When Mrs. Infamous Loved The Masochist... (BOOK 2)

Chapter 57

Carina's POV

One night after Remington took me out to a fancy dinner in town, we came home and decided to turn in early. While he was changing out of his tie and jacket, I decided to tease him a little. "Hey, Rem?", I asked in an innocent tone, he looked up and responded with, "Yes, ma chérie?" I turned around and pointed to the back of my dress as I asked him, "Could you please unzip me?" I couldn't see his face, but as he stepped closer to me, his breath sounded shaky as he held the small zipper in his hand. He pulled it down slowly to see I was wearing nothing underneath the dress, he cleared his throat and asked, "Ahem, is that all?" I had to hide my blush as I turned my head to look into Rem's eyes which looked hungry and filled with desire. I said to him in a soft tone, "For now...", and kissed his cheek before stepping into the closet and locking myself inside. From inside there, I silently screamed at how bold I just became and how I managed to fluster Remington. I managed to maintain my composure again after changing into some clothes for sleeping and climbing into bed with Remington who held me close as we fell asleep.

There were a few days left until spring break starts during the first week of March and the school would be closed. I just wanted to stay home this time around and relax, especially now that I have Remington with me more often. One day after finished work, I was invited to catch up with Del and Nina at Nina's place. When I got there, she prepared some tea and snacks for me and Del before sitting with us at her kitchen table. "So, how have you all been doing lately?", she asked us while stirring some honey in her tea with a spoon. I decided to go first, "It's okay, I guess. School's somewhat okay and work is normal, and I'm more than happy to have Remington with me under the same roof. We kinda had a rough moment that had me questioning whether our relationship was worth it, but I was just vulnerable and remembered later that he loves me too much to hurt me." Del held my hand and reassured me, "Every relationship has its rough patches sometimes. If you attempt to work them out, you'll get stronger and feel happier."

I smiled as I thanked Del for her kind words, then it was her turn to share, "Well, carrying a baby isn't easy, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. We're expecting to meet my baby girl by July, and Scott is just going crazy making sure me and the baby are gonna be okay." Me and Nina went "Aww!", hearing about Del's journey into motherhood and we were excited to learn she would be having a daughter. We asked what she might name her baby, and she told us, "For the longest time, I've always wanted to name my little girl Rosabella. Just because I know she would just be as beautiful and lovely as the name is." I was so happy to know Del was excited to meet her baby, I always thought she'd be a great mother just by how hard she loves and goes to great lengths to make someone happy. I had an idea then, "Del, if it's okay with you...I'd like to throw a baby shower for you to celebrate your baby coming soon." She seemed to love the idea as she hugged me tightly and exclaimed, "I'd love that! Thank you so much, Carina!"

I hugged her back and then I turned to Nina to ask, "What about you, Nina? I hope everything's going well with the music academy." She nodded and expressed, "Yeah, I'm doing the best I can. While it is nerve-wracking, this is my best chance to use my art to create something amazing and hopefully make people happy. I'm also hoping that with enough practice, I'll get over my stage fright." I said to Nina, "I'm sure you'll be able to do all those things, Nina. You're so talented and capable of doing so much that even surprise me." She blushed as we complimented her and then her cat, Ivory, crept along and Nina picked her up and held her in her arms. "Aww, she's just precious", Del said about Ivory as she purred in Nina's arms, Nina nodded and then said with a worried tone, "I think Ivory may be getting sick or something." We were curious, "What makes you say that?", she explained, "She's been moving slower than usual and appears weaker. I really hope this is just temporary."

We caught up for a little while longer until I excused myself to get back home before it got too late. I thanked Nina for the tea and snacks and she bid me well wishes for myself and with Remington before saying goodbye. I drove back home that night and felt grateful to have the friends I have to always make me feel comfortable and safe to talk to. If they ever needed anything, I would be there for them in a heartbeat. While driving through town, I stopped at a stoplight and my eye caught Finn walking down the street. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but I had a feeling he was still disappointed I didn't return his feelings for me. I didn't want to hurt him, but I didn't want to lead him on either. I hoped that he would still try to be my friend and learn that I still care about him even if I could never feel that way about him. If he doesn't take my rejection well, I'm afraid of what might happen if he lets his feelings grow ugly.