Chapter Seventeen
Estella
I wake up back in Ren’s bed. But unlike this morning, I’m not alone. There’s a beautiful woman standing over me. Everything floods back to me and I shoot up only to end up groaning as a wave of dizziness almost overtakes me.
“Oh, please don’t go so fast. It will be better if you move slowly and maybe stay laid back until the nausea passes.”
This is his lover! She’s everything I thought he would want.
Blonde hair is pinned back perfectly, her clothes are neat and put together so well.
I can’t help it. I burst out crying. I half fall, half stumble to the bathroom to vomit as she starts yelling for Ren.
And just like before Ren comes bursting into the bathroom but this time, I push him away. Or try to.
It doesn’t really work and he ends up scooping me up in his arms and taking me back to the bed so I try another way.
“How could you? How could you do this?!”
“I told you I was going to knock your little ass up and you said yes, yes, yes! You never wanted me to pull out of you.”
Confusion hits me hard and I just sit and look at him now.
“What?”
“I knocked you up, baby, and you begged for it. So, it’s not just me. It was you too.”
The room moves around me as his words finally sink in. “You…we…I’m…”
He nods.
“And you're getting married to someone else!” Now, he looks confused. The jerk! “I’m…we…and you have a girlfriend. You’re serious enough about her that you’re going to introduce her to your dad! What am I going to tell her? What am I going to tell Mom?! Oh, God! I dreamed…you told my mom!”
“I did, princess. Because she -and my dad- need to know. And Stella….I am getting married.”
I start crying. I can’t help it. It hurts too much to try to hold it in. He comes to me immediately.
“To you, baby.”
That has me stopping and looking up, “What?”
Why does nothing make sense anymore?
“That woman your mom was talking about. That was you, baby.”
“What?”
“Ava got some of the details wrong, bless her heart, but for the most part she got it right. I met you on a dating site. I didn’t tell them what kind of site it was. That will be our little secret. And they do need to meet you, not as their daughter or stepdaughter, but as my future wife.”
“But, Ren, what about what they will think? What will they…?”
Before I can finish, Ren walks to the door and opens it. My mom rushes in with a hug just for me.
“Estella, are you alright, sweetheart? I was so worried about you but the, um, doctor said it was normal.”
“Doctor?” I look to Ren.
“The woman in here before. It took me a little while to find a female because there was no way I was letting you have a male do it.”
“Mom, you…you know?”
She nods and gives me a smile before scooting onto the bed beside me, “It was shocking when we first found out, but,” she looks up at Ren who is standing close by, “I want you to be taken care of and loved and I know -I can see- how much Rennik loves you.”
Her words hit me so hard that I had to reach out to try to find balance. Ren is right there, taking my hand in his. Does he…love me like I love him? Is it true?
“And he took such good care of you, making sure you have the best.” She leans over and tries to whisper but my mom…has never been quiet a day in her life. “Ben says Ren has never been like this with anyone before.”
Ren smiles and gives me a nod, agreeing with her.
“I was a little concerned about the timing, of course, but apparently, I got that wrong. That’s why Ren has been coming over less and less over the past couple of months. He was giving you time.”
“Can I have a few moments with, Stella, Ava? To make sure she’s alright.”
“Of course. I’ll be downstairs with Ben and the doctor waiting on you two. Take your time.” She turns and winks at us as she leaves and pulls the door shut behind her.
As soon as the door closes I am talking, “I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have ran but…mom, she told me you had someone else and…” My voice breaks like my heart breaks at the reminder of how much it hurt.
“I know, baby. You were hurt and a lot of that is my fault." I look at him with confusion written all over my features. How was any of this his fault? "I should have told you, should have said the words. I love you. I’ve loved you for a long time now.”
“But you didn’t…in the morning, you stopped…”
“I didn’t want to slobber all over you if you felt like shit first thing in the morning. I should have found a better way of not touching you, of giving you time, but…”
“I missed it. It broke my heart when I thought…you didn’t want me anymore.”
“No, baby.” He comes to me and cups my face peppering it with kisses. “God, no! I want you badly every minute of every day. It’s hard for me not to touch you and not want my mouth and hands all over you.”
“How long have you known?”
“About a week now. I started doing research and trying to learn as much as I could so I would know what to do. And of course, trying to find a good doctor.”
“You…”
“I wanted to tell you gently, maybe during one of our baths. I never imagined Ava and Dad would come back so soon.”
“You were doing it all for me?”
“I do everything for you, sweetheart. Including looking into homes close to your mom and dad.”
I snap my eyes back to his face. “What? You are looking for homes for us? But, what about here?”
“Here will always hold a special place in my heart, baby, but it’s time to think about something a little bigger.”
“No! We first made love here! We made our baby here!”
“You want to stay?”
I nod my head vigorously -and regret it immediately.
He laughs and holds me tightly to him as I breathe through the dizziness, “Then we stay. Easy as that.”
He starts pulling my shirt up over my head. I was so rushed to go this morning that I didn’t stop to put a bra on so my breasts bound free as his eyes go right to them and he licks his lips.
“Now, I need you so I can prove to myself you’re really here with me and you…you need to try to be as quiet as you can because our parents are right downstairs, love.”
“What? Ren, we can’t.”
“Oh, Stella. We can do anything...as long as we’re together.”