Two Worlds Apart

Chapter 115

Courtney's POV•

"Alright, so here's how we're going to go about the Morcé project."

My every attempt to stay focused keeps getting waved away and is replaced by the events from two days ago. I've been on a call with Morgan and Clinton for 30mins now and I've only gotten 15% of everything that has been said.

"Courtney"

I blink twice, pulling myself back

"Um, sorry Morgan"

"Please, be present"

I nod and she continues

"As I was saying, you guys are making only four clothes each while the design crew will handle 6 outfits....but you two are coming up with the sketches and choosing the fabric, they're only creating. The work load will be too much since you guys aren't at the company so you'll need some help. However, if the design crew doesn't meet up to what I expect, even though I know they'll meet up, you guys will have to take over"

Clinton and I look at each other over the screen and let out a sigh

"Well, let's see how it goes" he shrugs

"Is that all?"

Morgan nods "yeah, that'll. Send me your designs as soon as you're done"

"Noted" we say in sync before the call comes to an end.

I take in a deep breath, placing my laptop aside. My head keeps pounding repeatedly and the continuous knocking on the door made it even worse.

"I'm in no mood to stand up!" I yell, informing whoever it was that was outside....but the person didn't stop knocking.

Letting out a sigh, I drag myself off the couch and towards the door, muttering to myself in frustration.

"How can I..... Eric"

The pounding goes straight to my chest, suddenly making me nervous

"Can I come in?"

I unconsciously move out of the way, my eyes refusing to meet him and my hands suddenly becoming sweaty.

I'm nervous, very very nervous.

"How....I mean, what are you doing....here?"

His hands were in his pocket, his back faced towards me, slowly turning around before his gaze meets mine

"Even I don't know. I can't work effectively, I can't give out orders, I can't close deals....I can't pay attention to anything without our last conversation coming up......" He pauses, taking in a deep breath with his eyes closed.

My feet were glued to the floor, my hands refusing to leave each other. He opens his eyes again, that usual soft gaze absent this time

"Why'd you do it?"

Giving a slight shrug and my voice probably about to shake, I say "fear, pain, sense of responsibility....."

He cuts in a bit too sharply "what sense of responsibility would make u stay a whole year, 12 months, 365days, with someone's child inside of you and not for once seeing the need to speak up?"

"I was scared, Eric" I become even more nervous, his harsh tone forcing my eyes to water up "I don't know what your mum would have done to me if she found out I was pregnant"

"Don't" he shakes his head slightly, noticing my suddenly teary eyes "Don't do that"

"Don't do what? Cry? Why does everything about us have to be bittersweet? You're refusing to hear me....."

"You hid a child away from me, Courtney." He cuts me off "You caused it this time"

"Not on purpose, Eric. I lost my shop, I lost my freedom because I was continuously pestered by Theresa, I almost lost my house, I lost my relationship with you.....I wasn't going to lose my child too"

"How was telling me going to endanger her?"

"Your mother, Eric" I spat

Tension suddenly fills the room, the agitation getting even worse.

"Courtney...."

I cut him off this time, raising a finger at him to get him to stop talking

"You and I know that as at then, no matter what would have happened, no matter how much you disagree and protest, Barbara Martinez would have done what she wanted, not caring who gets hurt even if it's you"

Now, he was quiet, dried out of words to say even though he was making a valid point at first.

I drop my shoulder, along with my tone "I wasn't planning on keeping her away from you forever, Eric, but you and I know that you can't charge your mother to court or sue her of anything. If anything happened to my baby when I was pregnant, I was nobody to charge Barbara Martinez to court, even if I had claims.....but now i have some sort of stand in life, I'm not as scared. I was going to tell you that night at dinner but I was too scared to bring it up..... nothing I did was to intentionally hurt you"

He had his hand slightly rubbing his forehead, the other in his pocket. He refused to look at me so he had his eyes closed.

"I don't know what hurts more, the fact that you're right, or the fact that I suddenly feel inconsiderate for being upset"

"You're not inconsiderate, Eric" I close the space between us, slowly taking his hand away from his face which causes him to open his eyes "you're not. You reacted the way anyone would, you just needed to understand why I did it"

And just like, that soft look suddenly appears in his beautiful grey eyes again.

He looks down at my hands in his, slowly bring it up to his lips and placing a kiss on them.

"I'm sorry" I say to him "I should have known not to keep it for too long"

"I got a mother like Barbara, nothing I go through really surprises me much"

As if on cue, Natalie announces her awakening with a cry, grabbing Eric and I's attention.

"Can I see her?"

A small smile appears on my face "thought you'd never ask"

.....

I manage to calm Natalie of her crying before bringing her out to the living room.

Eric keeps pacing back and forth, slowly coming to a stop when he notices us. He takes slow hesitant steps towards us, leaving us only a foot apart.

"Know how to hold a baby?"

He gulps "well...."

I gently hand her over to me....he was oozing of fear but who am I to blame him?

He holds her like anyone would a crate of eggs, like she was fragile and he was so scared to drop her.

I thought I had seen his softest gaze, but it softens even more when he hold on to her. I notice the fear on his face as he tries to hold on to her firmly but carefully, Natalie hardly ever stays still so she wasn't even helping matters....but at the same time, I don't think he's ready to let her go.

A small smile stretches across his face

"She has my eyes" he chuckles softly as I take a step closer to them

"One of her best features"

"What's her name?"

"I named her after my mum, Natalie.....I don't know if you'd like to give her another name, but...."

He shakes his head "No need for that, Natalie's just perfect"

A smile settles on my face, hs attention returning back to her

"Okay then"