Page 25 of Chance

He leans over and whispers into my ear,"I like Sebby, but you call me that when you want me, so that wouldn't work." He presses a gentle kiss under my ear.

The midwife comes out and calls my name. I shake my head, getting rid of all thoughts of a seriously sexy Seb and walk into the room. She asks me for my forms and has me lie down. Seb drags a chair next to the bed and holds my hand as I pull my top up. I listen as his breath catches a little as he runs his hand over my stomach, and I cringe looking at my stretch marks. I have the urge to pull my top down, but I know I can’t. The midwife and sonographer are chatting while we wait, and I move Sebastian's hand away.

"Don't, Seb. My stomach looks horrible," I whisper before looking at the blank screen.

I feel a kiss placed to my stomach and look up into Seb's green eyes.

"I always thought you were the most perfect girl I had ever seen. I spent hours looking over every part of your body, and I never found an imperfection. These beautiful marks make you more perfect, Maisy. They show how strong you are, that you carried our son inside you. I’m damn lucky to be able to see them on you. My idea of perfection was always you," he says, and my eyes well with tears.

"Now, let's see this baby. Can you tell me your date of birth and your address before we start?" the sonographer says, and I repeat them for him.

"A little cold now," he says, pouring the cold gel onto my tummy.

He moves the device around my tummy before pointing at a beautiful pair of legsand then my son’s stomach. He shows us everything and takes a few pictures of the baby’s face as he sucks his thumb. I don't move my eyes from the screen until he stops, and I look over at Sebastian who has tears running down his face. I lift my hand to wipe them away, and he kisses my palm.

"Thank you," he says in a rough voice.

"You’re going to be a good father," the sonographer says, patting Sebastian's shoulder as he walks past.

Seb doesn't say anything to me as the midwife says my scan came back great and for me to see my community midwife next week for the usual checks. She warns me that my blood pressure is a little high and advises me to take it easy for the next few weeks. She also added to eat more red meat because that’s been known to help. When it’s time to leave, Seb buys a few more copies of the scan photos, telling me that Izzy and Harley want their own photos.

I'm standing at my car when Sebastian pulls me into a hug, but he can't get close because of the bump. He laughs a little.

"You’re getting bigger, little man," he says to the bump, stroking his hands across it. The baby starts kicking, and Seb kneels in front of me, kissing my bump gently before speaking.

"I can't wait to meet you, my little boy. You’re going to be so spoiled by your mummy and daddy. I love you so much, and we haven’t even met," he says and grins up at me as he feels our son kick a little more.

Seb stands and leans in to press a little kiss to my cheek, very close to my lips. If I just moved my face a little, I would feel his soft lips on mine, and I know I would be lost.

"I'm not going to give up on us, May, but I’ll wait for you. You’re it for me," he says, and I let him gently kiss my forehead.

"Drive safe, okay?" he says with a sad smile, moving away.

As I drive away, I look back to see him watching me with a worried expression.

I shake my mind of Seb's sweet words and kisses to look around my empty room. There is no happiness here, and I’ve been so down for a week. My parents didn’t notice my upset mood when they finally decided to talk to me. I soon learnt they only wanted to demand I go on a date with Kyle tomorrow night, but I can't. I just need to tell them I’ve had enough of their games with my life.

I groan, standing up and stretching my sore back muscles. I have a feeling this little boy is going to be big because he is hurting my back a lot these last couple of weeks. I start my maternity leave in a week, and I can't wait. These hours are killing me, and now Seb wants to help. I might not need to work so much. I’ve been thinking a lot, and I’ve realised that I can't let Elena stand in my way. If he wanted her, he would be with her. But he isn't, and I want him.

I love him. I always have, and I always will. I plan to tell my parents over dinner, in a few minutes, that I’m going to be with Seb and move in with him. Then, I’m going to leave and find my man. It won't be easy, but the good things in life never are, and Sebastian King is a damn good thing in my life. My baby kicks in agreement with me, and I grin.

I walk down the stairs, not enjoying the quiet house. My parents are sitting at the table as our kitchen chef brings in some plates. This guy is new, and I haven't met him yet, but he smiles gently at me. They have a new one nearly every two weeks because my mother loses her temper with the staff, and then they leave. I smile at the chef, and my mother glares at me. She hates it when I’m nice to the staff.

My father starts the conversation as he gets some pasta, and I put salad on my plate before passing the bowl to my mother.

"How is the baby?" he asks as he pours himself a large whiskey. My father always asks about the baby after I have a scan. I know it’s his way of caring, but it isn’t enough to change my mind about leaving.

"Good. The scan went well. I have some news," I say, knowing it’s best to get this over with.

"What now?" my mother asks as she drinks her wine quickly.

"I'm moving in with Sebastian King. We are having the baby together," I say nervously.

My mother throws her glass at the wall, where it shatters. My father just gets up and walks out with his bottle of whiskey. It hurts that he doesn’t look back at me once. The slam of the door seems to jet start my mother’s arguments.

"No, you’re not. I will not let you disgrace our family further by being with that boy," she shouts at me, grabbing my arm as I stand up.I didn’t even notice her get close as I watched my father leave.

"That man is the father of my child–your grandson–and I’ve always loved him," I shout back at her, trying to move away from her, but her nails dig into my arm. She slaps me hard across the face with her other hand, and I feel dizzy as I sway a little. I watch as she moves closer to me, her face is bright-red with anger now.

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