Chapter One Hundred and forty eight

Weeks later...

I stared down at the beautiful bare bodied woman laying under me that morning. There was something different about her.

"Your body's changing." I said plainly, pulling out after I cummed inside her.

"What are you talking about?" She asked with a frown. I shook my head.

"Nothing at all, just go clean up." I got off her and dragged pants so I could put them on.

I picked up my phone and to do my little research on what I knew about women.

She went into the bathroom and came out of the closet in one of my shirts that looked like a dress on her. I watched as she picked up her comb from the vanity and began styling her disheveled hair.

"Ariana?" I called out to her.

"Yeah babe?" She answered, turning to glance at me before staring back at herself in the mirror.

"Are you pregnant?"

The comb reflexively dropped from her hand, while she stayed stiff in front of the mirror.

"What?" She asked trying to regain her composure. A bit too late, if you ask me.

"I asked you a question, answer me."

"Uhmmmm." She shifted on one foot to the other.

"Ariana, answer the damn question!" I found myself raising my voice a lot higher than I planned and she flinched.

"I wanted to tell you!" She bursted into tears. This time, I wasn't moved by her waterworks.

"You're pregnant?!"

I know I suspected it but I didn't actually expect it to be true. She slowly nodded, unable to meet my eyes.

My fingers shot into my hair before my palms rubbed over my face.

"Wow." I managed to breath out before gulping. "How far along are you?" I asked.

"About two months." She softly said, sounding like a weakened little mouse.

"And when did you find out?" I asked again and she whimpered.

"Ariana." I called out in warning.

"I found out a month ago." She hiccuped.

I needed to sit down for this one. A humorless chuckle eluded me as I sat on the bed with my arms crossed.

"So that day you fainted at work? It wasn't -quote unquote- stress?" I asked, making sarcastic air quotes with my fingers.

"Well technically, I was stressed out-" she tried being logical with me but I cut her short.

"But did you tell me what else the doctor said asides that?!"

"No. I didn't know how to." She wrung her fingers together as she sat in front of the vanity mirror.

"What do you mean? What sort of an excuse is that?!" I snapped.

"I was scared, okay?!" She yelled back.

"Scared of what?!"

"Of you, of this!" She gestured between me and her.

"I can't do this right now." I muttered, getting on my feet.

"Where are you going?"

I ignored her question, grabbed my phone and stormed out.

"Damien?" She called after me but I was long gone.

In brisk strides, I found myself downstairs, headed for the home gym, if I was going to let off some steam, I had to do it right.

I got on the treadmill and ran for as long as I could, shutting my mind away from everything else and only tuning into the music that pumped into my veins.

After a long period of working off the steam in the gym. I took a break, resting on the bench I laid to carry weights from.

I didn't know how to feel as I stared into the glass roof of the place. Anyone in my shoes would be so excited about becoming a parent but I just didn't know how to feel about this news.

What hurt more was the fact that she lied to me. She categorically told me that she was safe while we were back in Madrid and now two months after that, I just found out there's a bun in the oven? That's just so unfair. It was hundred percent possible that she tricked me into getting her pregnant. I felt played by my own wife!

By the time I got back upstairs, I saw that she had vacated the room. Something she usually did whenever we fought. I let her be cause I needed the space to think.

The rest of the day went by without us seeing or speaking to each other. The tension between us at dinner could be cut through with a knife, I was sure the rest of the family noticed but thought it best not to involve themselves.

It wasn't until late into the night while I was working my ass off in my home office that she came in without knocking.

"Damien, can we talk?" She asked, gradually taking a sit in front of me.

I stared at her glowing features for a few seconds before nodding my head. I leaned back on my seat, waiting for her to speak.

"I know you aren't happy about this and I absolutely understand-"

"No you don't understand." I cut her short.

"You won't even let me speak now?" She glared fiercely at me. I was unfazed by it.

"You lied to me Ariana and what's worse? You kept this a secret. For one whole month, you kept hiding the truth from me. If you could keep such a secret, how am I supposed to trust you as my wife?!" I poured my thoughts out.

"What did I lie about?" She asked confusedly.

"You lied about being safe. You got pregnant on purpose didn't you? You left the pills back here, knowing fully well I wouldn't let you buy pills from just anywhere. Are you happy now? Now that you've gotten what you wanted, are you satisfied?" I was really pissed so I spoke to her like I used to do when we first got married. I regretted it.

"What?!" She sounded appalled.

"Damien I promise you this wasn't planned." She said seriously.

"You promised you were safe." I pointed out.

"Yes, I've always wanted to be a mother but I wanted to talk to you about it first before trying to have a baby. I wouldn't take you unawares like that.''

"Yeah right." I scoffed disbelievingly.

She chuckled bitterly.

"You know what?" With the aid of her palms pressed firmly on the desk, she got on her feet.

"It's fine if you don't want the baby, I'll just leave and take of my child by myself."

She dropped the bombshell on me, startling me out of my skin.

Without waiting for a response she stormed out of the office, banging the door behind her.

"Did she just threaten me with a separation?" I dumbly asked myself.

****

Day two without speaking or sleeping next to my wife and it felt like I would die any minute. The silence was killing me. I couldn't hold it any longer.

I hopped on my feet and half ran to the room opposite mine. I barged in and met her sitting by the her window, staring into space. I walked over and went on my knees, startling her. She was so lost in thought, she didn't hear me come in.

"Damien? What are you-?"

"I'm sorry. Please don't leave me, I'd die if you go away." I pleaded, holding on to her waist as I rested my head on her thighs.

"Hold up. You're accepting the baby?" She asked.

"Of course I am. What choice do I have?" I said.

"I actually thought you'd tell me to terminate the pregnancy so we could continue with our lives peacefully."

I pulled away, utterly shocked that she'd think so low of me.

"Babe even when Aleena got pregnant for me, I did not tell her to get an abortion. Why you? The woman I'm married to and hopelessly in love with." I said trying to not sound offended.

"I'm sorry for asking that. And, you're right, I should have told you the truth from the beginning and I shouldn't have hidden the fact that I'm pregnant." She apologized.

"It's okay babe. Just promise me you won't hide stuff from me anymore. No more secrets?" I needed us to clarify that point.

"No more secrets." She concurred, raising her palm in promise.

"Speaking of secrets, why didn't you want to have children?" She asked before kissing me.

"What was that for?" I questioned hoping that would distract her from the question she had asked.

"I haven't kissed you in two days, that's enough reason isn't it?" She rolled her eyes. I chuckled.

"Now, don't dodge the question. Tell me." She said pulling me towards to bed so she could snuggle with me.

"I've always felt like I'd be an awful father." I confessed.

"But why?" She asked with concern lacing her tone.

"Well, that's because my father never really had time for us and though he was really affectionate, it pushed my mum into the arms of another man, wrecking our once beautiful home." I finally opened up.

"But babe, don't think about yourself like that. You're an amazing person and you're going to be a great dad. We're both in love with each other and we're going to try our very best to be the most amazing parents to our kids." She went all pep talky on me.

"You're going to be a great mom." I said, putting my palm on her belly. She grinned and kissed me again.

"And, who said anything about kids? After this one, no more okay?" I just had to make sure.

"Hmm okay..." She dragged.

"Irma."

"Okay fine!" She raised her hand in mock surrender, muttering something I couldn't decipher.

Alas, I was going to be a father. Sigh...