Isla POV
Standing in front of the mirror I'm so busy concentrating on getting my earring in that I barely notice arms wrapping around my waist. It's only when I feel soft lips against my cheek that I realise Joe is there.
If it were up to me I would still be in bed wrapped up in the warmth and safety of Joe's embrace but instead we are getting ready for a meeting with his Lawyer.
"How do I look?" I ask leaning back against him and I see him smile in the mirror.
"Beautiful as always butterfly, but you need one more thing" he says moving around me and taking my left hand in his before sliding my engagement ring onto my finger "you left it in the bathroom"
"Oh I took it off when I was washing my hands I'm sorry" I sigh "I'm not used to it yet"
"Well I hope you get used to it before I put a second ring on that finger" he chuckles "are you ready to go?"
"As I'll ever be" I sigh "let's do this"
"Everything it going to be fine you'll see" he smiles "you, me and miss maddie are going to be a family"
Taking hold of Joe's hand I walk with him out of the house and out to the cat. For some reason I had a sinking feeling about this appointment and I didn't like it one bit.
At the Lawyers Office
"Mr Anoa'i and you must be Miss Winters?" The lawyer says as he shakes our hand
"Yes I am" I say shaking his hand "I'm sorry I'm a little nervous"
"That's perfectly natural" he says taking a seat "now I'll need some details from you that Joe didn't know pertaining to Madison, first of all I need her date of birth"
"She was born last year, May 25th" I say and I notice Joe looking at me outnof the corner of my eye
"And what's her full name?" He asks
"Madison Jo Winters" I say before looking a Joe who has a look of disbelief on his face
"So she doesn't have her fathers name?" He asks
"No, he told me when I found out I was pregnant he wanted nothing to do with me or her so I thought it best she had my name" I say, he smiles and then glances at my hand before turning to Joe
"I see you took my advice Mr Anoa'i" he smiles and Joe suddenly looks nervous
"What advice?" I ask "what are you talking about?"
"I advised Mr Anoa'i that it would work better for you both if your relationship was seen to be serious" he says "and that ring on your finger certainly says that"
Just like that my stomach drops and my heart breaks, slowly I remove my hand from Joe's despite him trying to keep hold of it. I just couldn't believe that he would propose for any other reason then he loved me, would he really be that cruel?
"Now on the subject of Callum, I have written to him but as yet heard nothing" he says "that's not necessarily bad so I would suggest waiting a little longer"
"What if he refuses? What then?" Joe asks but I am barely paying attention at this point
"Well given that he has had nothing whatsoever to do with the child you have a good case to take him to court" he says "but let's hope it doesn't come to that"
"Do you need anything else from me?" I ask feeling the need to get out of this room
"Not that I can think of but I will call you if I need anything else" he says and I nod before getting up and making a quick exit.
I speed walk out tof the building and out onto the street, not sure of which way I need to go I just turn and keep walking I needed to just get away from here.
"Isla.....Butterfly.......wait.......please let me explain" Joe calls after me and against my better judgement I stop
"There is nothing to explain Joe I get it, you proposed to better your chances at adopting Maddie" I snap "I accepted becuase I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, if had known your plan I would have said no"
"Isla that's not why I......."
"Save it Joe, the truth is out and I'll be honest it hurts like hell" I say fighting back the tears as I remove my ring and hand it to him "here save it for the person you really want to marry, I'm still fine with you adopting Maddie but as for us, we're done, I never thought you would do something like that Joe, I never thought you would hurt me"
"Oh and I suppose you leaving the ring in the bathroom this morning was completely innocent?" He snaps back "or did you do it becuase you don't want to marry me, maybe that's the problem, maybe it's you that doesn't want this and your just looking for a way out that doesn't involve telling the truth"
"How dare you" I growl "you know I don't even recognise you right now Joe, I don't know whose standing infront of me right now but it's not the Joe I knew" I say before walking away.
Joe POV
As I watch the love of my life walk away from me and down the street I knew all to well I had fucked up. She wouldn't let me speak , I got angry and I lost it. I didn't mean any of what I said.
I understood why she thought what she did but she had it so wrong, I had planned to ask her anyway before I even saw my lawyer, admittedly my timing was off and there is every chance that I have lost her completely.
The only thing I know for sure is that I love her and I can't live without my butterfly.
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Forever & Always
FanfictionIt's been years since Isla has seen Joe. He was her best friend once upon a time, the one person she could count on to always be there for her. Since he left she's had no one to turn to, but when she sees him again for the first time she's not prepa...
