Returning to the city, Sharon was reminded again of the difference between New York City and Atlantic City. While Atlantic City was slower and quieter, allowing her to unwind, New York was a fast-moving city where everyone was impatient to get to their destination. Hearing the horns blaring right and left, she was quickly becoming anxious. She wanted to go back. Almost clawing at the window, she was returned to the present when Cameron spoke.

"So what's your address? I can drop you off after getting past this crazy traffic,"he said through gritted teeth. Looking over at him, she couldn't help but narrow her eyes on him. He was focusing so intently on the road that he was practically hunched over the wheels. They had been in many congested traffic but this was the first time he was this tense. He looked so funny that she had to hold in her laugh.

But, thinking over his question again, the laughter quickly dissipated. As much as he had helped her, she was reluctant to let him into her life. It wasn't that he had done anything bad. He had been great, making their night at Atlantic City was wonderful.

Even though she was still peeved that he had basically kidnapped her, she had enjoyed their walk along the Boardwalk, much to her chagrin. Looking past the accidental feeding incident, they managed to enjoy themselves. And part of the thrill was avoiding his fans.

After extracting him from the mob, she thought he'd want to head back. With social media, she was sure everyone knew he was there. He already looked like he just had the life sucked out of him with that group. But once they were far enough away, he was as energetic as ever, busy deciding on the next store to visit.

Curious at the comeback, she asked him about it. He just looked at her askance. It was like it never occurred to him to leave. Which, when she thought about it, was logical. Being approached by fans must be a common occurrence. If he left everytime that happened, he wouldn't be able to have much of a life.

Deciding to go along with him, there were still some changes that needed to be made. He was determined to visit all the shops and no fan was going to stop him. There was no way she could stop a big guy like him. Exasperated, she made him wait while she bought some disguises for him. That was when she finally had some breathing space.

With a sweatshirt stuffed under his shirt, simulating a beer belly, they were able to walk around in peace. There were moments where he was stared at intensely by suspicious fans but they managed to get away unscathed. Sometimes, they'd have a giggle when passing by some fans that were obviously on the lookout for him. She felt bad for tricking them but it was so much fun.

Smiling at the memory, she was tempted to let him in but a part of her refused. The part of her was wary. She had been burned so many times, by her mother, by Jasmine, by Tony, by Cameron, by Scott, by Amelia. She was just so tired of letting people into her life and getting screwed over. Even with Cameron's confession, the fear was still there. She was scared. So scared.

"You can just drop me off the closest station. I need to buy some stuff for the apartment anyway,"she said brightly, looking out the window. From her peripheral, she saw Cameron turning to her but, much to her relief, he didn't say anything else.

The mood in the car became heavier and darker. Silence reigned with the only sounds coming from the car radio. When they had departed, the radio was playing her favourite station. But after her rebuff, he had changed it to his station. A station that played exclusively rock songs. But even as the songs reverberated through her, she didn't do anything. Feeling guilty, it was like penance for her obvious distrust. Uncomfortable, she was wondering how much longer it was going to take. This was killing her.

Luckily, the car stopped soon after. Seeing the subway station in the distance, she was unbuckling her seat belt when he spoke.

"I am serious, you know,"he said. Startled, she looked up and was caught by his serious gray eyes. She couldn't help but draw back slightly from the intensity of his gaze. "Sharon, I love you and I'm not going to let you go."

Unnerved, she wasn't able to say anything else. Their eyes locking for a moment, a car honk broke their eye contact. She left before he could say anything else.

---@@@---

Getting out of the shower, Sharon wondered what she should do for dinner. She had just returned to her new apartment and her stomach was growling like a snoring bear. It wasn't that she wanted to forget about this afternoon but there was no way she could think on an empty stomach.

Turning her mind to food, she considered her options. Having just moved in earlier that week, she hadn't really explored the area much so there was no way of knowing what's good. Ordering in was an option, too. She had received some fliers in the mailbox so there were a few restaurants she could consider. But she didn't feel like being cooped up. Her body was feeling restless, as if there was too much energy for it to contain.

Deciding on a walk around the neighborhood, she scanned her messy room for something to wear. A bubbly feeling welled up in her. She still couldn't believe that she had her own apartment. A sense of pride burst from her chest as her eyes ran lovingly over her room.

The apartment was still quite bare since she had just gotten the apartment. It came with only a few essentials, such as a kitchenette, bed, shower and sofa. And it was much smaller than Scott's penthouse. If she was to measure, it would barely fit into a quarter of his place.

But she didn't care about that at all. All that mattered was it was clean, in a good location and easy to get to work. Most importantly, it was all hers. Well, technically, she didn't own it. It was just a rental after all, and was heavily subsidised by the agency. But she had signed on the dotted lines that said that she could do whatever she wanted to the apartment. Within reason. And she was eager to start.

Almost bursting with excitement, she was thinking about what to wear, not wanting to make a bad impression, when the doorbell rang. Wondering who it was, with this being the one moment she missed Scott's place, she hurried and put on some clothes. Feeling light from anticipation, her mood immediately plummeted when she looked through the peephole..

----@@@----

Fighting the urge to be hospitable, Sharon sat resolutely at her dining table, staring at her two uninvited guests. She hadn't wanted to open the door, much less invite them in, but one of her neighbors was walking by. Realising anyone would know who they were, she had reluctantly opened the door and asked them to enter.

"So, ah, this is awkward,"Amelia said, tucking her hair behind her ear. Sharon just grunted. This was the last thing she had expected. She didn't even have to wonder how they found her. Just by looking at Scott, she knew who had been the one to investigate her.

Glaring at him, she wondered what this was about. Were they here for dinner? It'd be great if they gave her some warning. But just as that disastrous lunch, they had sprung this on her. This was just a repeat of that day. Thinking about that, she suddenly straightened up and looked at them suspiciously.

"You didn't invite them again, right?"

"What? No, of course not. I know how bad you are with them-"

"Well, you knew about it before but you still invited me. So don't mind me if I don't believe you. I'm taking your word for now until there's another visitor. Anyway, what did you come here for?"

"I just want to apologise. I didn't mean to make you feel that I didn't understand your problems. It's just, it's Mom, you know. She can twist my arms like no one else. And she didn't let me say anything when she called about coming to New York. I had to give her something or she'd start on the guilt trip. But, you know, once they're back, you can have the apartment again-"

"Thanks for the offer but I don't need it,"Sharon said, cutting her off. Her chest ached so much, reminding her of the lunch yesterday. Although she wasn't close to her sister, she was still her sister. She didn't want to alienate the only family she had left. But, hearing her try to appease both sides of the fence, Sharon knew she had to spell things out clearly and openly.

"Look, as much as I don't want to say this, and I don't know if you're even aware of it, but Mom hates me. Amelia, she does,"Sharon said, speaking over Amelia's protest. "I'm not being dramatic or juvenile. Mom hates me. Plain and simple. You can say she's having a bad day or she just didn't mean it. All that is crap. Because, ultimately, her feelings boils down to hatred. I don't know when or how but she does. So there is no way you can help me without Mom getting mad. Or vice versa. This is just a case of you can't have your cake and eat it-"

"That's just ridiculous,"Scott cried suddenly. "You're family. Surely you're not going to let one disagreement split you up."

"You stay out of this,"she growled. Just as she wasn't close to Amelia, her relationship with Scott wasn't great either. It wasn't until her trip here that they began talking more.

"Don't say that to Scott. And this is just a one time thing. I mean, Mom didn't really mean it-"

"It's not a matter of just one time thing. And she meant it. This has been going on for years and I'm sick of it. You were gone most of the time so you didn't see it. But I was there and I know what happened,"Sharon screamed at Amelia. Then taking a deep breath, she tried to compose herself. "Going back to what I was saying, I am going to say this once, and once only. After this, you can do whatever you want. There's just going to be some consequences. I might be the one who cuts the ties. Or I might not. It all depends. So anyway, listen clearly. I don't want anything to do with that woman. Nothing. Nada. Not even a secondhand connection. So if you want to make nice with Mom, just forget about me, alright? And, I don't know, maybe this would be great for you. You don't have to be stuck between the two of us anymore."

"I can't do that!"

"Why? Why do you have to drag me into this mess of a family?"

"I'm pregnant and I want my baby to know my family. All of them."

"Well, tell your baby that you're an only child but don't worry, Grandma will take good care of them,"she said sweetly. It was difficult to ignore her sister's crestfallen face but she had to do this. Through the years, she had learned the hard way to put herself first. No one else was going to do that so she was the one who had to prioritise herself. Then, getting to her feet, she headed to the door. "Now, if that's all you want to say, I will ask you to leave. Because I have nothing else to say to you."

AN: Hey guys. Hope you like the update. Sorry for the late update. Ramadan is taking its toll on me and my weekends are getting burnt out with Ramadan-related stuff. And it's a bit short, too. Expect late updates until mid-June.

So, how do you like the chapter? I like how Sharon is asserting herself more now. And she is really making an effort to put herself first in her life. So everyone else can just f off. But this is just momentary. Like a self-preservation effort. Eventually, she is going to go back to her usual self, within reason. This isn't really a spoiler, i hope, but like a reminder for myself. I think.

Anyways, please VOTE and COMMENT if you liked it. Do follow me on Wattpad, Twitter, and ko-fi for updates. Also, please buy my book, Accidental Babies, out on Amazon now.

THANKS