Chapter 72

"Uh… H-Hames…" I sat up straight, taking the phone from him. "Where did you see this from?"

"That's not important, just tell me what it's all about." The way his face had twisted into a dangerous frown was making my heart race faster.

"Uh… it's nothing important, can you just ignore it?"

"Ignore it? Ignore the fact that someone just sent a picture of you, my wife, kissing fucking Tyler?"

"That wasn't my fault. I gave him a hard slap that day."

"Then this should be another day," He yanked the phone out of my hand, clicking on another photo where Tyler and I were sitting on a bench, with my head on his chest and his arms around me. There was another photo of him placing a kiss on my forehead and many other photos of Tyler and I in other positions that might've been considered romantic.

"Who on Earth could have taken these photos?" I trembled, my head had started to throb. I thought it was all in the past and neither of us were going to see this anymore.

"I don't know, Imogen!" He barked. "All I need is an answer from you, what is this?"

"Listen, Hames… I… it… firstly, it… it was… I can explain… I…" oh no, why was I stammering?

"Don't stutter, tell me what's going on!" He angrily rose to his feet. "Why were you kissing Tyler? Why? What happened? When? Why were you with him?"

I tried to speak but my voice was stuck somewhere beneath my gut, I was thinking of how to put everything into one place.

"Is it after our marriage?" He asked and I nodded, resulting in a thundering growl from him. "Imogen," he was raising his voice and moving closer to me.

I turned my face away with my hands lifted as he raised his hand. I thought he was going to hit me but he instead raked his hair with his fingers.

My entire body was vibrating, my breath was experiencing a quivering effect and my hands were mostly doing the trembling.

"Imogen," he called in a gentle tone, sitting beside me and holding my hands. "My love, I'm sorry for yelling at you. You shouldn't be so scared in your condition." His face posed a hint of guilt. "Listen, my sweetheart, I promise you that I trust you and you know I can't bear to be mad at you. All I need is your explanation. I'm not mad at you. I trust you with my whole life, I know you didn't and can't cheat on me, right?"

I nodded.

"I'm mad at Tyler. I know this has something to do with him. He has feelings for you and he doesn't care that you're married to me. Did he force you? Did he hurt you? Did he threaten you? Please tell me!" His face became stern again.

I was still trembling from how scary he looked.

"Calm down. Do you need water?" He reached for the jug on the nightstand and poured me a glass of water. "Here, have this." He brushed my hair with his fingers.

I was relieved now but my hands hadn't stopped trembling so hele the glass of water for me while I drank it.

"Please give me an explanation," he gently rubbed my back.

After taking a few breaths, I was finally able to speak properly again. "Firstly, it was a month after you were in Dubai. I went on a walk and was missing you then he asked if we could go for lunch. I agreed because I was very hungry, convincing myself that it was not a date, just as friends—"

"That manwhore doesn't deserve to be anyone's friend, especially not someone as important and elegant as you." He returned the glass to the nightstand, clenching his fists.

"He kissed me then I slapped him across the face and left."

"He deserves that and more." He added angrily.

"Secondly," I gulped, "it was when I left the day I first saw Samantha, when I left you." I continued and his frown increased. "I know it was very stupid of me but I was really heartbroken and he was walking when he saw a woman crying on the bench. He gave me the embrace I needed at the moment and I was too weak to protest against it. I was letting my pain and emotions override what was right, I lost my mind, I didn't realize I wasn't supposed to be in the arms of a man that wasn't my husband, like that. I didn't even realize he kissed my forehead. I feel so terrible right now and I'm sorry."

His fists tightened, his palm seemed to be hurting from his fingernails excavating into it.

He furiously rose to his feet, turning towards the door.

I held him back with a furrowed forehead. "Where are you going? I said I'm sorry." My heart started racing again. There was no way he was going to leave me like I had left him.

"I'm not mad at you. Tyler needs someone to smack his head for his brain to function again. How dare he kiss and embrace the woman I call my wife?"

"Please calm down. I'm equally at fault here and I apologize."

"I'll make sure he pays, he'll receive the worst beating of his life till he goes into a coma."

"Hames, stop it. He won't do it again."

"Are you trying to cover up for him?"

"Of course not. Please sit." I added more effort to pull him back to sit beside me, holding his shoulders.

"If I don't go, I'll send hefty men to go over and break his bones, every one of his fucking bones!" He sounded so serious and that scared me even more.

"Calm down and do nothing. Think of the consequences of your actions; you might get arrested and I'll have to spend the rest of my life alone as a depressed single mother. Don't make such terrible mistakes, think first." I cupped his face.

"Do you know how my brain experienced dangerous sparks after seeing how he kissed you, touched you. He has no right to do that, you're mine." He held my waist.

"Why are you so obsessive?"

"I agreed that I'm obsessive and very possessive of you because I can't bear to live without. I can't stand you being with any other man, I can't even think of it, especially not that asshole, Tyler."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have seeked comfort in someone else's arms." I felt the need to apologize again, surprised that he wasn't mad at me.

"I should be mad at you but I'm not able to. It'll hurt me more to stay mad at you. How can Tyler have feelings for you? He should never cross paths with me ever again else I won't be able to control myself."

There was silence between us for a while till I was calm again and broke it, "You scared me."

"I'm very sorry. Please go to bed, I shouldn't have expressed anger in your presence." He hugged me. "I hope Tristan isn't mad at his daddy for yelling so much." He kissed my bump.

"I think he is." I smiled. "Never scare me like that again, I was going to pass out."

"I won't. I'm very sorry I did, it wasn't my intention to scare you, I'm just very mad at Tyler that he still wants a married woman." He showered tickling kisses on my face.

***

~ NIKITA ~

My palms felt sweaty as I waited in his living room, for Kade to return from wherever he went.

One of his maids strolled out of the kitchen with a tray of two cups of orange juice, handed one of the cups to me and dropped the tray on the center table.

I simply nodded, surprised at how familiar her face looked, like someone I knew in middle school.

She smiled at me then took her leave.

After a few minutes, Kade strolled down the stairs and sat on the sofa across the one I sat, taking the second glass.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting, I was talking to a very important person."

"Okay, no problem." I grinned. It felt like I was grinning too much so I quickly changed my facial expression to a very blank one.

"Do you have any information to pass across, like last time?"

"No."

"Oh, because I was kinda surprised to receive your message that night. By the way, you weren't present during Hames and Imogen's baby gender reveal party, I expected you to be there since you're her best friend." He took a sip of the drink.

Wow, he realized my absence, this made me internally do a happy dance.

"I had to attend to something urgent." I placed one of my legs over the other. He might probably notice how hot I looked and compliment me or fall head over heels for me, who knows?

"Has—" He was interrupted by a loud knock on the door, a very aggressive one. "Why is anyone knocking so aggressively when there's the presence of a doorbell?" He said to no one in particular.

In a jiffy, a maid ran out of a room to open the door.

"I was wondering if—"

I was cut off by the loud bark of a true bitch, "Kade!" If you guessed Jovi then you were totally right.

She stormed towards us with her hands tightened into balls.

What on Earth was she doing here? I thought they had broken up.

"Kade, I can't take this anymore. You have no right to break up with me, I'll scrape your skin off your body. I know it's only because of that useless…" she trailed off, scanning me from head to toe and gasped. "You!" That was a very sinister way to growl a word.

She ran to me and before I could do anything, she jumped on me, hitting me non-stop. "It's all your fucking fault, you bitch."

"Jovi!" He exclaimed, jumping to his feet and quickly pulled her away from me.

I ran to stand behind him as a wall of protection against her.

"Why? She's the reason we're separated, right? I love you and she has fed you with lies you easily believed." She stormed towards me again.

I could've pushed Kade aside, rolled my hair into a rough bun and pounced on her, making sure to break every bone in that goddamn body she possessed but I decided to go with the girly side, squeaking behind Kade while holding his shoulders. It was an opportunity to touch him and be this close to him.

"Stop, Jovi." He extended a hand behind himself to block Jovi from moving closer to me. "If you lay a finger on her again, you'll regret it for eternity. You're the only reason the crazy relationship ended, now leave before I lose my temper."

"Kade?" She frowned. "You're sending me because of her?"

"Yes, and if you ever try to lay a finger on her or anyone else around me that I love, I'll get you arrested, also for fraud. You and your stupid Rob will go down the drain."

Wow, he had just indirectly said he loved me by saying ‘...or anyone else he loved…’ A stream of happiness was flowing in me endless, I wanted to explode in ecstasy.

"Leave or I'll call the security to throw you out if you don't."

"You're sending me out of here because of this bag of trash?" She huffed.

"Bag of trash? You should really watch your words. Your attitude and everything about you is a big bag of trash. I'll repeat that you shouldn't ever try to harm anyone around me, Jovi. It's completely over between us and it's best if you get that into your head. Go back to your Rob, please." I poked my head towards his side "Security!" He exclaimed while my head was buried in his back.

I poked my head out for her to catch my smirk.

"Never mind, I'll leave on my own. Don't worry, I'll find someone else, richer than you."

***

~ LILA ~

I was done with my night routine then laid on the bed, switched the lights off and was about to lie on the bed when I felt something heavy drop behind me.

I flinched, turned around and my emergency hormones made me pick a glass cup from the bedside table, to smash it against a wall.

I heard a familiar groaning then a figure jumped to stand straight, the figure was very huge and my entire body almost melted in fear.

My heart pumped ten times faster. I attempted to run away and scream my lungs out but a masculine hand covered my mouth, dropping something on the nightstand and a strong arm wrapped around my waist, turning me to face him .

"It's me, Kade." He whispered, letting go of me.

Relief flooded my soul after that realization. "Are you out of your mind? I was scared to death." I sighed, switching the lights back on.

"Scared to death but you're still alive?" He chuckled.

"This isn't funny. How can you sneak into my bedroom so late at night? I could've had a panic attack and died." I know… exaggeration. "What if I wasn't wearing clothes?"

He smirked. "I'm sorry but I couldn't hold it in anymore. My mind was traveling to different thoughts, all related to you, I was unable to sleep,"

"Why? And is there anything so important you'd love to tell me that you couldn't wait till tomorrow." I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, it's very important to let you know tonight before it's too late…" he was making me grow curious to hear what he had to say. "Lila Austin, I love you." Did I just hear him well?

"Uh?" I asked with widened eyes.

"Yes, I do. I know it's such a short while and…" he held my hands, "... we're still getting along but I also know I've never felt this way for another woman, not even Jovi." He frowned while calling her name. "I've been having sleepless nights and have been scared of maybe losing you to someone else. I know you have a bit of feelings for me, will you be my girlfriend?" He picked a bouquet of roses from the nightstand he had dropped it on earlier.

My eyes widened and my internals were dancing with joy.

"Please give me a response. Like your Mom said, you aren't getting any younger and so am I. I'll be 28 soon and I want to get married before I'm 30."

I wasn't expecting this at all so I was clearly still in a state of shock.

"Your silence is scaring me so much. Will you make this relationship official by being my girlfriend tonight?"

A broad smile graced my face. "Yes, I will." I nodded, accepting the roses from him and pulled him into a big hug.

This was like a dream come true for me. I was finally going to have a boyfriend that was a sweetheart, calm, hot, just the type of man I loved, and someone I had feelings for, someone that made sleeping so hard for me.

"Thank you so much. Your response has made me the happiest man today. I promise to be the best boyfriend to you, I'll make sure you never regret any day of our relationship. Thank you so much. I'm certain with my whole life that I love you so much." He pulled apart from the hug, wiping the tears of joy that rolled from my face.

He crashed his lips against mine with his hand on my waist and the other holding the back of my head.

My entire body just got what it needed since my birth, the magic in his wonderful kiss. I couldn't believe it was finally happening.

His lips tasted like joy, sweetness and the greatest gift in my life, growing more passionate till he finally ended it. I definitely didn't want it to end but it had to.

"Thank you so much, babe. I'll see you at work tomorrow." He winked. "Great thing, we now share an office room, I'll see more of you." He pecked my lips again before climbing the window. I watched him as he found his way back to the ground, waved at him then he took his leave.

I shut the window and did my victory dance. I now have a boyfriend that loves me genuinely. This was the greatest news of my life, I couldn't wait to share this with Imogen and Mom.