K I A R A ' S P.O.V
"Love. This universal idea that's been around for centuries, eons even, but what does it really mean? What does it symbolise? Why is love the central theme of so many great literature writings and movies? Why does love exist? This is the topic you will be discussing in today's class, I expect a clear concise argument that demonstrates your thoughts appropriately."
"I can't believe you followed me again." I whispered harshly to the man sitting besides me.
"It's not my fault we have the same timetable." Scoffing, I kicked him hard under the tables, earning a small grunt in return.
"You expect me to just believe that this is a coincidence?" Turning his head to face me, he grabbed the edge of my chair and dragged me closer towards him.
"Yes I..."
"Excuse me, Kiara and...Tristan is it?" Giving Miss Jones a nod, he released his tight grip on my chair. "Since you two love to talk, why don't you come to the front of the class and discuss the universal theme of love in-front of us all."
"Well, I would but I just don't want to." I fired back at her, earning myself a few snickers.
"Kiara, this is worth 20% of your final grade, I suggest you stand up right now." With a huff, I pushed back my chair and stormed to the front.
A few of the boys cat called me as I passed and whistled as if this was some sort of Victoria secret's show, but they were silenced by Tristan who shot them murderous look.
"Okay love, where to begin? Well, it's this idea that you feel something for someone and they feel it back and then you kiss, and get married, and have kids, and grandkids and then you die." Turning to Miss Jones who had a horrifying look plastered on her face, I smiled sweetly. "Done."
"Well Kiara, that was...morbid. Why don't we go to you Tristan, whilst Kiara tries to think of something more...deep and spiritual." I rolled my eyes as she focused her attention on Tristan, who seemed to be unusually quiet.
"Tristan?" He cleared his throat and quickly undid his tie, as if it was choking him. I gave him a look, as if to ask if he was alright, but he just turned away, averting all eye contact.
"Love is...power, and weakness and strength. It's everything really, and it's not a smooth ride either. Every great love story or movie has an obstacle that the lovers have to overcome. It's just a matter of when." Glancing at me quickly, I frowned.
What the hell was he trying to do?
"Sometimes the girl screw up, sometimes the guy screws up, hell sometimes even the parents screw up but somehow love always prevails. It's the most powerful in the world and if two people have a love strong enough then. They can overcome anything thrown their way."
"Kiara, your rebuttal." I stared at him with an overwhelming sense of confusion and shock consuming me. "Kiara?" Miss Jones said a little louder, earning my attention.
"Hmm, oh yeah um..I disagree with Tristan." He looked at me, but this time it was my turn to look away.
"And why is that?"
"Because sometimes love isn't enough. Sometimes there just too many other factors that overpower love. Sometimes pain is stronger, it hurts more and...I would rather never be in love again, than feel the overwhelming pain that comes with it. Because it hurts.." I couldn't stop my voice from breaking on those words, but in that minute I was confessing my pain to Tristan, I was telling him my deepest darkest insecurities and..I couldn't stop.
"It kills and love isn't enough to heal the dark void it leaves inside a person. It's not enough to fix what's been bro..ken." I stuttered through my soft cries.
Tears were streaming down my cheeks and the whole class, including Miss f*****g Jones were watching me with pity and written shock across their faces.
I didn't even bother to look at Tristan as I barged straight past him and ran out of the room. Loud footsteps chased me, causing me to run faster, but I stumbled, almost smashing my head against the concrete wall in-front of me.
Luckily, a hand shot out and pulled me into hard solid chest. I knew exactly who it was from the familiar scent invading my nostrils, but yet I still clung onto his shirt.
Drenching it with my tears, but he kept a tight grip around my waist and slowly sat down onto the bench behind him, pulling me onto his lap. Slowly pulling away, I brushed away my traitorous tears, which made me look weak and pathetic, before daring to look at the man behind them.
"Don't cry baby-girl. Please," He sounded broken, almost as broken as me. The clear desperation in his voice was heart-breaking, yet he was the one who broke mine.
"Don't Tristan. Just don't." I tried to pull myself out his grip, but he yanked me closer into him. His body warmth radiating towards me and luring me in closer.
"I'm.. I'm so sorry. I'm so f*****g sorry. I never realised how much...how much I hurt you. Please forgive me?" It felt like this was it. Like this was the question he was begging to ask me from the moment he stepped foot inside my house again.
"I can't, I'm sorry but I can't. You hurt me," I cursed myself at how I broke down at my own words again. Crying whilst staring into his equally sad eyes.
"I know baby-girl, I'm so sorry though. I'm so sorry," Engulfing me into his large arms, I crumbled at his touch. He had completely broken me now, I was sobbing without a care of how vulnerable I looked.
All I wanted was him, him and the way he made me feel safe and loved.
"Baby-girl," Murmuring the nickname I had become all too accustomed too, he gently tipped my chin up. Brushing his nose against mine, I found him staring at my lips and I, at his.
Without a second though, we both slowly inched in, and our lips were about to collide...
"Tristan! Oh my god I had no idea you were coming here and now we can hang out all the time!" Natasha screeched, almost bursting my eardrums and dramatically ruining our perfect moment.
The moment where we nearly kissed. The moment where I almost forgot.
"Actually I'm in the middle of a conversation," Quickly using this as my opportunity to escape, I climbed off his lap and stepped back.
Shooting Natasha a sickly sweet smile, I nudged her forwards. "No, it's fine Natasha. We were done anyways." With the flip of my hair, I walked away.
***
After an embarrassing walk back to class to pick up my baby and my bag, I decided to ditch class in favour of hanging out in the bathrooms for the rest of the day with Tessa. Surprisingly it proved to be a good chunk of bonding time with Cara.
Me and Cara were waiting in the parking lot besides Tristan's familiar Mercedes as he walked out with Natasha clinging onto his arm. I rolled my eyes at her stupid attempts to get me jealous, when she pressed her fake lips against his cheek, leaving a big red lipstick print behind.
He clicked the car door opening, not even bothering to acknowledge me whilst I slid into the passenger seat. Stuffing the baby carrier into the back seat, I sunk back and let a small sigh as the seat began to warm.
Ten minutes into the awkward journey, Cara began to cry. And I don't mean a soft quiet sniffle that I could easily ignore, no I mean horrible ear-bursting screaming, that almost caused Tristan to crash.
"Can you please shut that thing up?" He bellowed over the loud blaring music and the incessant screaming. An ugly cackle left my mouth at his nerve.
"Me? Why don't you do it?" His head shot to mine, disbelief plaguing his eyes.
"Are you f*****g serious right now? One, I'm driving, and two, you're the mother!"
Oh the f*****g cheek of the alpha male sitting besides me. Of course it would be the mother's duty to shut up the baby, as if the father has time for such minor matters.
"So, you're the father? But of course, you've already done your job by sticking your schlong into my p***y. Forget everything else that comes with it, forget the fact that the mother has to push the f*****g thing out of her v****a!"
He didn't speak, instead he simply stared at me with an expression of shock mixed with mirth, plastered on his face.
"Schlong? Seriously?" He burst out into laughter, whereas I just scowled, the crying seeming to get louder by the second.
"Shut up? I was angry." I grumbled, as he pulled over to the side of the road. Climbing out, he unbuckled Cara out of her seat and cradled her into his muscular arms, before sliding back into the drivers seat.
"Shh, shhh my little rose. It's okay," My heart clenched watching Tristan soothe 'our baby', as she were real. His eyes, his attention were all poured into calming her down and I let out a sigh of relief as her cries quietened down.
"I'm sorry baby-girl, it wasn't fair of me to make you soothe her. You're right, we're both the parents and I promise to do my share." I eyed him warily.
I wasn't used to this, apologising Tristan. I was used to the Tristan who always thought he was right. The one who made my blood boil and my heart face. The one who made me crazy.
"It's fine, I promise to help too but I have been watching her the whole day." I pointed out, earning a small chuckle off him.
"You should have shown up to class so I could have helped." I lightly punched his arm, causing us to both hold our breaths, as Cara stirred in his arms.
Creepy, I know.
This doll did everything from cry, to blink, to...actually I haven't found out if it actually shits yet and..I don't think I want to.
Tristan turned and carefully buckled Cara back up into her seat. Turning back to face me, a smirk graced my face as I thought up of an idea.
"What's the look for baby-girl?" Glancing up at him, I bit my lip.
"Wanna help me screw with my dad?" The perfect payback for forcing me to have Tristan as my bodyguard. It just might actually cause him to have a heart attack.
Speeding home, Tristan grabbed the baby carrier that I told him to leave just outside the door, whilst I rushed in. Bursting into the living room, I ran over to my dad and practically jumped on him.
"Thank you sooo much daddy for letting Tristan be my bodyguard. You don't know what you've done."
Nervously my dad chuckled, glancing back at my confused mother, before rubbing a hand over his stubble. "What did I do Kia?"
"You only introduced me to the love of my life."
As if on cue, my brothers all strolled into the room, just in time to hear the news. Every single persons mouth dropped wide open, including my mother's, who look even confused than before.
"What the f**k are you taking about?" No Kia, no sweetie, no honey..oh, he was royally pissed off.
"Well daddy, me and Tristan have spent so much time together that we've fallen in love and guess what..." I felt my dad and my brothers all hold their breath as I divulged the most important part of my plan.
"You're a grandfather!" I blurted out.
"What?"
"I'm going to f*****g kill that bastard!"
"Yeah, right!"
"I think I'm going to pass out."
Surprisingly, that last one came from Kalen, but my father had yet to speak. His whole face had tended up and turned red, his hands were visibly shaking and he looked as though he was about to have a stroke.
Fuck, maybe this was a bad idea.
Diving his hand into his pocket, he yanked out his hand gun and shot twice at Tristan who was lingering by the door. I screamed in shock, as did my mother, and my heart skipped a beat as I saw Tristan dive to the floor.
Did he get hit?
"You f****d my little girl?" My dad screamed, becoming angrier than I had ever seen him before.
Yep, definitely a bad idea.
Thankfully, Tristan stood up, unharmed and shot me a look that said to end this but as luck would have it, Cara began to scream again, catching the attention of my family.
"Jeez dad, you could have let me explain before you went all psycho!" He shot me a sharp glare, that was followed by my mother who mouthed explain now.
With the roll of my eyes, I walked back to Tristan and grabbed the carrier. Picking Cara up, I turned to face my family and smiled.
"Everyone this is Cara, my new baby." There was a moment of silence before my brothers all burst out into laughter.
"f**k, I can't believe you just did that Kiwi! Dad, she got you good." I couldn't help but laugh in agreement, but immediately shut up when my dad shot me a look.
"Aww, she's cute honey!" My mum cooed, running over to fawn over Cara.
"Cute? Cute? Gabi, she's a doll. Why do you have a doll Kiara, I thought you outgrew then years ago."
"School is making me do this dumb economics project where we have to take care of a doll to see what parenthood is like." My dad mimicked my actions as he rolled his eyes.
"It's nice to see that my millions of dollars of donations are funding stupid s**t like this." I giggled, and slowly walked over to him, leaving Cara with my mother and Kai, who was busy making faces at my poor baby.
"Come here Kia," I wrapped my arms around his torso, as his chin laid on top of my head. "I'm sorry I got so angry."
"I'm sorry I tricked you." He chuckled softly.
"It's okay, it was a good one. Just please never joke about pregnancy again. I don't want to find out my little girl's been with sleeping with her bodyguard." I gulped quietly.
Don't worry dad, we've already slept together and I'm completely in love with him. Because that would go down so well.
"Tristan, you can come out now!" My dad called out, forcing Tristan to crawl out of his hiding place. With a meek smile on his face, Tristan slowly walked toward us.
"I apologise for my rash actions, I was simply angry."
"It's okay sir, I understand." I smirked at how scared Tristan sounded around my father. I liked this submissive weak side of him, it was nice to see for a change.
"Why are you in uniform?" My father noted, his eyes lingering on the school boy clothes Tristan was wearing.
"Well sir, since boys were now joining the school, I decided to enrol in order to keep a better eye on Miss Romano." My father didn't speak, prolonging the anticipation of his next words.
"Good. Like to see you're taking your work seriously." Glancing down at me, Tristan licked his bottom lip.
"Very seriously."
"I'm sorry Kia, but I have to go. I've got some busy to attend to downtown." He pressed a small kiss onto my forehead, before rushing to kiss my mother goodbye.
I turned back to Tristan who opened his mouth to speak, but was promptly cut off by a ringing in his pocket. I didn't miss how the ends of his lips curled up slightly as read the name, which only made me more curious.
"I'll be back." Before I could even speak, he swiftly left the room. I turned back to see my mother and Kai, completely engrossed with Cara, with my other brothers nowhere in sight.
Curiosity over took, and I carefully traced Tristan's steps, following him to the garden. I quickly hid behind the curtain and slowly listened in on his secret conversation.
"Yeah, yeah, don't worry I'll be there." He chuckled at something, the other person said but I couldn't which make it out.
"Baby, I promised you I would be there. No-one will find out I promise." And there it was, the truth. He was talking to her, that teacher that Sawyer told me about.
"Yeah I miss you too baby. I also miss your legs wrapped around my head." I almost gagged but quickly stopped myself, I needed more information.
"Elizabeth I swear to you I will. Yes, I will. Okay bye baby. See you later." I ducked upstairs, as soon as he ended the call, and slammed my bedroom door shut.
An overwhelming jealously rushed through me. I wanted her gone, out of the picture and away from Tristan. The thought of him inside her, the thought of her kissing his lips, his body. Touching what was mine...he wasn't mine anymore though, was he?
He could do whatever he wanted. But then, why did I want her gone? Why did I get this feeling in the pit of my stomach that she was bad news?
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A/N: Thoughts on Ryder's reaction?? ?
Is that how you expected him to react?
Thoughts on Tristan and his sketchy behaviour?