21 | mend loss

AVELINA WAS HEADING back to New York. Her due date was approaching, and with every passing second, her nerves pricked and pried at her.

Adrik had to leave a little earlier than Avelina due to work and his hair appointment, so Avelina was left in the very long car ride with her ex-kidnapper and Natasha... just great.

"I'm so excited to finally see the baby!" Natasha cheered.

Throughout the week of being forced to spend time with Natasha, Avelina would find herself easily falling into conversation with her. She was easy to talk to, and never shared judgment. Of course, it was so easy to get along with her—she was someone Avelina hoped to befriend.

Just as soon as Avelina let herself go for a simple conversation such as the weather, she would lock herself back again, putting up a tall, brick wall to keep the distance.

She never wanted to forget the hurt she went through, and it all began with Natasha. The reason why her brother was batshit crazy, why she couldn't be with Adrik, and why she was depressed for months only to find out that the only friend she made other than Miss Paola was lying to her.

Natasha murdered her grandmother, and no matter how kind Natasha may have seemed, there was no way Avelina could ever forgive her.

"Oh, I just love babies! I'm going to spoil my little niece or nephew," Natasha gushed.

Another thing that was just sitting on the tip of her tongue, just ready to come out was the fact that Natasha could come in and be a part of the baby's life in ever way. However, if Vincent were to make the same proposition, he would be met with resistance. It didn't seem fair—especially since Vincent hadn't murdered anyone in their close family unlike Natasha.

Avelina sighed. Maybe she was thinking harder than she needed to. Her hormones always made her go through a whirlpool of emotions every single day. One moment, she was angry, and the next, she was as happy as she could be.

"Yeah," Avelina muttered.

She was glaring at the driver, hoping he could feel her murderous gaze. Occasionally, he would glance at her with a raised brow.

"What?" he questioned.

"Oh, nothing other than looking at the coward that kidnapped me," Avelina answered while never easing her glare.

"Whatever," he scoffed.

Just then, Natasha's phone began to ring. She didn't hesitate to answer it and press it up to her ear. Despite not having it to speak, Avelina was able to hear almost every word coming from the person on the other line.

"I know where you are," it said. Chills and goosebumps danced on her skin as the hairs on her arms down to her legs stood.

"Who is this?" Natasha asked. She put her phone on speaking just after tapping my kiddnapper.

There was laughter on the other line. "You know exactly who this is," the voice stated.

Suddenly, realization dawned upon her face. "Camilla," Natasha whispered.

Avelina tried to rack her brain on a quest to figure out who exactly Camilla was. The driver didn't seem to recognize whoever the girl was either because he looked just as confused as Avelina.

"Just after I end this call, I will be pressing send to immediately notify Vincent of where he can find his pregnant sister... as well as you, of course," she giggled into the phone like a maniac.

"What do you want?" Natasha asked her.

"You kno, maybe he already knows. You shouldn't trust people so quickly. Goodbye," Camilla said into the phone just before hanging up. Natasha just rolled her eyes like it was nothing.

"What does she—Oh!" Avelina palmed her lower stomach as she grimaced.

"What's wrong?" Natasha asked panickingly. She had her phone in her hand, but her full attention was on me.

"Nothing but a cramp. It's probably just the baby moving around," Avelina breathed.

The moment Natasha saw that Avelina was in the clear, she went back to typing away on her phone. It looked as though she were on a mission. Whoever she was texting was receiving a very lengthy message, and based on how the response came in just a second... Avelina knew it had to be Adrik. He was the only one who could read so much that fast.

Suddenly, she felt another sharp pain in her stomach. She tried to shift her position in the seat, but nothing could aid the pain she felt deep in her belly. The pain began to settle on her back, stretching as far as her legs. She was grimacing in discomfort despite how hard she tried to conceal it.

She seemed to grasp both Natasha and the driver's attention as she let out a groan of pain.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Natasha asked.

"I-I don't know. I think I'm car sick. I just need to breathe," Avelina explained. She leaned back in the seat to rest her back, trying to put an end to the cramping sensation nestling there.

"Just park the car," Natasha ordered.

The driver pulled into an abandoned parking lot, and Natasha didn't waste a second running to Avelina's side. She opened the door and helped her out of the vehicle.

"We really can't stop! Not with a threat lingering in the air!" the ex-kidnapper pointed out. He was talking to Natasha, and even though he tried his best to conceal any worry, it was written all over his face.

"Just for a second," Natasha said.

Avelina took a deep breath, and just as she did, something popped. She could feel a wetness constantly leaking from her most intimate part. Natasha's eyes widened as she took in the liquid climbing down Avelina's leg. It was subtle like as if she peed herself just a little, but Avelina knew it was not pee.

"Avelina..." Natasha began.

"I think my water just broke. We have to get to a hospital!" Avelina exclaimed.

"Fuck!" the driver banged the steering wheel. "This is just fucking terrific! Vincent might be coming, Mr. Zolotov is in New York waiting for his god damn baby mama, and we are in the middle of nowhere!"

It was only then that Avelina took in the sight of her surroundings. It was nothing that she was used to. Trees surrounded them as well as old signs that one would find right outside a small town. They were all beat up, dingy, and smothered in bird feces.

"Just shut up and find a hospital!" Natasha yelled at him. The moment she brought her attention back to Avelina, her eyes softened as she placed a hand over her head.

"Avelina, just lay back in the back seat while we get everything situated," Natasha said. Avelina got back in the car where she laid out in the backseat just like Natasha suggested. It made her cramps only feel slightly better but it wasn't anything to brag about.

Natasha pulled out her phone and immediately dialed a number. It didn't take long for an answer.

"Avelina's water may have just broken so we're taking her to the hospital," Natasha said. Avelina watched her panicked expression. It wasn't how anyone planned the trip to go.

"I will be there shortly. What hospital will you be receiving services from?" Adrik asked. At the sound of Adrik's voice, Avelina's heart skipped a beat. She missed him despite having last seen him only a few hours ago.

"Not sure yet. I'll give you a call the moment we arrive," Natasha said. Avelina had to really listen in order to hear him. Luckily for her, Natasha had her volume all the way up.

"Okay," Adrik said just before hanging up the phone. Natasha jumped into the car, and the ex-kidnapper immediately pulled off down the road. She had to sit with Avelina's head resting in her lap.

The cramps were steadily increasing.

"Do you know where you're going?" Natasha asked the driver. He only gave her a glance in the rearview mirror before giving the road his undivided attention.

Natasha rolled her eyes and began to soothingly rub Avelina's scalp as he drove. There was so much pressure in her lower belly. It felt strange because she could feel her baby moving around in her stomach.

"It's gonna be okay," Natasha soothed.

"You have to call Miss Paola, you must! I don't want to have this baby without her," Avelina said. She knew that she wouldn't hear the end of it. Miss Paola would simply hate her forever.

"I don't have her number... do you happen to have it?" Natasha asked.

"No," Avelina whispered sadly. "Ask Adrik. I'm sure he knows it."

Natasha began typing on her phone again. Once she finished, she looked over outside just as her brows pulled together.

"Wherever you're going, you better make sure you tell Adrik," Natasha demanded.

The driver laughed, and the laughter made me freeze.

"I'm not taking you to Adrik. You're going to Vincent."