Chapter 63&64
Fiona watched Neo intently as he ate his lunch, the atmosphere between them tinged with an unspoken tension. They had decided to have lunch together today, but Fiona couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that gnawed at her.
“Neo,” she called out, drawing his attention away from his meal. He raised his head, his gaze meeting hers as he awaited her words.
“I have something to say,” she began, her voice tinged with a mixture of apprehension and concern.
“Okay, I’m all ears,” Neo replied, his tone encouraging.
Fiona took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she was about to reveal.
“You didn’t tell me that you and Beatrix dated,” she finally blurted out, her words hanging heavy in the air between them.
Neo’s expression remained unreadable as he processed her revelation, his silence speaking volumes.
“You should have at least told me. She’s my best friend’s sister, and she’s also my friend,” Fiona continued, her frustration evident in her tone.
“I thought they would have told you already,” Neo replied after a moment’s pause, his voice tinged with defensiveness.
“Well, they didn’t. But you should have still told me,” Fiona insisted, her tone firm.
“Okay, fine. We dated, and we’re not dating anymore,” Neo finally admitted, his words echoing in the quiet of the room.
“Would you have liked it if Rome dated your ex?” Fiona questioned, her gaze probing as she awaited Neo’s response, her own fork forgotten in her hand.
“No,” Neo replied firmly, meeting her gaze without hesitation.
Fiona studied him for a moment, her thoughts swirling in her mind before she finally spoke again, her voice tinged with regret.
“I don’t think…,” she began, pausing briefly before sighing deeply. “I don’t think we should continue seeing each other,” she admitted, her words hanging heavy in the air between them.
“Wait, what?” Neo exclaimed, his disbelief evident as he processed her sudden declaration.
“I really do like you, but… we can’t,” Fiona explained, her expression reflecting the turmoil within her.
“Seriously, so we can’t see each other because of her?” Neo questioned, his tone a mix of frustration and disappointment as he struggled to comprehend her decision. She nodded looking at him.
“Okay…” he trailed off, his words heavy with resignation as he rose from his chair, his heart weighed down by the turn of events.
“We can still be friends, right?” Fiona asked tentatively, her eyes searching his for reassurance.
“Of course,” Neo replied, forcing a small smile despite the ache in his chest, before turning and walking away. Deep down, he couldn’t shake the sense of hurt and betrayal that gnawed at him, leaving him to grapple with the fallout of their conversation.
~~
🖤PHOENIX 🖤
“Stop doing that,” I protested, trying to squirm away as Rome peppered kisses along my neck.
“Why?” he asked, a mischievous smile playing on his lips as he looked at me.
“We’re going to be late for the doctor’s appointment,” I reminded him, prompting a groan of annoyance from Rome.
Who would’ve thought that Rome, the epitome of seriousness, could also act like a big baby? Beneath his stoic exterior, he harbored a softer side that only those closest to him knew.
“Which dress should I wear? This one or this one?” I asked, holding up two options—a black and red gown—for his opinion.
“Any dress looks stunning on you,” he replied smoothly, earning an eye roll from me in response.
“I’ll just go with the black one,” I decided, dropping it onto the bed.
“You go get dressed,” I instructed, attempting to nudge him out of my room.
“We both know I’ll beat you downstairs even if you start getting dressed before me,” he teased, resisting my attempts to push him out.
“Well, at least I’m not carrying a big baby inside of me,” I quipped, nudging Rome to coax him out of my room.
“I think I know the real reason you want me out of your room ASAP,” he teased, his smile infectious. I couldn’t help but smile back before rolling my eyes.
“I want to see,” he insisted, a smirk playing on his lips.
“Pervert,” I muttered under my breath, earning a chuckle from him in response.
“Get out,” I playfully demanded, giving him a gentle push.
“Fine, fine,” he relented, raising his hands in mock surrender.
“I’ll go. Don’t be so aggressive, woman,” he teased, leaning in to give me a light peck on the lips.
“You’re so hard to convince,” I teased back, unable to suppress a laugh as he chuckled in response.
“See you later,” Rome said with a wink before sauntering out of the room.
I couldn’t help but smile to myself as I watched him leave, feeling a warmth spread through me at his playful gesture. Turning my attention back to the black dress in my hands, I made my way over to the mirror to get dressed.
But as I stood before the mirror, admiring the dress, I suddenly felt arms wrap around me from behind, pulling me into a gentle embrace. Looking up at the reflection, I saw Rome standing behind me, his smile mirrored in the glass.
“What…?” I began, a smile tugging at my lips as I leaned into his embrace.
“Don’t we look so perfect together?” he murmured, his voice soft yet filled with warmth. My heart fluttered at his words, his affectionate gesture sending a rush of emotion through me.
Rome hadn’t explicitly told me he liked me, but his actions spoke volumes.
“Mm,” I murmured in agreement, reaching up to caress his head as we gazed at our reflection in the mirror.
“You’ll look beautiful in this dress,” he whispered, planting a soft kiss on my neck, sending a shiver down my spine.
“Seriously?” I asked, scrutinizing the dress in my hands.
“Yeah,” Rome affirmed, planting another tender kiss on my neck. It seemed neck kisses were one of his favorite things.
“I’ll go now. I don’t want us to miss the appointment,” he said, breaking away from our embrace. He gave me a quick peck on the lips before heading out of the room.
Smiling to myself, I turned back to the mirror and began to get dressed.
—
At the hospital, we were greeted by Doctor Phil. We followed him into the examination room where he checked on my health as usual and performed an ultrasound. Rome always loved seeing our baby on the ultrasound screen, and so did I.
“Everything looks perfect,” Doctor Phil announced, a smile lighting up his face as he glanced between us.
“Now, onto the question I’ve been wanting to ask,” he continued, his gaze shifting between Rome and me.
“She’ll be due in a month and a half,” Doctor Phil stated, to which Rome and I both nodded in understanding.
“Regarding what we discussed the other day, for a safe delivery,” Doctor Phil reminded us, prompting a sudden rush of anxiety within me as I recalled our conversation.
“Oh…” Rome mouthed, turning to look at me with a mixture of concern and anticipation.
“It’s her choice, because me, I’m all for it,” Rome interjected, his words taking me by surprise and causing me to gasp softly in response.
“Okay, good,” Doctor Phil said, his smile widening at Rome’s response.
“I hope by the next time we meet, your decision will have changed,” Doctor Phil added, still smiling as he addressed us both.
~~
The atmosphere in the car was tense, my mind consumed by Rome’s words from our visit to the hospital.
“Should we get some ice cream?” Rome broke the silence, attempting to lighten the mood.
“No,” I replied curtly, my gaze fixed on the passing scenery outside. I knew he must be wondering why I said No to Ice-cream.
“Okay,” he conceded, sensing my reluctance.
Finally, we arrived home, and without a word, I hurried to my room.
Sitting on the edge of my bed, I hesitated before slowly unbuttoning my shirt, revealing my swollen stomach and the stretch marks that adorned it. I couldn’t help but wonder if Rome would still find me attractive with these changes in my body.
Just then, the door creaked open, and Rome stepped into the room, catching me off guard. Quickly, I covered my stomach, feeling self-conscious under his gaze.
He looked at me for a moment before approaching, a glass of juice in his hand.
“I came to give you this,” he said softly, extending the glass towards me.
I smiled gratefully, accepting the offering and taking a sip.
“If you don’t want to go through with it, we can find another way,” he offered, his concern evident in his voice. I paused, setting down the glass and meeting his gaze.
“No, no, I do want to,” I assured him, though my tone betrayed a hint of sadness.
“Seriously?” he asked, his hopes rising at my affirmation.
“Yeah,” I replied, my voice heavy with emotion.
I felt him move closer, his hands gently cupping my face as he knelt before me.
“What’s wrong?” he asked softly, his touch comforting.
“Nothing,” I insisted, but he didn’t seem convinced, his gaze searching mine for answers.
“I know something’s bothering you,” he said gently, his unwavering support giving me the courage to open up to him.
“I don’t know,” I choked out between sobs, feeling overwhelmed by my emotions.
Rome immediately pulled me into a comforting hug, his hand gently patting my back in an effort to soothe me.
“Sorry,” he murmured softly, his words only serving to intensify my feelings of guilt.
“I-I don’t think you would like my body at all,” I finally confessed, my tears flowing freely now as I voiced my insecurities.
Rome withdrew from the hug, his eyes searching mine with genuine concern.
“Says who?” he asked, his tone firm yet filled with warmth.
“I have stretch marks now, and I don’t feel like myself anymore,” I admitted, my tears continuing to stream down my cheeks.
He hesitated for a moment before gently lifting my chin to meet his gaze.
“You don’t get to choose for me, okay? I like you just the way you are, even if you weighed 300 pounds. I don’t care,” he reassured me, his words striking a chord deep within my heart. I couldn’t help but cry even harder at his words, overwhelmed by his unwavering love and acceptance.
“Did I say something wrong?” he asked, his voice tinged with panic.
“No, no,” I managed to choke out, reaching out to envelop him in a tight hug.
“Don’t cry,” he whispered, his hand tenderly stroking my hair as I wept, finally finding solace in his embrace.
“I feel so lucky to have you,” I whispered, my voice barely above a whisper as I gazed up at him, my heart overflowing with gratitude.
“No, I’m the lucky one,” he insisted, his words filled with sincerity as he leaned in to place a gentle kiss on my lips.
As our kiss deepened, all of my worries and insecurities faded away, all that could be felt was the ache between my legs.
To be continued…