LOGINThe bar was dark or maybe it was just my eyes being puffy from crying. I had to make sure Roberts didn’t follow me because he had insisted that the bar was too rough and dangerous for someone of my status—I knew he meant to say personality.
Well I didn’t care anymore.
If my husband and best friend could join forces and betray me, why should I care? I sauntered over to the bartender and flashed a smile.
“Vodka please” I said and he stared at me, tilting his head to the side.
“You alright miss?” He said in a British accent and I rolled my eyes.
“Give me the damn drink” I snapped, and he nodded and pulled out a glass and vodka bottle. I grabbed the bottle and the glass.
“I’ll pay for the bottle, be ready to give me more if I ask” I said and he stared at me in surprise. I guess it wasn’t everyday he got a female customer in an expensive dress demanding for a drink like a sailor.
Not that I care……at least not now.
I headed over to a dark corner and settled down. A lot of interested eyes followed me, men licking lips, some were openly staring which made me wonder why Jason would ever do that to me. For a moment the emotions came flooding back and my eyes watered.
No, no. No tears
I sucked in my breath and cocked open the bottle pouring a glass of vodka in the glass cup and chugged it down my throat. I gritted my teeth a bit as the sharp taste filled my senses and I sighed. My head felt a bit light and the chatter around me suddenly felt dim.
Good.
This felt like peace, I poured a glass again and raised it to my lips.
“Miss” someone with another British accent called and I sighed..wonderful, now I was being admired by British men, why are they so much here anyway or was my head playing tricks with me.
“Yes Brit” I said and he smiled, he wasn’t bad looking but not handsome either and his eyes were a rough blue and from his face I could tell he was a proper hooligan, but for some reason, or rather for a reason I didn’t seem to care.
“Can I sit?” He asked indicating to the chair across mine and I grinned at him.
“Of course Blud” I said faking an accent, “You can”
He smiled at me as he sat and poured himself a drink without permission and I just smiled.
“Vodka” he said simply, inhaling before drinking. “Good drink”
“Yes it is” I said, sipping mine. I stared at him, “Why are you here?” I said, I never would have asked bluntly on a normal day but things weren’t normal with me right now.
“You’re beautiful, sexy, everything a man wants” he answered simply and I chuckled bitterly.
“Everything a man wants?” I said, trying so hard not to be hysterical, “Are you fucking with me?” I said dangerously close to annoyance—not at him but for everything that’s happened.
He leaned forward and not even backing down.
“Yes, I would fuck you now if you would let me” he said and at first anger was my reaction, then I was reminded of my loyalty to Jason but I stopped. Why should I remain loyal to the man who had no right to deserve my loyalty? Why should I even refuse a man who really wanted me, thug or not? And this was my chance to forget all that had happened, maybe sex is all I need.
“Alright” I said with a drunk grin as I took another sip, the drink going straight to my head.
“Alright?” He echoed and I smiled at him, suddenly happy…..the damn drink.
“Alright, I’ll let you do it, what’s your name?” I said and he raised a brow then he grinned.
“Good girl. The name’s Tom” he said, he stood and pulled me up. He started to lead me upstairs but suddenly our path was blocked by a…
Oh my God was I seeing things.
The man in front of us was tall, maybe six foot eight, his green eyes looked like a mini stormy sea. He was well built and there was his face, in my drunken state I could register it but I was very well aware of how handsome he was….very handsome.
“I want that one….” I slurred and the man in front of us, frowned.
“She’s drunk mate, let her be” his voice was soothing deep and I closed my eyes as it ran through my bones.
“Why, so you can fuck her yourself?” Tom asked and the man in front of us didn’t even react.
“No, not like you Tom, like I said…Fuck off” he said and Tom scowled gripping my hand or tight it hurt.
“Or what?” he growled and the other man laughed. He reached for his waistband and Tom’s eyes widened and he dropped my hand, and raised his.
“Whoa I am sorry mate” he said backing up, “I’ll leave now”
“Scot” the man said and Tom ran off. He watched Tom go then he turned to me.
“Hey baby” I flashed a grin and he didn’t even smile back, he picked me up in his arms and headed outside the pub.
I groaned and thrashed in his arms, “Hey my drink, I need it please” I said and he shook his head.
“No”
“Please” I begged, near tears. “You don’t understand, I need it or……” I stopped and his green eyes suddenly rested on mine and even in my bold drunken state I looked away suddenly shy.
“Or…?”
“Or I’ll remember” I said and he nodded. I could see in his eyes that he knew what I was talking about or had an idea.
“Alright let’s take you home” he said and I stared at him in surprise.
“Home?” I asked and he dropped me in the backseat of his car.
“Shhh” he said and without warning covered my face with a bandana, I felt myself going weak and my eyes widened.
“You…..” I started and he pressed harder and suddenly I went limp.
“Night night” he said before my world went dark.
Veronica’s POV. “Four!”“I got you. Come.”His hands wrapped gently around me, my weight shifted to him, with a quick sweep, Four lifted me off the floor.The paparazzi crawled closer, their lights flashing to my eyes, zapping my vision.My hand instinctively covered my eyes, Four saw me. “Hey! Take your cameras off her or I swear to God, I'll break that thing.” He roared. The paparazzi, an older man, far fragile than Four, hesitated. Even after the second warning, he leaned in closer with his camera right in my face.“This is your last warning, old man.”And when He didn't listen, Four flung his free hand across the side. The other paparazzi were quicker, leaping back before four could reach them. The older man was not so lucky.When Four’s hand returned, his camera was shattered into pieces, lying wasted on the floor. Air escaped the old man's throat. He fell to his knees quickly. “What the hell did you just do?!”Four ignored him. His free hand supported my back. “That'll teach
Veronica’s POV My stomach, with each passing day, grew like a child too well fed, the doctor said it was a sign of a healthy bump but my irk for an oversized belly didn't leave me.I loved my size from the front view but from the side, I looked like an overly grown baby seal.Ridiculous….Even Four laughed once when I stood in front of him holding my baby bump.“How many months is it now?” he asked.I shrugged casually. “Could be three or four. I'm not so sure.”I lied.It should have been four months and three weeks if I wasn't mistaken. I just did not want to share. Somehow, sharing meant I had to tell Four just how long I had been in his house.“It's wonderful that you're fine.”“Thanks.”“You're welcome.”“Yeah,” I said before I turned away.With the time we spent together, I thought we would at least be nicer to each other.Four was not as expressive as I thought he would be. In fact, he grew colder.By the end of our conversation, he grabbed some water and started down the ha
Veronica's POV. “You have got to be kidding me.”Four’s eyebrows wiggled on the top of his head. He pointed to his biceps and then to my eyes. “You see how rock hard I am?”Rock hard?I wasn't expecting… what the heck he pointed at.I shouldn't have paused either. That was the beginning of my mistake.I should have brushed past him when I needed to and taken the sting with me from before.I took the chance to reach for something when I had the chance to but when Four said ‘Rock hard’, my body betrayed me before my mind could catch up.Heat rushed to my face, of course, my chest tightened. For one reckless sound, I thought– stupidly, foolishly– that maybe I'd been wrong about him.That may be the distance and the whole detachment I was trying to have for him, the careful way he was being with me… maybe there was more.I hated myself for how fast my hope bloomed with me.I hated how I forgot myself so easily with them. I turned back to him slowly, my voice barely steady. “What did you
Veronica's POV. Day 2 of not giving a fuck even though I wanted to give many fucks…“I'll be going to the hospital today,” I told Four on my way to grab milk from the fridge.He didn't flinch. Barely even looked at me the second time.“Okay.”Okay?I took his comment like it was a shot to my chest, the fridge did not feel so cold when I dipped my hand inside, I grabbed the milk and poured the amount I needed before I slipped it back inside.“You're having cereal?”“Yes?” I raised a questioning brow. “Shouldn't I have cereal?”“Well, I heard the nurse say something about how fattening it can be when you become addicted to it. Weight gain is cool by me, I'm just saying.”My forehead wrinkled. I wasn't sure if he was genuinely concerned or trying to have a conversation with me since last night.“Thanks, I'll keep that in mind when next I'm taking cereal, I'm just running late right now and I need to eat.”“Alright.”I sat by the dining table eagerly, taking my phone out of its place. Wh
Veronica’s POV. The strangest thing about pain was how quickly it learned to behave.By the next morning, it wasn't loud anymore. It didn't sit on my throat or burn behind my eyes.It simply existed– steady, dull, obedient. Like something that had decided it would stay but Southern asks for attention either.I woke before four, that alone was new.Usually, he was already up, already moving and halfway through his routine by the time I stirred.Not today, he slept on– one arm flung over his eyes, chest rising and falling in an even rhythm.For a moment, I watched him, memorising the version of him that didn't know I was awake.This was the man I was beginning to imagine things with. Not futures— just moments.Comfort. Warmth and being seen.I slipped out of bed quietly, careful not to disturb him. The floor was cold beneath my feet, grounding. I wrapped my sweater tighter around myself and padded my feet into the kitchen.No pancakes this time.I made tea instead. Let it stay longer t
Veronica's POV. I laid there longer than necessary, staring at the ceiling after Four's footsteps faded down the hall.‘Friendship.’If we were even that…the word settled in my chest like a final verdict between both of us.I stopped myself from crying. Not right away anyway, I let the ache sit, heavy and undeniable, until I couldn't pretend it was just myself being sensitive from the pregnancy. I had been doing that a little too often, the excuse was getting old.“He doesn't see you that way,” I swung my legs off the bed and stood, smoothing my sweater like it could smooth me out too.“Face it.” I told myself, “You like him much more than he likes you and you know how dangerous that is. Look where it got you the first time.”The truth was that there was no cruelty there, no villain and certainly no hatred. It was just a matter of imbalance between me, the girl who had always been a lover and him– Mr Four.By the time I stepped back into the kitchen, I had practised my smile twice i







