Unmistakably Yours (MXM) (MPREG)

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"I need to be alone. Please."

Almost an hour passed since I said those words to River. He reluctantly left the room with a heavy sigh, and when I looked into his eyes, I saw a flash of confusion and disappointment swirling inside. That broke me a little and it contributed to the heavy feeling of dread and anxiety seeping into my bones and dragging my heart slowly into the dark and cold abyss.

What made it worse was that I forgot what happened that night. I tried to be strong and rational, even dismissive about the incident, but at night, when I am free from distractions, the guilty feeling and the shame comes back in waves. I felt violated. And now...

My hand automatically reached for my belly and the overwhelming disbelief crashed into me when it finally sunk in. I'm pregnant, and I have a life inside of my belly. Tears flowed again and when I saw my reflection from the tinted windows, it was not a look of depression, but rather, bliss. My lips were stretched into a wide grin and the joy in my expression was beyond what I can imagine.

I don't care who impregnated me; I will raise this child on my own. This little bean is mine alone. If there comes a time when I found out who took advantage of my drunkenness, I will kick his dick and balls and make sure that he won't be able to use them anymore.

With that resolve in my mind, I slowly went to the bathroom to freshen up. A pair of clothes were neatly folded on the sink and I saw my skincare kit. Tears welled up again in my eyes as I sniffed. "Stupid River. How can you be so kind after all this time?" I reached for the faucet and washed my face, then brushed my teeth. I took a bit longer in the bathroom because tears never stopped falling when I realize that the people around me loves me so much and the thought of disappointing them breaks me into bits.

All cleaned up and in my comfortable shorts and shirt, I stepped out of the bathroom, only to find River leaning beside the door with a deep frown. When he saw me, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God. You took so long, Arden. I would have kicked the door down if you had not stepped out," he said in a worried tone and pulled me for a hug.

"I'm okay, River." I patted his back and hw released me. He studied my face and scoffed.

"Swollen eyes and red nose do not define okay, Arden. What happened? Care to tell me?"

I looked up at him and inhaled deeply. "I am not aborting this baby."

"What?" River was sporting a confused expression and as an instinct, I took it to mean that he's thinking that I'm ridiculous and spouting nonsense. I wrapped my arms around my belly and stepped back.

"Whatever you say, I will keep my baby. I will raise him. I have enough money for him. I will work so hard to provide for him, or her. If you try to convince me otherwise, I will... throw you that vase and tell the cops that it was an act of self-defense." I grabbed the vase and held it out like a shield.

River's confused expression morphed into an amused one, and before I know it, he was guffawing. This time, I'm the one confused. Is he right in the head? Or does he think that I won't be able to bash this vase on his head? "How dare you underestimate me? I may be a carrier but I can murder for the sake of my child!"

River covered his mouth to stifle his laughter and took slow deep breaths to collect himself. "Goodness, Arden. You have such a wild imagination. Is that what being pregnant does to you? If you're this dramatic, I wonder what will happen in the next few months?" He remarked in amusement, a smile on his face.

"What do you mean?" I slapped his hand away when he pinched my cheeks. "It hurts, River!"

"We'll talk later. For now, let's go home. Are you hungry? Are you craving for anything?"

My tummy rumbled and my gums tingled at the thought of "Matcha ice cream!"

River creased his forehead. "Matcha?"

I hummed and grinned, my feet bouncing in excitement. "Hmm. I also want matcha-flavored KitKat. I bet they're going to taste divine."

River chuckled and nodded. "Matcha products, then. What else?" Unable to think of anything, I shook my head.

"That's it for now. I want to rest and think."

"No overthinking, Arden. If you want to talk about it, I'm here."

I look at him and smiled a little. "Am I a disappointment, River? Because of my crazy plan, I got into this situation. You have been telling me to be careful and..." My eyes burned and tears welled up, my chest constricting in pain. When it comes to people I care about, I hate the feeling of letting them down. Their opinion matters to me.

River heaved a deep sigh that made me flinch. "I am, Arden." Biting my lower lip to stifle my sobs, I nodded in understanding, keeping my head down and my eyes trained on the floor. Hearing him say that is painful. I felt him step closer as he gathered my hands in his. "I care for you, Arden, like the little brother I never had. It's a no-brainer for me to get worried when you blurt out that you want to go to the sperm bank and have a baby. But now, this has gone beyond my expectations. You got careless and this is the consequence of your actions. Own up to it and be responsible."

"So you won't ask me to abort my baby?" I asked in a small voice and slowly looked at him. His expression was hard and tense, but when he shook his head, I felt a huge burden got lifted off my shoulders.

"Never. The baby is innocent, Arden. Freshen up again, then we'll swing by the supermarket to get everything you need."

"Thank you, River." He nodded and with a small smile, ruffled my hair fondly. River packed up my stuff while I washed my face again. The edges of my eyes were slightly swollen but the relief I saw in them made me smile.

We headed downstairs and as I was checking on my seatbelt, River spoke. "Keep this from Tyler for the time being, Arden, if you want to keep your peace," he added with a small chuckle. With a soft groan, I squeezed my eyes shut. That's right.Tyler. The overdramatic Tyler. He'll pass out when he hears this.

Meanwhile,

MA R I A N O

"What's the occasion?" I eyed the black envelope in my table with a blank expression. There is no doubt that it came from the old coots. I rubbed the side of my temples and heaved a deep sigh. Almost a month has passed and I still couldn't recover the memory gaps from last month's party. When I woke up, Hal was standing beside the door with a dark expression.

'You've been drugged. I'm still confirming my theory, but it has something to do with the elders.'

The elders. I never imagined that they would go so far as to drug me so that I can plant a seed to a random person that they sent for me.

"Another meeting for an arranged marriage. They are so relentless. There is no assurance that they will stop at drugging you. They will continue to be aggressive, Don," Hal uttered in an expression full of distaste as he clenched his knuckles so tight, enough to cut off the blood.

With an exasperated sigh, I reached for the envelope. The meeting is next week. "At ease, Hal. I have an idea."

Hal blinked slowly and his eyes transferred to the item I have been staring for a minute now. He let out a hollow chuckle and his smile curved into a small smirk when he realized what my next move will be. "What an evil fucker."

Chuckling lowly, I reached for the glass box. "You won't reach the top with a weak resolve and by following the rules." The gold cuff sparkled against the light and I couldn't help but remember how my kitten ran away from me. I may not have met him during the party, but it looks like I will see him soon.

Arden Coleman, my skittish kitten.

TO BE CONTINUED

It's short, but I'm writing the next one, so just chill.