The Awakening

Twenty four

Sapphire's p.o.v

It had been about three weeks since I last saw or heard from Bryan or even his friends. My friends did a good job of consoling me and I kept myself busy with planning Timi's wedding so I would stop sulking over someone that clearly didn't want me in his life.

I wondered whether Tehilah knew about the situation and whether they had gotten married already.

I hadn't heard from Obi in a while and I didn't have his number to even contact him. Bryan hadn't been to his house for a very long time so I was assuming he was out of town.

I was in the living room after a visit from my parents and I was watching a show on TV when I heard a knock on the door.

"Coming!" I shouted as I put on my slippers and went to open the door. The person I least expected at my door stood there.

"Bryan." I breathed.

"Can I come in?" He asked, more politely than the last time we met.

"S—sure." I stuttered and opened the door wider for him. He went in to sit and I strolled behind him, my hand supporting my waist.

"It's been a while." I said, breaking the awkward silence that graced the atmosphere.

"Yeah. I wanted to talk to you." He said quietly and I nodded, urging him to go on.

"Sapphy—"

"Sapphire. It's Sapphire." I said bluntly.

"Sapphire. I'm very sorry for the way I spoke to you the last time I saw you. I cannot justify my actions because I was very wrong. I didn't care about your feelings, I was just so selfish and harsh. I'm sorry." He said as he studied my face, waiting for a reaction from me. I kept my face blank as I stared back at him.

"These few weeks without you were the worst weeks of my life. I haven't been myself and I couldn't get anything straight because you weren't there." He paused before looking at me.

"You weren't there to give me food on a daily, you weren't there to play cards with me, you weren't there to watch a movie with me, you weren't there to shout out me for playing my music too loudly... Sapphire, these few weeks made me realize that my whole world revolves around you. You make me happy, you make me complete, you make me sane, you make me feel things I have never felt before... Before, I thought I was in love with you, but now I don't think because I know and I'm sure that I'm in love with you and you're the only woman that can make my world complete." He said and I couldn't help the look of shock that was plastered on my face.

"And the things you said to me at the hospital?"

"I said those things because I wanted to make you feel bad. None of it was true. No single one."

"Wow." I said and looked at him.

"Sapphy, please I just want you to forgive me. Just give me a chance to show you how much I love you. I can't help the way I feel about you. It's driving me crazy. I'm crazy about you, Sapphy. It's never happened before."

"What about Tehilah?"

"I told her I couldn't get married to her. She knows about the baby and she knows I'm in love with you."

"Damn. She's never going to forgive me."

"It doesn't really matter, does it?" He asked me and I just stared at him, not sure of what to say.

I stood up and he stood up with me and came closer to me.

"Look, Sapphy. I know you said you can't love me and all of that but please just give me a chance to prove my love to you and our baby, please." He said quietly and I looked up at him.

"I've been in love with you for months now. For months..." I said and his eyes lit up happily.

"Seriously?"

"Of course." I said, chuckling. He hugged me and immediately placed his lips on mine.

"I love you." He whispered.

"I love you." I said in reply and we kissed again. He knelt down in front of me and kissed my tummy before whispering something and standing up again.

"Would you sleep over at my hotel room today?" He asked and I thought about it.

"You haven't been to your house since the accident."

"Yeah. I'll move back tomorrow. I need someone to clean it up first."

"Oh. That's okay." I said.

"So are you sleeping over?" He asked again.

"I'm actually having a nights out with the girls."

"That's okay. Maybe another time." He said, smiling.

"I'm happy you're okay." I said, my hands around his shoulders, "And I'm sorry once again for keeping the truth from you for a long time." I said, resting my head on his chest.

"Shh. It's okay. It's all in the past now. We need to move on and think about our future with our baby." He said and I nodded.

"You're so anxious to meet this baby." I said, laughing.

"You don't know the half of it." He said and I grinned.

"I love you." I said out of the blues, staring into his eyes.

"My heart beats for you, Sapphire. You own me." He said huskily and I placed a palm on his face and pecked his lips.

"Thank you." I said and he shook his head.

"No. I should be the one thanking you. Thank you for the baby, thank you for deciding to keep the baby, thank you for loving me, thank you for giving me a chance, thank you for all you've gone through these few months. You'll be the best mother in the world." He said and I smiled, just then, I felt the baby kick and I suddenly took his hand and placed it on my tummy.

"It kicked again." I said happily but it was nothing compared with the excitement on Bryan's face.

"Someone seems happy that mummy and daddy are happy together, once again." He said and the baby kicked again, causing both of us to laugh.

"How didn't I realize that the perfect woman I've been looking for has been living beside me for years now?"

"Maybe because you were too busy being a playboy?" I asked playfully and he just smiled.