There isn't a day goes by that I don't regret not following through on the order from her father that day, I’m just glad I got out when I did, or my life would've been completely different. If I'm honest with myself, I've never been over her, all I've ever wanted was to know her under different circumstances. But no. I had to go and fall for the daughter of London's biggest mob boss. Not only that but I had to fuck her not once but three fucking times. She’s now the yin to my yang, and I’m going to make her mine.
Fuck Dominic Vale.
It's time I claimed my princess.
Karina
Today is the day.
I’m finally going for my twelve-week scan, the best yet worst day of my life. I’ve left it as long as I can. Allie offered to co
me with me and even though I told her it was something I had to do on my own, she shut me down, putting up a fight insisting she wanted to come. And in true Allie fashion, she got her own way, but the car was as far as I was allowing her to go. She stayed true to her word as well, she hasn’t told a soul about me being pregnant. I thank my lucky stars that I have her in my life.
I’m just waiting for her to pick me up as she wanted to drive.
I’m currently chewing on my fingernails, what’s left of them anyway. I’ve never been so nervous in all my life, I’m on pins and this waiting around malarkey just isn’t helping me in the slightest. I know I had a quick scan when I was in the hospital after the kidnapping, but all they told me was that my baby was doing fine, and the heartbeat was strong. After that they let me go.
Hearing Allie beep the car horn on the street below, I grab my keys and bag off the kitchen unit, locking the door on the way out, before making my way down to her.
“Yo Mofo! How are you feeling?” Like she must ask. I feel like shit so no doubt I look like shit. I couldn’t even be bothered with putting on my make-up, let alone getting all dressed up. I’m wearing my grey jogging bottoms and a very loose t-shirt, topped off with an oversized jumper.
“How is it that you’re bright and fucking dandy when I feel like shit all the fucking time?” It’s not fair, I’ve got no energy whatsoever. I’ve had morning sickness for the past couple of weeks now, only it’s every morning, afternoon and night. Allie looks the total opposite to me, her hair is curled, make-up well applied to her glowing face and she’s rocking her tiny baby bump in a gorgeous turquoise maxi dress. If she wasn’t my best friend and the only person I can talk to right now, I’d disown her for looking so good.
To top it off, today I find out how far along I am and will have a due date too, which will therefore tell me who the father is. I’m shitting bricks; my stomach is doing somersaults at what seems like ninety miles per hour.
“I’ll take that as a ‘don’t fuck with me today.’ It's ok Mofo I get it, you’ve got a lot going on at the minute. But I’m always here for you, you know, that right?” She rubs my arm to try and comfort me. It doesn’t work, but I don’t tell her that, and just then my stomach does another three sixty turn as she starts the engine and we’re on the move.
We make it to the Maternity Centre in record time, I swear Allie was putting her foot down on fucking purpose, she wants to know more than me who the dad is going to be. Me, I don't know whose I want it to be. Johnny scares me, though not in a bad way. He scares me because he's made me feel things for him I would never entertain with anybody else, I can't have that. I can't get attached to him, he's a world-wide man whore. There is only one way it would end, and that's me rocking in a corner somewhere with a broken heart. As for Travis, if it turns out to be his then he can be in the baby's life, if he wants to that is. But I don't want a relationship with him, he doesn't make my body tingle the way Johnny does. If I'm honest with myself Johnny has something about him, he makes me feel safe, makes me think if I had known him before he was famous then we might have had something together. When I’m with him and his arms are wrapped around me, I get the gut wrenching feeling, that something about him is familiar, yet I can’t quite put my finger on it. I’m brought back to the here and now as Allie speaks, halting all thoughts of Johnny.
“Ok… we’re here Mofo, this is as far as I’m allowed to go.” She smirks at me.
“Nice try, but it’s not happening.” I take a deep breath in, before letting it out again. “Ok… wish me luck.” I say as I open the car door and rise from my seat.
“I’ll be waiting right here when you come back out.” I hear Allie shout just before I shut the car door on her.
I walk towards the double doors on unsteady legs, luckily, I make it to the reception desk without falling flat on my face.
The grey-haired woman behind the desk looks at me with a big welcoming smile, now if I didn't think she was approaching retiring age I'd punch her. There is nothing welcoming about this situation, at all.
"How can I help you dear?" She asks me, in a sing song voice that just grates on my last nerve.
“My name is Karina Vale, I have an appointment for a scan.” I tell her on a shaky whisper. I'm that nervous my hands are starting to shake and I'm breaking out in a sweat.
Clicking away at her computer, my guess is she’s checking me in. She then turns to me, still with her megawatt smile on her face.
“Yes, take a seat love, your name will be called when someone is ready to see you.” She points to the seating area. I nod and make my way over. I'm only waiting for around five minutes before my name is called, giving me no time to pull myself together. So once again on shaky and unsteady legs, I make my way to the room in which they’ll will be waiting for me. When I reach the door stating ultrasound, I take a huge calming breath before I knock on the door.
“Come in.” I hear a woman call. I push the door open, to see a woman who I'd say was in her mid-thirties wearing a blue uniform and notice another woman in there with her as well. I haven’t got a clue what happens next as I’ve never done this before in my life.
“Hello lovely, my name is Debbie, and this is Kylie. I hope you don’t mind but Kylie is a trainee sonographer, and she’s going to be writing down all the sizes and measurements from your scan today, I’m going to be teaching her as we go along. I hope that’s ok?” She explains to me.
I mumble something that resembles, ‘No, it’s fine,’ at her, before she races on with her next set of mumbo jumbo.
“Your notes tell me you had a scan a few weeks ago, but it doesn’t give me any dates of when you could be due, when was your last period?” I tell her everything she needs to know, including the timeframe of my last period, to why I ended up in hospital, that it was nothing serious and the doctor told me after that everything was ok with the baby.
She smiles politely at me.
“Well let’s get started, then shall we? If you could just pull your trousers down off your stomach slightly, not all the way.” I do as she asks, glad I shaved last night. That would be embarrassing to say the least. “That’s great, now I’m just going to put some gel on your stomach, it may be cold at first.” No amount of warning could’ve prepared me for just how cold the gel is. It’s that fucking cold, I almost piss myself. The shock of it on my warm sweaty skin only enhances it. She runs the wand thing that’s attached to the machine over my gel covered belly, pushing down on my small bump to the point that it starts to get a little painful. I hear a few clicks of some buttons, then I hear the sound that will forever change my life. A whooshing sound, beating in sync with my own heartbeat. Slowly turning my head, I look to the monitor where the noise is coming from. Tears start to stream down my cheeks, then onto the small pillow attached to the bed I’m lying on. I try to cover a sob with my hand, but the bugger breaks free anyway. On the screen is my baby, I can just about make out its head, legs, feet and its little arms waving about, it’s like it knows mummy is looking and wants to say ‘Hi.’ to me. I just about gather myself together as the woman I now know as Debbie speaks.
“It was hiding at first, but we got there in the end. There’s your beautiful baby, growing ju
st nicely. And from what I can see from the measurements you’re fourteen weeks and two days. Which, if you give me a second...” She trails off, before getting up and looking at a chart on the wall.
“Right, according to the chart and your baby's measurements, you should be having your baby on the twenty fifth of December, a Christmas baby! Congratulations!” She informs me, as she sits back down. I can hear what she’s saying but I’m still staring at my baby on the monitor.
“That’s my baby boy?” I say to her, only she looks at me confused. “Oh, I’m convinced I’m having a boy.” I tell her on a laugh. “My little Christmas baby boy.” I’m in shock at my due date but in pure bliss all at the same time. What are the odds of having my baby be born on Christmas day? I guess I’ll know soon enough!
“Well it’s not long till you can find out.” She starts taking scan pictures from all different angles, before wiping all the gel shit off me and letting me choose which picture I would like to have.
“How many copies would you like Karina?” It’s a simple question yet I falter for a moment, my eyes are still firmly glued to the screen, I’m unable to take my eyes off the tiny human I have growing inside of me. I’m having a baby. A Christmas baby at that, the most magical time of year.
“Karina?” I hear her say again.
“Oh, erm… two please.” I turn to answer her, only now I’m not focused on the screen. Out of nowhere I’m hit with the realisation of who the father to my child is.
In slow motion, lost in my own head, I slowly rise from the bed, pulling my joggers back into place as I go.
I wait in silence for the copies of my scan to be done, and once I have them I say my goodbyes. I can’t get out of the room fast enough. I guess there’s no more hiding it, I’m either going to make the father’s life better, or shatter his whole world completely.
My guess is he isn’t going to be too thrilled about the idea.
Only time will tell.
Johnny
I’m currently sat on a bar stool in Connor’s kitchen. We’ve been talking for the last few hours about nothing of any importance, whatsoever, or it could be because I’m not really listening. He asked me round as he hasn’t had much man time as he calls it, and with Allie out of the way with Karina he saw his only opportunity. I jumped at the chance to try and catch a glimpse of Karina either leaving or coming back here. So far, we haven’t heard a peep off either of them. Not that I’d expect anything less from Karina. She’s still not talking to me and avoiding me at all costs lately.
“Oi, Shitbrick! Have you heard anything I’ve said in the last twenty fucking minutes?” He asks me, as he throws a banana at my head to get my attention.
“Shit dude… what the fuck?” I shout shocked, whilst rubbing the spot on my head where it hit me. I’m so out of my head right now, I didn’t even see it coming.
“Well if you weren’t in cloud Karina land, then maybe I wouldn’t have had to resort in throwing fruit at your thick skull.” He says sarcastically.
“You do know that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit don’t you dickhead. It doesn’t suit you.” I throw back at him.
“Yeah, well if you were listening to me, instead of daydreaming over something that’s never going to fucking happen, I wouldn’t need to be. Would I?”
“What were you saying anyway?” I ask him, as I clearly haven’t got a bloody clue what he was saying to begin with. At the same time ignoring his sarcastic remark about me and Karina.
“I was saying that me and Allie can’t wait to be parents, it’s a life changing thing, but I couldn’t be happier. Allie is going to make a brilliant mum.”
When I think of my best friend and the word father in the same sentence, it makes me laugh. Never in my life would I have put those two things in the same sentence. They just don’t go together. But I guess when you’ve got the right woman in your life, things change. Why not make your life complete? Connor’s certainly changed since meeting Allie, he isn’t a man whore for starters. And the only time he’s been near the drugs was when she was in hospital after her first attack when we were on tour and he couldn’t deal with it. Even then he didn’t touch the stuff. She’s kept him on the straight and narrow, I’ve never seen him so happy or so god damn protective. When you go through what they have, you can’t really blame him. If I was given the chance, I know I would be exactly the same with a certain feisty brunette, only she won’t give me the time of day. I’ve racked my brain trying to come up with ideas of how I can accidentally ‘bump’ into her, every time I’ve come up empty.
I don’t know what has gotten into her lately, but she’s getting worse, it’s like she’s isolating herself from everybody, all except Allie. I need to see her and soon.
I’ve been at Connor and Allie’s now for nearly three hours, if she doesn’t turn up with Allie soon I’m going to have to take matters into my own hands and seek her out, demand that she opens the fucking door and let me in. I will find out what the hell is going on in that head of hers.
Just then I hear a noise coming from the doorway.
Now I know they live in a massive house but surely it doesn’t take this long to walk from the front door and into the kitchen.
Then I hear Allie’s voice, she’s talking to someone… could it be Karina? I beg and plead silently, hoping it is.
My silent prayers are answered only seconds later when as clear as day, I hear her sweet voice ring out.
“Thanks for taking me today Allie I don’t know what I’d do without you.” My body reacts to her voice, I don’t have to see her, only hear her.
“That’s ok, I couldn’t let you go to your appointment by yourself, even if you did make me wait in the car, you cruel bitch.” I hear Allie say, followed bylaughter. Then I think back to what Allie just said.
What appointment? Where has she been? Why didn’t she ask me to take her? Is there something wrong with her? I swear if she’s got any long-lasting damage she’s kept hidden from the kidnapping, I’ll go after that fucker Charlie and his psycho sister myself. I’m going crazy with all the mad ideas I have running through my head right now. I just want her to talk to me, let me in. Let me be there for her, she needs to know she’s not alone. That’s when I catch a glimpse of her. She’s hiding behind Allie as she rounds the corner, but Allie comes to a crashing halt as she walks through the archway leading into the kitchen, causing Karina to walk smack bang into the back of her. “What the hell, Mofo?” She hasn’t seen me sitting here, not yet anyway. That is until Allie speaks.
“Oh, hey Johnny. I didn’t know you were here. Connor never mentioned you were calling around.” Clearly, I can tell by the look on her face, she is very surprised to see me. Feigning ignorance, I look behind her and back at Karina. Who looks like she’s just walked into a horror movie and doesn’t know whether to run and hide or fight and be brave. What the fuck is wrong with these two? I completely ignore Allie, aiming my question at Karina.
“Hey. Are you ok?”
“Yeah… Yes, why wouldn’t I be?” She answers far too quick for my liking, and she’s looking everywhere but right at me.
“You sure? Only you’re a little jumpy and shocked to see me.” I know we’re not entirely on speaking terms, but Connor and I are in the same band, she must know she was going to bump into me at some point.
“I’m not jumpy at all. Shocked yeah, but only because I wasn’t expecting to see you, that’s all.” She’s starting to fidget more, trying to find something to do with her hands. Realising we’re not the only ones in the room, I don’t push her on it.
“So where has my wife and unborn child been?” I hear Connor say to Allie as she walks past me and into his arms.
I notice this has made Karina even more uncomfortable, as she looks ahead of her towards the loved-up couple, she has a sad, lonely look on her face, until she sees me studying her. That’s when I take her all in, something definitely isn’t right with her. For starters, she’s wearing the most ugliest and baggiest clo
thing I’ve ever seen her wear and there isn’t a scrap of make-up on her already beautiful face. That’s what worries me the most, I’ve seen her seriously hungover yet she always puts on a face full of that crap. To me she looks breathtaking without it all on, though she’d never agree.
“Nowhere babe, just took Karina the doctors, a routine check-up that’s all.” Now Allie sounds odd. This is getting really weird now, and I don’t know why. Has Connor not cottoned on to anything happening right in front of him.
She shakes her head before hiking her bag even further up over her shoulder. There's nowhere else for it go, it’s that far up.
“Erm… I’m going head off Allie, thanks for the lift today.” She makes a hurried retreat towards the front door before anyone has the chance to say anything to her.
“Hold on... I drove, so how is she going to get home?” Allie asks, looking directly at me with raised eyebrows.
“Fuck sake… I get the hint Al. I’ll drop her off on my way home.” I get up off the stool and grab my keys off the kitchen unit.
“Hurry before you miss her!” I hear Allie shout out to me.
I won’t, I’ll find her.
I always do.
Karina
I just walked out of Allie and Connor’s not knowing where I’m going, or more to the point how I’m going to get there. I didn’t think that part through, I just knew I had to get out of there. He was the last person I expected to see today I know I have to talk to him eventually, but I’m just not ready, and not today of all days.
“Fuck.” I shout out loud. Why does he always make me lose my fucking head? I can’t think straight around him. And as if my luck couldn’t get any worse it starts throwing it down with rain.
Syren's Plaything Page 2