Looking around for a few seconds, minutes, I was in shock and didn't know where I was, what had happened, until I realized that I was in the hospital. Interestingly, I have the feeling that I keep waking up in the hospital. Horror.
How is my baby?
"Bella?"
I looked towards the door and saw the only person I had missed the most in all the difficult days I had spent.
"Damien." I smiled and he didn't wait a second but came closer to me and connected our lips. My body reacted in such a way that it was as if I had been reborn. Warmth, tenderness, happiness.
I broke the kiss and hugged him tightly, while tears streamed down my face. Tears of joy.
"I missed you." I told him and enjoyed his scent that I missed so much, while I kept my head resting on his shoulder.
"I missed you too." He said and kissed my forehead. He moved away from me to sit on the bed next to my feet.
"How are you feeling?" Does he know about the baby?
"Fine, a little weak but fine. Can I go home, I don't want to be here." I hate hospitals.
"I think we'll still be patient and listen to the doctor, because the most important thing is the baby." Damien said while I looked at him with wide eyes. I'm afraid of his reaction.
"Damien.." I tried to explain but he stopped me.
"Everything in its own time, but now is not the time. We'll leave that topic for another day." Thank God.
Wait a minute.. what about Maximilian? If I remember correctly, I stabbed him right in the heart. At that moment I felt the worst because I killed the father of my child, but he wanted to kill us, so that I wouldn't be with Damien.
"What's bothering you?" Why didn't I ask him about Maximilian? Maybe it would be better. I don't think it's time for that.
"Nothing, I have so many questions, and I don't want to bother you with nonsense while you're this weak. We have time." He said and looked at me.
"I know you want to ask me about the child. Ask me. What are you interested in?" I told him and waited.
I know that he is desperate to know the truth.
"How?" That's his question. To a question that has a little more answer.
"If you think I deliberately deceived you and had a child with him, I'll just tell you that it wasn't intentional, if I was in my right mind I would never have done it, but when he kidnapped me, because of my behavior, he gave me several injections and for the first two days I forgot about my life in the last few months. I only had hatred for you, while Maximilian remained in my memory of how I met him. As for my relationship with him, it just happened, I don't and can't explain more than this because I have no more words for it. He drugged me and I forgot about my present. I know it's a stupid question and don't get me wrong, but what about Maximilian, is he dead?" I'm hoping for the worst. He was just a threat.
"He died. Elijah went to check his pulse but couldn't find it. There was no way he could help him." So I killed him.
"Damien. He wanted to kill us, I couldn't let that happen, I couldn't let him harm the baby even though he's connected to her." I didn't want to mention that he was a dad because it would have been hard for him.
"You did what you thought was best at that moment. Sometimes we can't change some things, we can't turn back time, we live in the present and dream of the future." Is this Damien?
He's right. The present is what matters.
"Now we'll finally be at peace, and the worst is behind us." Looking at Damien, and watching his face, I realized that we were far from peace.
"Tell me what you're thinking about?" I asked him.
I want to know everything, I don't want secrets.
"I know you'd like everything to be great, but unfortunately we're far from peace, especially now that one of the Ruiz's is dead. Santiago and Ariel are more than alive and seeking revenge. A new part of revenge is starting, and we have to be ready for anything." What do we have to be ready for, what does that mean to him.
"What's the worst that could happen?" I know I don't want to hear it, but I have to.
This is our life and that's what connects us.
"Anyone who seeks revenge never ends well, and sometimes those who shouldn't get hurt get hurt, we have to protect ourselves and be careful because the worst is to be expected from Santiago." I got goosebumps all over.
Just the thought that he could harm my family, my friends, makes me shiver.
I don't want anything bad to happen to anyone because of my mistake.
"I started it, so I'm going to finish it. I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me. I would never forgive myself for that." I don't want that.
All sorts of scenarios are spinning in my head.
"The only thing you need to do is take care of yourself and the baby, and the doctor told you to rest, so you're going to do that." Damien said sternly and got up from the bed.
"Where are you going?" I'll go call the nurses to get you something to eat, you must be hungry, and so is the baby." He keeps talking about the baby. Is he really thinking about her or is it just a thorn in his side?
I hope he doesn't mind the baby because we'll never be able to function normally.
I don't want my child to feel rejected because Damien isn't the real father.
Baby, forgive me. Everything started wrong from the beginning, I hope you can forgive me someday in the future when you find out the truth about your dad.
I just want peace.
"Issy..." I looked at the door and saw my friends I missed. I immediately remembered college.
It just feels like it was a long long time ago.
What a mess.
I started crying with happiness when I saw them. All my emotions came back to life. Now I feel alive when I see the people I love next to me. Now I actually see how much of a walking dead I was next to Maximilian. He destroyed me.
Something that takes years to build, to be a better person, first for yourself and then for the people around you.
Having two people like Rosa and Teresa is a blessing.
"I missed you." We hugged each other tightly.
"We missed you too. Thank God you're here, with us. From now on, we're inseparable. Don't push us away from you anymore. Whenever you have a problem, come to us, you know we're here." Teresa said.
"Don't worry. I just want peace." I know I won't have it anytime soon because this is just the beginning of something even worse.
I need to protect them all.
"We have so much to tell you, and I believe you have to tell us too." Rosa said, which made Teresa laugh but also get serious.
This is going to take time.
