Until I Met You

|•GRAY•|

I still can’t believe what I’m seeing. I battled death for over six months and when I finally won , I decided to check on the one girl who makes me happy and she’s pregnant. Like fully pregnant. How can she do that?

” You’re pregnant?” I ask her.

She stares at me like I’m a ghost and I can’t fight back the anger that I had to come check on her the moment I was okay and she’s pregnant. Who the fuck got her pregnant? Cage? Or maybe some dimwit.

” Who the fuck got you pregnant?”

” You’re serious?” She asks me. It hurts me that she’s barely concerned about my reaction to finding her pregnant after waking up from a six months coma.

” Ariel, who got you pregnant?” I ask her.

” I’m sorry.” She simply states.

” You’re sorry? Ariel you’re pregnant and you’re saying you’re sorry. I was in a coma for over six months and I finally came back and you’re expecting a baby. Who the fuck got you pregnant?”

” Gray, can you please keep it down? That’s not how to make a proper welcome back speech. And yes, I’m pregnant since you’re so vexed up.” She says.

I look down at her and her nightdress. She still looks beautiful, but that baby bump is making me angry. Who did she date?

” So you moved on? You couldn’t wait? And you were so fast to get pregnant. Who’s the asshole?”

” You’re that asshole.” She says through clench teeth as she walks out of her bedroom in anger.

I am that asshole. What’s that supposed to mean?

” Ariel.” I call after her and follow her out of the room. She is in the kitchen with a glass of water in her hand as she drinks it.

” You know you can’t change right?” She says and looks at me.” You got me pregnant since you care so much about who the fuck got me pregnant. Six freaking months, and you returned like that getting annoyed about a baby. Our baby.”

What!

What the fuck is she saying?

I got her pregnant?

How come I didn’t know about it?

Why didn’t she tell me?

I’m gonna be a Daddy?

Shit!

” What are you saying?” I ask her as she walks to my form and stops in front of me. She’s still short with her head barely reaching my chin. I thought that was gonna change in six months. I’m just being a dick.

She pokes my chest with anger.” You are still an asshole. We had sex Gray. At your mom’s yacht party , I didn’t use any pills, you didn’t even use a condom.” She points to her belly.” And this is the outcome of that.” She says and walks back to the counter to drink her water.

” Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask her.

” Maybe because I was scared. I wasn’t prepared for this. I didn’t want a baby and I got it. You told me at that party that you weren’t ready to be a father either. I bought pills to get rid of it…”

” Why would you do that?”

” You’re serious?” She asks and looks up at me in disbelief. ” Gray, you weren’t ready. Plus your Mafia stupid fights. I wanted to go to school and probably graduate and you… you don’t even want it. Why should I not get rid of it?”

I sigh and run my fingers through my hair. Fucking hell! I’m gonna be a dad? I didn’t see that coming. She looks at me with teary eyes and looks away. I hate the fact that I had to make her cry. I stand behind her and wrap my arms around her waist.

“I’m really sorry.” I whisper to her neck. She shudders against my touch and I smirk against her neck.

” You know, even if you told me earlier, I wouldn’t have asked you to get rid of it. It’s our baby and we made it together.” I say and she scoffs.

I pull away from her, turn her around, and sit her on the counter. I look down at her stomach, and I hate to admit it I’m still in shock. I trail my forefinger down her stomach. It’s real , I’m gonna be a dad. A really bad dad cause I suck at it.

” What happened to you? I feared that you were never gonna come back.”

She trails her finger down my chin and to my hair.

” Can’t believe you’re real.” She mutters and smiles.” I lost hope even if I was always praying and looking at that promise ring that you gave me.”

” I can’t break a promise.” I say and sigh.

” What happened?” She asks.

” I was in a coma. Woke up four days ago in some weird hospital. Some good man took me there. He said he didn’t know how to contact my family or anybody at all.”

” You went missing at the shootout.”

” I bled out, tried to cough for breath but I don’t know. I called the emergency team that day. Woke up later and I’m in the hospital.”

” Where did he take you?” She asks.

That I don’t even know. I remembered I try to make a chase at those Russian pricks and the next thing I’m collapsing. And six months later, I’m awake in a hospital with bandages everywhere and then I decide to come see my girl, she’s pregnant.

” I tried to run after them.”

” Were you wearing a bulletproof vest?”

I scoff. I hate that shit.” No.”

” Oh my God…” she sobs.

” Come here.” I wrap my arms around her to hug her carefully. Still can’t believe we’re expecting a baby.

” Thank God you’re okay. I thought I was never gonna see you again.”

I chuckle and she swats my back.” It’s not funny. Nick’s dead , including Carl.” She says and i pull away at once.

” What?”

She nods.” They died at the scene of the shootout. Carl was shot multiple times at wrong places and Nick, he was trying to save me. He took the bullet for me.”

” Fuck.” I cuss.

” And Reid too was shot but he’s fine.”

And Moskov?

Where the fuck is he?

” And that retarded fuck?”

” You swear too much.” She says and flicks my lips. That hurts a little.

” Where’s Moskov, Tink?

” Wow. It’s been a long I heard that name. Tinkerbell. I missed it. A lot.”

Why’s she avoiding my question?

Where’s the Russian fucker?

I can’t believe they took out Nick and Carl. He was one of the best recruits I ever had.

” I killed Moskov.”

What the fuck is she saying?

Is this some new joke of the century?

Or maybe I’ve been in a coma for more than seven years and this is the newest joke people say. She doesn’t smile, nor frown as she stares blankly at me.

No , she didn’t do that, right?

” You killed Moskov?”

” I get it. If I were in your shoes I would have doubted also. I did, with the help of your men. We barged into their warehouse club in Buffalo and took over. And that’s after me and Alexa impersonated two strippers who works with the Mafia and make Alejandro, Moskov’s right hand to spill out Moskov’s hideout.” She says and smiles. ” You can thank me later.” She winks at me, cups my cheeks and pulls me closer to her as she kisses me.

” I missed you a lot.” She whispers in between the kiss and I had to kiss back. Maybe I missed her more. More than anything.

” Thanks.” I tell her.

” For what?” She asks and stops kissing me.

” Everything. Still finding it hard that you killed Moskov. A Russian Mafia boss and you’re pregnant. I wasn’t expecting any of this.”

” Then maybe you should get used to it. It’s 5:am in the morning and by seven I’m always up. I like having tea and a nice foot massage while I take my tea. And also, I eat fruit salad that same morning with a nice coffee. And I like eating food from McDonald’s and also a back rub. I eat a lot lately…” she says with a big smile.

” And in the afternoons , I go to my yoga class sometimes and I do online courses now. Point I’m making is that you’re gonna be driving me every single time that I need it. You’re gonna give me a foot massage, make me coffee, tea, and also fruit salad. You’re gonna order from McDonald’s and give me a nice soothing back rub. You’re gonna stay next to me when I nag and when I need something. You missed all of this when you’re away. Since you’re back, you’re taking your responsibilities and you’re gonna make me a good soup too. I know you’re terrible at cooking, you can watch videos on YouTube on how to make soup and fruit salad too.”

What!

” Yeah. You’re always cute when you act this way. And I miss you.” She says. She wraps her around me for a hug and she kisses me.

Maybe we should just get married. I think it’s time. She’s already twenty one and I missed her birthday.

” I’m sorry about your birthday.” I tell her.

” It’s fine. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re back and strong and annoyingly cute. You should take this off…” she gestures to my stubble. ” You look like Damon when you have that.”

I chuckle and rub my stubble.

” What’s up with him and my mom?”

” Your mom freaked out when I told her. She got mom sickness, cried and still made sure i took care of myself and the baby. And Damon , he was sad.”

” And Kennedy?”

” Super sad. And following Nick’s demise, it was hell Gray.”

I sigh and nod.

” Take me back to bed and cuddle next to me. I’ve been missing it.” She says.

I chuckle softly and look at her baby bump. I hook my arms around her ankles and lift her off from the counter as I walk her to the bedroom. I lay her on the bed and lay next to her with my arms around her waist and touching her stomach.

” Have you thought about a name?” I ask her and cover both of us with the duvet.

” Maybe , but I want you to do the naming.” She says and snuggles closer to me. I sigh and trail my hands on her stomach.

” It’s a boy right?”

” Yeah.” She says.

” Thank you.” I say. I hear her faint reply and she drifts off to sleep.

****

This is stressful.

Being a dad is stressful. I really had to watch videos on how to make soup and even fruit salad. I sucked at the first trial. She said I should make another one and make sure it’s perfect. I gave her a foot massage and also a back rub. It’s afternoon and it’s stressing the shit out of me. Right now we’re just returning from the hospital. She lay across the center console so that her head is on my lap and the other half of her body on the passenger seat.

” Don’t forget we’re stopping by at the grocery shop. I’m lacking groceries.” She says.

” Alright.”

” You should call your mom. She will be glad to listen to your voice again. And also visit your crew.” She advises.

” Yeah, I will.”

” Sure you will. Reid’s been handling things pretty well when you were out. You should take a break. Like vacation and stuff , you know, cause you need it.”

I look down at her face on my lap and smile.

” Canada? I promised I was gonna take you back. I think this is the right time.”

” Yeah, sure. Wait, I’m coming with you?” She asks.

” Yeah. It’s your idea. You need a break.” I say and park the car at the grocery shop.

” Can’t wait to see Kennedy’s face when she finally sees you.” She says as I help her sit up.

I get out of the car and open her side door for her. She holds my hand and steps out. The summer breeze hits her skin as her hair flies in a different direction. I help her tuck her hair behind her ear and she smiles at me. She’s so beautiful.

” You’re gonna be a good dad. You know that right?”

” No. I swear a lot.” I say and close the car door behind her.

” Yeah, right? We’re gonna work on that. And your smoking too.” She says as we begin walking.

” What’s wrong with my smoking?”

” It’s a boy, Gray. We’re just gonna work on the stick you consume a week. We gotta lessen it.” She says as we enter the grocery shop.

I roll my eyes and she hands me a shopping cart.

” You’re gonna carry that and I’ll do the shopping.” She walks down the aisle , looking at every single item. I follow her behind as she throws in every item that she picks.

” You ain’t buying the whole store, are you?”

” I will, if I can.” She turns to look at me and flashes me a warm smile. I can’t believe I didn’t see that face for over six months.

We walk to the counter and place the items there. The counter girl looks up at me and smirks at me. Crazy blonde’s. Ariel stares at her as she bags every item.

” Are you done checking him out?” Ariel asks her.

She turns to look at Ariel like she just discovered Ariel was standing next to me.

” I’m sorry?”

” He hates blondes, just so you should know.” Ariel tells the counter girl.

She swallows and hands the items to me. She stares at Ariel and her eyes lands on Ariel’s stomach.

” I’m really sorry.” She apologizes and I hand her my credit card.

She takes the card , deducts whatever we bought and she gives me back my credit card and I take it. She silently apologizes to Ariel and we leave.

” Should I tape ‘ you’re mine’ on your forehead before they let you be?” Ariel asks.

” Maybe you should.” I laugh at her and open the passenger side door for her. She slides in and I shut the door. I keep the groceries inside the trunk and slide inside the driver’s seat as we leave.

|•ARIEL•|

Dad and Gray stare at each other for what seems like eternity. It’s been five days since he returned and I’m still in awe. I mean I thought I lost him and then he just showed up at my penthouse at such an ungodly hour and surprised me. The mob was grateful he was back and also surprised. So probably Alexa was right, when she said he was in a coma somewhere trying to fight death. He called his mom and she wouldn’t stop screaming. And then I went behind Gray’s back and told his mom we’re visiting Canada soon. And Kennedy, she really freaked out and screamed and she won’t stop hugging Gray for a whole day.

My dad stayed on his own now. He, Aisha, me, and Gray are having dinner in his house and yet they are yet to say a word to each other. Just a staring competition.

” I’m sorry.” Gray breaks the silence.

I dart my head to look at him. He didn’t just apologize.

” I’m sorry for betraying you and taking what’s yours. I’m sorry for backstabbing you and being a little shit. I’m truly sorry. And also if we can still work together again, I’d be honored.” Gray says.

Dad sighs and leans back on his chair. He looks at Gray and then me.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

” And why should I forgive you?” Dad asks.

” Because I’m truly sorry and I know I messed up. And also…” Gray looks at me, and back to my dad.

” We’re in love and she’s with my baby, and I wanna marry your daughter.”

What the!

Wait, what? Marry? What’s he saying?

” What?” Dad asks as Aisha smiles at me.

Gray brings out a box from his jacket pocket and I actually lost my breath. No he’s not about to do that. He opens the box and I see it.

Of course he’s about to do that.

Aisha’s smile broadens and dad stares at him in shock. I’m also in shock , because I literally can’t close my mouth any more. He takes out the diamond ring and I am not breathing.

Gray turns to look at me.

” I suck at all these cute speeches actually. I’m really sorry if I didn’t say any.” He says and looks at my left hand before looking back at my eyes.

” Tinkerbell, will you marry me?”

Damn, he just said the word.