Setting down

(Mr. Mills)

Nobody suspected a thing when Phoenix called us into the room. As she had said, it was for entertainment purposes but I was shocked out of my bones when I saw the video clip, all the blood in my veins dried up and that was when I knew that it was all over. I had hung my head in shame couple with the side glances coming from the other guests in utter disgust.

Everything happened so fast and before I knew it, I was being beaten and while I was recovering from that episode, the cops were called on me. I wondered how the cops came in and took me away but whilst I was being dragged away, I took a look at Phoenix before leaving—her eyes held no emotions and I knew I was the cause of that.

Now, here I was, in jail awaiting trial and I wasn’t granted the permission to apply for bail. If I were to be tried and found guilty, I could be away for life or for 25 years; who knows!

(Sterling’s POV)

She hung up on me. I can’t believe that she hung up on me. How on earth was she expecting me to locate her? Was I to wait till she got back or something?

I paced up and down the living room—I was restless and all these thoughts weren’t helping either. What was I to do, track her down or let her come home on her own? But what if she was going to hurt herself? What if something happened to her? No, I can’t risk it. I called Denzel to let him know about the situation.

“Hey, man, I need your help ASAP,”

“What is it?”

“I can’t find her, I can’t find Phoenix,”

“Maybe she doesn’t want to be found, have you thought about that?”

“Yeah, maybe but I don’t want to risk it. I’d rather have her be angry with me than be angry at myself over something I could have prevented,”

“Okay, what do you want me to do?”

“Can you track her cell phone?”

“I can,”

“Okay, I need it,”

“Okay then, give me some minutes and I’ll call you back with her location,”

5 minutes later…

Five minutes later, Denzel called me back.

“Hey, Den, you got her location yet?”

“Yeah, I have but do you really want to do this?”

“You know I do; now, tell me where she is located so I can go get her. I’m already worried for her sake,”

“Bro, let me give you a piece of advice that I think you’re going to need,”

“Tsk, you thing; you aren’t even sure of it but spill it, what is it?”

“Look, I know you’re worried and all that but I think that Phoenix needs a little bit of space to get herself back together. What she did back at the house was quite something and you know it. You know, letting everyone know about your past, with the perpetrator of the act present; man, that takes a whole lot. I just think you should watch her from afar. As long as the indicator on the map is still moving and only stops randomly, then you know that she is safe but until then, wait till she calls you back. Right now, Phoenix doesn’t want to be found, she just needs her space and I want us to respect that, you get what I’m saying?”

“Yeah, I do,”

“Currently, she is at the amusement park,”

“Yeah, I can see that. Thank you, man; I’ll see you tomorrow,”

“Sure thing,”

Technically, Denzel was right. If she wanted to be found, she could have picked up after leaving so many missed calls. I just hope she doesn’t hurt herself. I walked towards the coach and sat on it—waiting. I waited for what seemed like hours and then I dozed off.

(Author’s POV)

At the amusement park, Phoenix just walked around the almost empty park in silence while taking a look at different stores that had different posters attached to it. She looked at it closely and then her mind wandered—she couldn’t believe it! Her dad was finally behind bars and awaiting trial. He deserved it or so she thought. Still in her daze, the security guard called out to her.

“Ma’am, it is late and we’re about closing up the premises. Please, kindly exit the park. Thank you,” the security guard said.

“Oh yeah, I am sorry; I will be out of your way in a minute,” Phoenix said, walking out of the park and getting into her car. She turned the ignition on and zoomed off. She looked at her wristwatch and it was just 8pm. She wondered ‘did amusement parks always close this early?’ Finally she went home, to her apartment. When she got in, she saw Sterling dozing off on the coach in an uncomfortable position. She sighed ‘what was she going to do with him and his over protectiveness. It was a miracle that he didn’t go after her when she dashed out of the house in a hurry’. She moved to him and hovered over him before waking him up.

“Sterling, Sterling, get up,” Phoenix shook him a little to get his attention. The way he pouted his face and made facial expressions was adorable and Phoenix couldn’t help but chuckle at his cuteness.

“Hmmmmm,” Sterling hummed, raising himself up and balancing it with his elbow while rubbing it on his eyes.

“Get up; your neck will hurt if you continue staying in that position. Come on, let us go up,” Phoenix said, trying to pull him up and out of nowhere, Sterling crushed her in a hug.

“I love you, don’t ever forget that. And I’m guessing that I’m not the only one that loves you, the whole squad does and they’ve got your back like never before. You won’t face him alone in court; you won’t have to face anything harsh again when I’m around. I will try my possible best to make sure that you are happy for the rest of your life,”

“I bet you will,”

Locked in a kiss, Sterling and Phoenix moved up to the bedroom and knew desire with hot sizzling sex.

(Phoenix POV)

As pregnant as I was, Sterling didn’t take it easy on me and I was pretty sure that the baby was going to have a dent in its head. I laughed at that thought. I turned to my side and looked at the Greek god beside me and smiled at my luck--- what on earth did I do to deserve him? My hands were itching to trace the outline of his features. Slowly, I reached my hands out and did just that. I ran my fingers over his jawline which were so sharp and slowly over his stubble which he was yet to shave and I loved it! His stormy grey eyes were to die for but it was closed so I couldn’t exactly drool over it but I could imagine it! My hands moved down to his hairy chest that tickled my fingers and down to his stunning toned abs and oh, the tempting V line that made my core wet in further anticipation. I licked my lips while my hands hovered over the duvet to pull it but then the little one thought it wise to grumble in hunger.

I sighed at the intrusion of privacy—this little bun and its invasion of my privacy.

“Hey, get up, we are running late for work,” I tapped him to wake him up but to my surprise, I saw him looking at me with those eyes that mesmerized me every time without failing.

“Are you done fulfilling your lust because I am most definitely turned on by it and it will be so hard for me to let it slide like that?”

“Tsk, stop being a pervert this early in the morning. Let’s go take a shower so I can make breakfast and eat it,”

“How about we just stay the day in and make plans for the vacation but before that, let’s talk about your 30 days wish and how I can grant them,”

“Oh, really”

I was excited about this because it meant that I get to live all my teenage years in a month and it sounded adventurous and I was born ready and oh the vacation that sounded like music to my ears. I jumped on the bed excitedly and couldn’t wait to get started.

“Yeah, so what do you want to know?”

“We’ve talked about the vacation before so we’ll just make further plans about it. Let us just talk about the 30 days wishes, let’s go!”

“About that, I’m going to list them all on a sheet of paper and give it to you before lunch,”

While talking about it, Sterling’s phone rang and he made a gesture at me which I understood perfectly well and gave him the go ahead to pick it up.

“Hello, who is on the line?”

“It’s me,”

“I’m not sure that that is a definite answer”

“Your father, Sterling,”

I watched the expression on Sterling’s face turn dark and I wondered who that was and what news he might have received to make his mood turn grim all of a sudden.

“Mr. Damian, what do you want?”

“Is it bad for a father to check up on his son?”

“I forbid you from saying that to me. You remember clearly what I said to you years ago, right?”

“Sterling, I thought you would have moved past that by now. I mean, it has been years and you know that I’m not the same man as I was back then,”

“I don’t want to hear this, cut to the chase, what do you want?”

“Well, I won’t stop trying to change your mind and impression about me but that aside, this year, BRIDGES INTL will be hosting the Business Gala and Award Night and the event is to be held in the next two weeks,”

“I see and what has that got to do with me?”

“I was wondering if you could make it to the event,”

“I will be there as long as I get an invite and not because you asked,”

“It is okay. As long as you’re coming, I’m okay with you. Sterling….”

“Bye,”

All through his conversation, I watched him and I was show that he didn’t exactly like who he was talking to and I couldn’t help but ask.

“Who was that? You don’t seem to like that person much,”

“Yeah, it is my so called father and you’re right, I don’t like him; I hate him,”

“Oh, then what was he calling you about?”

“The Gala,”

“I see and you’re going, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, I am and I’m not going because of him. I have been going to the event for years without caring if he was there or not,”