Believe Series box set

by L Chapman

  Hearing my phone go off, I reach out for it, pulling it from under the cover.

  Hi Megan, how are you? Do you want me to come over? Xx

  Hi Jenny, I’ll be fine. You spend the day with Rich. Xx

  I check through the rest of my messages, mostly notifications and emails, only a couple from Mark though.

  Goodnight princess, sweet dreams. I’ll ring you tomorrow. Xx

  I suddenly can no longer see through the tears coming down. I should have followed my gut instincts and cut all ties with him when I left. I should have known something was going on with him and that woman from the restaurant.

  I decide to get up, have a hot shower and start today without him. I don’t need a man. I don’t need to be happy. I have “Bump” and that is all I need. Just as I am about to get into the shower, I hear a knock on the door. I slowly walk down the stairs to answer it.

  Opening the door, there he is. Mark. I stand there with the door open, unable to move, just looking at him.

  “Megan.” I just stand there not doing anything. “Megan, are you okay?”

  I take a deep breath. I can do this. “Mark, why are you here?”

  “I needed to see you, to see what had happened,” Mark states with worry in his voice.

  “You mean to check I was not going to go to the press about you kissing me while being with that Karen?” I reply, making sure he knows I am annoyed with him.

  “Who is Karen?”

  “Karen Walker, the lady from the restaurant and your event.”

  “That’s nothing,” He brushes it off as if he truly meant it.

  “Nothing?” I scream at him.

  “Yes, nothing. Come on. Let me in. We can sit and talk.”

  I storm away from the door and into the lounge, sitting down on the single seat on the other side of the room. I do not want him near me. Mark sits on the edge of the sofa as close to me as he can get.

  “Megan, Karen and I do have history.”

  “And…” I sit there with my hands on my hips.

  “And.” Taking a deep breath, he says, “We did sleep together years ago. I gave her the job because I couldn’t be with her. There is no spark. I felt bad.”

  “Why was she at the event?”

  “She asked before I met you if she could come with me.”

  “You never thought to tell me about it?” I ask.

  “No,” he retorts.

  “When did you two split up?”

  “Years ago, way before I met you. We just met up every so often for adult time,” he whispers while hanging his head.

  “What?”

  “Years ago before we met in the pub,” he tells me again.

  I sit there with tears pouring from my eyes. Why is this happening to me?

  Suddenly I feel Mark’s arm around me. “Shh, I should have told you.”

  “When did you last sleep with her?” I question because I need to know.

  “The night before we met,” Mark replies.

  I take a deep breath, “Mark, just go. I don’t want to see you. You need to go and find yourself a lovely woman.”

  “No, Megan, I want you. I have since the first time I saw you.”

  I remain quiet, not saying a word.

  “Megan, please come away with me. We can talk. Spend time together. Jenny and Rich can come, too,” he says in a panicked voice. “My grandma left me this cabin. It’s not far from here!”

  I sit there not able to look at him while I play with the ring Jenny gave me as a Maid of Honour gift.

  “Megan, please,” he pleads with me.

  Chapter 16

  “Ouch!” I yell, grabbing hold of my stomach.

  “Megan, what’s wrong? Is it the baby?”

  “Go!” I reply in a stern voice.

  “Megan, no, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” Ouch, this pain is worse than the one before.

  “Megan.”

  “Please, leave me. I need to relax, not get stressed.” I take a deep breath.

  “Lie on the sofa, Megan, please.” I do as he asks me to just to save arguing.

  “Goodbye, Mark. I will be fine now.” I can’t believe how hurt I feel we are not even a real couple.

  Mark stands up, walking out of the room and saying nothing. Next minute I hear him talking.

  “Listen. You need to get to Megan’s. Something is wrong. It’s the baby.” Mark leaves the room. I can hear his voice, and he is talking to someone. No idea who or why.

  Mark walks back into the room, going onto his knees at the side of the sofa.

  “Who were you on the phone to?”

  “Jenny, she is on her way.”

  “I don’t need anyone; it is just a Braxton-Hicks.” The pain is slowly easing. Why do I feel safe with Mark here? I slowly sit up to go get a drink.

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “To get a drink,” I state.

  “I'll get it for you. What would you like?”

  “Water, please. Glasses are in the third cupboard along from the sink on the right.”

  “The water is in the tap.” Mark starts laughing. “I'm sure I’ll manage, baby.”

  I remain there, listening to the clinking of the glass, water running, and hearing the switch on the kettle go. Mark reappears, kneeling down beside the sofa. “Here you go.”

  Slowly sitting up, I take a little sip. Thankfully, the pain in my stomach has died back down. I hear Jenny entering the house. “Megan, are you all right?”

  “I’m fine. It was nothing,” I tell her.

  Rich then walks into the room and heads straight to Mark, grabbing hold of his shirt collar, pulling him up and shoving him against the nearest wall.

  “You idiot. Why did you do that to her?” Rich screams. Mark stands there not saying a thing.

  “Let him go, Rich!” I yell. Rich lets go of Mark’s shirt, standing right in front of him with no space between them.

  “I hope you got what I meant,” Rich says in an angry voice before walking away from Mark, and then he storms into the kitchen.

  “Jenny, you stay here. I am off to talk to Rich,” I state, leaving Mark with her. I follow Rich into the kitchen, walk toward him, and place my hand on his arm. “Rich, why did you do that? I can look after myself.”

  “I know you can, but I can’t have him hurt you,” Rich turns around, taking hold of my hand.

  “Rich, I am fine. Take Jenny home. Have a nice day together.”

  “No,” Rich leans towards me and places a kiss onto my lips. I pull straight away.

  “Why did you just do that?” I question in an angry voice.

  “Sorry,” Rich runs past me.

  Did that just happen? Why would be kiss me? I have only known him through Jenny. I have never spent any time alone with him. I stand there in shock.

  “Jenny, I’ll meet you at the car,” Rich says in a calm manner.

  Jenny walks in behind me. “What happened? Has he calmed down?”

  I just stand there, not moving.

  “Megan,” Jenny says in a raised voice.

  “Maybe, I don’t know. You need to go and talk to him,” I say in a shaky voice.

  “Are you sure you will be okay?” she asks with worry in her voice.

  “Yeah, Mark is leaving now.”

  “Mark’s been telling me about the cabin. I think you and he should go.”

  “What?”

  “Mark explained everything to me. You like him. Now, go and spend time with him.”

  “I don’t want to,” I state, standing my ground.

  “Megan, you only live once, even if it is just a couple of days away from here.”

  “Rich kissed me,” I said.

  “What?” Jenny exclaimed.

  “Yeah, exactly, all I was doing was telling him not to do that!”

  Jenny stands there in stunned silence.

  “Jenny, you need to go talk to him. I don’t have any interest in him.”

  “I know, Megan
. I’ll text you later.”

  Chapter 17

  I watch Jenny leave the room, with her head down, storming out the front door and running up to the car. I don’t know what to do. Jenny needs me. I walk out of the kitchen into the lounge to see Mark is sitting on the edge of the sofa, looking down at the floor. “You can leave now,” I tell him.

  “Megan, I am not leaving. I am staying. We need to talk.”

  I continue to stand there. “Go on then.”

  “Please, sit down, baby.” I sit down on the sofa next to him, needing to sit down and rest. I just want to be held. I am so close to tears.

  “Megan, I met Karen at a friend’s birthday party. We got drunk and ended up in bed. She continued to call me all the time. She would come around a lot. We got along well and would have a laugh, but I had no feelings for her. Yes, I have slept with her a lot. She was just a fuck buddy. That’s all she ever was. I told her I had no feelings for her at all and just wanted to remain friends. I felt so bad about it that I gave her a job, so she could look after herself. I promised her that we would remain friends.”

  “Okay,” I say, taking a deep breath.

  “Now, baby, please let me take you away to the cabin.”

  “No, I don’t want you to be around me. Just go to your stupid cabin!” I yell.

  “Baby,” Mark says calmly.

  “Are you not listening to me?”

  Mark looks directly at me.

  “Get out!” I shout.

  I cover my face as the tears start to fall. Why did he not tell me about her? I have so many questions to ask, but I cannot ask him. I do not want to know the answers. I just can’t. I feel Mark move closer to me, his arms wrapping around me, pulling me closer to him. “Shh…Shh…it’s okay. I am not going anywhere.” He smells like he normally does; he is wearing the same aftershave. He looks tired. I do not think he slept last night, yet he has managed to have a shave at some point.

  I feel so safe in his arms. His comforting words work. Why though? Why? His voice is so calming.

  “Why didn’t you fight Rich off?” I ask while trying to calm myself down.

  “I deserve to be hurt. I hurt you.”

  “Why did you not tell me she was going to be there, knowing I was going to see the event photos?”

  “I didn’t think. I didn’t notice how bad they look.”

  “Yeah, her hand is on your backside in most of the photos,” I say sarcastically.

  “I know. I should have thought, Megan.”

  “I need time. I need to get dressed. Please, feel free to leave.”

  “Megan, I am not going,” Mark informs me.

  “I'm scared. I don't want to get hurt again. Please, leave,” I plea.

  “I'll tell you everything,” he says with a note of promise in his voice.

  “Okay, I'll be back,” I state, standing up and taking myself upstairs. I need to know everything.

  It seems like it is John all over again, He cheated, lied, and hurt me. I have only just moved on from it all. He made me feel so used and worthless. No real man would ever do that if he truly had feelings for the person. I was just a sex toy to him. I was never anything else. I don’t think I would have ever become anything else to him. I deserve better. I thought Mark was better, but maybe I was wrong.

  I need to get dressed, and I look a mess. I feel a mess. I decide against a shower because I don't want him alone down there. Going into the bathroom, I give myself a quick freshening up. Placing on some black leggings and a grey jumper, I throw a brush through my hair. It is best I do not wear any make-up. I don't want it running down my face. It would be a pointless waste of my time. I run downstairs to see that Mark has not moved.

  “Drink?” I question.

  Mark looks up at me and nods. I spin on my toe and head into the kitchen. Walking in, I flick the switch on the kettle, head over to the fridge and grab a plastic carton of milk. Walking back to the kettle, I suddenly go dizzy. Maybe I should have eaten earlier.

  Chapter 18

  Opening my eyes, I look around. I am lying on a bed. Gloves and aprons are at the right of me, and there is a curtain all around me. Why am I here? I know it is the hospital. I know I felt dizzy.

  “Megan, you’re awake,” Mark states as he walks through the end curtain.

  “Why am I here?” I question.

  “You collapsed.”

  “Is ‘Bump’ okay?” I ask, placing my hand on my belly.

  “The doctors say so. They are going to do a scan to check though.”

  “Thank you,” I say to Mark, keeping my hand on “Bump”. She must be okay. I can’t lose her, as she is my world. She is the only person that can’t hurt me.

  “What for? Causing you to collapse?”

  “Don't blame yourself. I hadn’t eaten.” A tear rolls down my face; he is partly to blame. If he hadn’t lied or upset me, I would have eaten. I want Mark to go away and never come back, but I don’t want to be alone.

  “I'll go find the doctor,” Mark says.

  “Can you get me a drink, please?” I ask him.

  Mark walks closer to the bed, planting a little butterfly kiss onto my head. “I'll see what I can do.” More tears go rolling down my face. Why?

  I lie there, listening to the sounds and rubbing “Bump”. With tears rolling down my face, I need them to hurry up. I need to know that “Bump” is okay. It is nice that Mark has stayed with me. He really does care about me. I feel safe with him. Did I overreact to the issue with Karen?

  “Miss Madden, nice to see you’re awake. I'm Dr. Smith.”

  “Please call me, Megan,” Dr. Smith has blonde hair that looks like he might bleach and warm hazel eyes.

  “How are you feeling?” he questions.

  Blushing, I tell him, “Silly."

  “Why?”

  “I should have eaten, and then I wouldn't be here.”

  “Very true, and the past couple of days’ stress has not helped you either.”

  “Sorry, men just cause stress normally.”

  The doctor stands there tittering. “My wife says the same. Now, that you are awake, I want to scan “Bump” and check that all is okay. Nurse Ward will be here soon with the machine.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Your boyfriend has just gone to the café to get you a drink.”

  “He is just a friend,” I state.

  “He's been very worried about you.”

  “Really?” I question.

  “Yes, Megan.”

  The curtain opens and in comes Mark and a nurse with the scanning machine. “Hi, Miss Madden.”

  “Hi, please call me Megan.” Mark places the snacks in the chair behind my head.

  “You know what’s going to happen, Megan?” Dr. Smith questions.

  “I do. This is going to be cold. Very cold,” I joke.

  “Do you want Mark to leave?” Dr. Smith questions.

  “He can stay if he wants.”

  “I'll stay. I’m not going anywhere,” Mark states.

  I smile, letting him take hold of my hand. Nurse Ward slides my jumper up, revealing “Bump”. I feel my eyes start filling up. What if something has happened to “Bump”? Mark's grip gets tighter.

  Dr. Smith places a little gel onto my belly. It is so cold. I can feel my heart beating through my chest, and begin to think, what if something has happened to her? I look away, facing Mark’s stomach.

  “There she is. All looks fine,” Dr. Smith says, and I suddenly turn to face the monitor while tears roll down my checks.

  “Are you sure?” Mark asks.

  “Yes, all looks fine. I am still keeping you in overnight though, Megan, to keep an eye on you.”

  “Wow, it's so amazing,” Mark states.

  “Is this the first scan you have seen, Mark?” Nurse Ward questions.

  “Yes, it is,” Mark answers.

  I lie there and look at the monitor, glued to how she looks. She is fine. Dr. Smith points out everything on the scan to Mark, w
ho continues to hold onto my hand. His grip has loosened a little bit.

  “You will be transferred to a room shortly, Megan. Please press the bell if you need anything,” Nurse Ward informs me.

  “Thank you.” I turn to face Mark, who is standing in amazement. “Are you okay, Mark?” I ask him.

  “Yes, just amazed. Oh, I have got you drinks and some food.”

  “Thank you. You can go whenever you want. Thank you for staying.”

  “Megan, I am not leaving. We will work through this. Here.” Mark passes me a bag with a bottle of water, sandwich and roast chicken crisps. He knows me well. I am so happy to have normal food. I know how bad hospital meals can be, and it is nice to have semi-healthy food. I smile, finally having something to eat. I start to feel immediately better. Food was the key. Mark takes a seat in the chair, keeping an eye on me.

  “Megan, we are ready to transfer you to the other ward. Please, relax. Get away for a few days,” Dr. Smith informs me.

  “I will relax.”

  “We will go to the cabin, Megan,” Mark says.

  “We will see,” I state in a firm voice.

  ******

  I am so happy it is morning, and I can finally go home. Hospitals are not my idea of fun. With too much noise and flicking lights all night long, I have not had much sleep. I just want to go home and sleep the day away. Mark stayed the night in the chair. He didn’t want to leave me at all. He was very nice and informed Jenny I was in hospital. She has not messaged me though. That is the first thing I am going to do when I get out of here.

  Chapter 19

  Hi Jenny, are you okay? Xx

  Are you out of hospital? Xx

  Yes, I am just. What is wrong? Xx

  I am just tired hunny. Rich and I spent all night arguing. Xx

  It’s all my fault. I am sorry Hun. Xx

  NO it is not your fault. Rich did it all himself. All is fine now. Xx

  Are you sure? Xx

  I am very sure. I love him. Xx

  I will stop worrying now. Xx

  Are you going to go to the cabin with Mark? Will do you the world of good. Xx

  I am thinking about it. Xx