Dawn POV
“Do you think this is gonna work?” I asked for the tenth time. My heart thumped with anxiety as I handed the phone back to Mia.
“C’mon,” Mia grinned. “We have to make it work. It’d be bad if you refuse to show up tomorrow.”
Oh yeah! It will be bad.
Ethan has hesitated earlier as though he’s doubting me. I won’t blame him if he does though.
I grinned widely. The thought of seeing Ethan again made me giddy with happiness, and at the same time, I could not help but be nervous about his answer to my pregnancy.
“Are you excited?” Mia held my hand.
“Hmm,” I nodded. “And nervous.”
“It’s going to be well.” She gave me an assuring smile.
Perhaps, that smile is all I needed to ease my tension and break free from my nervousness.
“Think positive, will you? It’s going to be well.”
I hope so. I sincerely hope so.
I rubbed my stomach, which was still as flat as it was when I’m not pregnant.
But wait! What if.. what if I’m not pregnant? I had not done a real test.
“What?”
“Could that pregnancy strip malfunction?”
Mia chuckled. She flicked my forehead with her finger and I moaned out in pain.
“Hey!” I hissed, rubbing my temple. “What was that for?”
“For thinking you’re not pregnant when you’ve been acting all strange, weird, and eating even the food you most hated!” She rolled her eyes.
I shrugged. “Perhaps my preference changed”
“If I were you, I wouldn’t think like that. You sure are pregnant, it’s true, baby. You’re not imagining it.”
“Oh sweetie,” I sniffed, tears rolling down my eyes. “You’re such a darling, Mia.”
“Again? No!” Mia clapped her hand over my mouth. “Now look at what I’m saying. You’re crying again.”
I grinned.
“You’re so sweet.”
“Yeah I know,” she rolled her eyes. “Sweeter than your Ethan.”
I tutted loudly, throwing her a playful glare.
“Not even close.”
Mia chuckled, keeping her phone back inside her bag.
“I should have known when you’re glowing and that. Who knows you’d be having sex.”
“Now Mia, shut up!” I gritted out.
Mia has been taunting me ever since the news of my pregnancy. Saying how a pure saint like me disappointed her.
As if she’s any different.
“I never think you’d need my advice to get a boyfriend…”
“And have a wild sex with him” I groaned. “Now shut up, you’re dirtying my mind.”
“As if!” She tutted.
We both head out of the general restroom to the living room.
Beat me! My Dad’s guard hasn’t been wise enough to give Mia her phone when she’s totally out of the mansion. They’d given it to her as soon as she stepped out of my room.
Unfortunate for them, but fortunate for me for I had used my chance.
I grinned inwardly; if they think they’d overpowered me, I had outsmarted them
“Going already, Mia?” Henry lifted his gaze from the phone he was pressing.
“You get something of yours with her?” I scowled.
“I wasn’t talking to you.” He replied. A scowl.
“As if…”
Mia nudged me hard in the rib, stopping me from saying anything else. I glared at Henry who merely shrugged like a slug in the mud.
Tch! That git!
“Er.. so,” Mia began, turning to face Dad who’s been sitting on the opposite sofa all along, pretending that we’re not even there. “So, I was thinking of going shopping with Dawn. You see…”
Dad snapped his gaze up, causing Mia to flinch, and released a low gasp.
Oh right! He’s not only mean to me but to my friend too. Great! Just great!
“No, the guards can follow us. I’m not trying to help her escape. Of course,” Mia painted her face with a wide fake grin. “Not now that her wedding is only a month away.”
Dad mouthed tonelessly, her brows slightly raised as though debating with his inner demon on Mia’s word.
God! Let him agree.
I crossed my fingers, my breath ceased, and my eyes stared daringly at Dad.
I tried so hard to comport myself and stop myself from shaking to sprout any suspicions.
Dad moved his eyes too quickly from Mia to me, surveying me sternly as though trying to read through me.
I maintained my gaze, not flickering or even moving my smallest finger.
My future depends on this. My entire life fucking depends on this.
“I just miss her, you see.” Mia chuckled lightly.
“Fine!”
A sudden warmth swept through me, the kind of which swept me when I first got to know that I am pregnant.
He just says fine! He fucking agreed, did he?
“But the guards will be following you.”
“Of course,” Mia grinned. I can feel her excitement and her nervousness too. “We’re perfectly okay with that.”
“Alright then.” He tore his gaze away from us and settled it back on the TV.
Mentally, I punched the air. My whole body shook with excitement.
I did it! The guards will be easy to handle of course.
When I get out of the damn house, no one is ever going to stop me from seeing Ethan.
“Then,” Mia croaked. “I… I will be going.”
Mia gave me a brief hug and then flashed me a toothy grin before she sauntered out of the room.
“Well then, I’ll be up in my room,” I called out after seeing Mia’s hair vanish from sight.
I have nothing to do here anywhere. No one to talk to.
I ran upstairs, skipping the stairs two at a time.
I’ll be meeting him tomorrow. I’ll tell him about our baby.
Happily, I plopped down on the bed, spreading my legs and my arms widely, my eyes settling on the blurry white ceiling, and my lips plastered in a big wide smile.
“You did it!” I mouthed. “Dawn, you fucking did it bitch!”
“You want to keep your voice down, Dawn!”
I sprang up, my hair sweeping down my face on hearing the familiar voice. The shuffling of feet followed the cool manly voice, and Henry’s cologne wafted through my nose.
“What?” I whirled to face him. “What are you doing here?”
Henry sat on my reading chair, crossing his legs. He leaned forward, his lips curving in a lopsided smirk.
“You want to be careful”
“What?” I glared.
Damn! He could not have known what was going through my head now, would he?
“I heard it.” He sighed. “Ethan. Meeting. At 5star Mall.”
I gasped. No! He didn’t.
I shook my head, tears already brimming in my eyes.
I thought I’d outsmart them. I thought I had.
“Next time you want to make such a call, can you be more careful, please?”
I clapped my hand over my mouth, eyes widened, for a thought had just run through my already clouded mind.
What else did he hear?
“What?” Henry scowled.
“What… what else did you hear?”
“Is there anything else you’re planning to do except meeting with that asshole?” He raised his brows.
“Mind your language, asshole!” I frowned.
Henry chuckled, he unfolded his arms and leaned back.
“Dad is warning them to be sterner with you,” he sighed. “It’d be hard to get away from tons of them, you know.”
“I’m not getting away!” I snapped. “Just wanna meet him.”
“You think they’d let you?” He scoffed. “Ah! Gosh! You’re unbelievable.”
I rolled my eyes. Why won’t they let me, huh? Not like I’m planning to elope with me, I just wanna meet to tell him something.
“Grandpa warned them strictly not to allow any man near you. Oh no, please, tell me how you’d meet him if he’s still a man.”
“But he can’t turn to a girl!” I hissed.
What’s wrong with Dad? Not to let any man near me.
Oh! I should have realized when she gave in easily.
Persuading him was easier than I thought.
Ugh! Is that what he’s up to?
“And he especially warned them about that asshole.”
“Stop calling him that, asshole!”
“But you can call me that?” He sneered. “Gosh! You’re unbelievable.”
Tilting his head forward, Henry let a smirk gracing his lips. “But, there’s a way you both can meet.”
“How!” I leaned forward, my excitement taking the best of me. Eyes glinting with happiness and expectation. “How?”
“Without them knowing,” he said. “You’d have to disguise yourself”
“Disguise me?” I raised a brow, eyes boring into my brother’s as though trying to read through his eyes to get the damn he’s talking about.
“Yeah.” He nodded.
But I’m not getting it. With my brows still raised, I shook my head.
“Gosh!” Henry flicked my forehead lightly. “I can’t believe you’re my sister.”
“Am I too dumb?”
“Too much for my liking! ” He grinned.
I scoffed. “Look who’s talking.”
“Listen!” He began. “You really can’t get away from their sight if you dress the same as when you left the house. You have to put on a disguise to get away from them.”
I frowned. Disguise? Disguise?
“Ahhh!” I muttered as realization dawned on me. I should have known. Why do I think they’d willingly let me go just because I said I wanted to talk to him?
I’d be damned if they actually did.
I grinned, ruffling Henry’s hair roughly, earning a loud smack on my arm.
“Get that away!” He snapped. “I’m not a dog!”
“You’re so cute,” I pouted.
Henry chuckled. Stylishly, he brushed his hair back. “And handsome.”
And here came the egoistic Henry.
I tutted and turned away from him when a sudden thought crossed my mind.
I faced him again.
“Why?” I asked, staring at him blankly. “Why are you doing this?”
“What?”
“Helping me?” I mouthed. “Why?”
“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “Maybe just because. Is it not a good thing?”
“You’re not planning to rat me out, are you?”
Henry huffed. He flicked my forehead again and I growled at him.
“That hurts!” I moaned
“That’s how much it hurts when you think of me like that!” He rolled his eyes, but he looked a bit mad. “I’m not gonna rat you. What do you think I am? A two faced bitch?”
I chuckled. Now, my brother looks like a high school girl who’s just gotten rejected by her crush.
I stood to pull him to myself, dipping my hand in his hair. “I’m sorry,” I mouthed. “Don’t make me feel too bad and say something.”
“You’re stupid,” he grinned.”And I love you, Dawn. And don’t dare think I’ll ever rat you out again.”
“I love you too, Henry.”