His Redeemed Love

Chapter 5:What next?

Kaya’s POV

"Oh, what evil plan are you thinking of now?" Josh asked, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

His excitement drained mine instantly. I rolled my eyes at him, feeling a mix of amusement and frustration. He made me sound like some evil mastermind, always plotting wicked schemes to destroy people’s lives.

“Kayyyy, don’t keep us in suspense! Tell us, quick! Quick!” Even Frey was bouncing with excitement now.

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes again, but deep down, I felt warmth for them. They were what I had left that resembled family.

“Well, I want to lay low for now,” I began, my tone serious as I laid out my thoughts. “I don’t want to expose my plans or my location to the media. I cannot appear in the media with a bulging belly. I don’t want Tristan to know about my baby. He doesn’t deserve to know,” I added, my voice hardening as Tristan’s name slipped from my lips. A cold glint flashed in my eyes. I wasn’t going to be a wuss; I wouldn’t sit and cry over him.

It was his choice to leave me. Even though I said this, the pain still gnawed at me. It was tearing me apart inside, but I was trying to hold myself together for my baby. I gently caressed my tummy, feeling the tiny life growing inside me. The baby was my comfort, my anchor. All the rage and hurt swirling within me seemed to quieten. For this little life, I would fight a war.

“But how are you going to achieve this? I mean, the reporters are going to trail behind you,” Josh asked, genuine concern in his voice.

I gave him a reassuring smile. “I plan to head to London. I’ve always liked that place anyway. It’s far from here, and I can start fresh.”

Both Frey and Josh gasped, their eyes widening with shock at my simple yet significant statement.

“Frey, Josh, you’re the only family I have left now. I know you both have lives here, and I don’t want to burden you.” Tears welled up in my eyes as I said this. They were truly the sweetest, most loyal friends I had. I must have done something right for God to gift them to me.

“What burden, Kaya?” Frey’s voice had a slight edge of anger, but before I could respond, she continued. “Well, I’m tagging along with you. I can’t let you face a pregnancy alone. Also, you’ll need someone you can rely on when the baby is born, someone to take care of you. I don’t care what you say—I’m coming with you.”

I looked at Josh, hoping he would talk some sense into her, but to my surprise, he nodded in agreement with her. “She’s right, Kaya. You need support, and we’re it.”

“Josh, Frey, I—” I started, but Josh cut in before I could protest.

“Listen, Kaya, you need to accept this. I can take a transfer too. My company has a branch there. I’ll follow you both. Don’t worry—with me around, everything will be fine,” he said with a confidence that made me believe it too.

Tears rolled freely down my cheeks as I looked at them, my heart swelling with gratitude and love. I buried my face in my hands and cried, letting out all the pent-up emotions. I was used to being on my own, to fighting my battles alone. But here they were, my friends—no, my family—ready to stand by me through thick and thin. My own parents had kicked me out, but here were these two, accepting me without hesitation or ulterior motives.

Frey wrapped her arms around me, her embrace warm and comforting. “We’re here, Kaya. We’ve got your back, no matter what.”

Josh joined in, hugging me from the other side, making a Frey-Kaya-Josh sandwich. “Yeah, don’t think you’re getting rid of us that easily. We’re in this together.”

Their support, their unwavering love, melted the last of my defenses. I would have tried to convince them otherwise, but I wanted to be selfish for once. I wanted to lean on them, to accept their help without feeling guilty.

As we sat there, wrapped in a moment that felt both comforting and heavy with the unknown, Frey suddenly broke the silence.

"You know, Kaya, I always wondered what it would be like to live in London," Frey mused, her voice filled with a mix of excitement and uncertainty. "I mean, it's one of the fashion capitals of the world. We could totally reinvent ourselves there. New city, new life, right?"

Josh nodded, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "And think of all the accents we'll pick up! We’ll be having tea and crumpets in no time. Plus, I’ve heard they have some of the best pubs. We’ll have to go on a pub crawl to celebrate our new life."

I couldn't help but smile at their enthusiasm, though a part of me still felt apprehensive about uprooting everything. "I suppose," I said slowly, "but it's not just about us. There's the baby to think about too. I need to make sure we’re all secure, that we can settle down without any problems."

Frey reached out, taking my hand in hers. "We’ll make it work, Kaya. I’ll be there to help with the baby, and Josh… well, he can be the fun uncle," she added with a smirk.

"Fun uncle?" Josh protested, feigning offense. "I’ll have you know I plan to be much more than that! I’ll be the best diaper-changing, baby-sitting, bedtime-story-telling uncle there ever was."

I laughed, the sound surprising me. It felt good to laugh, to imagine a future that wasn’t clouded by the past. "Alright, alright," I said, holding up my hands in mock surrender. "But you better be ready for midnight feedings and all-nighters. Babies aren’t exactly known for their sleep schedules."

"Bring it on," Josh said confidently, puffing out his chest. "I’ll have that baby sleeping through the night in no time."

Frey rolled her eyes at him, but there was a fondness in her expression that made me realize just how lucky I was to have them both. "We’ll see about that," she teased, nudging him playfully.

As the banter continued, my thoughts drifted back to Tristan, the man who had once filled my dreams and now haunted my waking moments. Part of me wanted to reach out to him, to demand answers, but the other part of me knew that I couldn’t. I had to move on, for the sake of my child, for the sake of my own sanity.

"Kaya?" Frey’s voice pulled me back to the present. "You okay?"

I nodded, squeezing her hand. "Yeah, I’m okay. Just thinking about… everything."

Josh leaned forward, his expression unusually serious. "You know, Kaya, we’ve got your back. Whatever happens, wherever we go, we’re in this together. You don’t have to face any of this alone."

"Thanks, Josh," I whispered, my heart swelling with gratitude. "I don’t know what I’d do without you guys."

Frey grinned, her eyes twinkling. "Good thing you’ll never have to find out."

The room fell into a comfortable silence, the weight of the past and the uncertainty of the future hanging in the air. But for the first time in a long while, I felt a sense of peace. I wasn’t alone. I had Frey and Josh, and soon, I’d have my baby. And with them by my side, I knew I could face whatever came next.

As the evening wore on, we began to talk about more practical matters—finding a place to live in London, arranging for the move, and all the little details that came with starting over.

"I’ll look into real estate agents tomorrow," Josh offered. "We need to find a place that’s cozy but also has room for a nursery."

Frey nodded in agreement. "And we’ll need to make sure it’s in a good neighborhood, close to a hospital. Just in case."

I listened as they planned, feeling a mixture of hope and apprehension. Moving to a new city, preparing for the baby—it all seemed so overwhelming. But with Frey and Josh by my side, I felt a little more confident that we could make this work.

"We’ll figure it out," I said softly, more to myself than to them. "We’ll make this work."

And as the night turned into early morning, with plans half-formed and dreams beginning to take shape, I felt the tiniest flicker of hope start to burn within me. A new life awaited us in London, one that was filled with love and warmth.