Since Aeryn was taking a shower, I went downstairs to the kitchen and I halted all of a sudden seeing Gareth leaning against the kitchen counter, eating cereals in a bowl wearing his office suit.

I raised a brow at him and he grinned. "How are you feeling, brother?"

I gave him a suspicious look. "Better."

He munched on the cereals. "Good. Good."

"Why are you here?"

He put the bowl down. "I just came to see how you are."

I glanced at the clock on the wall. 10 in the morning. "No. Even if I die, you would rather be at office at the moment than being here."

He chuckled nervously. "Oh, brother...I am just making sure you are okay. You know how much I love you."

"And..." I folded mya arms. "You would never admit your love for me."

He opened his mouth to speak but closed it.

I walked closer to him. And he again chuckled nervously and stepped closer. "So what if I never admitted my love for you. I am doing it now. I am changing myself."

"I don't want you to change", I stated.

"Of course, of course..."

I glanced at his tie. "You are nervous."

His brows knitted. "Ner-vous? W-why will I be nervous?"

"Whenever you dress up for office, everything is perfect. But on days you are nervous, your tie gets crooked." I pointed to his tie.

He looked down and immediately fixed it. "I was...um...in a hurry."

"Hurry to go where?"

"To see you", he said lamely.

I rolled my eyes. "I am not buying this excuse. What are you upto?"

"Nothing, brother!", he said instantly and a bit loudly and then smiled sheepishly and said softly. "Nothing. Nothing. Everything is alright."

I went over to the refrigerator. "Speak it or I find about it myself."

Opening the refrigerator, I took out a bottle of water and facing him, opened it and took a sip of it when he spoke suddenly.

"I got someone pregnant."

Immediately, I spitted out all the water in my mouth on his face. "You what?!"

Closing the bottle I kept it back inside before turning to him. His face was grimaced since I spit out all the water on his face but he didn't say anything and picking up the kitchen towel just wiped it quietly.

I grabbed both his shoulders. My jaw was dropped, my eyes were so wide I feared they will pop out of my sockets. "Say it again."

He shut his eyes tightly and rubbed his temples. "I got someone pregnant."

And then I let out a weird, awkward, nervous, I don't what kind of a short laugh. "You are fucking kidding, right?"

He sighed deeply. "Wish I was."

I shook his shoulders. "What did you do?!"

He lowered his gaze. "Sorry."

"Sorry?! Sorry?! A fucking sorry won't fix this and why are you apologising to me?!"

He ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't know."

"Who is she?", I demanded.

He again fucking chuckled nervously. "What will you do by knowing her... it's not--"

"Who is she?!" I bellowed.

He flinched at my tone and gulped. "Harper."

"Okay...Harper...Harper." I paused. Wait a minute. "What the fuck! Harper who?! What's her surname?"

He seemed to be so afraid that he looked as if he would cry. "Collins. Harper Collins. A-aeryn's friend."

Oh. My. God.

"Do you want to get yourself killed?! The fuck did you do?! Didn't you use any protection?"

"I did, brother, I did...it just happened..."

"She is engaged, Gareth! She is fucking engaged! She has a fucking fiance!"

"No! She is not!"

I calmed down a bit. "What?"

"Her engagement broke."

"How?"

"I don't know. She was telling me all this. I don't remember much. I was drunk. She was...drunk." He sighed.

I placed my palm over my forehead. "I'm gonna faint."

He grabbed my shoulder. "Brother, are you okay?"

"Okay?! How can I be okay?! And why does Aeryn didn't tell me about her engagement breaking thing?"

"I remember she said that...she didn't tell Aeryn yet."

"Oh... oh...and when did she tell you about her pregnancy?"

"This morning. In my office. With the ultrasound reports."

"What did you tell her?"

"Does it matter?" He asked nervously.

"Yes!"

"That to deal with it herself. I don't care. Then I left."

My lips pressed into a thin line and I slapped him. Hard.

He didn't say anything and just lowered his gaze. "How can you say that, Gareth?! How can you not care?! It is your child too!"

He kept quiet. "Is this what mother taught us?! To tell the woman who is pregnant with your child to fuck off?!"

How can he?!

"I swear, Gareth. I fucking swear, if something happens to her or the child. You will die by my hands." I stated.

He didn't make an attempt to move or say something.

"Go. What are you waiting for? Go, apologise, tell her you care. Make sure she is okay. She is safe. She is healthy. Just go and find her."

"But--"

"Go!"

He nodded and without looking me in the eyes, left.

I just can't believe it.

How am I supposed to tell all this to Aeryn?

Hey, my brother got your friend pregnant. I hope you don't mind it.

Not in a million years.

I will be dead in seconds then.

Oh God! I feel like crying.

I jumped up a little feeling two arms creeping from behind me and hugging me. I relaxed realising it's Aeryn as she hugged me from behind.

"Why are you so tensed?" She whispered.

"I'm fine, Brownie."

She turned me around and placed her palm over my forehead. "You have a little fever, Eve."

I hummed in response. She had a frown on her face. "And I need to go to the restaurant today."

"You said you will stay..."

She sighed. "I was going to stay but Harper messaged me saying she is not feeling well. So, I need to go."

Of course she is not feeling well.

"Umm...Aeryn?"

"Yes?"

"Harper...she...umm..."

She raised a brow. "Harper what?"

I immediately shook my head. "Nothing. Nothing..."

"Are you okay?"

I smiled tightly. "Yeah, I am absolutely fine."

She kissed my cheek. "Take care. I am going."

She moved past me but I caught her wrist. "You didn't have breakfast."

"I am feeling nauseated today. I don't want to eat anything."

I cupped her cheek and gently caressed it. "Are you okay, Brownie?"

She leaned into my touch and smiled softly. "I'm fine, Eve. I have already taken the medicine. I'll be alright."

"But--"

She cut me off by placing her lips on mine for a few seconds and then moved back. "Bye! See you at night!"

And then she dashed towards the door and I shouted, "If something happens, give me a call, okay? And you better stay away from that guy!"

"Whatever", she shouted while moving out and I sighed.

.

.

.

I was in my study, working from home, late in the afternoon. Someone knocked on the door before slowly opening it and Carmel's head popped in.

"You are back", I said glancing at her.

She grinned and came inside closing the door behind her. It was then I noticed the medal hanging around her neck.

I raised a brow at her and she exclaimed throwing her hands up in the air. "I came first in the drawing competition!"

I got up from my chair and hugged her tightly and lifting her up in my arms, swirled her around before putting her down. "Congratulations, daughter!"

She smiled widely. "Thank you, dad."

"What did you draw by the way?"

She grinned. "I sketched you, mama and myself. We were sitting on the couch watching movie while cuddling."

How cute. "Really?"

She nodded happily. "Yes! Everyone loved it! The judges went mad."

I kissed her forehead. "I am proud of you, Carmel."

"Thank you."

"Can I ask you something?", she said.

"Yes?"

She looked nervous. "Do you love mama?"

I paused. I love her. Of course I love her but is it okay to tell Carmel about it? Will she tell all this to Aeryn?

"I won't say anything to mama. I promise", she said seeing my puzzled expression.

I smiled softly. "Yes, Carmel. I love Aeryn. I love her so much, you can't even imagine."

Her face beamed with happiness and she clapped excitedly. "I knew it!"

"Does Aeryn loves me too?"

She frowned and folded her arms. "Why should I tell you? Go, find it yourself."

"Come on", I whined. "Tell me."

"No. You tell mama that you love her and then find it yourself whether she loves you or not."

"What if she doesn't?", I asked gloomily.

She shrugged her shoulders. "She is not going anywhere. If she doesn't love you then you make her fall in love with you. You have a lot of time."

I pouted sadly. "Okay..."

Smiling she kissed my cheek before leaving.

There are two things that are eating me right now.

First. My feelings for Aeryn that I am dying to confess.

And second. Gareth getting Harper pregnant and thinking how Aeryn will react to this.

I sighed. Let's get one thing clear tonight.

.

.

.

"Did he came to the restuarant today?", I asked sternly referring to the asshole who tried to kiss her yesterday.

My finger gently caressed her cheek as she laid beside me while we faced each other.

She sighed. "He did."

"You should fire him."

"Eve", she said softly. "He apologized. He told me how much he regretted his actions. I am not firing him but yes, we can't be friends like we were before. He said he liked me, that he had feelings for a long time..."

My jaw clenched. I can't be silent anymore.

"Aeryn", I said intensely in a deep voice.

"Yes?"

"Do you know why I ran away to New York for a week?"

She shook her head. "No. But you said you wanted some alone time."

"Yes. But do you know why I wanted some alone time?"

"No."

I took a deep breath. "To sort out my feelings."

Her mouth parted slightly. She looked unsure. "About whom?"

My hand cupped her cheek. "Of course you. Who else, Brownie?"

"And what did you realise?", she whispered.

I stared into her eyes. "That I love you."

For a few seconds she looked shocked. My heart thumped loudly in my chest waiting for her response.

Then slowly her mouth curved into a small smile. "Oh..."

"Won't you say it back?" My heart already breaking into pieces when she was silent.

"Why will I?"

She doesn't love me.

My mouth fell open. "I thought... you...l-"

I cleared my throat and said gloomily. "Let it be. It's okay if you don't love me."

My hand dropped from her cheek and I retreated it back and closed my eyes trying not to think about it.

She doesn't love me.

With my eyes closed, I heard her giggle and then I felt her hot breath near my ear.

She whispered in my ear. "I love you too, Everette." And placed a kiss under my ear.

I grabbed her waist and pushing her back on the bed, rolled on top of her.

I tickled her lightly making her laugh. "Then why the hell you didn't say anything?"

She laughed. "I was just messing with you."

I stopped tickling her and whispered while staring at her. "I love you so much, Aeryn."

She cupped both my cheeks. "I love you too, Eve."

She pulled my head closer and pressed her lips upon mine kissing me softly.

I pressed my body closer to her and deepened the kiss. Our tongues intertwining and sliding against each other.

Before we get carried away, I needed to say a few more things to her so I pulled away my lips from her making her groan.

I rested my forehead against her, my mind replayed all the memories from twenty years back.

"You stole my heart the moment you fed me. The moment you wiped away my tears with those little fingers of yours, I knew I was whipped. I fell in love with you even though I was not old enough to understand what it was, my heart felt it." A tear rolled down my eye and she brushed it away.

I continued. "After all these years, I only thought of you and no one else. Even when I married you without knowing who you were actually, my heart was still beating for that little girl, my Brownie. Maybe, I was stupid to not realise you both are the same person but my heart wasn't, it started falling for you no matter how much I tried to remind myself that I love someone else."

"I...I--" She pecked my lips making me silent and with tears in her eyes she said, "I love you, Eve. And you love me too. I guess it explains everything. You don't need to say anything else."

I smiled in satisfaction. "It sounds so good when you say I love you."

"If you like it then I can say it a thousand more times." She grinned.

"A bit cheesy, wifey but yeah, I like it", I teased.

I leaned closer and brushed my lips against her. "I love you."

"I love you", she whispered back and captured my lips.

My little Brownie...my first love, my wife, my world. She owns my heart and it could never beat for anyone else.