Novel Square
22 – Marianne
It wasn’t long before Jack noticed that I was having a hard time, so he picked me up and carried me to his bed. Jack opened my thighs and stroked my insides as if trying to soothe me gently. We took each other in our arms as if there was no tomorrow; I could feel his heartbeat against my chest and I felt mine did the same to him. My growls grew louder as the bed shook. Jack’s low grunts were getting heavier and hotter which made me shiver.
Through this, I could feel Jack’s love for me. As he held me closer to his arms, I could feel that I was the one he wanted to be with forever.
Jack went deeper and deeper and I pulled him stronger. We embraced each other and went on for so many rounds that it almost seemed as though neither of us had the intention of stopping. I didn’t realize it would be morning when we finished. We just laughed when we saw the sunlight. And with a sigh and the release of his seed inside, our intercourse also ended. We were too tired to lie in bed. After cleaning up a bit and resting with Jack in bed, my mind naturally went back to where it had been previously.
“Aki,” I called to Jack as I hugged him tightly.
“Hmm?” Jack replied, half-asleep.
“What if a day comes that we have to separate?” I asked him softly.
Jack didn’t say a word which made me very nervous. I took a deep breath and thought he might be too tired and had fallen asleep. However, after a brief pause, he responded.
“Such a thing is impossible,” Jack replied. “But, if that time ever arrives, then… I’ll come back. I’ll get back to you, mom. I promise. Even if I end up breaking other people’s hearts or hurting other people, I will always come back to you.”
Silence filled the bedroom. Even my heart, which had been beating quite quickly and very loudly, abruptly stopped. At that moment, I was left with no words and actions to produce. So I closed my eyes and hugged Jack even tighter, my arms particularly wrapping around his waist as I tried to focus on listening to the sound of his heartbeat.
Jack and I had a normal week after that. Surprisingly, Crista has not called me again since the first time she did so, and I have not heard from her since. I wasn’t sure whether to take it as a blessing or as a sign that things will turn out all right in the end. Or, it could have just been what some refer to as “the calm before the storm.”
A long and deep as the ocean sigh escaped my lips as I spoke to a colleague at work.
“You are saying that one of your friends is seeing a man who is a little bit younger than she is, and that everyone believes that the man is one of her relatives or a blood cousin, even though the two of them are not related by blood. Even though he loves her, he ended up accidentally getting another woman pregnant. The ‘other woman’ approached your friend and asked for her help in informing the guy. Your friend is at a loss for what to do at this point given that the guy is still unaware of what’s going on. I take it that because your friend and her partner love each other that makes it very difficult to bring up the matter with him, yes?” Risa went on to narrate the story that she had learned from me.
“Yes, that is exactly the case…” I replied, somewhat amused by Risa’s attentiveness. She did, however, get everything correct. It was, indeed, a tough situation, and I had no idea where to begin my response to it at the time. I wanted to keep Jack for myself, but what about Crista and her child? Obviously, I couldn’t let Jack escape his parental responsibilities…
But how am I going to tell Jack about this? Where do I even begin?
“Your friend is worried that if she speaks the truth to her lover, she would also wind up breaking his heart and she might lose him too. Is that what you mean?” Risa continued with her question.
“Yes,” I said softly.
Risa sighed like I did. “Considering that they are, after all, a couple, it’s understandable. But we also won’t be able to change the fact that your friend’s boyfriend is the biological father of the baby that another woman is carrying. Even if it was an accident or something he didn’t want, he still needs to accept his obligation and responsibility for them. My point is that the truth will come out eventually, regardless of whether or not your friend does act now… It is only a matter of time before it happens on its own. When the time comes, Marianne, be there for your friend. She’s in a really hard spot right now.”
I looked down at the ground. I was completely overwhelmed and speechless by what I had heard. I’d like to say that I, too, am pregnant, and that Jack is the father of my child, but where will my honesty get me in this situation?
I smiled bitterly and let out another heavy sigh. My head hurt with so many thoughts filling my brain. It started to ache even more when my phone rang, and I looked at the screen to see who had called me. When I saw who it was, the pain intensified.
Crista.
I debated whether or not to answer the phone. It took me a few deep breaths to settle myself down and collect my thoughts. With my head and heart throbbing as though they were to explode, I returned my gaze to my phone’s screen. My principles eventually won out, and I took up the phone and dialed Crista’s number again. In an instant, Crista picked up the call.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.