Chapter 795 Grant, I Registered for Marriage!
In that moment, Natalie was both surprised and delighted.
Under the warm yellow light, her expression softened, showing the gentle warmth of a new mother.
It was a side of her that Grant had never seen before.
Grace, having been a mother herself, recognized the signs immediately. Ignoring the engaged couple, she asked Natalie with concern, "Did the baby move?"
Natalie placed her hand on her belly and smiled gently, "Yeah! It's the first time."
Grace couldn't help but reach out to feel it too.
She exclaimed, "So lively! Look at those little hands and feet moving so strongly!"
Natalie felt a wave of tenderness. She lowered her gaze, her expression soft and warm, perhaps unaware of how gentle she looked... Grant watched quietly from about ten feet away.
Clara was extremely displeased.
She sneered, "Grant, it's not even your kid. Why do you care so much?"
Grant withdrew his gaze.
He stared at her coldly. Ever since Alvina had tried to force him into marriage by taking pills, his relationship with Clara, though they were engaged, had worsened significantly.
They were engaged, but he had never set a wedding date.
Clara was quite unhappy about it.
Seeing Grant so distracted by Natalie now made her even more upset. She stopped trying on wedding dresses and sneered, "Fine! You clearly don't care about me. I'll give you space. Let's see if your old flame will run back to you! Grant, look at her, she's already pregnant with Clayton's child."
Her words were harsh.
Grant raised his hand, and Clara's eyes filled with tears as she glared at him.
In the end, Grant didn't strike her.
He looked at Clara's delicate yet haggard face and said coldly, "It's been over between her and me, Clara. What happens between us has nothing to do with her."
Clara laughed through her tears, "Feeling sorry for her?"
Grant turned and walked away, ignoring Clara's calls of "Grant."
Soon, he disappeared upstairs, and shortly after, the sound of a car engine starting came from downstairs. Clara, disregarding her dignity, cried out, "Grant, you bastard!"
Once the unhappy couple had left, Grace patted her chest, "What a spectacle. Those two getting married? They seem completely mismatched to me."
Natalie smiled softly but didn't respond.
Grace quickly caught on and patted her hand, "I think Clayton is great! He's tall, considerate, and perfect husband material."
Natalie looked up and smiled, her eyes shining with happiness.
Even when she saw Grant again, she couldn't help but think of the baby's father, but she had learned to control her emotions well. She liked Clayton, she loved Clayton, and she didn't see him as a substitute or a consolation.
She enjoyed living with Clayton.
Natalie spent the afternoon chatting with Grace, and by evening, it was time for Clayton to pick her up.
But he had some work to attend to.
Natalie decided to take a walk outside.
The sycamore trees were lovely this time of year.
Grace was worried and wanted to accompany her, but Natalie smiled and said, "It's fine, I'm only four months along. I'm still quite agile."
Grace laughed, "True, you're like a little monkey, always jumping around!"
She sighed, "Your mom had a tough time when she was pregnant with Gavin, hiding away and suffering. Your dad felt so bad for her afterward!"
She patted Natalie's belly, "Take good care of yourself."
Natalie replied, "I will."
Later, she walked alone down the street. The sycamore flowers had long fallen, but the lush leaves provided a pleasant coolness. Natalie felt comfortable walking and even bought a cup of iced lemonade from a small shop.
She took a sip and was about to call Clayton.
Someone stood across from her.
It was Grant.
His expression was slightly somber, but much better than before, almost gentle. He stood there as if he had been waiting for her.
Natalie didn't dwell on it.
Because the past was the past, and there was no need to think about it anymore.
She stood still as Grant walked towards her.
On the bustling street, meeting again, everything had changed.
He spoke, his voice tinged with difficulty, "Remember when we used to come here for ice cream back in school?"
Natalie shook her head, "I don't remember."
She was telling the truth. Since being with Clayton and getting pregnant, she rarely thought about the past, including Grant and their history.
In that moment, the light in Grant's eyes dimmed.
But he didn't say anything, just looked at her quietly.
After a long while, he asked, seemingly relaxed, "Where's Clayton? Why isn't he with you? ... The baby is so big now, and you still haven't registered your marriage?"
Natalie could see that Grant had become much more peaceful.
He seemed to have let go, but also not quite.
She said softly, "We registered our marriage on May 20th."
For a long time, Grant looked at her with a peculiar expression, as if he was pondering something or wanted to say something.
Finally, he smiled faintly, "So you did register. Congratulations!"
With that, he turned and left.
Walking away.
On the bustling street, walking down the paths they once walked, he could still remember Natalie clinging to his arm, softly pleading, "Grant, I just want one ice cream! Just one!"
In the midst of the bustling street, tears welled up in the corners of Grant's eyes.
People around him gave him strange looks.
He thought, 'Luckily, Natalie didn't see. She's married now, that's good.'
Natalie stood quietly, watching Grant's back. She didn't dwell on the past... She was married, she had a husband, and she couldn't be fickle.
Her phone rang, and she quickly took it out to see.
It was Clayton calling.
"Turn around!"
Natalie turned and saw Clayton. He was wearing a dark gray shirt and black dress pants, clearly coming straight from work, his business attire out of place on the small street, including the ice cream in his hand.
It was blueberry flavored.
Natalie was delighted, watching him walk towards her and hand her the ice cream.
"Only half!"
Natalie obediently agreed, but she planned to eat it all.
June was perfect for ice cream.
Clayton knew her well, but he smiled indulgently. In his eyes... besides the smile, there was Natalie, and the gradually receding figure of Grant.
He didn't ask Natalie how she ran into Grant.
He didn't ask what they talked about.
Natalie was his wife, and he trusted her completely... They had known each other for so many years, their relationship was much more stable than Natalie's past with Grant.
Clayton gently touched her belly, "Is the baby behaving?"
Natalie said, "It moved today, but it's probably sleeping now. I'll let you know when it moves again."
Clayton pinched her nose, "You're still a kid yourself, and now you're going to be a mom."
Natalie smiled shyly.
They had dinner out, and when they got home, Natalie lay on the couch, refusing to move.
Clayton massaged her feet.
Then he handled some work, and finally went to the gym to burn off some energy.
They were married and slept together, but perhaps because of Natalie's pregnancy, they hadn't had sex. Even the intense caresses from before were almost nonexistent.
Occasionally, in the early morning when Clayton's desire was strongest, he would hold her and kiss her, filling her with desire before heading to the shower.
Natalie worried he minded.
Now, with Clayton in the gym, Natalie could faintly hear some heavy rock music.
She opened a bag of chips and slowly ate them.
She thought being a man was really tough.
Working, competing with rivals, and then working out to maintain a perfect body! It was really hard, while Natalie's way of maintaining her figure was usually just to starve herself. If she gained weight, she would skip a few meals, so she had always been very thin before getting pregnant.
Clayton came out, sweaty, wearing a short-sleeve shirt and black tank top. He wiped his sweat with a towel.
"You're eating that again!"
He said, but he took one himself.
Natalie looked at him and asked, "Is it good?"
Clayton leaned in and kissed her lightly, kissing her for a long time before pulling back and asking, "Is it good?"
Natalie blushed, her small hands not knowing where to go.
She pressed against his shoulder, looking at him gently, a bit hesitant, "Are you... feeling uncomfortable..."
Clayton looked down at himself.
Then he patted her head, "What do you think?"
Natalie bit her lip lightly.
After a while, she hugged his waist gently. She knew his concerns, so she sniffled, "Clayton, sometimes I feel really sorry for you! But I don't want to give up."
Clayton cursed softly, calling her a fool.
Then he carried her to the bedroom. He didn't turn on the light, kissing her in the dark.
He was mindful of the baby, not thinking of himself, using his hand to make her feel good.
In those breathless moments, Natalie clung to the man above her, moaning and calling out Clayton's name... In that moment, she felt the joy of being a woman, not just physically, but emotionally.
From the past to the present, only Clayton could give her that feeling.
Afterward, Clayton held her, letting her calm down.
They were both sweaty, unable to come down from the high for a long time... Clayton could sense her regret and her guilt towards him.
Clayton thought, 'But Natalie, you don't know, the truly selfish one is me. Knowing Grant still likes you, but I still took you, took all of you... because I love you and don't want to let go.'
Late at night, Natalie fell asleep.
Clayton went outside, standing by the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room, smoking for a long time.
The city lights dimmed, and the sky began to brighten.
A black Range Rover was parked downstairs, with a license plate Clayton knew all too well.
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