49. A New Type of Romance

Curtesy of Doctor Reynolds, who wanted to make sure both she and the baby were fine, Millie spent another night in the hospital. After Max had left, it took Freider around half an hour to return with something for her to eat. He remained by her side as they both watched the news.

It was getting complicated as a reward was put out for anyone who could physically describe Snitch Gravel or Baron and aid their arrest. The thought of doing something like that scared her, but she was sure there were enough street rats Davyn had worked with who would be more than happy to sell their former boss. As it appeared, he would be caught, sooner or later. The thought both eased her mind and terrified her at the same time.

"He'll have to face the consequences of what he's done," Freider mumbled.

She looked up at him, cuddling in his arms. "How's your brother doing?"

"Not well. But we've been through this once before. I trust he will pull through. It feels like I've practically moved into the hospital."

"I'm sorry."

He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Don't feel sorry. This is not your fault. You've been through something terrible. Has the hospital offered counseling?"

"Yes, I've spoken with Doctor Reynolds about it."

Freider hummed. "He seems like a nice fellow. He's very attentive to you."

She nodded. "It helps. I would've hated it if he'd been cold and always in a hurry."

"True. Fine fellow."

They spent another few moments just watching the news, and it was a bit scary how safe she felt. These moments of silence were precious, and just being there with him helped her relax around him more. She was glad it hadn't gotten awkward between them after they'd kissed. Freider was treating it like a normal occurrence and still gave her much needed space.

"I should go," he said, pulling away.

The air felt colder without him, so she held on a little longer. He took it as an invitation and leaned over to kiss her again. She let him, even kissed him back, because practice made perfect, and she wanted it to start feeling natural. Even if it felt nice, she still pictured Davyn every time she closed her eyes. It was the only way she could stomach it, and the strangling pain inside her made her want to cry, and she'd decided she'd stop doing that.

"I'll see you later." He gave her another peck and let himself out.

She let out a deep breath and allowed herself a few tears. This was going well. There was no reason to be sad. Freider's kisses were fine. After a while, she wouldn't even remember what Davyn tasted like.

She didn't want to forget. She wanted him to be there. Actually, she wanted none of this to have happened and the two of them to be in his apartment, fooling around and having fun.

She wanted a world with no Snitch Gravel, no Freider, and no complications. A world in which they'd enjoy the time they had until they would leave for college together. A boring house with a picket fence and a couple of kids.

The tears pooled into her eyes, and she sniffed. That would never happen, so there was no point thinking about it. There was only one path going forward now, and she still had a lot of it to go. The hard part wasn't even close to over.

Like a given, the door opened, and Sophie rushed in.

"Oh, cherie, I'm so sorry," she breathed and rushed over to hug her.

Millie wished she could push her away, tell her she was fine, that there was nothing to worry about, and she should stop fretting, but she couldn't. She embraced her mother and lay her head on her shoulders, doing her best to hold the tears in.

"I wish I could've come faster, but I barely managed to get a bus ticket here. I should have been here!"

"Maman..."

Sophie held her tighter. "It doesn't matter. All that matters is that you're going to be alright."

Millie bit her lip hard, her nose clogging up. She would be okay. She would make sure of it. That she would never be in this position again, that her perfect mother wouldn't have to cry over her again.

"I will be fine. You'll see, Maman. I'll be fine."

"My strong angel."

She just wanted to die. For her bad choices, for her failed life, for the pain and disappointment her mother would feel if she knew the truth. The determination Millie felt the night when she decided to take back her life returned. Sophie wouldn't know the truth. Millie would pull through and fix her life and not crush her mother.

The door opened, and she jumped again. Every time, she was convinced Davyn would walk in and finish the job the mob couldn't. End her spirit as well as her body. But it was just Doctor Reynolds.

"Oh, doctor!" Sophie rushed to him and started asking questions.

Doctor Reynolds nodded and gave her curt answers, but his questioning eyes were on her. Feeling a sense of despair like never before, she shook her head, trying to convey the message that by no means should he mention her pregnancy to her mother. He seemed to get the message, because he only focused on her fractured ribs and many bruises.

"But overall, she'll be fine. I'm just keeping her one more night to be extra certain that she won't be in pain."

Sophie nodded, wringing her hands, still obviously worried. It broke Millie's heart and only strengthened her resolve to not get her involved in all this drama. She couldn't bear to see disappointment from Sophie.

"Can I speak to your daughter alone for a moment?" Doctor Reynolds asked.

Sophie frowned in confusion but nodded and let herself out. The doctor came by the bed and took a seat.

"I do not encourage you lying to your mother."

"I know, but trust me. I know how to fix this. She'll know soon enough."

"Fix it?" Doctor Reynolds quirked an eyebrow. "I have a bad feeling whenever teenagers say that."

Millie shook her head. "Trust me, I'll be fine. Just... Let me tell her. I don't want her to find out from a stranger."

"Okay. As long as you promise to come see me in a month to check on your baby."

She nodded immediately, grateful for the support. The doctor smiled and it was so kind, it warmed her up. She could do this. She had help. She'd manage it. Her plan had to work.

A weight plunged into her stomach at the thought of what she had to do. "Doctor, how long will it take until I start showing?"

He frowned, seeming both thoughtful and suspicious. "It depends. It could be anywhere from 8 to 24 weeks, depending on the age and body of the mother."

Millie blinked. "Wait, I could be... Six months pregnant and not show?"

"Well, not exactly. You would show, but not enough for it to be obvious that is pregnancy and not just a large meal. But it depends. Every body is different."

True. She could very well be unlucky and show in the first 8 weeks. She glanced at her belly and pat it. It was still flat.

"You won't be showing now. You're barely six weeks along."

"What? Six weeks?" How could she be six weeks? She and Davyn had unprotected sex  merely four weeks ago.

Doctor Reynolds smiled as if her terror was adorable. "The countdown starts from your last period."

Oh, crap! This meant that she could very well start showing in only two more weeks. And as unlucky as she was, it would probably happen and everything would be ruined. A silent scream built up in her throat, but was fortunately cut off by the door opening as a nurse rushed in.

"Kyle, we need you down in the ER!"

It took Doctor Reynolds a mere second to jump off the chair and head towards the door. "I'll come by and check on you later," he said over his shoulder. "Just be careful what you do."

Millie relaxed into her pillows and enjoyed the momentary silence. It was so cool how the doctor was needed, how he could alleviate fears like that. Somehow, even if he'd given her horrid news, he'd made her feel better with his mere presence. She liked that. A lot. And even if time was pressing on her from all sides, she still had this.

It wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

With Sophie's care and Doctor Reynold's promises that the pain would go away, Millie was discharged the next morning together with a big bag of painkillers. As luck would have it, she'd managed to both convince her mother to let her and Max stay in Chicago a while longer, in case they got reassigned to another school to finish their senior year, and have her not run into Freider.

Freider's brother was still under, but he seemed a lot more relaxed now that she was finally leaving the hospital.

"Though I will definitely miss seeing you," he said, as if to make sure that he didn't leave out the obvious.

Millie didn't know about missing him, though having him dote on her had been nice, but she didn't have time for rest and relaxation.

"I'll miss you, too. I got so used to you always being there for me."

The glaze over his eyes she'd come to associate with his desire for her took over once again. "Look, I know it's not the best time, and you probably have a lot going on, but would you like to go out some time?"

Her heart skipped a beat. "Some time? What about tonight?"

Freider grinned, though he definitely looked surprised. "Oh, I'd love to. Where should I come pick you up?"

"That's okay. Just pick a restaurant and we'll meet there." There was no way she was having Fredier picking her up from whatever frat house Max had found for them. Or from Davyn's place. Was he even back there?

The thought terrified her because she knew she had to go back and pick up her things. But one step at a time. Date with Fredier first. And it took a lot of convincing that she was feeling fine and no longer in pain until he finally settled on a restaurant, kissed her on the lips, and promised to see her later.

Finally free to continue with her plan, Millie next spent some time with her mother, hugging her and assuring her that she was fine and everything would be okay. Sophie wasn't as easily convinced and demanded to see where she and Max would be staying. 

Fortunately, Max pulled through and they all headed to an apartment not too far from school where four guys and four girls, including them, had bunked up until they had news about what the school planned to do.

Sophie didn't have any room and the hotels weren't cheap, so she hugged them both and made them promise to be good until they had news. And if they didn't, they should come home and they'd figure out what to do from there.

Max fortunately walked their mother to the bus station while she claimed wounded privileges, so, once he was gone, she could sneak out and head to Davyn's place. The air was cold against her cheeks, but it didn't even come close to the ice in her veins. She wasn't even sure if she wanted him to be there or not. What would she even say?

As much as it hurt and as her knees shook, she pushed herself up the stairs and unlocked the apartment. It stood cold and empty, much like her. Relief and disappointment battled inside her as she stared at the too familiar space. The place where she'd been both deliriously happy and hurt beyond measure.

It was the same story all over again. Mere days ago, she thought this place was her sanctuary. Now, here she was, running from it again with all she had left of her life in Chicago. What a whirlwind everything had been. And for a moment, it was so easy to forget everything and just sink into the mattress. Sleep and wait for Davyn to come home and make everything alright. But he wouldn't. He'd ruined everything, and there was no going back now.

Instead of stalling, she gathered her things, tears streaming down her face. She had no time to stop and reminisce. Not when in a mere two weeks, her pregnancy could start showing. Her life had twisted, and she had other things to do.

So she took her things and went back to the place she now shared with Max and their peers and got ready for her date with Freider. She had no decent clothes anymore, but the short sequin dress Diana had given her to impress Davyn had survived the flames because she kept it as his place. A piece of clothing used to entice him. Now, she would use it to entice someone else. Nausea climbed up her throat as she combed her hair and applied red lipstick.

This was wrong.

At the same time, it was right. It was her escape. The solution to everything. The only reason she couldn't fully embrace it was Davyn. It was his fault that she couldn't truly enjoy Freider's affection, having someone who truly cared and looked after her.

She frowned at her own image in the mirror. With the tiny dress, her hair hanging loose, and the crimson on her lips, she didn't think she'd ever looked less like herself. Older. Freider thought she was twenty-three. Who cared? Age wasn't important. She really did wish she were twenty-three. Then maybe she'd have her life together.

With a grumble and a sigh, she picked up her coat and headed out of the room and towards the door.

"Where do you think you're going dressed like that?"

Even if he was sitting at the living room table together with five other guys, three of which looked to be at least collage aged, playing poker, Max still noticed her heading out.

She gritted her teeth together, for a few moments considering just walking out. But she knew Max was stubborn enough to follow her out.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I have a date."

Max narrowed his eyes, clutching his cards tighter. "You just came out of the hospital."

"I feel fine." Her bruises and the heaviness in her body said otherwise, but she didn't have the time to wait for them to heal. The good part was Freider knew about them, so she didn't have to waste time covering them with makeup.

Max considered this for a moment as he pushed his chips towards the middle of the table. "With what's his face?"

His questioning was getting on her very last nerve. "What do you care?"

"You know exactly why I care."

"Tanner, quit fighting with your sister and pay attention to the game!" one of the guys at the table snapped.

"I'm all in." Max threw a fleeting glance towards the pile of chips on the table. "Which means you assholes have to raise or get lost."

The three older ones laughed. "You have no idea who you're messing with, kid," one of them said. "We might not have chips, but we can bury you if we want to."

"Money where your mouth is, Johnson. We're playing poker, not bragging over brandy."

Millie flinched. Those words could get someone seriously hurt in the wrong circles, and Max's game buddies didn't exactly seem lovely. But the older looking one grinned and pulled out a piece of paper.

"I'll raise you this plot of land I have in Texas. Arid, hateful place. Could be paradise for a rat like you."

Her stomach clenched because no matter how many chips Max had on the table, they definitely couldn't match the value of land. But her twin just huffed and returned her attention to her.

"You shouldn't be going anywhere. We're supposed to be laying low."

"Mind your game, Max."

"At least don't go out dressed like that. You're gone give him the wrong idea."

That's exactly what she wanted to do because she didn't have the time to play this out the way she would have liked. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with the way I'm dressed."

"You look like a hooker!"

His words hurt, but she took it in stride. "This coming from a gambler. At least I just look like one." And she let herself out. It was a cheap move, but she knew Max wouldn't follow her when he was in the middle of what appeared to be an important game.

But what Max said stayed on her mind as she met Freider at the fancy restaurant they'd been to before. Was she a pretend hooker when she was laughing at everything he said, leaned towards him, batted her eyelashes, and hoped he liked it? Wasn't she the real deal when she accepted to get into his car when dinner was over with only one thought on her mind?

"Where should I take you?" Freider asked, starting the car.

She felt as if she were about to throw up. "How about home?" The words were supposed to be flirty, but she sounded constipated.

He noticed, and a small worry crease appeared between his eyes. "Are you alright? Was this too much?"

It wasn't enough, and it terrified her. What she was trying to do was so way beyond who she was and what she knew that she couldn't even answer him.

"Maxi? Look, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have. You obviously still need to rest. This was too soon."

"No. It's not that."

Yes, it was. Way too soon and happening for all the wrong reasons. Freider was a good guy. He was smart, handsome, attentive, and usually at the right place at the right time. She was sure that if she'd had the time, the two of them would have maybe fallen in love naturally after she'd healed from Davyn.

Or maybe she would've moved away and minded her life and never seen Freider again. As it was, Davyn had almost killed her again, and Freider had been there to save her this time. It was enough to land him in the spot he was in right now.

It doesn't have to be a bad thing. This could work out.

He obviously adored her, and she was fond of him, too. He was the best choice by far. If only she could force the necessary words out of her mouth to make what had to happen next happen.

Freider glanced at her through half-close eyelids. "It's definitely that. It's much too soon."

Crap, she was losing him. "I just... I'm a bit embarrassed, really." At least that was true, and it came out easily. Davyn had always told her to play her strengths, and her shyness and naiveté had always been hers.

"Embarrassed?"

"Yes. Because I think I just got this unhealthy crush on you." Another truth. It was definitely unhealthy. "What you did, the way you saved me..."

His entire demeanor softened, and he gave her a warm smile. "I'm glad that worked for you."

"I want a lot more than that, though. I just don't know how to do this, how to tell you..." And that was the biggest issue.

"Just be honest. As direct as you want. You're not going to scare me away." And he gave her a once-over as if her outfit should've already sent him running.

He had a point. There was no beating around the bush. "I want you to take me home. To your place."

Her affirmation gave him pause, and for a moment, he just stared. Then he turned back to the road and shifted into gear. "Consider it done."

Ants marched up and down her skin as he pulled into traffic, and she had to fight with all her might not to hug herself.

"Just so you know, I'm not going to take this as meaning anything. We can always just have tea or something."

His words had her relaxing, and she untangled her legs. "Tea sounds nice."

"I'd offer you something to eat, but we'd just had dinner, and I'm horrid at cooking anything anyway. I've been practically living off baloney sandwiches for the past few months."

This got a laugh out of her, even if it was sad more than funny. But he laughed to, so they were able to make small talk until they reached his place. It was a large house in the suburbs, so it was obvious that Freider was rich. She tried not to think too much about it because she didn't want to feel like a gold digger as well as like a hooker. So she didn't focus on the furniture or the decor. The moment they stepped inside, she took her coat off, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him deeply, desperately. It fit her story. It also fit the rage inside her.

She hated Davyn so much. She wished she didn't have to think about him when kissing someone else just to put some feelings into her body, make this entire thing bearable. Freider truly wasn't bad. At all. She was just used to something else.

The thought of Davyn had hee blood boiling with both rage and lust. How he antagonized her, how he knew exactly where to touch her, how to make her beg for it. She wished he were there so she could show him, make him beg for it for a while.

"Maxi..." Freider pulled away. "Not that I don't love what you're doing, but if you keep kissing me like that and pressing so close, I might..."

She snarled, annoyed that he'd interrupted and ruined her revenge fantasy. "You'll what? Show me what you've got?"

"Don't tempt me."

"Is that what I'm doing?" She pulled back, feeling cold all of a sudden. Never in her life had she pushed anyone to do anything. She didn't want to start now.

Freider smiled. "You are very tempting."

"But I'm pushing you. You don't want this." She was horrible and lucky that he had a good head on his shoulder. "You're right. I shouldn't be here. I should go." Back into the darkness where he belonged.

Freider's gaze darkened, but through the desire, some quick calculations seemed to be happening, much like her own.

"I do want this," he finally said. "More than you know."

Millie's stomach did a sommersarult. She should he happy, but she was just scared again. With a heavy gulp, she pushed her chest out. She had to do what she had to do.

"Show me then. How much you want this."

It was like she'd flipped on a switch. In a moment, Freider was upon her, kissing her more fiercely than before. She fell into it, trying to get back into her mental game of cat and mouse with Davyn. And with her eyes closed, it worked to some degree. Freider was approximately the same size, even the texture of his hair felt familiar.

In a matter of seconds, he picked her off and darted up the stairs to the second floor, kissing her all the while. Her skin prickled, but it was the good sort this time. She enjoyed being carried, being swept off her feet like that. 

Freider stepped to the left as soon as he reached the landing, but stopped. He pulled away from her and watched her for a moment. Suddenly, he seemed a lot more sure of himself, as if he had a plan and was going to see it through.

Then, he changed direction and headed into the bedroom on the far right where he showed her exactly how much he wanted this.

♣♣♣

I know I'm late. I ran out of backlog. Life has been a mess lately, really. Well, I'm going to be on vacation for the next two weeks, and hopefully inspiration will strike and I'll be able to write more.

As far as the story is concerned... Bad things are happening. Many bad things. One chapter left before this particular part of the story is over and we can move on to the final 3 parts.

Hope you're still enjoying it! All support is greatly welcomed. 

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