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Chapter 37
Effie’s POV.
I was currently having countless emotions going through my entire body as the dilemma hit me hard and I just stood there feeling dumb and most importantly, stupid.
I just screamed at my son’s father in front of him. That was a bad choice but I was enraged walking up and seeing Cain talking to him after making clear enough to him that I didn’t want him around him.
He disrespected me.
I saw the fear in Cain’s eyes as he stood by, his eyes huge as saucers. He probably have never seen me so enraged before. He probably has never seen me scream so much before, especially not at him.
Somewhere deep inside me, I felt an instant regret. Mixed with anger.
“Mommy?” Ace’s tiny voice makes all the tension leave my face instantly and I looked to see him standing close to the door, fear written all over his face.
I felt extremely bad now.
I just flared up in front of him and scared him. He was probably terrified out of his mind right now, wondering what he did wrong. I’ve always warned him about speaking to strangers especially at his school when there’s no other adult around.
“I’m sorry mommy. “His voice trembled and I feared he would start crying any time soon. Ace was a very soft hearted kid, which often got me wondering where he took that from.
I was never easily intimidated. I wasn’t a timid child growing up, neither was Gage. Which always made me wonder if under all those toughness and ruthlessness, Cain was indeed soft. Just like his son, Ace.
My heart melts instantly and I threw a look at Cain who stood at the opposite side of the hall, before quickly going over to Ace and lowering myself until I was squatting in his level.
I drag my hand affectionately through his hair, “honey I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled like that….” I trailed off, pissed at myself.
“…… I don’t want you to be mad at him.” He said, his ocean blue eyes wondering behind me to Cain for a quick second before falling back on me again.
I hesitate, then smiled, glad that he wasn’t at all mad at himself for getting me upset like that.
“I’m not mad at him, baby. I was just scared when I saw you talking to the stranger….”
I heard Cain’s footsteps as they disappeared from the room and my heart sank.
“It’s alright baby.”
Ace’s homeroom teacher, Mrs Chen, an Asian American woman walked out of the homeroom, her eyes glistening at the sight of Ace.
“Ah Ace,” she called “there you are. I was just looking for you. Oh Miss Genevieve, you’re here already. Are you picking Ace up now?”
Rising up to my feet and snaking a hand around Ace’s neck, I gave her a warm smile even though every nerve in my body wanted me to scream at her for not keeping a proper eye on Ace and letting him wonder off to see Cain. He could’ve been a stranger for all I knew.
I nodded curtly and replied, “yes Miss Chen……” I trailed off as I looked behind to see the empty hall exit before looking back at her and adding, “please could you hold on to Ace for a second? I’ll be right back.”
“Sure. I’ll just help him pack his bag.” She replies delightedly as she spread her arms open for Acc.
Turning Ace around to face me, I tilted down a little and said to him “I’ll be right back okay?”
“Are you going to look for that man?” He asks.
Giving him a hesitant smile, I said “yes, Ace. I’m just going to talk to him okay?” He nods and I ran a hand through his hair “I’ll be back.”
I watched him disappear through the homeroom door with Miss Chen before I turned around towards the door. I knew Cain was still in this building because I can perceive his scent throughout the entire building.
His scent was everywhere all at once. I take quick steps and tried to find him. As I reached the end of the hall, just before the exit door, his scent gets stronger by the right hallway leading to another corner of the room. I stopped and turned, then slowly started towards the other end.
1/3
I discovered the scent got stronger as I approached the gymnasium at the end of the hall. I saw the door to the gymnasium slightly opened,
8:27 AM
Chapter 37
Cain’s presence all over the place.
I stopped as I reached the door, my mind picking up race. I wondered why I was even running after him. I wondered what I intended to say to
him.
I closed my eyes for a second, took a deep breath in then pushed the door further open.
I’m met with an empty room but Cain’s presence remained thick in the room.
“You haven’t been given best mom of the year yet? That needs to be fixed.” Cain’s deep voice rings through the empty gym room, echoing suitingly.
I looked to the left side to find him standing behind the spectators‘ bench, his hands tucked inside his side pockets.
I take in his expression before proceeding inside. His eyes held a kind of pain…. hurt. Even though his body tried to hide it. I could still see right through him. I didn’t know if I knew him that much to know what was going on in his mind most times but I knew exactly what was going on with him right now.
I let out a soft sigh as I reached the middle of the room, right in front of the spectators‘ bench, right in front of him. Only there’s a large distance between us.
“Cain…. I’m sorry….”
“I understand,” he cut me off. He starts to walk towards me. “I just wanted to see him, Effic….”
“Cain, we talked about this……
“I’ve been in this city for months, Effie and I haven’t seen my son. I haven’t been with him. I only see him from afar only when you let me.”
He stops in front of me now. I can see the anger in his eyes now. He tries to hold it at bay. He tries to control the tone of his voice. He tries not to seem pissed but I can see through all of his composure. He was hurt deep inside. I hurt him.
But isn’t this exactly what he deserves? This hurt. After all he did hurt me first right?
Looking past him to the walls at the far end of the room behind him, I said “you can’t see him anymore.”
“Effie!” His voice rose a tone “Ace doesn’t even know who I am. And I know he wants to know, Effie. Why don’t you just let me….”
“Because he doesn’t need you in his life, Cain! You would have continued to be a non existent person to him if you hadn’t showed up in the first place! You shouldn’t be here, Cain.”
“What?….” His voice trails off as his eyes watched me strangely. Why did my words surprise him? Did he think I’ve suddenly softened to him just because of the recent events that had taken place between us?
I saw how his pupils dilated as they watched me, as if some certain realization just hit him.
“Effic, I spent my entire life searching for you! Every single day and this is all I get? After this long?”
“You drove me off!” I yelled at him.
“You won’t give me the chance to explain everything to you…”
“I have given you multiple times to explain things to me, Cain but you keep holding back! You’ve had two months to explain whatever it is to me but you don’t! And you keep coming back and talking about how I’m not giving you the chance, Cain…” I trail off, my voice shaking, my throat dry.
For the first time after that first day that I met him under that volcano, I saw fire in his eyes. I felt them burn through my clothes and hit my skin underneath.
Like the day breaking after a long dawn, I saw the fire leave his eyes, his eyes lowering from mine.
The sound of my heart beating was all I could hear in the wide empty room. Then he grabbed my wrist tightly, and I knew it was impossible to break free if I tried.
“Come on.” He said commandingly and turned around, pulling me towards the exit.
“No….. Let go of me Cain!”
“I’m sure you do not want to make a scene at your son’s school.” He said provocatively as he pulled me out of the gymnasium. What? Was he threatening me?
He was right about that anyway. Causing another scene at Ace’s School was the last thing I wanted right now.
2/3
8:27 AM
Chapter 37
So for a minute I let him walk me out of the large floor hallway that lead out of the school building.
“Where are you taking me?” I ask him.
“Just shut up for a minute okay?” He said urgently. Before I could react to his words, he’s coming to a stop in front of a car I assumed to be his and pulling the door open.
“Get in otherwise I will force you, Effie. I could care less what Ace or anyone thinks at this point.” His eyes were fierce and his words, painfully commanding. And terrifying.
Without uttering a word, I obediently sat inside and he shut the door before sitting inside too.
Once I saw him igniting the car, I spoke “I’m supposed to take Ace home, Cain!”
“Eli would take him.” He replied sternly as he drove roughly towards the gates.
“What? No! Stop this car right now! I need to get my son!”
“He is also my son, Effie. You need to relax. Eli is my Beta and he would take care of him!” His voice is warning and I almost wanted to cower in fear but I refused to give in to him.
Thoughts about the events that happened the day he forced me into his car like this started coming back to me. That day I’d shown all of my vulnerabilities and fears to him. Not today. Not anymore.
Cain drove for a much longer time than I expected. I watched my plans to remain unmoved slowly push out the window as he drove out of the city, towards an empty woody side of London outskirts.
As he crossed the last wooden bridge I assumed was the only thing connecting back to London, I finally spoke.
“Stop the fucking car Cain!” I roared but he paid me no ear.
I felt my veins pulsating underneath my skin and my heart hummingbird. I felt so angry, I wanted to smack him so much.
So I did the only thing I could think of. I grabbed the car wheel and tried to force the car to a stop. This causes him to swerve about the old road. But he doesn’t take his eyes off the road or try to fight me. He doesn’t even panic.
What the hell is wrong with me? What’s with this attitude.
“Stop the car!”
“We’re almost there.” He muttered, his eyes still trained on the road.
Suddenly, I felt a strange pain in my chest. My heart hurt. It was a pain of vulnerability. The same thing I dreaded showing to him. And now he was forcing it out of me. He was stripping me of it.
Tears cloud my vision and before I could stop myself, I made to hit him with a hand but he quickly catches it mid air, his other hand still on the wheel. Then he made a swift turn and came to an abrupt stop.
Without saying a word to me, he pushed the door open and jumped out.
My door is flying open right after and his hands are pulling me out of the car.
The first thing that I notice is the fancy cottage house built on top of a stone right in front of us, then there’s a small water body leaking out it’s back.
Cain comes to an abrupt stop in front of the house, his tight grip around my wrist finally loosening.
“What the fuck are we doing here Cain?!” I sneer angrily at him.
He doesn’t seem too bothered about any of this. His eyes just watched me like I was something that wasn’t real.
I started opening my mouth to speak again but he beats me to it, his hand taking me by surprise as they wrapped around my waist and yanked me forward to him.
“I love you Effie,” his voice is serious deep and sensual “and I swear that every second I’ve spent with you, I’ve spent them wanting you so fucking much.”
