Delectable Benefits

Nineteen

A/N
To my awesome and lovely readers.
Thank you so much for being with me on this journey despite my delayed updates. Just a few more chapters left!
Lovelots,
Sakura
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The head chef approached Anya before the catering team packed up to leave. She was standing next to Jock as they said good bye to each other. "I must say, Anya, you have set me in my place."

Anya smiled, in as much as she wanted to gloat, she couldn't. "All the recipes I have made are safely with Jock now. You can study them and incorporate them in the menu in the restaurant you are assigned to."

"Thank you," he said and suddenly embraced her. "I hope to see you again, soon," he said and left to join the others.

"Well, Jock, this must be good bye," Anya said sadly.

"Well Miss Anya, I will see you again soon. The winds of change are strong. I think it's begun to bend your father."

Anya frowned at that, "Is it about the rumored merger he plans to make with a hotelier?"

"This is also your grandfather's decision as well as the members of the board." Then he changed the subject. "I heard that your wedding is only temporary? Is this true?"

Anya bit her lower lip and nodded. "Yes, we only agreed to get married for our Nicolette."

"Does your Papi know about this?" The old man's tone was sharp.

Anya shook head, "He will come after Nicholas with a shotgun and kill him."

Jock shook his head, "Until when?" The old man asked.

Anya released a deep breath, "The end of January," she said heavily.

"We've been booked to a St. Anthony wedding, bambelina. I hear it is your St. Anthony." Jock's tone was soft but Anya heard the warning.

Anya couldn't say anything her head was bowed in shame. "I am sure you have a better explanation for this stupid arrangement, little girl. This time, Jock will not be able to save you. You will have to do this on your own."

Anya nodded painfully, "I know, Jock. Please don't tell Papito."

"Do not expect me to keep this to myself, secrets have a way of being found mout," he warned and left with the others after a quick hug.

He waited for the following Wednesday.

After they returned home, he was determined to know what was the reason she had to pretend to be strong. He did his research and coincidentally, she was nearly raped on a Wednesday, those two incidents took place on a Wednesday and her family also left her on a Wednesday, and upon checking the calendar, they will also be getting a divorce on a Wednesday.

He barely spoke to her since they got home, they both focused on their daughter. He decided she was the only thing they had in common.

Anya felt the distance and the lack of emotional connection with Nick heavily. He must be getting restless. Seeing Michelle again must have reminded him of their deal. It made her wonder how was she going to tell about the baby. She was careless and desperate. She never should have left the house on Halloween night and kept the desperate soul within. She should have just stayed at home and gave away the candy. And ignored everyone else, she let herself become weak and now look at what it lead her. A divorcee with a baby on the way and she would heavily lose in a custody battle losing the only family she had left.

She showered and got ready for bed, she glanced at the clock and saw it was the anniversary of the first attempted rape. It also happened to be a Wednesday. She shut her eyes and tried to calm herself, Patty had sent her a message about staying calm and she was just a phone call away.

When she let herself slip into dream land, she knew it wouldn't be long until the nightmare would begin. And since her anxiety levels were high, she knew the nightmare would feel entirely too real.

It wasn't even close to midnight when Nick heard the first scream. Her terror filed voice filled him. He kicked her door open and saw her trashing about the bed like the first time he saw her stark naked with the deranged quarterback on top of her.

"Let me go! Please! Help!" Anya shouted.

Nick shook her shoulders and called her name. But nothing was working. "Anya! Wake up! It's me Nick!"

"Mr. Kingsley? Help! Please!" she responded.

"Open your eyes, damn it!" He made the mistake of embracing her, she went wild. He knew her dream had shifted, when she begged her eyes to be closed. "If you're going to rape me, please, let me close my eyes. I have never been with anyone."

Tears were streaming down her cheeks and she began to trash, "No please! Don't touch me there! Please! Let me go!"

She was screaming frantically now, and trashing wildly "Anya! Wake up!" Nick shouted and shook her.

"She can't wake up, papa, she will only when it's over," Nicolette said, she was crying now.

"Honey, go back to your room, I'll call you when this is over."

The little girl nodded, "Please make the nightmares go away, papa. Mama's had them for so long, I don't like seeing her like this."

Nick didn't know what to say but told his daughter to close the door and stay in her room. He looked down at his wife, she was quiet and now the dream had changed. He was now in it. "Yes, I violated the agreement. Will you let me see her?"

She was now dreaming about their divorce, "Christ," he swore and knew she was afraid of losing her daughter. "I will not take her away from you, do you hear me!" he whisper yelled.

"Daughter's beautiful, looks like Nick. Michelle, perfect family. No place for me, surrogate mother," she said brokenly.

Nick closed his eyes and saw how vulnerable she was. He sighed lay on the bed next to her, she immediately crawled on top of him she inhaled his scent and let out a contented sigh. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. Seconds later, Anya was suddenly awake. "Nick?" she said surprised. She pulled away and looked down at him. She was now kneeling down on the bed looking at his annoyed face.

"That was one hell of a nightmare, Mrs. St. Anthony, care to share?" He asked with a brow raised.

She let out a deep breath sat on the other side of the bed. "It just happens when never my anxiety levels are high. That also includes fear and other things."

"And the nightmare?" he prodded.

"About the darkest moments of my life," she admitted.

"The last nightmare was rather loud. I am not going to take our daughter away."

His voice was hard and it was clear he was upset as well. She flinched and lowered her head, "I know that."

"What part of the agreement did you violate?" he demanded.

Anya was quiet for a while, "Halloween night. I know something happened between us."

"You were drunk," he said.

"I should have known better!" she countered. "This is why I never get drunk."

He sighed, "To be honest, I should also take part of the blame. I was sober that night. You were not yourself."

"You had to clean me up, remember? I practically raped you in the bathroom," she replied in a whisper as she remembered the night.

"Nicole says you haven't had a nightmare since I started sleeping with you every Wednesday," he said casually.

She nodded, "I guess it's because you make me feel safe. You are my personal hero. You did save me those two times. My mind must be fixated on that truth that you will never harm me."

"But you are afraid I will take our daughter away," he said, his tone deep.

She nodded, "I'm a mother, I tend to overthink things," she replied, it also wouldn't be the first time I've felt lonely and alone, she wanted to add.

She glanced back at him and saw he was frowning at her. "You don't have to be strong all the time." He said softly wanting to wrap his arms around her.

She wrapped her arms around herself wanting to have his warmth enveloping her. "I have to," she whispered.

"Why?" he asked.

"I've got no one else to lean on to. Nicole needs me to be strong. I'm her mother, she depends on me," she said honestly.

Nick wrapped his arms around her, "I'm here,"

She forced herself to move from his arms, "I don't think Michelle will allow you to sleep with me every Wednesday. I'll cope like I always do," she headed to her bathroom.

"You're not always alone," he said through the door.

Anya was leaning against the door and she heard his whisper, she wished he was right.

Nick was surprised to find the DA making their breakfast the following morning. "Pam?"

She turned and saw him dressed only in a robe. "Good morning, how is she? Nicolette said last night was a bad one."

Anya stepped down, she looked pale and grabbed a slice of toast and when she spotted him, she immediately, headed out. He chased after her and saw her get in her car. The woman quickly sped away.

"What the hell was that all about?" he headed to his room and changed his clothes.

Peach met him at the foot of the stairs. "She isn't going anywhere. Let her be for a while, she's always been like that ever since I found out about the nightmares."

"My daughter told me about the nightmares. It's obvious she needs help, she's never gotten over the ordeals and now the divorce is adding up to it." He was getting angry.

Sheila frowned at him. "She doesn't need a shrink. She needs you. You were the single rock in her life, the one person she could rely on. She's pushing you away because you don't belong to her. She doesn't need to be hurt anymore, Nick. Anya maybe one of the strongest women I know. But when she breaks down, the pain she feels can tear any man apart."

Anya came home at eight, she avoided Nick and entered the house through the kitchen. She used the back staircase as she went up to her room. She changed her clothes and went to her daughter's room. Her little girl was still doing homework.

"Mom!" Nicole complained when her mother embraced her from behind ruining the child's concentration.

"I love you, you know that?" She said.

Nicole embraced her mother, "Of course, mom. I love you too."

Anya looked at the homework Nicole was working on, "Yuck! Math," she said with clear hate.

Nicole laughed, "It's not so bad, mom. All you have to do is look for the X."

Anya rolled her eyes and moved away from her daughter. "X and Y? May the saints preserve us. They are always missing. Isn't there a way to keep them found?" She went to her daughter's bed and wrapped herself in her blanket.

Nicole giggled, "Are you sleeping here tonight?"

"No, she isn't," Nick said and entered the bedroom. Her gathered his wife in his arms and left their daughter's bedroom. He gently tossed her on his bed and joined her.

"What are you doing, Nick?" She demanded in a hiss. She lay stiffly in his arms and steeled herself from the emotions flooding.

"We're going to sleep."

Her heart thundered, "But why?" She asked.

"Because you need it," he said and turned the lights out.

Anya looked away from him, she tried to calm her heart and forced herself to be passive. "You can't cure my traumas Nick."

"What if you live with us?"

He had definitely lost his mind. "Michelle will come after me with a hatchet."

He wrapped his arms around her. "Maybe, she's mostly away all the time. Ever since we got engaged, and thing definitely took a turn when we got married."

"You married the wrong woman," she pointed out, she yawned, she blamed the baby for making her fall asleep so easily.

Nick looked down at his wife when he heard her snore softly, he kissed her temple. The only way to keep her at peace was not to divorce her. Perhaps she could be happier.

What about Michelle? His conscience nagged him, you love her, right?

Did he? Did he love the woman who didn't believe in family the way he did? Their principles were almost the same yet they were polar opposites in the things that matter. In bed they were always competing with each other on who could hold control the longest. With Anya, it was wild and unbridled, his release always gave him peace. He also didn't feel obligated to make love to her every time they alone together. However, he always had the compelling urge to strip her down and make love to her. Most of the time, he had to fight the urge because she was doing nothing to attract him. He noticed their water bill had increased somewhat. He told Anya it was because he washed the cars often, when in truth, it was because he took a lot of cold showers.


"I'm detecting multiple heart beats," the doctor said as she moved the doppler around Anya's stomach.

Anya's eyes rounded, "What?"

The doctor looked at her stomach, "And looking at the size of your baby bump, I would say you are having more than one. Let's have an ultra sound to make sure."