Forever and ever 2. The adventure starts now.

Part 182.

Y/N's pov~

The weather was dismal. The sky was shrouded in heavy, gray clouds, with dreary raindrops casting the world into a melancholy haze, lightning striking the lake. Yet, thicker than the clouds outside was the air in the house. All the boys were like walking thunderstorms themselves, the only ones in good spirits being Paddy and Parker, who were jumping on the couch and throwing pillows at each other.

"Do you want some tea?" Tom joined me at the kitchen island, filling a kettle with water to bring to a boil. He wore loose black jeans and a black T-shirt. If I didn't know him better, I would have thought he was dressed for a funeral.

I shook my head as I saw who had joined me in the kitchen, then turned my attention back to my son. His giggles made each morning better, the countertop warming under the weight of my elbows as the minutes passed.

Tom made himself a cup of tea behind me, the sounds of the clattering cup and boiling water reaching my ears. When he finished, he rested his elbows right beside me. The kitchen island was at least four meters long, but Tom stood so close that our shoulders touched, the hairs on the back of my neck standing still. Last night still didn't feel real. Whatever was going through my mind at the time, I couldn't explain now. It was probably my emotions and his brothers' words that softened me. Maybe it was simply pity after finding out Tom had been fired, and on top of that, how his brothers thought of him.
He hadn't raped me. And I knew that, but I began to think Tom didn't. I understood his actions better than he did. But that didn't excuse how he used me and treated me, knowing I was pregnant. All because he thought the child wasn't his. The thought brought a thick nausea to my throat, impossible to swallow down. Just thinking about it created a vast chasm between us, and I distanced myself from him before he could get any closer.

Settled on the sofa, my head was throbbing today. The few steps had taken more out of me than I expected, leaving my body warm and my stomach cramping. I couldn't even see if Tom was staring at me because my eyes were closed, trying to focus on my breathing.

"Take this!" Paddy threw a pillow at Parker, missed, and hit me in the face. I was grateful it was just fabric and feathers instead of the plastic toys Parker had left on the floor. "Paddy—what the hell? That's enough, you two. Go play somewhere else." Tom scolded the boys, and without hesitation, they complied. The last thing they wanted was to get yelled at by their brother or father, especially when Paddy quickly realized Tom was in no mood to be trifled with today. They gathered Parker's fire truck and his Paw Patrol toys and headed down the hall to the playroom where Harry and Harrison were playing pool.

No matter where I went, I knew Tom would follow, as he sat down on the couch next to me again. His cologne made it hard to avoid him, and my memories only intensified the struggle. I was so torn, not knowing if I was hurt and scared or on the verge of making a foolish mistake, that the pangs in my stomach overwhelmed me. The little girl inside me was kicking up a storm today, and I was scared something might be wrong with her, a worry that showed on my face.

"Are you okay?" Tom stared at my clenched hand on my belly. I nodded gently.

"Yeah," I replied, exhaling shakily. My eyes twitched, struggling to stay open, but seeing Tom's concerned expression made me think that even if I wasn't okay, he wouldn't let anything bad happen.

"Do you want a massage?" A massage? The question came out of nowhere, and while I initially hesitated to decline, the more I thought about it, the more I realized it might actually help. But maybe not from my ex-husband. Tom nodded in understanding and pondered what else he could do just as Ciara noisily entered the room.

"Who's up for a game of Monopoly?" And as if on cue, four more people followed her in: Sam, Josephine, Hero, and Ciara. Maybe this was exactly what I needed, a game of Monopoly.