30
Veronica
I open my eyes,and the first thing I become aware of is the fact that I’m no longer in that villa. I’m at Cal and Lauren’s. The last thing I remember is briefly waking up and walking inside. I’m overcome with relief, and the peaceful stillness overwhelms me as I take a deep breath and relax into the mattress. I’m not sure how much longer I was going to be able to hold it together. Despite the calm that Alana was getting from me, I was anything but. Holding it together as I came to the realization that Kameron had taken matters into his own hands was one of the more difficult things I’ve had to do to date, especially with the intense panic of being trapped coming from Alana. One of us had to keep it together.
My body becomes heavy, and heat washes over me. If only I could have pinpointed what was wrong with Kameron, this may have been preventable. Maybe if I had something more to give Blue to go off of that day, maybe he could have helped Megan.
I didn’t think he would go to that extreme. He seemed too reasonable and level-headed to pull something crazy like that. I never saw him as someone who would take on that kind of controlling mind frame; he never gave any obvious signs. His infatuation with her was apparent from the moment he saw her, and it only evolved, but I never thought he’d descend the way he did.
I tried, but my attempt didn’t work. Thanks to Alana, we never would have gotten out of there as quickly as we did. He definitely never would have let Megan go, and I wouldn’t have been able to persuade him to do so. Between Megan and I, neither of us has the aggressiveness needed to get out of certain situations. We couldn’t have done what Alana did, and we both owe her some gratitude. More than that, actually.
Despite how frantic she was starting to become, she managed to keep it together for the baby. She did what she’s used to doing, and she deserves more than just a couple of thank yous.
My stomach growls, and the baby moves around in my belly. I remember Alana saying she didn’t eat anything the last day we were in Cancun. She was too anxious to. I have no idea how long I’ve been sleeping. I need to go find food for this little one.
I’m sure it was my hunger that woke me up. I could eat an entire buffet with how ravenous I am. Otherwise, I would have still been sleeping. I’m worn out and could definitely use a few more days worth of sleep. But that’s off the table, at least for now. I have some things I have to take care of. Now that I’m out and I have a quiet moment to myself, there are some truths to my reality I need to face.
This baby is above everything else, and I’m thankful that everyone had the same goal in mind to protect the child through all the madness. As its mother, it’s our collective job to provide the best possible life for it, and Alana and Megan will both agree with that. But given that none are on the same page with anything, we’re going to be at odds and more of a problem for this child than a proper parent. We cannot go on like this. It won’t be good if the three of us remain divided. The paternity of the father is still very much a big question. Still, after everything that’s happened and given the circumstances, the decision shouldn’t be hard.
Alana was right; Kam can’t be trusted. After what he pulled, the little respect I had for him is gone. He took advantage of Megan’s trust and tried to isolate her from a support system she needed and the stability that was crucial for her. Yes, he loves Megan, but Kameron’s love is dangerous, and it’s not safe for her to raise a child with him as of now.
But if it’s Ian’s, with how combative the two would be, sharing custody with Kameron would be an entirely different battle. There’s also Alana, who’s made it perfectly clear that she refuses to let Kam near Ian’s baby. There’s a chance Megan might forgive Kameron, and it’s nerve-wracking to know that Megan will go back to him. I don’t know where she stands on how things ended up, and I can’t feel her right now, so I can’t ask her. If she does go back to Kameron and it’s Ian’s baby, things are going to be very volatile. I don’t see Kameron letting Megan drop the baby off on her own with how obviously insecure he is, and Alana will definitely take the child back to Ian whenever she shows up. This baby can’t have two different dads with a mommy that's different depending on which dad she’s with.
I rub my hands over my eyes, frustrated at the scenarios running amuck in my head. All of this has my mind racing. There’s too much that could happen if we continue on the way we are.
Something has to be done.
I know where I stand on the situation, and I’m already well aware of what I have to do in order to make the first step in the right direction. I don’t want to, and already my decision is causing my heart to break, but I realize it’s not just about me and what I want. I have to get the other two to recognize the same.
Rolling over, I look out into the room partially lit, but the sun trying to shine in through the closed curtains. There’s a chair in the corner across from me with clothes folded up on it, and I notice a phone plugged into the wall beside it.
Crawling out of bed, I go over to the phone and find it already activated. There are a few people I need to talk to, Cal and Lauren being two of them. But now that I’ve found this phone, I can call the person on the top of my list. I have to get this out of the way before I chicken out.
I dial the only number I have memorized, my heart thrumming in my chest as I do.
I’m prepared to call more than once, but he picks up on the first ring.
“Yeah?” He says, and he almost sounds expectant.
It’s so good to hear his voice, and I suck in a breath, suddenly overcome with emotion.
“Blue,” I say, almost breathless. I’m not sure why, but everything starts to hit me now.
“Megan.” The relief in his tone is easy to pick up.
“Veronica,” I correct him.
“Veronica, how-how are you? Ian told me you’re back home.”
“Well, not home. I’m with Cal and Lauren.”
“You’re with family,” Blue states. “That’s home.”
His words hit me like a ton of bricks. The idea of family is still a concept I’m wrapping my head around but having them show up for me makes their sudden presence in our life that much more solid. I saw them as overbearing before, but I may have been mislabeling my brother’s protectiveness. Now I’m grateful for it.
“Hmm, I suppose you’re right,” I mumble, realizing his words are true. “Having a family is still something I’m growing used to.”
“According to Ian, your brothers were tearing the world apart trying to find you,” Blue tells me. “He was in constant communication with them, getting updated on their search for Megan.”