*****

"I love you because i don't know how to not love you."

*****

Devlin could not blame his stupid mouth for blabbering his last comment. Not at all. All  that he had said was from his heart and not a slip of the tongue. In fact, the statement was  something that kept him awake the previous night, his mind coming to that conclusion.

Looking at how Sharleen was shocked to the core though, Devlin did not know if whatever he had suggest was ambiguous or just unrealistic to her.

He watched as she stood there frozen. Her chest that moved up and down rhythmically was the only prove that she was indeed alive. After some minutes, she locked her eyes to his and she tried scrutinizing him, whether he was at all serious or his statement was just a bluff or maybe a joke.

Finding nothing but seriousness from him, Sharleen opened her mouth slowly and let out her beautiful voice. "Are you serious about what you have said?"

Devlin knew she wanted a vocal confirmation and that is what he gave. "Yes, i am serious."

"You do realize that you have to make sacrifices if you are to marry me, right?" Sharleen asked again, her eyes never leaving his face, watching his facial expressions keenly.

Of course Devlin had weighed the pros and cons too the previous night, but anything to do with Sharleen's safety and happiness was worth it. Very much worth it. "Yes, i am aware of that." Devlin answered strongly.

"I am pregnant Devlin." Sharleen said as though that statement would make Devlin chicken out and run for his dear life. Or maybe reconsider.

"I know and i will be with you every step of the way." Devlin said with the same determined voice. "If you allow me, that is." He concluded.

"These people are said to be dangerous and won't play fare. I am really afraid Devlin. If something were to happen to you too... I won't take it. I would be broken for good." Sharleen said, tears streaming down her beautiful face while she shook her head furiously in denial. Her heart not accepting the picture of a very injured Devlin that was forming on her mind.

Devlin saw how it pained her to make the decision. He understood her somehow. She was afraid that he might be hurt or worse die and it will be on her. She would be devastated with guilt.

In one quick move, Devlin was in front of her. He did not waste any time and captured her in an embrace. His hands automatically went to her back, rubbing her back slowly and soothingly. Her soft whimpers died soon enough and Devlin just felt her hot breath on his neck.

Secretly, Devlin liked how her body reacted to him. How responsive she was to his touches.

"Don't worry. I really thought about this before deciding to help you. No one can hurt me that easily anyways. Did you really forget that fast that i am highly trained for much much worse? This is a piece of cake, trust me." Devlin murmured in her ears, trying to wash away the worries that flooded her heart.

Sharleen removed herself from his embrace but did not take a step back. She looked into his eyes, enjoying the warmth and affection she saw in them.

Devlin was not oblivious to the zero distance that was between them. It was really weird that he did not feel uncomfortable at all being this close to her. If he was completely honest, it felt right at that moment. Their breath mixing every time they exhaled, their bodies itching to touch again, it felt right. Very right.

"I will think about it and get back to you. Give me some time." Sharleen said lowly while taking a step back increasing the distance between them.

Devlin could not stop his heart from hurting the moment she took a step back but he did not show it. He just nodded and gave her a small reassuring smile, silently telling her all will be well.

Devlin walked her to the door of her home but did not enter the house. He did not want a repeat of hearing something that he was not supposed to hear. God knows how much he controlled himself from disrupting the meeting the previous day and demanding an explanation.

"Don't think too much, okay?" Devlin suggested once Sharleen opened the door to get in.

Sharleen turned around and answered. "I will try not to, but i have a lot to think about, don't you agree?"

Devlin just gave her a smile, a small comforting smile that she returned just as fast. With that Sharleen went in and Devlin turned around and headed back home.

When Devlin reached home, he found his mother sitting on the sofa, meaning something serious was up. If it were another time then he would be in the kitchen preparing dishes that don't even have names.

"What's up mum?" Devlin greeted his mother after giving her a side hug and joining her on the sofa.

"I am good. I was just waiting for you." Dorcas replied quickly.

"I am here now. Tell me what is bothering your mind." Devlin asked with interest.

"You are the one to tell me what is bothering you." Dorcas returned the question back to him.

Devlin knew something was up with his mother but he did not know what exactly. "Ahhhh... I don't have anything mum."

"Devlin you know i am your mother, right? You can't hide anything from me. I will always know." Dorcas said carefully while looking at her son.

"Mom i am not hiding anything from you. Where is that even coming from? What's wrong?" Devlin asked his mother, now looking concerned.

"I know that you have been in love with
Sharleen." His mother said slowly, judging his reaction.

What!

"What!" Devlin was surprised how his mother knew something only he and Sharleen knew. His mother would forever surprise him!

"It was the reason you left even before the wedding was over, and it was the same reason why you did not come back home until i called you about your friend's health." Dorcas continued, not bothered by her son's shocked expression.

"How did you even know that?" Devlin asked, still greatly surprised.

"I told you that i know you my son. You can't hide anything from me." His mother said easily. "Why do you think i never pressured you to come home? I knew you were hurting, that is why i let you be."

"I loved her mum, but i was not lucky." Devlin told his mother after some minutes of silence.

"If you loved her and you still love her then do everything to make her happy. Everyone deserves to be happy Devlin." His mother advised.

"I am trying mother. I am really trying." Devlin informed his mother.

Since the day Devlin saw and fell in love with Sharleen he had vowed that he would forever want her to be happy. Her happiness would be his first priority.

Even if it meant sacrificing his own happiness.

***

On the other side of town in Matthew's home, the  atmosphere was not at all comfortable.

Father and son were in the study room, both of them with totally different demeanour. Matthew paced in the room left to right while absentmindedly biting his nails on his right hand. He looked extremely restless. His son however sat leisurely on one of the office chairs, his hands settled on the arm rest while his fingers drummed the table in front of him in a low tone.

"Father, you have nothing to worry about." Sam said after a while. The continuous pacing that his father was indulged in really irritating him.

Matthew could not help but worry. It took him a lot of time and a lot of planning for everything to reach this stage that he would be more than disappointed to see everything go downhill. He would be pissed.

"I have to worry Sam. One of us must worry. Everything must go to plan." Matthew answered, still pacing but had stopped with biting his nails.

"She has no one else to turn to. Of course she will agree to the deal." Sam said arrogantly.

Matthew knew his son was arrogant but this was too much. He really had an itch to smack the back of his head severally at least to knock some sense into him.

"Did you not see how she looked at you?" Matthew asked, now looking at his son and raising his eyebrows.

"Don't worry about that. Don't you know about woman and their not forgetting nature?" Sam asked.

Not forgetting you for negative reasons. Great! Just what we needed. Matthew scoffed in his head. This mission was becoming harder than he previously thought, with his son still being his arrogant self.

"You must do something and make yourself be in her good books. Everything must go as planned." Matthew stressed.

"Oh, i will be in more than her good books." Sam grinned cockily.

Is this really my son? Matthew could not help but ask himself the question. Even in a serious talk Sam always found himself inserting disturbing comments in between.

"Sam, you should take this seriously. Any slip on your part we will loose Naomi's trust and we don't want that." Matthew said, sitting on the chair next to him.

"I am taking this seriously dad. You are the one freaking out. Relax a little, soon enough will be smiling all the way to the bank." Sam smiled coyly looking at his father.

"Don't be too cocky son, she has not agreed to marry you yet." Matthew warned his son.

"She will agree dad. She will agree soon." Sam said with an evil grin. "Even if we have to convince her the hard way."

*****