She was fuming with her hands on akimbo and there was no sign of regret in them. He could remember talking to Henry yesterday night and they spoke so well, but he didn't tell him that he had come to California. Who knew how long this had been going on between them? Jack wanted to rip his heart out of his chest. “You made me force her to hate me, Clara, while you're here, cheating on me with my best friend.” His words were barely coming out his lips. He didn't even want to see her eyes because of how firm she held them and how strong. He perceived it that she had been waiting for a chance for him to know that she was seeing Henry.
She titled her head backward and grinned mischievously at him, “Okay, let’s get this over with.” She palmed her face and when she stared back into his face, she had an amused smile on her lips. “Do you know why I did that, Jack?” He didn’t even shake his head before she continued. Because she didn't want him to respond, all she wanted was for him to feel everything so that she could go back to Henry. “From the day you told me that you’ve married Anna Brayden, that was the last day I loved you. I could say that I hated you so much but all I wanted was to avenge for what you made me feel, Jack. So, I took my revenge the best way I knew how to, I made you fall harder in love with me because I want to break you apart...”
This time, he cut her off with a chuckle, “I didn't fall harder in love with you, Clara, I fell in love with my wife. Or rather, I realized that I've always been in love with my wife.” She looked taken aback. He wouldn’t lie to say that he wasn't pained by what she did to him, but seeing that look on her face was everything to his now aching soul. “You knew what you did to break us apart, you freaking threatened me that if I didn't break everything up with her then you’d tell my Father all that she did to me. How she made me lose my job, how she got me suspended, the police case, everything. And we all know that my family will hate her, we will both be forced to sign the divorce papers for a mistake we both did because if anything, I broke her heart more than she could ever break mine, Clara. I had no choice but to protect her from losing her company, because if we broke out marriage, she would lose that. The only choice I had was to come back to you, do whatever you ordered me to. Said those hurtful things to her because I wanted to protect her not to break her apart.” She was angrily staring at him, as if she couldn’t believe how he got the nerves to tell her all these things. “I came back, forced Anna to hand me back my ring not because I love you anymore, Clara, it was solely because I love her so much that I could give up on us to protect her. Not for you!!!” He thundered and his voice echoed throughout the room.
“How dare you...” He chuckled softly at her, even though the anger he felt and the painful truth he knew that no matter how much he loved Anna there was no way he would have another chance with her, raked through him and it was threatening to break him apart. But he wouldn’t have to show this to her face. He would never let her know that the intensity she wanted to break him apart had been achieved and now he was left with nothing but himself and a broken heart that yearned for a love he would never have.
“No, Clara. Yes, you broke my heart even though you knew the only reason I didn’t marry you at the time was because you didn’t want our relationship public...”
“Because you have terrible people as parents!” The hurt that flashed through his eyes gave her more push to continue. “Yes, you have a broken family that pretend to be in people’s eyes but we both know your family aren’t happy. You all lead a sad life because of that pathetic man y’all have as a father. I can’t risk my mother’s life alongside that terrible family of yours, Jack! But I thought you promised me that you’d work on it? On us? But what did you do? You ended up getting married to Anna Brayden because she’s rich and you won’t have to introduce her to anyone when you go to parties or in public.” Her tears now came rushing down her cheeks, she lifted her hands in a mocking gesture, “Because, Hey! Everyone knows Anna Brayden in the whole of America.”
He was about to speak when she cut him off, the anger and pain she had been holding onto for long ripping through her flesh and bones. “I wanted you to feel this pain of lost and loneness, Jack. The feeling of being clueless because you didn’t know what to do and you’ve lost the only two women you hear accepts to live with, and guess what? You’re going to live this way for a very long time because I'm so freaking done with you. Do you see that best friend of yours? He’s the man I love, just like you used him to hurt Anna, I've used him to hurt you today!”
She cleared her tears, and a smile was back on her face, “Anna,” she sighed dreamily. “Sometimes I feel bad that she gets caught up in this mess, because she's a beautiful soul. She has a very big heart only that now that heart doesn’t have space for the likes of Jack Roberts anymore, and guess what? She’s five months pregnant with your child!” He had to take a step back, losing his balance to the point that he nearly fell on the floor except that he held onto the walls.
“You can’t use this to hurt me, Clara. I know that you want to hurt me, make me feel clueless and empty for the rest of my life, but you can’t say this!” He couldn’t even begin to wrap his hand around the idea of Anna being five months pregnant with his child! No, she was definitely lying, she wants to stir his emotions to the point that he would have no choice but to fall down and cry his eyes out.
“Do you think I'm lying?” She went to the bed and pulled her phone, “I snapped these pictures myself, she’s pregnant. I saw her in the hospital getting an ante natal even though this has to be the most secretive secret in the whole of the United States, well, except her being married to a jerk like you.” His shaking hands held the phone and then he saw her. A female doctor smiling at her as she smiled back with both their hands on the baby bump that was visible if one looked closed.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and turned to leave, he had to go and find Anna. “Clara, make sure I'll never see you again.” That was it, he could hear her voice yelling at him, but he couldn't even begin to comprehend what she was saying. From walking so fast, he broke into a run and drove directly to her Mother’s house. He found Kate in the living room, arranging some of the new bought things Daphne had bought for the house.
He walked up to her with his eyes a shade of blood and his body shaking for he wanted nothing but to see Anna at this every moment even though he was certain he was the last thing she wanted to see in her life. “Please, where is Anna?” She turned, slightly afraid but when she saw it was him, she hardened her expression, and he knew everyone that was on Anna’s side had a very good reason to hate him.
“She’s not home and none of us is allowed to tell her new address.” Jack knew begging her won’t do, from the way he could see her hatred for him dripping through her eyes. He knelt down in front of her with his hands brought up into a begging gesture. “I beg you in the name of god, tell me her address.” She was already shaking her head and his yearn for Anna and the baby she carried grew with each passing minute, “Please...” He added with a croaked voice and she stood there, staring at him as she contemplated on whether or not to give him the address.
Anna came by yesterday, and even though she tried as much as she could to look as happy as possible, Kate knew that she was sad within her heart and maybe this would be a new beginning for both of them.
❦
It was snowing heavily today, and she had every hearth in the house lit up. She was in the nursery she was slowly furnishing as she tried so hard to make the crib she didn’t know how to. She had read the instructions, but she understood nothing. There were a lot of things left for her to work on in the nursery and she was so excited to see it finished and turned it into what she had dreamt for her child. She heard the doorbell and she dropped what she was holding before she stood up. She could remember calling the store she had bought the crib and she told them to send someone that can help put it up for her. The woman said that the man had left for work, but she could see if she could get him for her, maybe she did.
She walked downstairs, not minding the only cotton shirt that was on her boy which gave way to her bump showing vividly. If he was coming to hook up her crib, then he must know that she was pregnant, right? He might not know that she was Anna Brayden and even if he did, she knew she couldn’t hide her child forever. The doorbell rang again and walked faster, “I’m coming please.” When she opened the door, she didn’t turn to see who it was as she turned back to the room, excited to see it all hooked up. “The room is upstairs, I’m sorry I had to call you when it’s late and snowing this heavily. I'm so excited to have the crib put up that I couldn’t wait, and I have to work all day long by tomorrow.”
She didn’t mind that he didn’t reply her, maybe he was trying to be professional with her. She opened the door to the nursery and knelt down close to the things she had scattered on the floor with a shy smile. “I'm just five months along, but I'm already working on the nursery this fast as if I'm in my eighth month. Don’t blame me, I'm the only one that knows about this baby and my best friend that isn’t in America, so I'm the only one that’s excited for this child.” She bent over to hold the head of the crib and she lifted up to see if the man was mute or something, even a hum would’ve sounded better, right? “Can you help with the...” Her throat went dry when she saw the man standing in her baby’s room with tears rolling down his cheeks and he looked the roughest she had ever seen him. Not that she had seen him in a very long time.
She immediately stood up, placing both her hands protectively on her stomach as she seethed with rage, “What are you doing here? Who even gave you my address?” She wasn’t yelling, but anger was evident on her tone and she wanted to scream until she couldn’t anymore.
He took a step toward her, his eyes fixed on her baby bump as he stared with longing in his eyes. “Don't you dare take another step toward me, what the hell are you doing here, Jack?!” It felt as though the mention of his name was an opener to her old wounds and no matter how much she tried to stop her tears, more gushed down and she hated herself for being too soft.
He knelt down in front of her, his tears intensifying as she had her back pinned to the wall, “You wanted us to have a relationship like that of the kids, Anna. Whom love, fight, cry and mend their friendship at the same time. Ours might take long because we aren't kids anymore, and there are some things we can’t control in our lives, but I want you to...”
She cut him off, shaking her head and she could see the artificial hearth she had brought along with her in the room. “I thought that I've told you that last was the last chance you could ever get from me, Jack?” He knew she did, but there was no way he was going to relent. Not when he had seen her, not when he was in this room and their child was growing in her stomach.
“I know, but please Anna. This isn’t a chance, just listen to me.” She was silent and he knew it was as if she wanted to tell him that he should quickly say what he wanted to say and leave her alone. He told her everything, all that Clara made him do because he wanted to protect her, her eyes were changing, even though she was still angry he could see her emotions taking over her. And when he was done, she shook her head with a small laugh.
“I appreciate your effort for wanting to save me, Jack. But has it ever occurred to you that at that point in our lives I was ready to lose the company my father worked so hard for because of the love I have for you?” He was silent, clearly not expecting those words from her. “But I don’t love you anymore, Jack. Can you please leave?”
He stood up to his feet and when she thought he was going to leave, he moved toward her that she felt there was a chance to have herself being taken over by the wall. “You’re pregnant, Anna.”
“It’s your child, but you will sign his paternity the moment I give birth to him.” He was shaking his head and when he was an inch to where she was, she lifted the rod she was holding, “One step toward me and I'll smack this on your head.”
“I saw your Father’s letter.” He gulped down a lump in his throat and continued when he saw how her expression immediately changed, “I was terrified that you’d not be pregnant by the time I had to do that because I wanted to protect you, Anna. I was afraid that before we got to reconcile it will be too late for you, for us, even though I know it’d be hard for you to forgive me because you’d never know why I did. I love you, Anna. And all those words, actions, gestures, everything was real. I've never faked anything...”
She cut him off by walking to the door and she yanked it open for him. “I don’t want to hear anything from you, really. Just get out of my house or I'll call the police.” He hesitated, and she closed her raining eyes before she thundered, “Now!”
“I won’t leave until you forgive me, Anna.”
❦
An hour had passed, but she was still curled up on the floor of the nursery, crying to the point that she knew if her child could speak, he would have begged her to stop. She didn’t hear the sound of his engine off since when he walked out, and when she peaked through the window thirty minutes ago, he was nearly covered in snow and he wasn’t wearing a jacket. She hated herself for wanting to forgive him, for wanting to be in his arms and hearing all those sweet words from him. She would lie to herself if she hadn’t been yearning for that comforting hug from him for five months now.
And as she walked to the window now, she could see him shivering in cold. His head covered in snow as occasionally, he would lift his head to see if she were there. She wanted to go to her room and sleep as though Jack wasn't there, Jack didn’t matter. What the hell was wrong with him? She cursed under her breath as she rushed to her room, pulled her jacket over and took a huge blanket for him. Can’t he even sit in his car as he waited?
Everything was rushing into her mind and she knew she wouldn’t wait any longer. She was taking the steps two at a time even though she was being careful not to trip and fall. When she silently opened the entrance door, he nearly turned to blue due to the cold and his back was facing her. She walked toward him, both eager and afraid of what would be of their lives. She slowly dropped the blanket over his shoulder and almost immediately, Jack turned to face her.
“Are you trying to hurt yourself? Why will you stay in the snow for over an hour when you don’t even have a jacket on?” She was ranting, angry at both himself and him.
“Anna...” He began to speak but she was taking a step toward him until she stood not even an inch away from him and she lifted up her crying eyes to face him.
“You so well know that I love you so much to have you freeze to death, Jack. Why do you always have to punish me with your love?” She was punching his chest so hard and Jack pulled her to him as he hugged her so firmly. She cried in his chest and he wished he weren’t frozen to the point that he was sure even if he wanted, his eyes wouldn’t even fall down.
She slowly broke their hug, “You’re freezing to death, let’s get in.” She held his cold hands and pulled him into the house. She had him seated in front of the living room hearth as she went to the kitchen to make some coffee for them. None of them spoke a word and when she came back holding the two cups, Jack dropped the cup down and held her hand.
“I want to know, Anna, have you forgiven me?” His voice was weak, and puffs of snow still came out of his mouth when he spoke.
“Of course, I do, you dummy! Now, stop giving me that look and have your intestines melted.” She handed him the cup, but he shook his head, instead, he placed his now warming hands on her bump and tears accumulated in his eyes.
“I haven’t been there for you during this, forgive me, Anna.” She didn’t know what was with Jack and tears today. She was having mixed feelings in her heart but one thing she had never doubted was her love for him. She loved him so much that it hurt sometimes. She knew she could spend the whole night telling him that she had forgiven him, but he would still beg for more forgiveness. So instead, she pulled him closer to her face and merged their lips in a sync that spoke how they’ve missed each other for the months they spent far away from each other.
After they broke their hug, she laid her head on his chest and spoke silently as the fire seeped more warmth into their bodies. “The doctor told me that I haven't inherited Dad’s disease, I'd have as much children as I want...” He was eagerly trying to lift her up to stare at her face, but she dodged, “I have spoken to Mr. Frank last month because I wanted to give it to you when you’d sign off my child to me. You’d be given back your license in a month.”
This time, when he tried to lift her face up, she allowed him to. The expression on his face was worth everything they went through; he cupped her face into his hands and smiled. “How can I love you as much as I do now?”
She smiled back before she shrugged her shoulders likely, “I don’t know, maybe it’s because I'd always love you more? Yours is love at first sight while mine? It’s the kind of love that stays in hearts forever.”
He brought out her ring from his breast pocket and seeing it brought tears to her cheeks, “Anna Brayden, I love you so much, will you please be my wife?”
“Yes, Jack, I'd always want to be your wife, over and over again, for the remaining years of my life.”
THE END!