_____________________...Maybe going out with your ex-husband you still have feelings for, who is still trying to get back with you, but also who has on multiple occasions trampled all over your heart, is not the best idea in the world.But when your twelve-week-old in-utero twins say they want hash brownies at one in the morning, we don't have many options.Of course, I could have gone myself or with one of the girls but the girls were tired and my plan to go out alone had failed the moment I got caught by him.So this would have to do."There there!" I pointed at the food trucks surrounding a park area."Honey, do you really want to eat from one of those?" Rowan had been skeptical ever since I told him I wanted to eat hash brownies from the food trucks that I had spotted earlier when we were hanging out."Yes, NOT my honey. I want to eat from one of those." I rolled my eyes. Does this man really think I am going to change my mind just because he looks at me as though I have come
___________________...I laughed at the third inappropriate moan that my wife let out ever since we sat down on one of the park benches and she started digging into her hash browns which she has been calling hash brownies. I suppressed a smile. I had googled what hash brownies and did not think my wife would be happy if she found out what those meant."Why do you call them hash 'brownies' though?" I asked her, using the side of my hand to wipe away some sauce from the side of her lips. I licked my hand clean. Rory paused for a moment, her gaze on my action. I cleared my throat when I realised it was not the most appropriate thing to do for an ex-husband. But then again, one, I was never able to be appropriate around her. And two, everyone knew I was not okay with this divorce and was trying to win her back. The fact that she did not actively refute my advances gave me some hope and motivation. She shrugged. "I know it's hash browns. But it's just a family thing. As a child, th
______________________...We were back from the weekend getaway and neither Eric nor I had any progress with our girls. Kevin, on the other hand, had somehow managed to get back with Zoe, which surprised me because Zoe Wilkins always seemed like the most guarded among all of the girls. "She can't resist my long magic." I was so cringed out by kevin's boasting. Zoe seemed like a pretty reasonable woman, as much as I hated her for what she did, how the hell did she end up with someone like him?Then I realized it was a pot-kettle situation because my pumpkin had fallen in love with someone as ridiculous as me. I don't know about love being blind or deaf but it definitely was stupid.That was the only explanation for women like Rory and Zoe falling in love with men like me and Kevin."She doesn't even want to speak to me, man." Eric paced the room while I drank my alcohol. "At least yours is civil with you.""Rory and I have two children linking us together. She knows that she has t
__________________________...I had not started to show yet. I knew that because I was only twelve weeks along. But I enjoyed holding my belly out and pretending to be six months pregnant. I let out a chuckle to myself as I poked at my belly. "Someone's in a good mood." My smile disappeared as soon as I heard Rowan's voice. I looked up at him as he walked over to my desk. "What are you doing here?" I asked as if I did not know. Any day I had shown up at the office after I moved out, he would also be over by lunch time to ask me out for lunch citing reasons of wanting to spend time with his children. "My girls having fun today?" He completely disregarded my earlier question and sat down on the chair opposite mine. I gave him a warning glare. "My boy is going to be so offended when he finds out his father was expecting both girls." I pointed out. "Dad. Not father. Dad. There's a huge difference." I paused for a moment but nodded. He was right. There was indeed a huge differen
________________...The car ride to the hospital for the check-up was silent as the seas. Rowan gave off major nervous energy as he drove. I had told him to relax multiple times but the man would not listen. We were doing the amniocentesis test today and Rowan had almost fainted at the sight of the needle. "You can relax now." Dr. Derek Mathewson, brother of Ophelia Mathewson, grinned at Rowan. He just grunted in return. My gyneac had to take leave due to unforseen circumstances, which left the other gynaec in the clinic, Ophelia's brother, to do the procedure today. "Everything is looking great." While I was accommodating of him, understanding the fact that my spite with Ophelia had nothing to do with her brother as a person, Rowan seemed like he wanted to rip poor Derek's head off. "Thank you so much." "It says here you don't want to know the gender. Why is that?" He had the easiest grin on his face. The man seemed as though he had been doing this job for a while and was
________________________..."What are you doing?" I shook my head as I tried to get off the bed. "No, no, no, stay there." Rowan left what he was doing and rushed over to me as if his tail was on fire. "Why are you getting up? Just stay there..." He said. "Okay, I will do that." I put the duvet back on my legs. "But you tell me what you are doing. Why are you dragging the living room couch into the bedroom?" "Because you don't have a couch in here." He shrugged as he went back to dragging my couch onto the side of my bed. "Why?" "Do you want me to sleep in your bed?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows. I immediately shook my head. "No freaking way!" I exclaimed. "And I don't want to sleep on the floor, so I decided that this would solve all of our problems." He said as he plopped down on the couch. "Fair enough." I nodded as I turned back to my TV. "So..." "So?" I responded, not taking my eyes off the pretty dress on the screen. "What do you think about Eric and Gabriella?"
____________________...Eric and Gabby were back together. That was two down, one to go.Zoe and Kevin hadn't fought in the last two months and my wife was currently five months pregnant and showing.She had become emotional and stubborn and I had shifted to the couch in her bedroom because "I want to be with my children."I was also taking advantage of Rory's paranoia about something going wrong to stay at her place."What's that smell?"I turned around and my breath hitched in my throat at the sight of her. She was wearing yoga pants and a sports bra.She had gained weight over the last two months. Her face was fuller, so was her breasts and ass. Her body had moulded into such a beautiful form that I could not help the reaction of my body to her no matter how much I tried not to.There was only one thing I did not like about her right now. And that was her friendship with Derek Mathewson. Yes, it turned out the old obstetrician could not come back due to undisclosed reasons and
____________________________...If it had been any other club then I would have felt self-conscious going into it with a five-month pregnant with twins belly. But this was The Loft, this was my Frank's place. I had nothing to worry about. Besides, I had all my people. "Right this way, ladies and gentlemen!" Frank exclaimed as he himself escorted us to the private room, despite being the bartender. He stopped for a moment to glare at Rowan, showing his contempt openly before ushering us all in. I was going to enter with Rowan right behind me when Frank stopped me and said, "I thought you were leaving this piece of shit for good."I glanced over at Rowan who was scowling down at the shorter man. "How is that any of your business?" "I am as much closer to her as B is. I get to ask." Frank was not backing down. He never did. "We are in a civil relationship as co-parents, Frank. There is nothing more to it." I told him. "You better stay cautious of this little shit, princess. He
_____________________...~~THREE YEARS LATER~~."Can you stay still?" I screamed at my hysterical sister as I fixed her veil. "All the daisies are going to fall off at this rate!""Who invented wedding gowns?" Gabby screeched as she tugged at the tulle of her wedding gown."Oh, the first documented wedding gown was worn in fourteen-o-six by-""No thanks, Miranda." I cut the overenthusiastic wedding planner off.Gabby rolled her eyes. "You know too much." She told the oblivious lady who just grinned as if it was a compliment. It probably is."You okay?" I whispered to her as I fixed the last daisy.Gabby took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah, I'm just... nervous.""You're going to marry the love of your life," I said, smiling at her through the mirror. "What's not to be happy about?"Gabby took a deep breath. "It's just... everything is happening so fast. And what if it's not enough?""What do you mean?" I asked, my hand on her shoulder. "You dated him three years before you are marr
____________________..."Oh well, I won't say I didn't see it coming," I murmured as I watched Gabby come out of Eric's room. She froze, trying to run back into the room and bumping into Eric's broad chest in the process. "but I also didn't think the day would come this fast.""What can I say?" Eric laughed as he wrapped his arms around my sister. "I know to woo my woman right.""Well, in my defense, it takes a lifetime of groveling to make up for the kind of mistakes I made." I shrugged, laughing even though I felt a pang in my chest. I had fucked up so bad.Gabby's eyes searched mine. "I know you're sorry.""But is that enough?" I asked, my voice low.Gabby looked at me, understanding in her eyes. "You know she loves you, right?"I nodded. "I know." But love was a fickle thing, and I had learned that the hard way. "But I hurt her, Gabby. Deeply.""And you're going to have to prove it to her," she said, her tone gentle but firm. "Every day. With every action, every word. You need
____________________...I was fixing myself a sandwich after putting Ki to bed when the doorbell rang.Rowan's mom was in the living room, watching TV. "I've got it," I called out as I made my way to the door.Opening it, I was surprised to find Eric standing outside. "What's going on?" I asked, my heart racing.He looked serious, his eyes darting around the hallway before he stepped inside. "We need to talk," he said, his voice low and urgent.Beth looked up from the TV, curiosity piqued. "Everything okay?""I'll handle it," I told her, guiding Eric into the kitchen. "What's going on?"He leaned against the counter, his eyes searching mine. "I found something out about Derek," he began, his tone serious. "It's... it's not good."My heart skipped a beat. "What is it?"Eric took a deep breath. "Derek isn't just obsessed with Rory. He's got a history of stalking and harassment. I found some old police reports."My stomach dropped. "What kind of history?""It goes back years," Eric sa
___________________________..."I still can't believe you didn't tell me about Eric being there in the UK all those weeks!" Gabby was ranting as she did my hair. She repeated the same tale of my betrayal at least once a day. Especially when she wanted something from me."Spit it out." I rolled my eyes. "What do you want from me?"Gabby took a deep breath, her hands stilling in my hair. "I want you to promise me that you'll always tell me the truth, no matter what."I looked at her weirdly in the mirror. "Okay.""And that you will get me an electric blue Porsche." She grinned in the mirror.I snorted. "That sounded like my sister.""You are taking over Dad's position soon. You will have money of your own then. Get with that." I told her as she twisted my hair into an elegant knot."But what about you, Rory?" Gabby's voice turned serious. "What do you want?"I took a deep breath. "I want peace," I said finally. "For all of us."Gabby nodded, her expression thoughtful. "That's all I w
_______________________..."This sucks!" I exclaimed as I watched the expressionless face of Eric Rogers.He looked at me with a glare. "Seriously, dude?""What? It's the truth!" I shot back, pacing the tiny cell. "I've never been in jail before! And now, because of Stacy and Charles, I'm going to have a record!""Charles has said that he will drop the charges." Eric said but I knew there was more to that story."Why?" I asked. "I am sure he would not have done it for free."Charles was never a good person. He was just amazing for me. And as someone who didn't really deserve a good person, I had decided to settle with him. But the dude had cheated even before the relationship had even started. That's what got on my nerves."Does it matter?" Eric sighed. "The procedures will be completed in a few moments and then we can leave."The door to the cell opened, and a female police officer stepped in. She was tall, with stern eyes that scanned me up and down. "Gabriella Lewis, you are fre
_____________________...I fell asleep in Rowan's arms. That much I remember.But when I opened my eyes, I was back in the van.Derek's crazed face loomed over me, the gun pointed directly at my forehead. "You shouldn't have done that, Rory," he whispered, his voice a chilling echo in the confined space.I jolted awake, my heart racing and my breath coming in shallow gasps. The room was dark, the only light coming from the night lamp, casting eerie shadows across the floor. I was in my own bed, in my own apartment, with Rowan sleeping peacefully beside me. But the fear lingered, clinging to me like a second skin.It was just a nightmare, I told myself, over and over again. But the cold sweat on my forehead and the pounding in my chest said otherwise. The image of Derek's furious face, the gun pointed at me, the sound of the shot ringing in my ears—it all felt too real.Rowan stirred beside me, his hand moving to rest on my back. "Rory, you okay?""It was just a bad dream," I whispe
________________________...I scrambled to my feet as soon as I heard the shot.Was it Ophelia? Was she shot trying to save me?I had to save Ophelia if she was still alive.Ignoring the pain in my shoulder, I rushed to open the van.I peeked inside. Derek was on the floor, his hand slack around the gun. Ophelia was kneeling beside him, her hands shaking as she tried to stem the flow of blood from his leg."Oh my God, Derek! Is he okay?" I rushed to Ophelia's side."He fainted on impact." Ophelia was crying. "Quick. My phone is in my car outside. Call 9-1-1."I nodded, the shock slowly wearing off. I rushed to the car and got in, using the phone I found in her purse to call the police and ambulance. I gave them Rowan's name and address for them to contact him as well because the phone was locked. When I got back to the van, Derek was regaining consciousness. "Aurora, I think it's better for you to leave now. Give me my phone and get in my car and leave before he wakes up." I sh
_____________________..."Derek?" I was still stumped by the revelation. "Derek, why are you doing this? Is this because of Ophelia?"Derek stepped into the light, his expression cold and unrecognizable. "This isn't about Ophelia, Rory. This is about what you took from me."I stared at him, confusion and fear mingling. "What are you talking about?""You. You took away yourself from me. I had the perfect life planned out for the both of us but you kept going back to that bastard who had the least respect for you.""What are you talking about, Derek? I never even knew you felt like that." I was more stumped by the latest revelation."How would you know?" He let out a humorless chuckle. "You were too wrapped up around Rowan Keller to actually notice other people's feelings.""I'm sorry," I whispered, trying to keep the tremble out of my voice. "But this isn't the way to deal with it. Let me go, and we can talk about this."Derek's eyes narrowed. "You don't get to tell me what to do an
__________________________..."I have a bad feeling about this!" Jake murmured as I tried Rory's number for the nth time."I'm going to the park. Something's off." I told him, my heart racing."Let's go together," Jake offered, his eyes sharp.I nodded, and we sprinted down the escalator of the mall. We had been looking for Ki and Mary here."What if they are not there?" I panted, my legs burning from the run."Then we widen the search," Jake said grimly.We dashed out of the mall into the blinding sunlight, our eyes scanning the bustling street. The park was only a few minutes away, and the tension grew with every second that ticked by."What could have happened?" I whispered to myself, fear for Ki gnawing at my insides. Now Rory was also not picking up the phone.I had a bad feeling about all of this.The park was eerily quiet, not a soul in sight.We reached the parking lot. Something glinting on the ground caught my sight.A phone.Rory's phone.My heart sank. "Jake, look." I p