-Leia-Rain.The weather matches my mood perfectly as I watch my mother’s casket being lowered. I haven’t cried all day; I’m not sure if it’s because I have already cried so much already; right now that numb feeling has settled in my heart and I don’t think it’s going to move at all.I didn’t bother to let my father or siblings know our mother had passed away; what would be the point? They sucked her inheritance dry and then left without another word, so no I do not owe them this message.Another person I didn’t tell was Alexander and Christian - again, what’s the point?Walking forward, I throw a single white rose onto her casket and it lands with a gentle thud, then I walk towards my car even as my friends call for me. There will be no ‘after-tears’, no well-wishing, or anything of the sort. I didn’t want any of that, I just want to go home and curl up into a ball with my cat.Thankfully they all accept my privacy, but I know it will only be for so long. I haven’t told Delilah or Lu
-Christian-Life is moving in slow motion, everything is still happening as if I didn’t lose my purpose for living. The morning after I kicked Leia out, it took everything in me not to call her back or answer her calls. I wanted to beg her to come back, that I’ll put everything behind us if she forgave me and still loved me.But my pride stopped that.Her scent was still all over my penthouse so I immediately had her things packed up and taken away. I wanted no sign that she lived here, I wanted every trace of her removed from my life. But I couldn’t be an asshole and have her things left outside, so I had them pack it all away. Now my penthouse is an empty shell once again; it doesn’t even smell like Leia anymore.It’s been two months since I saw Leia last, two months since I removed her from my life, and two months since I’ve touched alcohol. The smell of it reminds me of the ugly things I said to her, and I am already stewing in my guilt as it is.I’m never home anymore. I always
-Leia-I’m laying on Delilah’s couch with my hand over my belly, stroking it gently. Ever since I started eating better, the hectic nausea went away, and I started filling out nicely. You can just make out my bump now, almost four months later. “Aww, is he moving again? Damn it, I always seem to miss it!” Delilah says as she sits down on the floor next to me and leans her head on my stomach. “When are you going to move for me, Bean?”I can’t help but chuckle at her pout. “It’s not full-on movements, you know; it feels like tickles at times,” I say for the tenth time, but she just grumbles and crosses her arms. “So unfair-”A knock at the front door silences her and when I look at her expectantly, she shrugs and moves over to the door. I immediately see her stiffen up when she looks through the peephole, then she turns to me with wide eyes, scoops Klaus up next to her, and puts him in my arms. “I need you to go to the bedroom,” she hisses I look at her questioningly and she sighs. “
-Leia-I hear Delilah sneaking into the bedroom and feel as she wraps her arms around me. I have no idea when Christian eventually left the apartment because I’ve been crying in here non-stop ever since. The last time I cried was when I found out I was pregnant and I’ve refused to shed another tear ever since. There was only me and my life with my baby. No one else will come close.Or so I thought - the second I saw how broken Christian was, all my defenses crumbled to dust. He was hurting as much as I was, I could see it in his eyes. He knows what he did was wrong, how he treated me was wrong, and thought an apology would take away weeks of pain.I love him, but I am not naïve.“Are you gonna be okay?” Delilah asks behind me. “Need me to go beat him up for you?”I laugh through my sobs and clasp her arm closer to me. “No, I’ll be okay. I needed him to hear me say that…It had to come from me. Hopefully, he moves on as I will,” I say.If anything, this will probably make Christian try
-Christian-My father’s eyes widen when I walk into his study at his home and he stands up to greet me. “Oh, this is certainly unexpected,” he says as we embrace. “What brings you around?”He gestures to the bourbon and I shake my head. “Nothing for me, thank you. I’ve actually come to seek your council,” I say and he gives me another raise of his eyebrows.“Again, unexpected but most definitely welcomed. Come, let’s sit next to the fireplace,” he says and we walk over to the entertainment section of his study.He pours himself a glass of the amber liquid and sits down next to me on the plush sofa. “Is this about Leia?”I chuckle at his ability to suss me out and I nod. “What gave it away?”The corner of his mouth lifts in amusement and he leans back on the sofa. “Well, you’re no longer looking as if you have the entire world on your shoulders, for one. And that determined spark is back in your eye,” he says, then he takes a sip of his glass.I heave out a sigh and lean back on the so
-Leia-“I’ll be right out here if you need me; text me when you’re done,” Delilah says when we’re in Christian’s underground parking the following evening and I give her a quick nod and hug before getting out of her car.Tonight I’m dressed in a pair of stretchy maternity jeans that stretch around my belly and a blouse that covers my bump. I’m still telling Christian about Bean tonight, but I first need to hear what he has to say.I walk towards the elevator and it opens before I can call Christian, and out he walks wearing a shy smile that gets my heart pumping in an awful way. His baby blues are shining with excitement and when he walks towards me, he places a kiss on my cheek.“Hey,” I greeted him awkwardly again.“Hey,” he responds, still wearing that smile as I get into the elevator with him.We ride in awkward silence with Christian’s delicious cologne making me float on a happy cloud. I will always associate Tom Ford with this man - God, he wears it so well.The doors open into
-Christian- “Oh, my God; Alexander must hate me!” Leia exclaims while we’re driving to my father’s villa. “And Olivia! Did I tell you how awkward she looked when she saw me in the pharmacy? She kept staring at me!”“Yes, love,” I answer, my gaze going to her, then back to the road. “And no, my father absolutely loves you. I think even more than he loves me.”Leia shoots me a look that lets me know she’s going to strangle me and I can’t help but chuckle. It’s been about a month since we’ve made up; a month of nothing but absolute happiness and getting to know each other again.She was right about us not needing to jump right into getting married or living together because then we would simply be love-bombing each other without really working through our problems. Just because we cleared up our misunderstanding, doesn’t mean everything will go back to normal.Besides, there’s no normal now; Leia is pregnant with my child. This is the reason for us meeting with my father and Olivia - we
-Leia-“A boy? We’re having a boy?” I ask with a choked-up voice as I look at the screen in front of me. “Are you sure?”The doctor nods with a smile on his face and points towards the screen, circling a spot. “Yip, that’s a boy alright. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Moore.”I don’t bother to correct her and glance up at Christian, noticing his blue eyes are wide and glistening with unshed tears. He takes my hand and kisses the back of it and when he blinks, those tears now slip down his cheeks. “We’re having a little boy, Red,” he murmurs, his voice tight with emotion. “You’re giving me a son.”He says this as if it’s the most wonderful thing in the world and by now I can’t stop my own tears from rolling down my cheeks. And man, do I ugly cry. The rest of the check-up goes by smoothly, and the doctor gives me a revised due date for mid-December. The only issue was that I won’t be able to give birth naturally, so we opted for a c-section.Christian leads me over to his Phantom and we