couple of weeks had been suffocating for me, as if the house was suddenly too small for all of us. Mainly because of the rising tension hanging like a heavy storm cloud between James and Mother.I couldn’t blame James, though. Aurora wasn’t innocent in all of this. She was actively out to goad James, and I couldn’t understand why. Something happened between the two of them, but they kept mum about it. Except for Mother dropping the occasional hint.James had been keeping to himself lately, preoccupied with his own thoughts. When I asked him about it, he brushed it off as being work-related. Nothing to worry about. But today he’s been almost his old, carefree self. Joking and flirting with me.I must say I’ve missed that side of him. We haven’t had sex since I returned home, but I thought it might have something to do with my mother being in the house. Not t
JAMES“Omigod, ohmigod, omigod!” Destiny hid her face in the pillows. “I could never look her in the eyes again!”“Oh, c’mon! It wasn’t that bad. We’re all adults here.” I faked a smile, but I was actually hella pissed at Aurora. She spoiled our fun, damn meddlesome woman.“But you shouldn’t have been so… you, James.” She took her face out of the pillows, as red as a firetruck.I threw the bundle of our clothes I retrieved from downstairs onto the floor and kicked them into a corner.I shrugged, still naked. “This is our house, and if I want to shag my wife wherever I want, I’ll do it.”That made her giggle. “Still, we should be more respectful. Besides, what if Arthur saw us?”Yeah, I forgot about the little chap. “Well, lucky for us, he didn’t. I forgot about him. That’s entirely your fault, though.”She gaped at me, open-mouthed. “My fault?!”“Yeah, that’s what you do to me, Mrs. Barrington. I get amnesia when I look at you.” which was true. I could think of nothing else but the wa