Chapter 82
Sunlight peeked in through the windows, and I panicked. I didn’t remember the last time I slept till sunrise. Either of the babies always needed me. Where… Why didn’t anyone wake me up today? The second thing I registered was screaming and loud noises outside my room. My b*dy went into fight–or–flight mode, minutes away from having a panic attack while I fled out of my room without even fully opening my eyes.
Luna was at the couch, Alex in her hands. “The twins? Are they okay?” I ask hastily while making my way to the nursery to
be greeted with a sleeping Aurora, the baby monitor in place.
“They’re both okay,” she tells me, “Aurora woke up a while ago but Sir carried her around and she fell asleep again. And this one just woke up. Sirs orders to let you sleep for as long as we can.”
I nod, going to her and taking little Alex from her, but the noise, the shouting, it all comes back and I relax once I realise it’s from out of the house. “What’s going on?” I ask her while k*ssing my son’s cheek, cooing him. His lips turn into a half smile, his little hand making its way to my cheek.
Gabriel’s parents and grandparents were all visiting tomorrow, which happened to be the twins‘ one month birthday.
“That’s… Sir.” Luna informs me reluctantly and I freeze.
“What?” I ask, not waiting for her to answer. I was already up, holding Alex close to me as I all but run outside, closely followed by Luna.
The sight I see shocks me. Gabriel was cursing, punching Sam, who wouldn’t even defend himself. Alice was there too, flinching but taking no efforts in stopping the fight.
“Gabriel… stop!” I call, but I’m not sure any voice makes it out of me. When Sam’s nose bleeds, Alice speaks up: “Okay, I think that’s enough, please.”
Gabriel doesn’t stop.
“Stop.” I call, louder.
He doesn’t stop.
“Stop!” I scream, louder this time. Alex breaks out into a cry and that brings everything
g to a
a halt.
Everyone turns to me, but my eyes remain fixed at Gabriel.
“Everything I did… I only did because I cared for you, Sophia..” Sam takes a step towards me but stops when Alice shakes her head at him. “You should’ve chosen me, Sophia. I’m the better man. I would never leave you, never abandon you, never choose another person because if it were me, there would never be a choice. You would always only be the only one.”
His words scar me, but Gabriel more because his eyes don’t reach mine.
I
I don’t turn to Sam. Instead, I offer Gabriel a little smile, “Our son is crying. Can you hold him for a little while? They both a little while? They both magically stop crying when you pick them.”
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Chapter 82
Gabriel says nothing, just nods, and takes Alex from me, who like the little traitor he is, is all smiles the moment his father holds him. I smile at both of them before turning to Alice. “Are you staying for breakfast?”
Alice smiles. “I’ve got some work to do, but how about I come back in the evening to spend some time with you and the bables?”
I nod, and pass Sam a curt look before walking in the house. He was my best friend since we were kids and he had stayed. by my side through some very rough moments. I would have forgiven him for about anything, but not what he did. He was selfish, and then he tried guilting me by calling me selfish for not letting him step up and by my partner.
That wound was going to take a long time to heal, if it ever heals at all.
I step outside my house for the first time in the past month to the grocery store, collecting the ingredients I needed to make the twins a small cake for tomorrow. Gabriel had suggested, of course, to order the most lavish cake I could imagine, but had ended up having to settle for a home baked cake by me.
I popped a packet of brown sugar into my cart, and Gabriel kept in a packet of protein powder and some granola bars.
I tried not rolling my eyes. For every item I picked up, he picked two in return. I tried telling him to stay focused on the ingredient list the first few times he did that, but soon I gave up.
My eyes reach my phone for the sixth time in the past few minutes and he must’ve noticed that because he says. “It’s been fifteen minutes, Freckles. They’re okay. Luna would call us if either of them wake up.”
I nod half heatedly. “I just miss them so much.”
“It’s just a quick trip to the grocery store. We’ll be back in no time, hm?”
For the first time, I was glad about Gabriel’s men patrolling my house. At least I knew the twins were safe at home.
We walk through the aisles, and when we reach the chips section, I pick up the hot cheetos packet, tossing it in.
ou just scolding me for going off–track and buying a million things we don’t need?”
“Weren’t
you
“I craved these the entire time I was pregnant. Every time I was hungry, I just wanted hot cheetos,” I shared, smiling at the sweet memory. I missed being pregnant. Is that weird?
“So were you a cheetos monster?”
“No,” I chuckle. “I was usually a budgeted shopper. I couldn’t always go overboard.”
From the corner of my eyes, I watched his face fall. “That bad?”
“Mh–hm.” I buzz, “Between the rent and the amount I needed to save to be able to pay for the birth, there was barely anything left for essential groceries, let alone an extra packet of chips.”
“I’m sorry,” he quietly says.
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“It isn’t your fault.” I dismiss his apology with a hand gesture. “Besides, it wasn’t all bad. I met this sweet girl named Maeve. She scared off any children who could ring the bell of my apartment at wee hours and run away to prank me. And her brother Brown was my neighbour. Every time he made soup, he brought some over for me and Luna. There were good
times too.”
“It should have been me,” his murmur, soft and broken, hurts me.
“I’m sorry I didn’t find you,” I softly say, turning to him, offering the ghost of a smile.
“No, I’m sorry I created a situation in which I had to lose you. Sam was right; I should have made it clear to you that you were the only one. I should have never made you feel insecure. I didn’t deserve you then, Freckles, and I certainly don’t now but I’m going to do what it takes to be worthy of you,” he promised, and it was as if the rest of the world around me disappeared
I suck in a deep breath, using every ounce of willpower that I had to break the eye contact and keep pushing the cart, walking ahead.
I could feel his gaze on me from behind for a long few seconds before he catches up with a few more packets of those hot cheetos‘ in his hands.
WW
