Beloved Stranger

Chapter 1: intro

Sephora

         I woke up to the vibration of my phone under my pillow. With my eyes still closed, I grabbed it, barely aware of my surroundings. I checked the time, and when I turned off the screen, I saw the reflection of a handsome man, sleeping soundly beside me, behind my back. I blinked a few times, unsure if I was still dreaming or actually awake, since I was still pretty hungover. Sometimes, I think I'm awake but I'm not, but this time I knew I was. I slapped myself a few times and snapped out of it, only to realize I was completely naked. I stopped myself from screaming since the guy beside me was still asleep. I saw my clothes scattered on the floor along with his. Damn, what was I thinking to end up like this? I slowly sat up and started picking up my clothes, trying not to wake him, but just as I was about to stand up, he grabbed my arm. I was startled he was awake. Panic rushed over me because I had no idea what to do.

"Where are you going?" When he woke up, I was amazed at his appearance when I finally saw him clearly in the light. His tanned skin, and his eyes, which were a light brown with a hint of green when the sunlight from the window hit them. His wavy hair, with a color that was like golden brown. His sharp nose made him look like an angel that had descended from heaven. His lips were a natural rosy red, as if he had lip balm on, but he didn't. His well-built body made it obvious that he worked out regularly. Oh my God, he's speaking English. I knew he didn't look Filipino he looked like he was from Spain. Then, everything from last night came rushing back to me, including the things I said.

"Umm, I just want to go home, hehe," I awkwardly replied, feeling ridiculous. I couldn't even face him because I was still naked, and I was so embarrassed.

"What? After what happened to us?" I turned around, covering my body with the blanket.

"Um, yeah? It was just a one-night stand, right?" I said, but he frowned. He looked so handsome that, in my hungover state, I felt like I looked awful in comparison. I tried to hide my face behind my hair.

"What? Didn't you say you wanted me to do it because you wanted to have a child? I agreed, didn't I? Did you forget?" Oh my God, I was mortified. I didn't know what to do—I just wanted to disappear into the bed. He pulled me closer and brushed the hair away from my face.

"Shit! I'm sorry, yeah that's true, but you don't have to be a father." He looked at me angrily, like he was ready to snap. Because of how hard he pulled me, I ended up lying flat on my back with him on top of me. I looked away, feeling awkward, but then he brought his face even closer to mine. Damn it, I wanted to push him away, but he was too strong.

"Tsk, are you nuts? How many guys have you asked to get you pregnant? I'm not just some random guy you met who's going to leave you here because I got my pleasure." I slowly looked at him, feeling an overwhelming sense of shame. But I swear to God, he's the only guy l've ever asked something like this-just to get me pregnant without any expectation for him to be responsible. I know it sounds crazy, but my life feels incomplete. I have a stable job to support my future baby, so it's fine. I even have my own apartment at 24, and I'm independent. I don't have parents or anything, just two friends who are always there for me. They're like family. One of them already has a family of her own, and the other has a boyfriend. Meanwhile, I have no one, and this whole situation happened because of the stupid things the three of us got into.

"Um, no, you're the only one, and this is my first time, I swear. I'm sorry, but it's complicated when you become a parent. I promise I can support the baby and meet all its needs, so don't worry."

"First time? You're a virgin? God, why didn't you tell me? Oh, so you have trust issues? You thought I might leave, so you preemptively acted? But no, I won't let you raise that baby without me." The truth hit me hard. What if he really is a good person? I suddenly felt like I was falling for him, despite his serious expression. But damn, why am I feeling like this? Am I still drunk? I looked away and tried to break free.