Aria
I’d been staying with Serfina and Hayden for a week now.
They were off to Jamaica soon to visit Hayden’s family, and they deserved the break after everything they’d been through.
I told Serfina everything that had happened, although neither of them knew about the pregnancy, and I wanted to keep it that way.
I didn’t trust that they wouldn’t tell Sebastian.
He hadn’t been himself the last time I saw him. His bright blue eyes were no longer the ones I loved; they’d darkened, and any kindness he’d once had had been consumed. He was different.
It had been a long time since I’d seen him covered in blood like that. He’d clearly been fighting again—where else would it have come from? Sickness churned in my stomach at the thought of something more. I shuddered, trying to push that idea away.
I hadn’t heard from him, which was what I’d asked for. Time. Space. For once, he’d given it to me. Deep down, I just wished he’d fight for us, that he’d turn up and tell me how sorry he was and that he loved me more than anything. That he’d be the man I’d always known him to be.
But he hadn’t.
It was my first day back at work since that day—since Sebastian had been escorted from the building. I’d been worried about seeing him, and I didn’t know if I was strong enough to stay away from him if I did.
I placed my bag down at my desk and twisted my ring as I peered through the office window. To my surprise, it wasn’t Sebastian sitting in there. It was Caspian.
I made my way over to the office door and knocked.
“Come in,” he said.
I opened the door and walked through. Caspian looked up, smiling at me.
“Good morning, Aria. How are you feeling?”
“Erm, I still feel a little off, but I’m ok to be at work.”
This pregnancy was killing me. I was sick every morning and night, struggling to keep things down. I was surprised Serfina hadn’t picked up on it. I suppose having an en suite in the guest room helped cover it up. My body felt fatigued all the time, and I struggled to keep my eyes open in the day.
“Are you sure? You look a bit pale, and I wouldn’t want my PA overdoing herself if she wasn’t a hundred per cent.”
I tilted my head, knotting my brows together as I looked at him. Did he just call me his PA?
“I’m sorry, Mr Whitmore. I’m a little confused. Where’s Sebastian?”
He leaned forward, resting his arms on the desk. “Sebastian no longer works here.”
I swallowed hard to push the sickness back down. This was not the time for pregnancy symptoms.
“I don’t understand.”
“It was a unanimous vote. The board lost faith in Sebastian, and after what happened with his father the other day …” He trailed off. “Did he not tell you?”
“Erm, no,” I replied quietly.
Bit difficult when I hadn’t seen him for over a week and didn’t have a clue where he was or what he was doing.
“Secrets always catch up to people eventually. How about I give you a day to think about your position?”
“What do you mean?”
He stood, making his way around to me. “Take the day off. Think about whether you want to continue as my PA or not.”
I didn’t know what I wanted anymore. I’d been set on going back to university come September, but with everything that had happened and the pregnancy, I didn’t know if it was plausible anymore.
It would be easier to stay here, but I needed to think things through.
I needed to do what was best for the baby.
I wouldn’t ask Sebastian for anything. I never had, and this was no different.
“Ok, I’ll go away and think about it.”
“Good. We’ll catch up tomorrow.” He smiled.
I turned and walked back out, collecting my bag and making my way from the building. As I stood at the entrance, I looked around at the people rushing past. They were always in such a hurry to get somewhere around here.
I grabbed my phone and dialled the number I was looking for.
“Hello? Can you come and get me, please? I need to speak to you.”
“Decaf? Thought you always needed a caffeine fix,” Callum joked as I sipped my cappuccino.
“I thought I’d try something different.”
I looked around in the café. A few people were sat around the space. There was a group of workmen digging into their breakfasts, and not far from them a family together with a newborn.
That would be me this time next year.
Well, not the family, but the baby.
“You haven’t touched your bacon sandwich.”
I looked down at the plate in front of me. I thought I’d try to eat something, but I just felt queasy and didn’t know if I could stomach it.
“Do you want some of this?” He held up his sausage, fried onions, and burger sauce roll.
The smell of the onions hit me, and instead of making me feel sick, it made my stomach rumble.
“It does smell good.”
He smiled and handed me the roll. I hesitated before taking a bite. As I swallowed, I expected it to come back up, but to my surprise, it didn’t, so I ate some more. Guess this was what I was going to be eating from now on.
“Ok, you don’t normally eat anything without mayo. What’s going on?”
“Can’t a girl change her mind?”
He sat there for a moment, looking me over. “Depends what she’s changing her mind about, I suppose.”
“Do you think you’ll ever have kids?” I blurted out.
He nearly choked on his coffee. “Erm, it depends. With the right woman, yes.”
I looked down at my stomach and placed my hand on it.
Callum would be a good dad. I’d seen him in Leeds with some of his younger cousins, and he was always involved with whatever they were playing.
I’m sure he enjoyed playing with the Nerf guns more than they did.
He was very family-oriented, and there was always some sort of family gathering going on.
Jason used to take me to them. He’d be off somewhere with one of his uncles, but Callum was always with the kids.
“Why do you ask?”
I wasn’t sure why I’d asked, if I was being honest.
He was the complete opposite to Sebastian. He was honest with me about everything. He’d never lied to me once and was always there when I needed him.
Callum took hold of my hand and squeezed it. “Aria, are you ok?”
It was probably the pregnancy hormones, but I couldn’t help but burst into tears, and I covered my face to try to stop the sounds from escaping.
Callum wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his chest, that warm, familiar feeling of being brought back into his protective bubble. It could have been seconds, minutes that I was in his arms; I had no concept of time, just tears.
“My little Astra, what’s wrong?” Callum tilted my chin to meet his eyes.
I blinked, tears still flooding out as my body shook in his arms.
“I … I’m pregnant.”
My head crashed back into his chest, back into that safety net I never wanted to leave. I just wanted him to wrap me up in it for the rest of my life so nothing could get through. His arms tightened around me as he kissed the top of my head. He held me until I was ready, like he always used to.
Reality was calling, and I knew I couldn’t stay in his arms forever. Taking a few shaky breaths, I pushed back the tears and pulled away, wiping my eyes.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
He took hold of my hands and squeezed them. “You’ve got nothing to apologise for.”
“I needed to talk to someone about it all, and I trust you, Callum.”
“You know I’m always here.”
“I’m so confused with it all.”
“Were you … trying? With Sebastian?”
“I was … on the implant. I mean, I thought I was. With everything that happened over this last year, I forgot I needed to replace it. It wasn’t really on top of my list with …” I trailed off.
He knew what I was referring to. I didn’t have to finish my sentence.
He placed his arm around my shoulders. “Does he know?”
“No … I haven’t told him.”
“Do you not want him involved? I thought you were happy with him?”
“He’s different. Distant. I don’t know what’s going on with him, and if I’m being honest with myself, I’m not sure I can have the baby around a man like that.
He’s not the man I fell in love with. There was so much anger in him the last time I saw him.
It was like he wasn’t truly there. Like he’d flipped into something I didn’t recognise. ”
He tensed. “Has he hurt you?”
“No, no, nothing like that. He wouldn’t. I know he wouldn’t.”
“My little Astra, that doesn’t sound like a man who wouldn’t turn at any minute. You’ve just said how much anger was in him. Remember what you went through before. Don’t let anyone else treat you like that. You deserve the world.”
“I know him. He’s not like that.”
“I hate to say it, but Jason was kind to you in the beginning, too.”
My eyes flicked to meet his. He was right. Jason had been kind, loving, everything a man should be with a woman. That had all changed in an instant.
“You’ll always have a place in Leeds with me, if you ever need it.”
I chewed the side of my bottom lip. It wasn’t the worst idea I’d ever heard, but I had a good job down here.
I’d made a life here. I wasn’t sure if Sebastian was coming back or if I wanted him back.
Would he be able to fully let me go, knowing I had his child down here?
At least up there, he wouldn’t find out.
“Look.” He took hold of my hand and met my eyes. “Whatever you need, I’m here. You want to keep the baby, I’ll help you raise it like my own. If you don’t want to, I’ll be there for you, too. Just tell me what you need.”
Callum had always been this way towards me. Caring. There when I needed him. I knew this wouldn’t be any different. When he’d told me to leave Leeds, he’d promised that he’d be there in a heartbeat if I ever needed him. He’d never let me down.