We analysed each other’s features, memories of every single moment we spent together running through our minds and causing ourselves to shiver in anticipation for the next time we would be touching one another; feeling the warmth of lips and bodies entwining in the most intimate way two people could be involved. I wanted to take a couple of steps and close the gap, the agonizing amount of space, that kept us apart. I wanted to jump into Bradley’s arms and feel his heartbeat against my own, sound sync; I wanted to feel his large hands caressing my sides and getting to my cheek, where he would trace light circles while smiling at me, his pearly whites showing.
But I couldn’t. Because after the rush of the good memories, the pleasureful memories, came that last one that broke my heart into pieces: he didn’t come to the airport. He didn’t come to rescue the girl, like happened in the fairytales. He wasn’t there.
Maybe there would be some sort of explainable excuse, but nothing would remove from my mind the pain of watching the airport and my beautiful London fading in the distance, leaving the one single person I thought could save me behind.
The words I rehearsed saying so many times in the past few months were tickling my mouth into coming out, but I was having trouble on actually speaking something. The sight of Brad so painfully close to my hands were too exciting for me to flip out over something that went by that long ago. I could see that he was having his own struggle within; but his reasons I was yet to find out. Who knew what happened ever since we were stuck with absolutely no contact at all?
I sure as hell knew he was completely clueless about what went on in my life. My close relationship to someone who coincidently was friends with Connor and Liam; my school life, and, of course, the pregnancy. My stomach flipped and I suddenly felt too aware of my surroundings, losing my balance momentarily. Brad’s arms snaked around my waist as fast as he could and he gently carried me over to one of the many chairs in the hospital’s cafeteria, which was only a few steps from where we stood seconds ago.
“Are you ok, babe? I can call a nurse. Alright, I’m going to get a nurse and-” he stood up, walking nervously.
“No, Brad, stop. I’m ok.” I grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him closer until he was sitting beside me.
“Then why were you dizzy?” Brad's brown eyes were filled with worry and I wished I could reach out and touch his face. I didn’t.
“Why… Why did you allow me to just go?” teardrops fell from both my eyes to my hoodie and my voice was barely a whisper but he got the words immediately. Brad frowned, looking down to his hand that played with the hem of his shirt and then back at me.
“Babe, I learned about the situation-” he started and I swallowed another set of warm droplets, having a hard time on breathing and finding any patience to listen to his excuses.
“You should’ve suspected things had gotten wrong, I didn’t text you or anything.” I interrupted him anxiously.
“Heloise, we didn’t exactly have a way of communicating by then, remember? Your mom still had your phone.”
“Either way, it hurt me to know that you weren’t caring enough to go look for me.”
“Are you seriously putting this on me, Hells? Really? After all we’ve been through, you say that I wasn’t caring enough?”
“Then tell me how am I supposed to think about this whole thing in another way?” my tears had already stopped surging and I was getting angrier by the second.
“That’s simple, ask your mom!”
“Ask my mom? What the hell are you talking about?”
“Heloise, I got to the airport in time when you were walking towards the gate. Your mom didn’t let me go through and I called you, but you wouldn’t hear me.” he paused, blinking repeatedly. Was he trying not to cry? “You wouldn’t listen, and I yelled. I yelled so much and then you were gone. You didn’t even look behind, Hells. If you had, you would’ve seen me and you wouldn’t have gotten in the plane.”
“You… You what?” my mind was blowing up. I couldn’t believe my mom had done it again. She had gotten in our way without me knowing and she had me thinking that Brad didn’t care about me, about us.
“I went after you. But it seems like you are not caring enough about anything I do at this very moment.”
“Brad, you don’t understand…” I whimpered, coughing to cover it.
“Explain me.”
“I can’t. But there are things that I’ve been going through that you wouldn’t imagine, they are far beyond what you can reach, even though it involves you and-“
“Stop right there. If you’re not going to tell me, then don’t tease.” he shook his head, sighing loudly.
We remained in silence for minutes that seemed to drag themselves, and I was regretting being so harsh. In the end, he had chased me, but I was dumb enough to not look behind one last time. God, if I could only turn back time.
“Do you think- Do you think we will ever be able to get back to what we used to be? I mean, before they discovered?” I questioned him, biting on my bottom lip. I knew the answer, cause now I had found out about a secret that could and would change our lives.
My gaze fell upon his features and I saw a different expression there… like he, himself, was keeping a secret. It couldn’t be the same as I kept, cause his answer was simply, “I don’t think so.”
What could he be hiding from me? By the way he spoke, it was obviously as important as my secret.
I laughed sarcastically, trying to repel the absurd ideas that were running inside my head, “Brad?”
“Yes?” he looked up at me, eyes curious.
“Hug me, please?” I murmured inbetween shalow breaths, allowing my eyes to spill all my suffering for the first time in what seemed like forever.
He pulled me closer and rested his chin over my head, caressing my lower back as I sobbed on his chest, soaking his sweater.
*
“Heloise, darling.” Lynn wrapped her arms around me as soon as I crossed the door to the room the nurse had indicated. My aunt had several bruises along her legs and arms, along with a bandage on her head.
“Auntie, how are you feeling?” I asked, tightening our hug.
“I’m feeling good, honey. Not that the bruises don’t hurt, but they’re not bothering me that much. What about you?” she nudged me with a grin on her face. That indicated she saw me and Brad hugging. Shame it meant something completely opposite from what she assumed.
“The baby didn’t resist the impact, aunt.” I said all at once, lowering my head.
“Oh my God! I’m so sorry, baby, I knew how excited you were getting!” she helped me sitting down and kept tapping my shoulder. “Did you tell your mom or Brad yet?”
“Uhm, auntie… I wanted to talk to you.”
“Feel free to say anything you want.” she caressed my hair and I sighed.
“The pregnancy.” I started, toying with my fingers. “I don’t want anyone else to know about it."
***
A.N.: Hello, lovelies! This has been an amazing time, Forbidden is my baby and I love to know you all are enjoying it! The next chapter I post will be the last, and then I will post a little Epilogue as well. I hope you all enjoy the ending I have planned. Thank you for reading, I will post the last chapter on Sunday :) xx
