Forgotten Flame

Deception

"Oh my god, it's literally the cutest.." I beam holding the baby scan photo between my fingers as Ella sat on my couch smiling.

"I know right. I can't stop looking at the picture, none of this seems real, like it's going to be a real cruel dream and I'm gonna wake up." She admits.

"Ash is pleased then?"

"He jumped for joy, Mina. I've never seen him so happy, I never actually thought he would be so excited. But he is, I can't tell you how relieved I was to hear him say he wants us to be a family."

"I bet."

"Because I was ready, you know.. To do it on my own. I figured that no matter what, I could do this. I had to do this."

"And now you don't have to do it alone. You got Ash, I obviously come part of the package too."

"Oh obviously." She grins.

I hand her the photo back and watch as she admires it again before subconsciously placing a hand on her tummy. "Turns out I wasn't just extra horny, I had hormones bouncing around."

"You're gonna need to pay for a therapist  for that little might. No more wild sex, you've gotta tone it down now. I can't imagine it's gonna be easy to run at 8 months pregnant when you're trying to have a quick bunk up in the park."

She giggles "Been there, done that."

"Why does that not surprise me?" I laugh shaking my head.

Ella pops the photo away before turning her attention to me, her eyes fixating on my face.

"Out with it, you know I hate it when you stare.." I groan.

"Since when did Mina Brooks become some man eating machine?"

I scoff "Since never. I arranged to help Zak and then Hunter walked his fine ass into my life. Now we are playing this stupidly weird game and neither of us want to instigate sex, which is fine by me. I mean, foreplay is hardly breaking my vow of celibacy now, is it?"

"Are you trying to convince me? Or yourself?"

"Shut up.." I mumble.

"What exactly does 'helping Zak' entail?"

I rise off the couch and grab the contract before settling it on the couch. "You only look, IF you promise me that it goes no further than this room."

"Yeah, yeah. Gimme." She grins.

"Ah! Promise."

"Fine, I promise. Now let me see this Christian Grey contract."

I take my hand off it, letting her snatch it up and settle back into the couch cushions. As Ella begins to read, my phone pings.

- Woke up with a problem.. Wonder if you could help? H x

My lip was almost raw from my violent assaults I had been inflicting on it with my teeth. Throughout the course of last night, I had nightmares and dreams, although the line between the two were faded as a lot of the dreams started off okay, but soon turned violent. The majority involved Hunter using too much force, that when he was pleasing me, his hand squeezed my throat too tight and he snapped my neck.

Or that he wouldn't take no for an answer..

"Jesus. I mean.. Controlling much?" Ella spoke still engrossed in reading.

I sighed quietly and decided to text Hunter back.

- Can't today. Sorry. M x

I didn't get a reply, not that I expected one...