Chapter 31: Die.
"It's been a while since I've seen you around here." Naya says as she walks into my office.
"Well, I am growing another human. Give me a break would ya." I tell her as I sign documents.
Naya raises her hand in fake surrender before she sits down on the chair across from me.
"I just got off the phone with the president of Rome and he's having a birthday party and you are invited." Naya tells me.
It's kind of shocking that he still remembers me. It's been what...three months since I met him. I'm kinda touched that he still took some time out to invite me.
"I'll go." I say without hesitation and Naya raises an eyebrow as she stares at me. "He's a good friend of mine. Stop that." I tell her.
"I didn't do anything." She says, chuckling. "So, how's the baby?" She asks me.
"He's having a ball in there." I say looking at my bump.
"When's your due date?" She asks me.
"November thirteenth." I tell her, rubbing my belly.
"Well, it's the first week of September and you're almost seven months pregnant so you have roughly twelve weeks till you meet your newborn." She says, smiling at me.
"Yeah. It'll help if Zachary was more hands on though. But we both have work, so I understand." I tell her.
"It'll be fine. Trust me." Naya says, holding my hand.
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Book a flight to Vegas for next month. I wanna go to the casino before I pop this baby out " I tell her.
"Do you want a Jet or commercial?" Naya asks me and I stare at her.
"Do I ever fly commercial?" I ask, chuckling.
"I'll book the jet." She says, standing up from the chair.
"Ethan must love that skirt you have on." I comment, looking down at the papers I'm signing.
"How did you-" She tries to speak, but I cut her off.
"Don't bother, I saw you guys kissing beside the elevator this morning." I tell her.
"Very well then." She says before she leaves my office.
***
"Happy Birthday Max." I say, hugging him.
"Thank you, Valarie. I'm so happy you could make it." He says, smiling at me.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world. You've been there for me in the hardest of times, so I thought I'd return the favor." I tell him, patting his back.
"You know in your condition, I'd expect you to sit this party out." He says and I roll my eyes.
"I am totally fine." I tell him.
"That reminds me, I have somebody special I want you to meet." He says, taking my hand in his as we walk towards a woman dressed in a black dinner gown. She turned around and I hold my breath.
It's Gwen.
Small world.
"This is my girlfriend, Gwen." He says and I smile.
"I know who she is. She used to work for my dad." Amongst other things.
"So, nice to see you again, Valarie." She says smiling at me.
"This is great. My two favorite ladies in the world are getting along. I'll go tell the DJ to play my favorite song." Max says before he leaves.
"So, you're pregnant." Gwen says, smiling at me.
"Yeah. It just sorta happened." I tell her.
"Zachary?" She asks and I nod. "As expected." She says, laughing. "You're glowing. And that dress." She says, gasping.
I am wearing a see-through mesh dress with Swarovski crystals.
"Thank you." I tell her.
"How's your dad doing?" She asks me.
"He works in the stock market now. New York Stock Exchange." I tell her.
"When he left Langston and closed stone construction, I was left unemployed with little to no money. I spent it all on Sierra's college fund. So, I moved to Rome. I met Maximus two months ago and we hit it off right away." She tells me and I nod.
"You guys look good together." I compliment. "And how is Sierra?" I ask her.
"She's doing good. She's a nurse now. Currently lives in Florida with her boyfriend." Gwen says with a smile on her face.
"I'm glad you and her are doing well. I'm gonna go grab a drink. It was nice to see you again." I tell her before I walk away.
I walk to the open bar and I order a lemonade. The bartender tells me it's going to take a while and I sit on the barstool waiting for my order. I get on Instagram and I scroll through my feed. I come across an interview that Zachary did for Entertainment Tonight. I plug my airpods in my ears and I watch it.
"So, apart from killing it on the field. How's your love life going? You know after the sudden demise of your ex-fiancé and supermodel, Sabrina Iran." The interviewer, who is a blonde woman, asks him.
"Um, I think Sabrina's death affected me more than I was letting on. My mental health was really messed up when I heard that she died...I've been going to therapy and I think I'm getting better." Zachary tells the woman.
"You've been recently spotted with your longtime friend Valarie Stone, is there something going on there? Other than the fact that she's carrying your child?" The woman asks, waiting for his reply.
"She is my first love and that's why every relationship I've had outside her has gone to shit, and I know that. We're currently together, because we're miserable without each other. I know I am. She's a good woman and I've put her through a whole lot. But I'm very confident that I won't fuck up this time." He says, chuckling.
"Thank you for that insightful and detailed explanation, Zachary. It's good to see things are looking up for you despite what you've been through." The woman says and he nods.
"Thank you for your time." She says before the screen goes black.
I had no idea that Zachary was going to therapy. Yes, I knew Sabrina's death shook him up, but I didn't think he was hurting that bad.
"Here you go, Miss." The bartender says, placing the glass of pink lemonade beside my hand.
"Thank you." I tell him.
Turning the barstool, I sip my lemonade as I put my elbows on the counter and I face the party. Max is having such a good time. He deserves a break, ruling a country is hard enough. He dances with Gwen and she laughs at something he says. They seem very happy and I am happy for them.
***
Opening Zachary's front door with my own key. I walk inside the house. Zachary's car is out front, but it doesn't seem like he's in the house.
I walk into our bedroom and I see Zachary asleep on the bed. I place my suitcase beside the door before I take my jacket off. I walk towards the bed to give Zachary a kiss on his forehead when I notice that he's not breathing.
I shake him and he's unresponsive.
"Zachary, please wake up." I say, shaking him as tears fall from my eyes. "Zachary, please wake up." I repeat.
"No, stop. No. Please." I say, trying to lift him up. My bump gets in the way of that.
I dial 911 and I wait for an answer.
"Hello, my boyfriend isn't breathing, please hurry. I don't know what's wrong with him." I say, panicking
"Ma'am, just calm down. The EMTs are on their way, just stay on the line." She says and I nod as tears pool at my chin.
"Please hurry." I say, sitting beside Zachary's cold and lifeless frame.
He's gonna be fine, he can't die. He just can't.
YOU ARE READING
Trouble in Paradise.
ChickLit|𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞 𝗜𝗜𝗜 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗘 𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦| In the third and final installment of the trouble series, Valarie Stone navigates life as a independent business woman. Still naive to the game of love, she struggles to find the perfect part...
