Chapter 4

POV: Brianna Boone

I got home in a frenzied state, cursing, and struggling to get a hold of myself. I know I had just thrown away the chance of a lifetime. It was the only opportunity I had to tell the father of my unborn child that I was expecting his baby, it wasn’t like I was looking forward to bringing up a child on my own. Walking away from that golden opportunity only meant I was fine being a single mother, which I most definitely wasn’t.

The reality that I couldn't go back to the office just yet hit me later that night. Running into him again would be devastating, because telling from how big he seem, he definitely won’t appreciate any pregnancy from a one night stand from a girl he knows nothing about, and might even try forcing me to abort the child.

Yup, i definitely do have to stay away from him now.

There was only one thing to do now...

Taking another break from work after my week-long vacation in Oahu wasn't a piece of cake because Stevie, my boss, adored me and he valued my input in the office enough to grant me as much time as I needed.

I packed a light bag and within an hour I was on my way to my parents. My mom would know what to do about the mess I had gotten myself into. The only challenge would come from trying to explain to her how I had managed to get pregnant from a one-night stand with a man I knew absolutely nothing about.

The drive from Bristol to West Sussex was just the kind of soothing activity I craved for. I spent the hours on the road with nothing but good country music to keep me focused on nothing at all.

My Dad was happy to see me but Mom kept staring at me with a suspicious glare in her eyes. She could always tell when there was something wrong no matter how well I covered it.

Half an hour in her presence, I cracked. So I told them I was pregnant.

To say my mum was disappointed was an understatement.

"How could you let this happen?” She asked after some time, shaking her head in disappointment but I remained silent because I had nothing to say.

After some time, she wiggled a finger at me saying, "There is something you aren't saying yet. Getting pregnant aint all that bad, you aren’t a teenager any longer."

She was right of course. I had completely missed that part. I stared at her gawking like a stupid fool.

"Give her time to relax, Martha." My Dad pointed out to her.

She nodded but I knew she wasn't going to let go that easily. I had done the easy part. The hard part was telling her I had gotten pregnant through a one-night stand and I had no idea who he was. All I knew about the guy was that he was magic in bed and he was somehow connected to the company.

"Where is the father?" She asked almost as if she had somehow gotten the power to read my mind.

I tried to speak but there was nothing I could think of to say to her. I just stared at her with my expression showing I was a little bit frightened. She was a scary person.

"Honey!" My Dad growled at her.

She grumbled at him. I saw her distraction as my way to escape and I seized the opportunity without sparing a second thought. Hesitation was a dangerous move to make at that time.

I had decorated the room just the way I wanted. It was my escape from the harsh realities of life and I needed that; an escape.

Morning came and I holed up in my room longer than I should have. The idea of coming out to face her questions didn't appeal to me and I was having a horde of symptoms that screamed morning sickness.

I wobbled out of bed and walked to the dresser so I could use the mirror. My breasts felt heavy and I wanted to see if there was any visible change. Of course there weren't any changes yet, the pregnancy wasn’t even up to two months yet.

I placed my hand against my flat tummy and for a moment, I imagined a slight kick against my palm, but I was quick to huff and pull my hand away, because I knew I had only imagined that. There was no way the baby was even fully formed inside of me yet.

"Bree! You up?" My mom yelled from somewhere in the house which made me startle for a moment.

I was tempted to ignore her voice. She would think I was still in bed but knowing my mom, I was sure she would storm up to my room in an instant.

"M' up, ma!" I yelled back.

"Kitchen. I need a hand."

I gulped, instantly interpreting those words as ‘we have to talk’.

After rinsing my mouth and having a quick bath, I made my way to the kitchen a little self-conscious of what I was walking into. I knew this was her way of getting me out of my room and into her trap. There was no escaping it this time.

I entered the kitchen and saw she was busy kneading dough. She enjoyed baking just as much as I enjoyed drinking hot coffee before and after bedtime; maybe even more.

She asked me to help her with the other batch of dough waiting inside a bowl on the countertop and I did so. She whistled as she worked while I prayed quietly for the silence to remain till I was done. She noticed how fast I worked on my dough and how it made me clumsy for the most part.

Twice I cursed and had to start again to get it right.

"So how's work?" She asked, sounding casual, an act which I didn’t buy for a second.

I turned to stare at her as she worked on the dough. Even her expression was casual. There was nothing suspicious or sinister about it and that was the scary part.

"Uhm, you know. It's fine." I said in a tiny helpless voice.

I felt as helpless as my voice sounded.

"So you took time off, I see."

I gulped. I knew what was coming. Somehow I managed to will myself to give her an answer. "Yes, ma."

She sighed, then turned to me with eyes that showed sadness as I have never seen before. "Just tell me it isn't that good for nothing boyfriend of yours. What's his name? Sandy or something."

"Stormy." I corrected her.

"I don't care if his name is freaking rainbow. I just want to know if he's the father."

"No! No, he isn't."

She relaxed visibly, she really disliked him and it was very obvious. What had I even seen in him in the first place?

I relaxed too, which was a big mistake on my part because I was caught off guard when she said, "So who's the father?"

My mind sifted through my options very fast but they all felt like lame excuses that wouldn't fly. I knew my mother well. She would easily have made it as a detective.

"Why aren't you answering me?" She asked me while narrowing her gaze.

I just kept on staring at her, feeling suddenly tongue tied.

A look appeared on her face that told me in no certain way that her brain was working up an explanation for my silence. She was going to bust me.

Fuck!

My hands trembled but they were hidden inside the dough.

"Don't tell me -"

The sound of a knock on the door cut her off. This was my golden opportunity to buy some time. It was now or never. If I hesitated even for a split second, she would get her claws on me and stop me from getting to the door.

I took my hands out of the dough and left the kitchen walking as fast as I could for the door. I looked over my shoulder to see her trailing behind me.

"I know what you're doing. Get back here, Bree!" She called from behind me but I ignored her.

I opened the door as fast as I could.

The blue eyes stranger from the island– the one who I had seen at the presentation yesterday, stood there staring at me. I let out a perplexed scoff, it all felt like a little joke. I had come all the way to West Sussex running away from him yet like a fucking ghost haunting me, he had found me.

He stared at me with just as much confusion as I felt.

"You!" I finally said, pointing my dough-stained finger at him without thinking twice