Beautiful Mistake (Mistake #1)

by Laiza Millan

  Emma wiped her nose and cleared her throat, "Thanks Jason. I just don't want to be a burden-"

  "Oh be quiet," Jenna hushed her. "We're like family. Just make sure to keep Drake Rogers away from us."

  "Keep him away from Emma, more importantly," Tom said darkly, his arms tightening around her. "I don't want him to hurt you again."

  Jenna and Jason nodded in agreement as they continued to comfort Emma.

  Jason wiped a tear away from his best friend's cheek and frowned when he noticed her wincing. "Are you okay, Emma?"

  She turned away and nodded. "Yeah! Perfect now, thank you."

  But Jason continued to frown as he forced her to face him. "Look at me...wait a second, is that that... is that a bruise?"

  Emma stiffened and broke away from Tom's comforting embrace. She absently touched her cheek and shook her head. "Don't be silly, Jason-"

  "It is!" Tom growled. "What did he do Emma?"

  Emma wanted to shout out the truth, but honestly, she was just so tired and embarrassed. Why wouldn't they just let it go? As long as Drake stayed away from her, then everything would be okay, right?

  "Emma," Jenna gasped quietly, accusations flooding through her head. "Oh my-"

  "I'm going to kill him," Jason spat, grabbing his keys.

  "No!" Emma cried out. "What are you doing?!"

  "I'll go with you," Tom said, blinded with rage.

  Jenna rushed to Emma and held her. "Be careful you two!"

  The sound of their leaving scared Emma. "Jenna! Let me go! It's seriously not a big deal!"

  Jenna gawked at her friend. Was this woman crazy?

  "Emma, he hurt you!" She rushed to her bathroom and grabbed a soothing cream. She went back downstairs to see Emma trying to call her friends.

  "They're such idiots!" Emma muttered angrily, hanging up when they didn't answer. "What are they going to do!"

  "You need to calm down, Emma." Jenna snapped, "You left us totally unscathed, and now you're sporting a fresh bruise on your face?!"

  Emma wanted to scream what happen, but that feeling of exhaustion was hitting her again. Damn these stupid pregnancy side effects.

  "It's for the best, Emma," Jenna sighed, placing a weak Emma back on the couch. "He deserves everything he's going to get."

  Chapter 6

  .

  Shit, what just happen?

  Drake sighed heavily as he carried his weight towards the window. He grabbed a nearby chair and sat, letting the cool wind caress his now sweaty face.

  This couldn't be happening. Could not be happening. That blonde couldn't be pregnant with his child? There was no way he could bring a damn child into this family - into this horrible world. He just wasn't ready...

  "DRAKE!"

  He whirled around in time to see his door burst open, revealing a stricken-looking Alona and...

  Wait, what the fuck?

  Jason and Tom?

  Tom furiously looked around the room before spotting Drake, his eyes narrowing to slits as he charged towards Drake. Luckily, Jason grabbed Tom by the back of his shirt, preventing him from attacking.

  "Tom, calm down-"

  "No, Jason!" Tom's loud and angry voice seemed to echo off the walls.

  "Stop it, please!" Alona cried, "Tell me what's happening, I don't-"

  Tom turned around and glared at her. "Don't tell me you don't know what's happened, Gordon?"

  Alona frowned in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

  Tom let out a harsh laugh, shaking his head as he turned back to Drake. "Unbelievable."

  "What are you guys fucking doing here?" Drake snarled. "Lost your way?"

  Without warning, Tom lunged towards Drake. The moment he felt skin under his fingers, Tom used his nails to pierce Drake's skin. Ignoring Drake's cries, Tom then balled his hand into a fist, which he then slammed into his Drake's face, not caring about the gruesome crack he heard.

  "Take that, Rogers!" Tom roared. "That's for Emma!"

  "What are you doing to my son!" Drake could hear his mother's voice cry out. When the hell did she get here? "Where's my phone, Alona, get it! Mr. McCray, don't! Please, stop it or I'm calling the police!"

  For some reason, his mother's panicked cries scared him.

  Drake's eyes widened as he saw Tom's fist coming towards his face again. He grunted in pain as he felt several more strikes to his ribs and face.

  "Stop," Drake whispered weakly, feeling numb and tired. "McCray-"

  "Tom, I think that's enough," Jason sighed, his energy draining from him. "We can't kill him, you know."

  "Just one more, Jason," Tom growled, giving Drake another painful kick.

  "ENOUGH!" A new angry voice roared over them.

  .

  .

  .

  Emma gasped at the scene before her. She just couldn't believe that her two best friends would stoop so low as to team up on Drake. Yes, of course the damn douche bag deserved it, but that didn't mean Jason and Tom should lower themselves to his level.

  Seriously, they were fucking ganging up on him! Two against one? What the fuck?!

  "Jason! Tom!" she groaned, staring at her two best friends now frozen in place. She let out an annoyed sigh, calming her nerves. "Tom, get your hands off of Rogers's shirt. Jason, don't look at me like that - stop talking and listen, will you! Yes Drake Rogers, that includes even you! Understand?"

  By the look in their eyes, she could tell they were pissed.

  "I said," Emma growled impatiently, her hands on her hips means business. "Do you understand?"

  She watched their faces, as the expressions changed from anger to annoyance to finally, defeat. The men groaned and glared at each other before turning back to Emma.

  "Good." Emma beamed, satisfied. "Now let's go, you two."

  "What the fuck!" Tom shouted, clearly annoyed and confused with his friend's behavior. "Emma-"

  "Thomas McCray, you should know better!" Emma growled. "Goodness knows I really appreciate you and Jason standing up for me, but please, I don't want anything to happen to you guys."

  "To us or to Rogers?" Tom spat, nodding towards Drake.

  Emma glared at her friend's stupidity. Is he serious?

  Alona chose that moment to rush towards her injured fiancé, trying to help him up. "Drake, are you alright?"

  He glared at the woman and scoffed, "Brilliant."

  ''What is going on?" Alona asked, letting Drake lean against her. "What's going on, Emma?"

  Emma gave her a pitying look. "Look, sorry-"

  "Don't be sorry for him, Emma!" Jason shouted. "You have nothing to be sorry for!"

  "Jason stop it!" Emma snapped. "I mean it! This is between Rogers and me! We are no longer in high school, so enough with the immature physical fights!"

  She doesn't understand why these guys don't realize that if they cause physical damage to Drake, they will be the ones arrested; not Drake even though he very much deserves it.

  Jason's jaw clenched in defeat when Emma snapped at him. He got up and roughly helped Tom to stand as they both glared at Drake.

  "What's going on?" Alona asked again, nervously.

  Emma sighed. "I-"

  "It's nothing," Drake interrupted, shooting Emma a warning look. "Really, Alona. It was all a big misunderstanding. It's nothing, I promise you."

  Tom laughed, "Oh, please." He strode towards Emma and pointed at the weak bruise forming on her face. "You think this is nothing?"

  "Tom," Emma whispered weakly, lowering his face so that her hair covered her now reddened cheeks.

  Alona frowned. "I don't understand."

  Emma rolled her eyes, "It's just a stupid bruise on my face."

  "Tell her how you got it, Emma," Jason said softly, coming to her side and wrapping a comforting arm around her. "Tell her what Rogers did."

  "Leave nothing out." Tom added, crossing his arm.

  Drake scoffed, "Don't be-"

  "You don't even know what happened!" Emma snapped at her two frien
ds, "Honestly, you just saw a random bruise and thought the worst!"

  Jason and Tom looked furious.

  "Then tell us," mocked Jason, "What happened?"

  Emma rolled her eyes again. "We got into an argument and things started to get out of control. He was shouting, I was shouting, it was just a mess. And um...next thing I knew, he threw an apple and it hit me on the face."

  Silence.

  Finally, Emma thought. Oh man, it felt so good to let that out.

  "It was an accident!" Drake threw his hands in the air, frustrated. "Why the fuck would I want to throw a fucking fruit to a pregnant woman?!"

  "Beats me." Tom shrugged, "You do have a violent history, I recall."

  "Gang member." Jason spat, "Don't think we can't throw you back to the court, ass. You're not completely free, isn't that right?"

  Drake glared at the men, the prisoner ankle bracelet feeling heavier and heavier as if he just remembered he's wearing that damn thing.

  Alona blinked and let go of Drake.

  "What? I don't-what?" She whirled around to face her fiancé and whispered, "Drake, they can't do that, I mean, you just came back to us! You're telling the truth, right? It was an accident, right?"

  "Alona," Drake sighed, suddenly tired. "You're going to believe them over your future husband?"

  "Don't listen to him!" Tom shouted, charging towards him, stopping only when Jason grabbed his arm.

  Alona shook her head, her eyes still set on Drake. "You do know that it's illegal to lay a finger on a woman when it's unwanted, Drake?"

  Drake shook his head, wanting to laugh with this ridiculous nonsense. "Believe me, love. Why would I even waste my energy on that bitch? I'm serious! Why would you guys even think I would hit a pregnant woman with a fucking apple on purpose!"

  "Stop it," Alona said harshly. "I don't ever want you to go near her again, understand?"

  Drake scoffed in disbelief. "Don't tell me you believe them!"

  Alona hesitated. "I don't know who to believe, Drake."

  "Please stop." Emma spoke, laying a hand on her stomach to calm her nerves. "Please let's just let it go. Drake is telling the truth, it was an accident."

  Drake's head snapped towards Emma's direction, surprise that she was even helping him.

  "Finally," He muttered, "A freaking apple -"

  "But you need to learn how to control your damn anger, Rogers." Emma continued on, interrupting him. "This may have been an accident, but what if it wasn't? What if next time you end up releasing your anger by hurling your fucking fist all over the place, accidentally hitting someone - maybe Alona!"

  "I don't hit women intentionally." Drake snarled, "I'm not a fucking monster."

  Emma snorted and muttered, "Sure seems like it."

  Before Drake could retort back, Tom interrupted him.

  "Just stay away from her alright?" Tom growled, giving Drake a dangerous look.

  "Fuck off," Drake groaned, wincing as he felt the pain of his broken nose.

  "Maybe you should go, Emma," Alona said softly, placing a comforting hand on her arm. "Too much stress is not good for you, especially, in your condition."

  Emma gave her a small smile and nodded. "You're right."

  Tom and Jason was instantly by her side, guiding her towards the exit. Once they were gone, Alona rounded back on Drake.

  "Now, what really happened?" she asked, grabbing a nearby cloth and placing it on his wounds.

  "Ouch!" Drake growled, wincing and lightly touching the now bruising skin. "You know those lover boys of hers has a tendency to be melodramatic, Alona. Plus she's pregnant."

  "Yes, she is," Alona snapped. "You shouldn't have messed with her-"

  "Bloody hell," Drake interrupted with a sigh. "I meant that her hormones are just messing with her. She can be fine one minute and then turn completely mad in the next!"

  Alona sighed, feeling a headache forming. "Just please stop fighting with her, alright? We have more issues to deal with; like planning our wedding!"

  "How can I forget with you always reminding me?" Drake rolled his eyes. "Let's go. Those assholes kept my mother out when they arrived here. Stupid idiots. Stupid woman."

  Alona fought the urge to hit him.

  If he really hated Emma Collins, then why did he keep mentioning her and getting into trouble with her?

  "I'm serious." Alona sighed, dragging him down so she can finish up with cleaning the blood from his skin. "She's right, your anger sometimes... it's just bad. Even your own mother thought about taking you to those anger management classes."

  Drake winced, as she continued to clean his wounds.

  He knew it was an accident. It was. He didn't mean to throw anything at Emma Collins. He didn't mean to physically hurt her. He doesn't care what those fuckers think or say... He's not a monster.

  And it's important that his future wife knows that.

  Slowly but painfully, he shifted his body so he faced her. "Alona."

  She pause her work and looked at him, "Yes?"

  Sighing, he took her hand and said, "You do know that I would never lay an unwanted finger on you, right? I admit, I can be an asshole, but I won't ever hit you. Please, believe me. I'm not like that... I'm not like them. Not like..." He stopped.

  I'm not like my father.

  Alona's eyes soften in understanding, as she squeezed his hand in return. "I know, Drake. I know. But I am still going to enroll you in anger class, okay? Your mother thinks it's a good idea, too. Just for a little while. Is that okay?"

  Drake wanted to shout that it was not fucking okay, but whatever. Whatever makes his family happy, he guesses. "Okay Alona. Okay."

  .

  .

  .

  A few weeks later...

  Feeling her feet starting to ache in protest, Emma found a nearby bench and sat down. Her stomach was already protruding and it was starting to cause her some difficulty. She could barely see her own feet for goodness sake!

  "Hi!"

  Startled, Emma looked up to see a little girl with dark skin smiling at her.

  "Hello," Emma responded politely.

  "You're pretty. What's your name?" The little girl climbed on the bench and sat beside Emma. "My name is Anne."

  Emma smiled. "Why hello, Anne. My name is Emma."

  Anne grinned. "Pretty!"

  Emma couldn't help but blush. It had been a while since someone had complimented her. She couldn't help but feel flattered that a little girl thought she was pretty.

  "Thank you, Anne. You're pretty, too." She complimented back.

  "Anne! Come on Anne, where are you?"

  Anne turned towards the person calling for her and waved enthusiastically. "Over here Ian! I'm right here!"

  Emma gasped.

  Wait, Ian? As in Ian Creagh?

  Sure enough, one of the former infamous members of Drake's old gang was rushing towards them. Once his eyes landed on little Anne, he let out a groan.

  "Honestly, Anne. Don't walk away like that without telling me where you're going!" Ian snapped. "Your mother would have my head if I didn't return you home."

  Anne giggled and nodded towards Emma. "Look, Ian, I made a new friend!"

  Ian glanced at Emma and smiled. "Sorry my little cousin bothered you, Miss."

  "It's no trouble at all," Emma murmured back, hoping he wouldn't recognize her.

  Ian frowned at the woman in front of him. She looked oddly familiar...but from where?

  "Her name is Emma!" Anne exclaimed, poking the woman's arm. "She's pretty, don't you think?"

  Ian nodded, but his mind was busy elsewhere. Emma...that name sounded so familiar. He tried to rack his memories to see if he remembered anyone named Emma. Emma... smart... blonde hair...

  His eyes widened with sudden recognition.

  "Emma?" Ian asked, stepping towards her. "Emma Collins?"

  Damn. He remembered.

  She sighed and forced a smile as she fully turned to face him. "Hello, Ian Creagh. Long time, n
o see."

  Ian's gaze dropped down to her stomach before going immediately back to her face. "Oh, err... Congratulations are in order, I see?"

  Emma bit her bottom lip before responding, "Thanks."

  "Who are you here with?"

  She shook her head, "Nobody."

  Anne gasped excitedly. "Can you come to the shop then? I haven't had someone to play with in a long time!"

  "Anne, my dear, sweet, annoying, little cousin," Ian sighed, "I think she has other things to do. Don't you, Collins?"

  Emma shook her head, laughing. "No, it's no trouble really. I would be happy to play with you, Anne."

  "Yippee!" Anne squealed, making both of the young adults wince.

  .

  .

  .

  "So tell me," Ian said, "How is it that I never read anything about you getting married or engaged?"

  Emma suddenly dropped the doll she was holding from her hand and cleared her throat as she bent down to pick it up. "That's because I'm not."

  Ian looked taken aback. "Well, well, well. Miss Innocence Princess got herself knocked up before marriage? Who's the father?"

  "It's none of your business," Emma snapped, roughly brushing the doll's hair with a plastic comb.

  "Don't be rude, Collins," Ian scoffed. "I'm just trying to make conversation here."

  "Well don't," she snapped again, feeling angry.

  Ian lifted both of his hands and backed away. "Jeez, Collins. No need to get your knickers in a twist."

  "Ian? Emma?"

  Ian's whole demeanor changed at the sound of that voice. However, he failed to notice when Emma stiffened beside him.

  He whirled around and grinned, "Alona! What brings you here back to my shop?"

  Alona grinned back, "I was actually on my way to order a cake. I thought I would stop by here, is all. To see good old friends."

  Ian smirked, "Right. Good old friends."

  Alona then noticed Emma talking to Ian's cousin. "What's she doing here?"

  Ian glanced at Emma before turning back to Alona. "Oh, Anne met her in the park. She invited her over to play."

  "How sweet," Alona smiled. "Hello, Emma. How are you?"

  Emma wanted to disappear. Right when she was having a good time, Alona had to show up and remind her of stupid Drake Rogers. However, she turned around to face Alona, a fake smile glued to her face.