Valerie

by Richa Resa

  "This is such a good day, Val." Shay sang before falling on the couch.

  "I can't believe that so much has happened in my life, Shay," Sitting beside her I gulped down the champagne directly from the bottle. Glasses were really a nuisance. She nodded at it before grabbing the bottle from me.

  "Everything has changed in your life, Val," she chuckled as she said. "You got your dad back and you’re happy. You got answers to all your questions after so many years. Best of all, you got your revenge girl!!" She yelled the last part smiling as I smiled along with her. I just got it all.

  "It feels great, you know, Shay. So great that I feel like I have everything in my life. It doesn't matter that I don't have any guy in my life as a partner. It just doesn't bother me at the moment." My thoughts swayed to Aiden. I had dreamt of a life with him, a life where our mutual love and lust had us bound to each other. "Drew is a bastard. Now, looking at the past I feel that he leaving me doesn’t bother me so much. Maybe, the wounds inflicted by him on my heart were healed. When I heard the truth from his lips it didn't pain me so much. I mean I expected such a thing from him. He is a bastard. What else could I expect from him? But from Aiden, I didn't expect such things." Grabbing the bottle from Shay I gulped down the champagne as if it was water.

  "I never expected such things from him. He was always hot, sexy, smart and at times cute too." I was sure that the champagne was getting to my head. "What a shame that he was a bastard too." My voice came out sad. Even Shay's eyes softened seeing me like this, she came near me and wiped something off my cheeks. I didn't even realise that I was crying.

  "Stop crying you fool. Aiden didn't deserve you. Hell! Drew didn't even deserve to see you. He is a full-on bastard! I want to send him my neighbour's dog's poop." We both laughed at this.

  "I don't think I will ever have someone in my life. Will I ever be good enough for anyone? I mean maybe no one will be as good as Aiden in bed." I laughed at the last sentence. I needed to slow down with the champagne. I really didn't want my dad or Carmen to see me like this. They would eat my brain with the scolding. Picking the champagne bottle, I gave it to Shay. I was not going to drink anymore. Nope, not even a drop.

  "Ah girl, you are having dirty thoughts," She teased nudging my side before taking swigs after swigs. "You will be too good for everyone, Val. You are just the best." she kissed my cheeks and patted my hair making me laugh. Laying back on the couch I looked at the ceiling.

  "Do you think I would be an old lady with many cats, Shay?" She looked at me as if I was an alien before she started laughing hard like a maniac and fell from the couch.

  "You . and cats, Val." She laughed and suddenly I started feeling sad. "You hate.. cats and they hate you." She was laughing as she said. On the other hand, I was on the verge of crying. Maybe I didn't even deserve cats. Maybe I was going to die alone without anyone in my life. God forgot to make someone for me. They forgot to make me happy. Maybe I was a bad child, a sinner and that is why I deserved feeling sad, alone and betrayed. I was never going to get any happiness in my life. These thoughts brought so much sadness and pain inside of me that tears rolled down my cheeks continuously. Shay's laughter stopped.

  "God, Val I didn't mean it like that. You are never going to be a cat lady,” she said embracing me in a hug. You will fucking have someone in your life who would be super great in bed and super sweet outside of it. He would keep you on your toes. You will fight and then you will call me and we will bitch about him but he will come saying sorry to you and you will have hot makeup sex. He is going to be far better than, Aiden." Hearing his name brought more tears in my life.

  "God, girl what is happening to you. You are going to get someone in your life and if you didn't I promise that we will always be together and forever." I don't know why but I felt like crying. God, I had it all. Everything was going fucking great. Everyone believed in me and that article, Drew's face was exposed, truth was out. I had everything and still, I felt like crying.

  "Hell stop it, Val, if you don't I will call your Dad and Carmen home. It feels like you are PMSing to me." Her last word got my attention. PMSing. I snapped out of my sad self and pushed Shay away from me. She fell straight on the floor on her butt. I rushed to my room to get my phone.

  "What the hell!" I heard Shay scream and coming inside my room. God, I didn't need the phone I needed the calendar. Grabbing the calendar from my bedside table I looked at it and counted days. The date that was seeping worry into me had my full attention. No, that can't happen.

  "I'm going to fucking kill you, Val," She yelled at me but it didn't concern me anymore than the fucking date did. I looked at her with widened eyes and tear streaked face.

  "I'm three weeks late, Shay." I breathed out and in seconds her anger was gone. She stared at me wide-eyed. Her mouth opened to say something and then closed. She was making face like fish and it didn't make me laugh. I was in shock. How couldn't I know? How couldn't I remember this? How could I have been so careless?

  "I'm going to the pharmacy," She told me before rushing outside. I rushed after her into the living room. The Champagne bottle got my attention and my eyes snapped to Shay. She looked at me and then at the bottle. She gulped down air, my fear mirroring in her eyes. Taking the bottle she rushed to the kitchen and drained out the rest of the champagne. I brought my hand to my stomach and looked at her.

  "Keep on drinking water until I'm back," She ordered me. She even placed two bottles on the coffee table.

  "I'm going to call dad and tell him to bring some other things. It would delay them."

  "Great idea, Val." Shay was rushing in the house cleaning everything up. Handing me a water bottle, she went to pick up her purse. We both were scared, too deep shit scared.

  "Shay, come fast." My eyes pleaded with her. Giving me a nod, she got out of the house.

  Alone in the house fear consumed me. God, I shouldn't have drunk the champagne. Worry seeped in me. I sat down and emptied one water bottle. Taking in deep breaths I concentrated on the last time I was with Aiden. I mean I hadn't been with any guy than him. Calculating the days and giving my mind a good shake, I came to the conclusion that it had been almost two weeks since the incident in his office. God, I had fainted then. Could it have happened before it? Oh lord, what was I going to say to dad? I needed to call him and make sure that he doesn't come home soon in any way. Bringing my phone from my room I called dad. I waited for him to answer and prayed to god that they were still in the market. I just can't have him back right now.

  "Hey, Val," Dad answered.

  "Hey, dad. Are you done with the shopping?" I prayed that he couldn't sense that something was wrong.

  "Yeah, almost done. Just going for billing. You want something?" He asked.

  "Uhmm yeah. I wanted ... wanted...umhh cookie dough and mint chocolate ice cream and if you can get Salted caramel one, could you bring that too please." I had no idea what flavours I was asking for.

  "Okay," He paused. "Anything else."

  "If you are out, can you get me a moisturiser too. I’m running low on it." Hell, I had two bottles of them but he didn't know that.

  "Okay, that's all?"

  "Umm no, I need a shampoo too makes it sure it is paraben free and the conditioner too. Could you make sure that the moisturiser is a vanilla cocoa flavour? It would be really great if you could find that one." Hell, I really prayed that it would take him more than an hour to come back.

  "I will try to find those. I hope you don't want anything else."

  "Yeah. Nothing else. See you later." I hung up and my heart rate was high. It was so freaking difficult. I kept on drinking water until my bladder was full and I had to pee. The effect of alcohol was now lost. I went to the bathroom and then drank more water. This cycle went on for freaking twenty minutes before Shay returned with three packs of the kit.

  "They are the best and the most advanced one. The pharmacist told me they are ninety-nine percent accurate. Let's hope the one percent doesn't betray us."
She told me handling the test. Taking one last gulp of water I went inside.

  "You are setting the timer, Shay," I yelled from the bathroom. Taking all the three of them out I stared at them. I peed on the first one, then the second and then on the last one and put them on the edge of the sink. I prayed that the champagne didn't affect the test.

  "Start the timer!" I yelled for Shay. I washed my hands and sat on the edge of the bathtub, biting the tips of my nails. Wait three minutes the pack said. The led screen on the stick will display Pregnant or Not pregnant. I couldn't handle the pressure. I couldn't handle the wait. I was fucking losing it.

  "What's happening, Val?" Shay asked from the other side. I opened the door and walked into the room. Without saying a word, I settled down on the edge of the bed and played with my fingers.

  "Hey," She held my hands and sat beside me. "It's going to be alright. You have me, your dad and Carmen. Everything will be fine." Her words helped me in calming down a bit but my nerves were still in jitters.

  "How much time more?" I asked looking at her nervously.

  "A minute and three seconds left." I held onto her hands. She was my biggest supporter in the moment. I had never thought about this. Never. Okay, I did but it wasn't like this. I had always thought I would share this news with someone whom I trusted and was in love with. I would have been married, my husband would be beside me and we will be holding onto each other, look at the result together. However, that wasn't the case here. It was freaking different or say fucking opposite of what I had thought.

  The ringing of the bell scared the shit out of me. Dad was early. Did he find the things I asked for? Did those things really even existed? I didn't know what to do. Shay looked at me with wide eyes while I looked at her.

  "I'm going to handle the door," Shay told me before taking a deep breath.

  "I'm going to look at the test." She nodded to me showing me her phone that the wait was over.

  "All the best," She said to me.

  "Same to you." She walked out of the room leaving me alone. What was it going to be? My breaths came quick and deep. I didn't know how to look. Reaching the door of the bathroom I looked at the sat on the edge of the sink. It felt like they were mocking me. Gathering up my courage I slowly reach for the first one holding it. I tilt my head and take a deep breath. I closed my eyes as I held it. Slowly opening my eyes, I looked at the small led screen. The word Pregnant stared at me. The world stopped for me. My breath came to a halt and before I could control myself tears rolled down my cheeks.

  I'm Pregnant.

  Taking the other two sticks I looked at the display. The word Pregnant stared at me again and again.

  I'm Pregnant

  I was crying but they weren't tears of sadness. They were the tear of happiness. I don't know why but I felt like that something in my life was right.

  A baby. I'm going to have a baby, a child. I am going to be a mother. A mother.

  More tears rolled down my cheeks. Putting the sticks back at the edge of the sink. I washed my hands and my face. God, I'm having a baby. There was a life growing inside of me. God has given me the biggest happiness in form of my baby, my child. Taking a deep breath, I walked out of the bathroom straight to the living room. I was going to tell Shay, dad and Carmen about this. They loved me and whatever happens, they would always support me.

  "I'm pregnant," I yelled happily. I had got the moon, the stars and everything.

  As I reached the living room the sight that greeted me put my steps to a halt. It wasn't my dad and Carmen at the door. With his face bruised to black and blue Aiden stood there as Shay whisper yelled at him to go away. His attention wasn't on her but on me. Badly beaten he stood there looking at me. Our eyes connected, his eyes filled with guilt, pain, and happiness. He had heard. He knew. The words that came out of his mouth left me stunned and surprised.

  "Marry me," His voice hoarse but his words clear. Getting down on a knee at my door, he held out a ring in his hand. With tears rolling down his cheek he looked at me.

  "I love you and only you."

  Chapter 27

  Valerie

  "What the hell?" Shay yelled horrified seeing Aiden like that. Our eyes never left each other. Even Shay's words couldn't grab my attention. I didn't know what to say to him. His jaw was swollen, his upper lip split open and left eye was blackened. He was deformed. I wanted to demand from him who had done this to him but I couldn't. Seeing him brought me down from the high I was on from the happiness of having a baby. I was somewhere in between now. I knew he had heard. His eyes gave it away. The happiness that swirled in his eyes told me he knew. I hadn't even thought about if I wanted to tell him or not.

  "Marry me?" he asked again but I stood where I was. I couldn't move. No, I just couldn't. There was so much between us. Laura was between us. I couldn't believe in his words. It was hard to. Was he asking this to me or was it Laura who was pretending to in his mind. Insecurity had seeped inside of me. Had Laura taken back Drew even after the truth was out. Had he come to me because he couldn't have her? Or had she turned him down? Maybe that would have happened and he came in hope of having the second best, to live a life with a woman who he could easily imagine to be Laura. The reality hit me. It was all because of Laura. It pained me so deep that it was tearing me from the inside. Tears rolled down my cheeks, my heart ached and every truth came back to me. I felt as if I was drowning.

  I never existed. It was always her. How could he come here and ask me this? I had loved him in the illusion that he cared and loved me but that wasn't the truth. It was always Laura that lay beside him, whom he made love to. All the sweet things he did weren't for me but for her. My shoulders sagged in defeat. My worst nightmare played me. An unwilling sob clawed its way up my throat. How could fate be so cruel to me? Why couldn't I be loved for the person who I was? It felt once again as if I wanted to die but the thought of the life growing inside me put them to a halt. I wasn't alone, I had someone to care about. I couldn't do this to my child.

  "What the fuck?" the deep voice of my father grabbed my attention. I didn't know how fast it happened but my dad had Aiden by his collar. The rage that burned in my father didn't fear me, it made me feel nothing. I was growing numb. The bitter truth pushing itself to my mind. Every word he had said that night made my heart bleed.

  If I couldn't get Laura I will take you up and pretend that you were her.

  I pretended you were her.

  His words echoed in my mind making my heart ache. I was being tortured internally by those thoughts. They were consuming me and burning me. A wave of tiredness was washing over me somehow. I was drowning into the pits of darkness. Something was pulling me in deep.

  "How fucking dare you come here?" My dad asked with anger consuming him but it didn't affect me, didn't make me care. My father's fist connected with his face. Aiden was getting punched by my father while Shay and Carmen tried to stop him. No word left Aiden lips, not a single sound. My dad let him go and Aiden fell to the floor but his eyes found mine. They begged for me to say something but I didn't see him. I didn't say a word, I couldn't. I was lost. My mind was growing blank. Numbness taking over me. Nothing made sense. Everything was turning blurry. Shay looked at me and yelled but I couldn't hear. My world was tilting. What was happening? Blankness and unconsciousness taking over me. Arms enclosed around me but I was lost and gone. Aiden's beaten face blurred in my view.

  ************************

  "She just needs rest." I heard Carmen's voice.

  "I think we should still call the doctor, Carmen. I mean anything could be wrong. She is pregnant. I just want her to be okay." It was dad's concerned words. He was worried.

  "Bryan, I have already talked to a friend of mine who is a gynaecologist. She has told me that Val needs to rest for now and eat healthy. She has booked an appointment for Val for tomorrow but until then she needs rest. Her fainting is due to the stress. There are various reasons for a pregnant woman to faint so don't worry about th
at. I will take her myself and be there for her." I was mostly awake but I didn't want to open my eyes. I was just too tired to open them. My dad breathed a sigh of frustration.

  "Okay, did you tell her about Val consuming champagne?"

  "I did and she had told me to make her drink a lot of water so the alcohol leaves her body soon enough. For now, she needs rest. Don't worry I have everything under control."

  "Why is Aiden still here Carmen? Why did you stop me from throwing him outside the house? He doesn't deserve to be here." The anger could be heard in his voice. A memory of him punching a beaten Aiden flashed through my mind.

  "He is the father of your grandchild, Bryan. He has done shitty things and I myself don't like seeing him here but I can't deny the fact that he is the father of Val's child. He has the right to be a part of that child's life. You can't deny that. You know what it feels like to be not able to see your child growing up. You have missed seeing Val grow up due to your own mistakes and you yourself regret it. Don't push Aiden out of his child's life." Carmen's word tugged on my heart. They made sense.

  "God! I don't want to push him away Carmen but I'm really not letting him marry my daughter. He has done enough damage to my daughter's heart. I can't have him hurt my daughter again and I know he will hurt her again one way or another." I remembered how he had crushed me so badly from the truth. No, I really didn't want to remember that anymore. Not for now. It was better if I opened my eyes and faced the world or else I would once again drown under the sea of that agonising pain that I had suffered. Slowly opening my eyes, the ceiling came into my view. I needed to sit. The movements I made caught the attention of my father's and Carmen's eyes. They both came rushing towards me.