Chapter 4
2256 Words
Venus
We were riding in silence.
None of us were talking.
Why Micah was there? Why now?
I never got attacked for the past six months while I was living my new normal life. Until five minutes ago. And it seemed not even Micah was aware of what happened.
“Are you okay, morning star?” Nathan finally broke the silence.
“Yeah.”
“You got blood on you.” Oh, right.
I grabbed the tissue from the dashboard and wiped the blood as much as I could. “I hope the doctor won’t question what happened to my clothes.” The smell was so strong. The iron. The irony.
“What happened?” he asked.
“I was waiting for you outside and a man came to me. Mumbling he would be rewarded, something like that. And then he chased me and cornered me in the alley. Micah rescued me. Out of nowhere.”
“He was watching you, Venus. You’re not stupid. You knew he was watching you.” He’s right.
“You’ve been communicating with him,” I stated without facing my brother.
The awkward silence between us answered everything. He did. But Nathan never told me. Not like I wanted to know. Because it was easier to live this way. No news about Micah. Pretend that he never exist. Sometimes it was easy to comply with the grieve rather than being spoiled with the euphoria.
“I wasn’t trying to hide it from you, Venus.”
“I’m okay, Nathan. Thank you for not telling me.”
He exhaled as he put the light to the hospital. “Are you going to tell him?” he asked. I knew exactly what he was referring to.
“He doesn’t need to know.”
“But he deserves to, sister.”
“He is. But we both know we have no idea when he’ll be back. Probably never and I was thinking the worst outcome. Micah will never be with me anymore. So, it’s best if he never knows.”
“I understand.” He parked his car. “But he will be furious when he found out,” he added. Maybe. Or maybe he didn’t care. Like I said, he was a selfish man. He thought more about himself than me. He loved me. I knew that. But his love couldn’t conquer his ego that was taller than the Everest mountain. And hard as a rock.
We detached ourselves from the car and headed inside the building. After informing the receptionist that I had an appointment with Doctor Jennings, we were instructed to go to where her office was. We were alone so we sat on the chair right in front of her office and we waited.
This would be our fourth appointment.
Honestly, I was shocked when I found out. I was distorted between happiness and heartache. The reason was very simple. Because I—
“Miss Skylar?” A nurse came out of the door before I could finish my thought.
Nathan and I stood up and strode our legs inside Doctor Jennings’ office. Her soft curly caramel hair waved when she turned herself to us. Her cute and big brown eyes smiled, mimicking her nude pink lips. “Hello, Venus. And Nathan. Please, sit down,” she asked as we sat down. “How are you feeling, Venus?”
“I’m doing good. This morning was better. I didn’t vomit.”
“Ah, that’s normal. Everything depends on the woman herself. How’s your appetite?”
“Good too.”
“Okay, I’m going to check your blood pressure now. Lie down on the bed for me, dear.”
“Okay.” I stood up and jumped on the bed. Nathan came to help me. Doctor Jennings cuffed my arm and placed the disc on my heart as she began pumping the machine.
It didn’t take long until she said, “118/90. Did something happen recently?” Yeah, someone almost killed me.
“I almost late and hurried here.”
“Ah, you don’t need to worry about that. But your blood pressure is still normal. Open your stomach for me, Venus.” I unbuttoned the lower four buttons of my blouse, showing my tummy to her. Thank God I managed to wipe that man’s blood away from my blouse and only be seen as a pattern. Nathan immediately stood on my left. We smiled as Doctor Jennings chuckled softly. “If you never told me the first time we met, I would immediately think Nathan is your boyfriend,” she stated.
“Yeah, I got that a lot,” I said. Because it did happen a lot to me. Even Clara thought Nathan and I were dating until she saw Judith next to him.
She pulled the machine and applied the lubricants to my stomach. Feeling the wet and cold stickiness on my skin. “All right. Are you ready?”
I looked at Nathan. “We’re ready,” he replied.
She put the probe on my stomach while looking at the monitor. I was looking at it too. Curious to see it again. “There’s the little one,” she said, pointing her finger as I kept looking at the small life inside my belly.
Beautiful.
“Healthy and quite active as well,” Doctor Jennings added.
And I felt the bump. Automatically smiled as the fire started in my eyes. Nathan was aware of it and rubbed my hair.
“Everything is normal. Are you sure you don’t want to know the gender?” That was what I was avoiding. It was not like I didn’t want to know what I would be getting. What we would raise together. I thought I wanted it to be a surprise. But the curiosity was killing me.
“I want to know,” I said.
“Well, the little warrior is strong.” Smiling, she added, “A boy.”
“A boy…” Nathan repeated.
A boy.
Another Micah.
Micah junior.
Another Micah I had to handle.
Oh, s**t. Knock it off, Venus.
The boy was innocent.
This was the life we’d created. I would never abandon our son even though his father had done it. I would not do the same mistake as Micah. Although I was hoping I would get a daughter so I would be looking at Venus junior. But was kind of useless if she had my appearances but with Micah’s attitude. No matter I got a boy or a girl, there would be Micah’s traits inside of them. A double-edged sword. The result was just the same.
“I hope he will be like his mother – beautiful and kind,” Nathan said. I smiled. Yeah, Nathan could read me as well.
“Well then, please be more careful from now on. Less stress; happy baby.”
“Yes, Doctor.” I pulled the probe and wiped my wet tummy with tissue and fastened my blouse again.
“Everything is okay now and I will see you in three weeks. Take care of yourself, Venus.”
“I will. Thank you, Doctor Jennings,” I said and jumped down the bed with Nathan helping me. He thanked her as well and grabbed the handle. “Is Judith home already?”
“She must be now. What, are you craving for something?” he asked and opened the door.
Because I could answer, we were welcomed with this hideous aura outside. And I recognized it very well where it came from. Or who.
And I knew…
He knew.
***
Micaiah
What. The. Actual. f**k.
Those were the only words I could find right now.
As soon as Venus took off with Nathaniel, I never wanted to follow them. But I had this funny feeling laughing around my ears that I had to follow them.
So, I did.
And I was glad that I did.
Because I found out something that I was supposed to know since the start.
Venus’ aquatic eyes attached to mine. Nathaniel was the same. But their expressions were the same; guilt. Especially the big brother. I was not with them anymore but I was keeping in touch with Nathaniel. He never told Venus about it and she didn’t want to know about me. I understood and it f*****g sucks. Because she wanted to forget about me. She had begun to accept the reality that I probably never come back for her.
But this?
What was she thinking?
Was she still thinking that she didn’t want to tell me?
What she was hiding from me?
Something that should not be hidden from me.
And all I could say was, “You’re pregnant.”
Her face remained passive. Yes, she was guilty. I could see it from her beautiful face. And I could see it too that she didn’t have the will to tell me. How could she? How f*****g dare she?
My chest expanded.
The emotion built up within me. Anger, mostly. Mad at the only woman I ever loved and she was carrying my baby. My child. My f*****g son.
I moved forward as Nathaniel closed the door and was about to stand between us. “No, Nathaniel,” I stopped him. Keeping my eyes on Venus, “Why?” I asked. I didn’t need to complete my question; she knew what I was referring to.
But her oddly cold tone I never knew only replied, “You don’t need to know. We’re fine without you.”
I scoffed. Almost laughing but I would be if I found this situation was extremely funny. However, it was not. And I was f*****g pissed off. “Do you really think I won’t care about the baby?”
“Why not? You left me.” That was like a f*****g dagger straight to my heart. What the heck happened to her after I left her? Was this the pregnancy symptoms and it was affecting her hormones? It could be. Or maybe she just couldn’t stand with me. I assumed the latest.
“Micah, not here,” Nathaniel said.
“Oh, maybe we have to do it here,” I countered.
“You’re capable to bring the hospital down if you don’t calm down and control your rage, asshole.”
“Why you never told me?”
“Because she doesn’t want you to know.”
“And now that I know, I should talk about it with her.”
“Okay, fine. But not here.” He led his sister out, abandon me. Not f*****g happening.
I followed them as they settled the bill and headed to the parking lot. Standing in front of Nathaniel’s truck. I was still questioning his decision to keep that lousy truck. He was selling premium cars, for crying out loud. Why he never bought one of them?
“I’ll be inside the car,” he said and faced his sister. “Just tell him, Venus,” he added and patted her shoulders before abandoning her to his truck. Out of the storm.
Venus’ face kept looking to the asphalt. It was just the two of us now. Usually, I only wanted to grab her and hide her inside my hold. Right now, it was like we were starting a war and I was desperate to win it. She didn’t speak and didn’t show any sign she wanted to start a conversation. Stubborn woman. I hoped our son would not be as stubborn as his mother. “How long?” I finally asked, breaking the muteness.
“Twenty-two weeks.”
“It happens right after, isn’t it? After…” I stopped, unwanted to recall what I did that night. Even until today, I still regretted it. I made love with her, showed her my demon’s form, and bailed – leaving her on our bed. Totally naked. My come inside of her, planting with her juice and creating a life. Our son.
“You’re not going to finish your words, Micah?” she asked. Her voice was so cold to my liking. It was like facing her demon side that I’d killed.
“I know it’s painful.” She scoffed, Okay, I hated that. “Don’t do that, Venus.”
She turned to me. “Do you think you can suddenly return and tell me what to do?”
“Oh, yes, I can. And not to mention, you didn’t tell me about our son.”
“He’s mine!” she yelped. What the f**k?
“Are you seriously trying to keep our son away from me? To raise him without a father?”
“Yes,” she said without a doubt. “I don’t want my son to feel the pain knowing his father left him.”
“I’m not leaving our son! And stop saying he’s your son. He’s mine too. We are his parents and he will not be raised by you alone.” She was dumbfounded. Me as well.
“What do you mean?”
This was it.
I didn’t care what would happen.
I left her because I loved her.
I would come back after my business with Lucifer was done. Which I had no f*****g idea when it would be. He always said not enough, not enough, and not f*****g enough. If he was going to kill me because of this, so be it.
And I stated the words that might be our redemption, or our end, “I’m staying with you, Venus.”
- Writer
