Chapter 18: Chapter 18

NICOLE

IT HAD ALL BEEN a blur really.

Lucas Hawkins my first boyfriend in high school had promised me so much. By then I was a teenage girl obsessed with finding the right guy and going to prom and share my first kiss there. Come on every girl dreamt of that.

I dreamt of that with Luke. I was ready to give up everything for him, I was ready to lose my virginity to him. Rumors spread but I didn’t fucking care about them.

Luke wasn’t with me because my dad was some rich business magnate. No, Lucas loved me. He fucking loved me and that was where I was wrong.

My dad being the big asshole he was back then made sure to show me that Lucas didn’t love me for me but because of my family name.

Five hundred thousand dollars. That’s how much my dad offered him to leave me and move so far away that we didn’t see each other. Lucas fucking took the deal and left my eighteen year old self picking up the pieces of my broken heart.

Fast forward to now, my life was one fucking irony. The same dad who drove Lucas away brought him back to me.

Lucas would love me, dad had stated in the will.

Lucas would be family after he was gone, dad explained on a damn piece of paper.

Though the bigger irony might have been with me and what was happening at this exact moment.

I glanced at his eyes as his mouth formed an ‘ooh’. I shut my eyes relishing the feeling that wasn’t the same like before.

His hand brushed the hair from my face and he kissed my cheek, he bit my ear lobe and I moaned slightly. His hands greedily travelled to my breast as he stroked my nipples and I bathed in the desire ignoring the feeling clogging my heart.

He wasn’t Cannon.

He didn’t feel like Cannon.

He didn’t smell like Cannon.

He didn’t groan like Cannon.

Slamming into me until I could feel his dick hit my G-spot I clung to his shoulders grinding myself against him till I felt like coming.

Luke grunted lowly and before I could reach my peak, he moaned,

“I love you. I-I fucking love you, Nix”

And he came inside me. I lay there frustrated at him and at myself. He pulled away from me settling on the space next to me and I did nothing but stay still.

“Fuck, Nicole. That was—you were so tight I couldn’t hold it. I’m sorry—”

“I’m on the pill”, I spoke trying to avert the weird conversation that was bound to ensue.

“Of course but I wouldn’t mind if-“

“This was a mistake, Luke”

I stood up covering my body with the sheets and getting away from the bed.

His eyes searching mine for answers, he gazed at me and I bent down picking his pants and throwing it to him.

“Nix we’ll have to talk sometime”

“We are talking right now”

And I still fucking felt betrayed by what he did in the past and what was going on in the present. How could dad have included Luke in the will, he betrayed me!

“Fine, I’m sorry for everything”

Just sorry? As if that would fucking make me feel better.

“Our love was worth five hundred dollars? I thought you were different Luke. I loved you and you didn’t. You took my dad’s money and left without even looking back so forgive me if I fucking don’t want you near me right now!’’

“What are you talking about?”

What an asshole. He was trying to pretend that he didn’t remember what he did. As if what I had just said was all bullshit and not true.

“Your father didn’t give me five hundred thousand dollars, Nix. My mom was dying, he paid for the bone marrow surgery she needed in exchange that I would leave and never come near you again. I-I didn’t take his money”

“You are lying”

He had to be because my dad wouldn’t lie to me about that.

“I’m not. We can go to LA and ask my mother if you want. She wouldn’t have any reason to lie to you because your father saved her life. Nix I- “

“Leave”, I shouted more than I wanted to hugging my body like my life was falling apart. Because it was, my life was becoming one giant pile one after another.

Luke gave me one sympathetic look before he hopped off the bed put on his clothes and left. The minute he did, I slid to the floor and fell apart.

“The lawyer called again, Ms. Nicole”, Margarita said pouring me a glass of mango juice, “he said it’s almost been a month and you have to make a decision”

Right, a decision. To be married or not to be.

I had to marry Luke because I couldn’t let my greedy aunts and their sons inherit my dad’s hard worked money.

I took a bite of the bacon only to feel the rest of my breakfast come up my mouth. Margarita who had long gone moved to the other side of the table to take the pitcher noticed this.

“Are you okay, miss? Do you need water?”

No, I needed to find the fucking bathroom. That’s what I needed.

“No, I’m fine”, I stood up clutching the edge of the table. Everything turning hazy, I tried to focus on the glass of juice in front of me failing at it.

“Margarita, I don’t feel—”

Everything turned black as I felt gravity pull me to oblivion.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

“Doctor, she’s awake. She’s waking up”, Margarita screeched as my eyes fluttered open.

Feeling groggy, I sat up, my hand landing on my head. I felt like an avalanche hit me.

The man who I assumed to be the doctor stepped forward. Clad in a white lab coat and a stethoscope, the man with broad shoulders and an aging face close enough to be like that of Brad Pitt, smiled at me warmly.

“How are you feeling?”

Bad. Puzzled.

“I’m fine, doc. What’s wrong with me?”

“You fainted which isn’t a big deal since you are—“,he hesitated and my heart leapt in my mouth.

“I’m what, Doc?”

“Congratulations, Ms. Montenegro. You are three weeks pregnant”

What the actual eff-

“I’ve been on the pill there must be some sort of mistake”

“We’ve done every single test there is and you are pregnant”

My ears rung. Three weeks? That dates to around…

No. No. No. Cannon? Luke?

I wasn’t on anything when I slept with Cannon. And with Luke, I only took the pill like days after we—Jesus did I even take a pill before and after Luke? I was grieving at that time and i didn’t pay attention to any shit.

I was fucked. But three weeks? It had to be his. Like karma was getting back at me, I realized what this meant.

I had to tell both men. I had to tell them that one of them was going to be a dad but how?

I didn’t want to see that jerk ever again. I didn’t want him in my life. I despised him but what about my kid? He needed a father.

And Luke? God, I hadn’t talked to him in forever.

Shit. Shit. I really messed up. I fucking messed up.

“Okay, you can do this. You just have to go in there, tell him the truth and be on your way. He has to know even though he’s a piece of- “

Someone knocked on my window and I screamed the moment I saw a gladiator-esque size of a man covered in blood staring at me.

He instructed with his fingers for me to lower my window and I contemplated my choices. He was covered with blood only a fool would listen to such a man.

Raising his hand, he pointed to his shirt and I followed it seeing the B&A insignia on it. He then pointed to the building in front of us. The building that was thirty storey high with the initials B&A so hard to miss.

“You work for Berkely?”

I asked and he nodded. His eyes never blinking he instructed me to roll down the window and I felt apprehensive about it.

“How sure am I that you are not some serial killer on the loose. It’s seven pm and you are covered in blood”

“If I was a killer I would have shot you the very minute you parked your sedan. Roll down your window, miss”

I had never met him before. Well at least he hadn’t been one of my bodyguards before.

Conscious of my decision, I rolled down my window and the horrid smell of gun powder and something burnt hit my nostrils.

“You are looking for Cannon. He’s not here. South Side, Shade Apartments, room 303, tell the receptionist Flames fucking hates piranha”

“What?”

“It’s a code, the receptionist will get it. I’d advise you leave now if you want to find him. The fucker doesn’t stay at one place for long”

“T-Thanks”, I stuttered starting the engine and driving out of the parking lot. Flames waved as if him being covered in blood and standing in a dark parking lot wasn’t creepy enough.

My phone rung but I ignored it taking a sharp cut down the lane that led to South Side. What the fuck was he doing in South Side anyway? As far as I knew his apartment was nowhere there.

Then again, why did I fucking care? He was Cannon, the man did whatever the fuck he wanted.

My phone rang again and I picked it up from the center console holding it against my ear.

“Ms. Nicole, I didn’t mean to say it out loud but-“

“What’s wrong Marga?”

“Lucas knows you are pregnant and the whole thing has reached the media. Sir Lucas tried calling you but you weren’t answering so I tried to-“

“Relax, Marga. I was going to tell him anyway. Is he there with you?”

“Yes”

“Give him the phone”

“Nix? Where are you?”

“Luke I can’t talk right now but I’ll explain everything”

“You haven’t seen the news, have you? Nix, the lawyer exposed your father’s will to one of those private journalists. Rumors are spreading fast that you and I are getting married tomorrow”

What the actual fuck was happening today?

“Why would he do that?”

“I don’t know, maybe benefit from the will being carried out? Your father must have promised him something if he got us together”

That greedy old bastard!

“Okay, I’ll clear the rumors tomorrow and make sure that the lawyer gets what’s coming to him. I can’t talk right now Luke”

“It’s okay. Stay safe and take care of our baby”

He hang up and it sounded so weird when he said it. He was so sure the baby was his when I hadn’t even confirmed it yet.

The drive to Shade Apartments took a whole forty five minutes. When I got there, I parked my car and exited the vehicle.

The said building looked like an old nursing home. Creepy and definitely haunted I didn’t know what scared me more. Seeing Cannon or actually stepping foot in this dump.

Swallowing a painful lump of saliva, I walked in clutching to my bag incase some rando tried to mug me. Walking past the front stairs, I pushed open the slider doors. Completely different from the outside, the inside looked cozy with a few décor that screamed getaway cabin.

No wonder he liked it here. This place was quiet and soothingly looked comfortable.

“Can I help you?”

An old creepy man with shrubby beard asked me. Walking up to the only desk in the lobby I said,

“Uh Flames fucking hates piranha”

Turning around and reaching for something, he placed a key card on the hardwood desk.

“There”, he slid the card to my side and I took it begrudgingly.

“Is there an elevator or something I could-“

“Second floor, first door to your left, you can’t miss it. The elevators are right behind you”

I’d bet my lucky socks that was the longest sentence he ever uttered. Nevertheless I uttered a thank you before I turned around, pressed the call button and pretty soon I was in the lift.

The elevator doors parting, I walked out cautiously down the hall. Standing outside the door, my breathing became rugged and my knees became weak.

What was I even doing here? Telling him wouldn’t change a thing. What did I expect? That he would want to marry me or want to be part of his kid’s life?

I contemplated leaving but I didn’t come all the way to fucking go back the last minute. Swiping the key card against the door, I opened the door. The smell of sweat and sex hit me. The sound of someone slurping and gagging hit my ears.

I want to do this all night

Then the sound of body driving into another body echoes in the very living room I was standing in. I heard him grunt and I heard the lady beneath him cuss.

Scathed, ashamed, hurt and humiliated. I turned around, closed the door quietly and left.

Ten minutes later I was seated in my car crying my heart out when I saw Cannon exit his apartment building.

It was him. He was fucking another woman right after he’d…

It didn’t matter. My hands on my belly I uttered the words,

“He never came searching for me and he never cared about me. We are better off without him”

Taking my cellphone, I dialed Luke’s number.

“Don’t do anything about the rumors. I want to marry you…tomorrow”