Chapter 33

Baylee’s face contorts from the sudden pain. “Aah…” Along with her back hurting came cramping in her lower stomach.

“Are you okay?” Melissa worriedly inquires and lays a palm on her shoulder.

“Fine... I just got a pretty good kick.” She stands while holding the bottom of her stomach and excuses herself to the bathroom. The physical pain she was feeling wasn’t nearly as bad as the emotional.
She thought they were broken up. Niko told her they were broken up.
Waddling as fast as she could she busted the door open to the pink floral bathroom and vomited out her feelings. She wanted it to be her feelings, her body was rejecting them. It was causing her so much hurt but no amount of throwing up was going to help. This truly devastated her. She was envisioning her future already and it was that happy family every woman wants.
Niko, her, and their little one living happily together. He would teach her how to talk and she would teach her how to curse. She would laugh thinking about it, now it was just a stupid thought.

When she feels better enough to stand, she washes her face in the sink and confronts her reflection. Melissa and Nikolai were together. She didn’t understand. Why wouldn’t he tell her? “Ow…” The pain again. A sudden feeling of lightheadedness comes over her. She felt weak like she could pass out.
That’s when she realizes her blood pressure must have been spiking. She was supposed to have taken one of her pills but they were left home. She lowers to sit on the floor and wills herself to calm down. In and out she takes even deep breaths until the horrible feeling goes away. She stands back up and washes her face again. It was a repeated attempt to wake herself from a nightmare but to no avail.

Sabrina knocks on the door. “Baylee…”

“I’m fine.” She yells out. “I’ll be out in a minute.”
After composing herself and waiting for the puffiness in her cheeks to deflate, she goes back out to the party.

“There you are.” Her sister finds her and leads her back to her throne. As soon as she sits down and Clarissa gets a good look at her she realizes that her smile wasn't right. “What’s wrong?” She questions.

Baylee shakes her head. All this work her sisters had done to make her happy and to make this day special, she couldn’t ruin it. She grows her fakest smile. “I’m fine… I just need some more of that pasta. It’s so good.”

Clarissa giggles. “I’ll get it for you.” She goes immediately.

Meanwhile, she scans around for Niko. She finds him standing to the side talking to Melissa near the dessert table.
Her arms were crossed and they seemed to be having a serious conversation. It killed her just how close they were standing to each other. An involuntary tear drops out of her eye and she quickly wipes it away. She allowed herself to have feelings for him again and this is what it got her, pain.
Like an idiot, she thought Niko loved her like no other, that she was special and different to him, that he couldn’t really be with another woman but obviously she was utterly wrong. He is with Melissa and to be with her this long he must be in love. Of course, he was in love, Melissa was perfect, the farthest thing from a spoiled brat. “Aaah.” The pain in her lower back returned.

“Hey.” Clarissa arrived with a plate and Baylee couldn’t hide it this time. “What’s wrong?” She sets the plate down and reaches for her little sister. Sabrina too came to her other side and inquired the same. “Is everything okay?”

Pulling himself away from his conversation for a moment Niko turns his head to check on Baylee. She was missing from her seat a moment ago and he wondered if she was okay. He noticed right away that something was wrong. Uncaring of anything else around him, he goes to her. “What happened?”.” He stoops low in front of her and lays a palm on her stomach. “You okay?”

Gently she pushed his hand off and when the pain subsided she responded. “I’m fine… I just didn’t take my medication…”

His brows lift. How could he forget? He should have thought about this knowing how long he planned to have her out. “I’ll go to your apartment and get it. Just take it easy.” He glances at Clarissa who nods to his silent command to take care of her.

Baylee took the plate of food from her sister and began eating. She didn’t know how to stop the emotional pain and the stress she felt. She had to distract her mind but it didn’t help, she glanced at Niko without thinking and saw him pulling Melissa outside with him. It made her want to vomit again. She sets her food down and breaths deep. At this point, her day was ruined and all she wanted to do was go home.

Clarissa and Sabrina notice between each other while standing beside her that she was jealous watching Niko with Melissa. She was hurting. They did the only thing they could do and laid comforting hands on her shoulders.


Twenty or so minutes later, Niko was back. He approaches Baylee and gives her medicine. She silently thanked God that he came back alone. She felt too raw to see them together anymore right now. She swallowed her pill and the night progressed with her staying away from him, and with no more pain.

When it was time to go, Nathan arrived to pick up Sabrina, Jacob showed up to take Clarissa and the kids home, and Niko offered to drive her back but she refused and hopped in the vehicle with her sister.

It was excruciating trying to sleep that evening. All she saw was Melissa with Niko, that’s all she thought about. Were they in bed together now? Did he have his muscled arms wrapped around her? Did he make love to her tonight? Was he as passionate with Melissa the way he used to be with her? She twisted and turned all night and barely caught a wink of sleep. In the morning, she turned on the tv and hoped to distract herself. It was kinda-sorta beginning to help when her phone rang. It was Niko. She didn’t want to answer, but she did at the same time. “Hello.”

“How are you feeling?” His deep voice rumbles her insides.

“Great.” She lies in an upbeat voice. It was almost sarcastic but he didn’t catch on.

“Okay good… have you eaten? Would you like me to bring you something for breakfast before I head into work?”

“No, I’m fine thank you.”

“Okay… well what do you want for dinner?”

“Whatever my sister is cooking.”

“Are you eating there tonight?”

“Yep… hey I gotta go, that’s her on the other line.” She clicks.

It was so frustrating trying not to explode on him but she had no right. She was nothing to him. She could feel her blood pressure rising and remembered her medication.

Later that night, after an exhausting day of trying not to stress, the doorbell rings. She opened it and Niko stalked in almost angrily. “I thought you were going over to your sisters.” He turns to her holding the door open and asks in an accusatory tone.

She shuts the door and folds her arms. “I changed my mind.” She didn’t have the energy for a battle “What are you doing here?”

He slides his hands into his pockets. “I wanna know what’s going on with you...You don’t seem like yourself.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not…What’s wrong?” He steps near and It was then that he took a clear look at her. He notices dark circles under her low eyes and reaches his right hand out. It lands on her cheek. “I see otherwise.” His thumb traces under her eye. He does the same with the other hand while staring down intently. “What’s going on huh? You haven’t been sleeping well?”

She curls her fingers around his wrists and pulls his hands down. “I don’t think your girlfriend would like you doing this.”

He rolls his eyes and grinds on his teeth as he takes a step back.

“I thought you said you and Melissa broke up…” She squints up at him. She didn’t want to ask but she couldn't control herself.

He rubs the back of his neck. “We did… but...got back together.”

“When were you gonna tell me this?”

“Come on Baylee,” He shoves his hands back in his pocket. “I… I don’t know how to… I don’t want to…”

“Are you trying to break my heart? Is this payback?

His brows join. “Are you crazy? I would never intentionally hurt you.”

“Then, why? Why not tell me that?”

He shakes his head subtly, “It shouldn’t matter.”

That was a blow. The wind was knocked out of her. She’s been living in LaLa-land believing that they had a chance. She nods her head in an understanding manner. She got it now. Even if he forgave her, he was the farthest thing away from wanting to be with her. She was a complete fool. She clears her throat. She wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. Mostly cry. Instead, she flattened her feelings like a sledgehammer would and covered herself with a thick shell. “You're right.”

He rolls his eyes regretfully. “I’m sorry…”

“I think you should go. This thing we’ve been doing is highly inappropriate for someone who has a girlfriend and I just don’t feel it’s right... so no more coming over here uninvited please.” She opens the door for him.

He watches her for a moment before nodding his head and striding out the same way he came in.

For a solid ten minutes, she was numb. She went back to her recliner, leaned back, covered up, and continued with her show, but she couldn’t hold it in any longer. She covers her face and bursts into tears. She cried and cried until she cried herself to sleep. She was finally resting but it wasn’t for long.
She woke in discomfort and feeling cramps in her lower abdomen. She got up to go to the bathroom and as soon as she stood, she felt wetness on her thighs. She looks down and sees herself soaked in blood.

She grows paralyzed in shock. She stared at the blood as if she had been sent to hell and forced to watch the flames that were set to burn her for eternity. She didn’t know what to do, she didn’t have thought and her body didn’t have a feeling. As a matter of fact, she wasn’t sure she even had a soul at the moment.

~~~~~~~~