Chapter One–Hundred Twenty–Six

Chapter One–Hundred Twenty–Six
Valerie's POV

Much as his offer was tempting, I was not interested in putting my emotions on the line again. Especially now that I was expecting a baby. I needed a break from men.

"No," I said, keeping my voice firm but steady. "My husband and I are currently going through a rough phase, and we're working to smooth things out."

His jaw clenched, and he let out an exhale. "I totally understand."

I forced a smile. "Have a nice weekend." That was my cue to end the conversation, and I walked past him. I could feel his eyes on my back until I got to my car and drove off.

The ride back home was quiet, leaving enough space for me and my thoughts. On arrival, I pushed the entrance door open and walked into my best friend, who was mid-conversation with Jake.

A beautiful smile broke on Sarah's face, and she stood to give me a brief hug. "Hey, girl. Where have you been? Even Jake had no idea when you left."

I rolled my eyes at her last statement. "Just needed to get some stuff," I lifted the shopping bag in my hands as evidence. "You should've called if you came to visit me."

"Ouch," Sarah's eyes darted from me to her brother, who was pretending to be engrossed with reading something on his phone. "It was meant to be a surprise visit," she explained.

My mind was no longer here as I just needed an escape from Jake's presence. "I'll be in my room if you need me," I said, turning to leave.

Sarah's hand caught mine. "Why the rush, bestie?" She teased, wearing a sweet smile. "I came bearing gifts." She led us to settle on a couch opposite Jake.

She'd gotten me a bottle of expensive perfume, which according to her was a "thank you" gift for nursing her brother back to life. I was this close to rejecting it, but I didn't want to break her fragile heart.

Jake cleared his throat, making our heads snap towards him. "I need to make an important call, but let me know when you want to leave, okay?" His eyes remained on Sarah; he clearly didn't acknowledge my presence.

She nodded.

With that, he stood up and left.

When Sarah was convinced Jake was out of earshot, she gave me a quizzical look. "What's it with you and him?"

A sigh escaped my lips. "Can we please not talk about Jake?" I said, emphasizing the word 'please'.

Sarah's eyes softened. "With everything that's going on right now, you guys are supposed to be a team, not fight each other."

I shook my head. "You don't understand, babes. The paternity test might have come out negative, but I know Jake's the father of the baby."

My best friend reached for my hand and squeezed it gently. "I believe you, sis. I'm sure Jake will come around, and you guys will eventually sort things out."

At this point, I didn't even know if I was looking forward to us getting back together.

We remained in a comfortable silence for a moment until Sarah decided to break it.

"When was the last time you spoke with Gina?"

My eyes flickered with surprise.

Where was this question coming from?

I grabbed a throw pillow and avoided her gaze. "I can't really remember."

Sarah let me know that Gina had reached out to her, begging me to pick up her calls or at least reply to her messages. She really wanted to speak to me.

I was left with no other choice than to open up about my fight with my family. Sarah insisted that "family remains family" no matter what and that I should try to communicate with Gina. I didn't want to make any promises, so I told her I would think about it.

My best friend and I caught up on work and other stuff before she finally left in the evening.

As I lay on my bed to sleep, the thoughts of Sarah's request to reach out to Gina lingered.

I had already made up my mind to move on with my life. I was fed up with trying to live up to my father's standards. Jake and I wouldn't have gotten into this situation in the first place if it wasn't for the unnecessary pressure to prove to my family that I had a man in my life. Yet, here I was. Alone. Living with the consequences of my decisions.

The sharp ring of my alarm made my eyes shoot open. In my half-sleep, half-awake state, I stretched my hands and turned it off from the bedside drawer. I rubbed my eyes before grabbing my phone and sending an address and time to Gina for us to meet up.

I'd decided to give her room to air whatever it was she had in mind. I didn't want her harassing anyone else because she wanted to speak to me.

I freshened up and slipped into a wrap dress and ballerina flats, grabbed a purse, and headed downstairs for breakfast.

Antonio appeared almost immediately and placed a plate stacked with pancakes paired with a glass of orange juice before me.

I ate in silence while going through my messages. Gina had already sent me a response that she couldn't wait to see me.

I rolled my eyes at that. "The feeling is definitely not mutual," I muttered under my breath before taking a sip of my juice.

Moments later, I was done eating, and Antonio came to clear the dishes. I pulled out a compact mirror from my purse to check my reflection. I added some lip gloss and made a pout before putting the mirror away.

Jake appeared out of nowhere, glistening with sweat. His damp shirt clung to his broad chest, outlining every hard line, while a towel hung loosely around his neck.

I found myself staring a moment too long before quickly tearing my gaze away.

He stood a few steps away. "Going somewhere?" His tone was laced with cold indifference.

I sprang to my feet, purse in hand. "Isn't that obvious?" My voice matched his energy.

His jaw clenched. "With everything going on, you're supposed to limit your movements."

I kissed my teeth in annoyance. "You can't tell me how to live my life."

I quickly brushed past him, but I did not miss the shock on his face.

"Run along so you don't keep your sidepiece waiting," his bitter remark echoed from behind.

A knot tightened in my chest, making me freeze mid-stride.