OMG, I can't believe I'm almost at the end of this story! I've been counting the chapters and it's like... how did we get here so fast? Argh! 😂
Grace woke me early, her soft little whimpers calling me from her room. I picked her up, taking her into the living area so that she didn't wake up Becky. She looked too perfect with the sheets wrapped around her perfect body, deeply asleep.
I sat feeding Grace, gently singing to her as she drank from her bottle. I could hardly believe I was here. I was scared to hold on too tight, just in case it was a dream.
"That is the most beautiful sight I have ever seen." Becky smiled gloriously, leaning against the door.
"I thought you were asleep. I tried not to wake you."
"Freen," Becky chuckled. "I think you are the one who needs the rest, not me." She crossed the room. "May I?" She asked, looking down at Grace.
"Sure." I smiled as she sat down, taking Grace in her arms. She carried on drinking without so much as a whimper. Even with Alex she used to cry. Could she tell? She was just a baby - that was ridiculous. "She likes you." I smiled.
"How can you tell?" Becky asked, her eyes wet with emotion as she looked at her.
"She didn't cry: she always cries when I let her go." Fuck, I was staring at the two most beautiful things in the world. Becky in just her sweats, feeding our beautiful baby girl.
"Freen, are you drooling?" Becky teased.
"Yes." I smiled, leaning across to softly kiss her lips. "I feel like I'm in a dream."
"It's all real, love. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."
"I know." I sighed, resting my head on her shoulder as we both watched Grace.
We didn't go back to sleep – for some reason, Grace was wide awake after her milk. Maybe she could sense the happiness - I wasn't sure. I giggled watching Becky try to change her nappy. She managed it in the end, without my help. We lay Grace on our bed just loving her, playing with her and taking her in. Becky loved her little giggles just as much as I did. We gave her a bath and dressed her in a pretty blue dress later that morning. It all felt so natural, as if we had never been apart. How was that possible?
"You have a shower, I'll watch her." Becky smiled, kissing my lips. I just nodded and skipped into the bathroom.
I looked in the mirror, shocked that my bruises were even blacker today, my neck almost blue. How hard had Alex held me? I started freaking out, thinking about Alex and what he said he would do to Becky if I went to her. Fuck, I hadn't even thought about that: what if Alex was already making 'arrangements'? I was shaking as I stepped into the shower. I needed to tell Becky: she would know what to do.
"Freen are you okay, love?" Becky sat on the bed with Grace as I walked out of the bathroom.
"Alex said he would kill you if I left him for you." I whispered. "Becky, what do we do?"
"Freen," Becky laughed, "Don't worry about that. I get threats regularly. It's usually crazed fans, believe it or not. I think I can handle Alex."
"he's a powerful man, Becky. We have to be careful."
"Freen, relax. Everything will be fine. I have 'things' on Alex - don't worry." I just looked at her smirking at me. "There was a reason I slept with Jane, Freen, and it wasn't to hurt you. I was trying to bring him down so you would be free. Jane told me a lot."
"She did?" I asked, stunned. "Like what?" It still hurt, knowing she had slept with Jane and made her fall in love with her, but I guess I had a small part to play in that.
"Did you have much involvement in Alex's organization?"
"None at all."
"Alex is involved in drug smuggling."
"Are you being serious?" Oh My God!
"Yeah. Freen, really, what were you thinking?" Becky teased, smiling at me. "I think you married one of the most dangerous men in America. You really should have stuck to the penniless bar man."
"Yeah - I kind of get that now." I rolled my eyes at her, pushing her shoulder - her gorgeous, bare, sexy shoulder. Stop it Freen...you have a baby on the bed.
"You were so stubborn."
"I was trying to protect you as well. Anyway, I would have told I was carrying your child at that ball if you hadn't been with Miss Blonde Super Model."
"Jealous were we, love?"
"Insanely." I whispered, kissing her lips. "I can't even describe the pain." I whispered, feeling Becky's hands caress my face.
"There will be no more pain, Freen." Becky muttered against my lips. "We have wasted three years because of Alex and our stupid ideas about what was right for each other. I can assure you Alex won't know what has hit him once I have finished with him." I sighed into Becky's powerful kiss, wrapping my arms around her neck.
We were so lost in the kiss we didn't hear the door at first, until someone started thumping on it, hard.
"That will be Mind." Becky sniggered against my lips. I was still pouting as she pulled away to get the door.
I looked down at Grace, happily kicking her little legs and giggling at me. "What's so funny?" I smiled, tickling her. Grace giggled even more.
"Okay what is going on?" I looked up. Shit. Everyone was standing in the doorway looking at me. Becky just stood there smirking. Great: clearly she was letting me handle this one.
"Freen?" Nam sat on the bed, looking at me. "What the hell happened to you?"
"Alex." I whispered.
"The bast..."
"Nam, we have a baby in the room." Becky interrupted her. I couldn't help a snigger - she was an over protective daddy already. God, I loved her so much.
"Sorry." Nam replied, looking down at Grace. "Freen, she is gorgeous." Nam picked her up, cooing, and I just waited for her to notice.
"Freen." Alice looked angry and upset. "Look, I'm sorry if you think I am being rude, but I don't like you being here. It's not fair to keep messing with my sister. If you loved her you would leave her alone. You made your choice. You can't keep doing this to her and I won't let you. Someone has to make you understand."
"Alice has a point, Freen. Sorry, but I have to look out for my friend. You have no idea what you have put her through." Mind added, glaring at me.
"HOLY COW!" Becky was about to speak, but Nam interrupted her. "She has green eyes... GREEN EYES!" Nam looked between Becky and I. "Are you kidding me? Is she Becky's?"
"Yes." I had to smile when everyone's mouths dropped open. All Becky and I could do was laugh as she took Grace from Nam and stood by me, wrapping her arms around my waist.
"Well... fuck me." Mind finally said.
"Mind, watch your mouth." Nam hit her chest. "There's a baby in the room."
"I'm an Auntie! Oh my God!" Alice shrieked, throwing herself across the room at me. "I'm so sorry, Freen, I take it all back. I love you like a sister... I always have."
"Alice, you're so fickle." Nam teased.
"Its fine, Alice. You're looking out for Becky, but I promise I'm not going anywhere." I smiled as Becky kissed my forehead.
"I'm going to cry." Alice sniffled, then beamed when Becky gave Grace to her. "She is perfect... she has mom's eyes, Becky, exactly."
"They are my eyes too, Alice." Becky replied, annoyed.
"Oh, you know what I mean. God, I want to go shopping! Can I spoil her... pleeaassee?" Becky just rolled her eyes while I laughed. "You know I will anyway, but your blessing would be nice."
"Go on then." Becky smiled at her irrepressible sister.
"Wonderful." Alice gave me Grace back and was out of the room with Saint before we had a chance to say goodbye.
"You do realize what you have let yourself in for?" Mind sniggered. "Alice will come back with a whole baby shop."
"It's Saint I feel sorry for." Nam giggled. "Well, we better leave you girls to get dressed. Would you like me to take Grace so you two can get ready?"
"Are you sure?" I asked, a little afraid to have her out my sight.
"Of course. I would love the time with her." I smiled at Nam. Grace grumbled a little, her bottom lip quivering when I passed her over, but Nam was good at baby talk and had Grace laughing by the time they left.
"Well, that went well." Becky murmured against my neck. I moaned, feeling her hands reach for my bathrobe and slowly undo it. "I think you need another shower, Freen." Becky's voice was husky as my robe fell to the floor. Fuck, I was a yearning mess already, and she hadn't even touched me yet.
"But I just had a shower." I groaned as Becky's hands roamed up my body.
"But you didn't have one with me." I moaned, feeling her hands dipping between my legs. "And there are things I want to do to you in there, Freen. I want to kiss every inch of your beautiful body better."
"God... Becky." I threw my head back as my man sparked full fireworks through my body. "Shower," I groaned. "Now." I was going to explode if we didn't move soon. Becky just chuckled against my neck as she swung me round into her arms, kissing me passionately. My body over heated at just the thought of what she might do to me...
Oxoxoxo
Becky put her hand on mine as I adjusted my sunglasses. "Everything will be fine, Freen. If your parents don't understand, we will just leave and hope they come to their senses."
"I bet Alex has called them. he will have guessed I would go to you... God..."
"Freen, I'm here, don't worry." Becky interrupted my panic attack and squeezed my hand. "We'll do this together."
"I know." I relaxed slightly, kissing her lips.
"Grace sleeps a lot." Becky laughed, looking at her in the car seat.
"She is a baby, it's what they do."
"I still can't get my head around it... I'm a dad."
"You are going to make an amazing mom. I can tell Grace loves you already."
"I can even describe the love I have for her, Freen. It's scary. I want to be the mom she needs and its mind blowing. I would give her anything... anything."
"You will do just fine. Like you said, we are in this together - you, me and our daughter."
"Forever." Becky beamed, kissing my lips as the car came to a halt. I really wasn't ready for this. "Come on, love. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can move on with our lives."
I nodded, picking up Grace and followed Becky out of the car. Monty was already waiting at the door.
"Ms Armstrong." Monty greeted us. "Freen."
"Hi, Monty." My voice broke; my throat was so dry it hurt. I took my sunglasses off and Monty gasped. Yeah, I really did look worse today.
"Your parents are in the dining room."
"Do they know anything?" I asked as Monty took Grace from me.
"No, but Alex called, asking if you were with them, so they are a little confused."
I just nodded and headed towards the dining room. Shit. I always knew I was in trouble if the meeting was in the dining room, no matter which house it had been. Just as I was about to enter, Becky took her hand in mine and I looked down smiling. Whatever happened now, I had Becky. With that thought, I squared my shoulders and walked in.
My parents gasped as they took in Becky and I standing by the doorway hand in hand.
"What is the meaning of this, young lady?" My father bellowed from across the table.
"Daddy, please, enough. I don't care what you say, I am in love with this woman, I go wherever she goes. Nothing will keep me from her anymore." I replied firmly before my dad exploded at me.
Becky turned to me smiling, pulling me closer to her. I guess she was impressed how I stood up to my parents, but I had lost her too many times. I had had enough – no more.
"Freen, you are married! You can't just run off with whoever you please. Who is this woman anyway? This is why Alex keeps calling? What have you done?"
"It's Becky Armstrong, dear, surely you remember her? She was the lead singer of the band that played at Freen's twenty second birthday." My mother replied before I could speak.
"Freen, what is that?" he gasped as he came closer, taking in all my bruises. "Who did that to you?" Tears filled his eyes and before I knew it, my father was I front of me in utter shock.
"I know you would love to hear that I fell down the stairs," I sobbed "But Alex did this to me."
My father's face froze, then twisted in fury. Fuck, how could she not believe me? It startled me when she suddenly reached for her phone.
"Charlie, who are you calling?" My mother asked.
"Aro." My father spat. "His son has some explaining to do."
Becky squeezed my hand in encouragement and I rested my head against her shoulder.
"I take it you have always loved my daughter, Becky?" My mother asked watching us. My eyes widened - fuck, did everyone know? Well, I guess looking back, Becky and I couldn't hide our love even back then.
"Mrs Chankimha, I loved your daughter from the first moment I set eyes on her." Becky replied firmly and my heart flickered deep in my chest.
"Well, this is going to get complicated." My mother mused. "What about Grace, Freen? She is going to be pulled between the two families. We might not win... have you even thought about that?"
"Mom, Grace is Becky's... that's why Alex attacked me."
My father dropped the phone, while my mother just stood there with her mouth open. Why was everyone reacting that way when I told them?
"Freen, how could you be so careless?" My father yelled. "Alex will have every reason to divorce you! We could lose everything."
"Is that all you care about?" Becky yelled, putting her arms around me protectively. "Look at what he did to her."
"Don't make me out to be a monster. I am just looking out for my family."
"With all due respect Sir, so am I," Becky struggled to keep her voice even. "I think once you have heard the whole story, you will be glad to see the back of the Chen family. They are robbing you blind while you live here in London."
I was a little confused myself, but my father's face told me he was willing to listen, so we all sat down while Becky and I went through the details of the last three years.
There were some points neither Becky nor I knew had happened, and when I realized just how close we had come to being together, even in the beginning, it made me hate Alex even more. Becky gripped my hand tighter as I told them about bumping into Tanya in the coffee shop the first time Alex had been violent towards me.
"The bruises on your arm the day we found out you were expecting Grace..." My father winced. "That wasn't from your fall." I nodded. "The son of a bitch." I could feel Becky's arms tighten around me. "So all that time, it wasn't Jake White you were seeing - it was her." My father looked at Becky and chuckled. My dad actually laughed - holy cow. "Trust you, Freen, to fall in love with the rock star."
"She wasn't a rock star when I fell in love with her." I smiled, leaning my head on Becky's shoulder.
"I hope you two know what you are doing." My mother commented. "It's going to get ugly, really ugly. Just think what Aro will do when he finds out."
"Although I'm not happy about this, I can see the two of you love each other. But Renee is right: this will be a nasty fight. Do you have any idea just how dirty the Chen can play?" My father looked from Becky to me.
"Mr Chankimha, may I have a moment alone with you?" Becky suddenly asked my father, who nodded, taking her into her study.
"Are you angry with me, Mom?" I whispered over the table at her.
"Freen I don't want you or Grace anywhere near that monster. To think he threatened you. It makes me sick to think we ever thought of her as family." My mother got up and crossed the table to me. "I was wrong. We both were trying to make you think Alex was the right choice because of the merger. Your father and I just thought Alex was a lovely man who would treat you well. I can't believe how blind we have been, especially over the last year. Can you ever forgive us?"
"Of course I do, Mom." I smiled, hugging her. "You never forced me to marry Alex, I did it for all of us. But I have to be selfish now for Grace's sake. Becky is what I want and need."
"I want you to live for yourself, Freen, no one else. Only you know what is best for you and Grace. We will be behind you, every step of the way." My mom smiled, hugging me. "She is gorgeous, Freen." I laughed rolling my eyes at her. "I did tell you that the first time I saw her."
"I love you, Mom." I sobbed, overcome at my mother's touching words. She had never opened up to me like this before, but maybe she could see all the mistakes she had made. They made me think our kind had to stick together, when really, it had pulled me into pieces. Their advice made me doubt and hide my feelings for Becky, but I didn't blame anyone: this was all fate. The separation had only made me love her more, and now I finally had her, I would never take that for granted.
Becky was in the study with my father for a good hour and I was going out of my mind - what the hell was she talking about? My mother and I joined Monty and Grace in the living room in the end.
"What is Becky talking to your father about?" My mother asked, playing with Grace.
"I have no idea." I breathed, frustrated as hell. I would love to have known.
I heard footsteps, then Becky and my father finally walked in. My heart leaped as I watch my father shake her hand and pat her on the back.
Becky eyes met mine as she strode over to me, her eyes shining with love. How had I managed to get this God-like creature to love me? Really, it made no sense.
"We need to get going." Becky took my hand to help me up.
"We do?" I asked, confused.
"I want you and Grace safely hidden while everything goes down."
"Becky is right." My father's voice was grim. "We have much to do, Freen, but the best place for you and Grace is under Becky's protection."
"Are you two best friends now or something?" I asked, astounded. "Because I really must be dreaming now."
"Just go, Freen." My father rolled his eyes at me. "Your mother and I will be in touch once I have had a meeting with Aro. Becky will be sorting all the legal preparation."
"Legal preparation for what?" My mother asked, looking as confused as I felt.
"A divorce." My father smiled and I just looked at a very smug Becky.
Becky helped me get Grace's things together and there were kisses and cuddles all round. She took Grace, putting her in the car waiting outside. I rushed over to Monty, throwing my arms around him. I didn't care if it was improper to hug staff - Monty had just saved my entire life.
"I'll never forget what you have done for me, Monty," I whispered, kissing her cheek. "Thank you."
"Be happy, Freen," Monty smiled. "I'm glad you found your fairy tale." I just smiled as Monty helped me into the car.
"Ready?" Becky gently touched my cheek.
"So ready" I beamed, kissing her as she and I drove off into the sunset.