Sebastian
"You okay?" I asked her, my concern overflowing as I repeated the question for what felt like the tenth time, unsure of the credibility of her previous replies.
"Yes, Sebastian," she sighed, snuggling closer to me. Her actions were a silent reassurance, telling me not to worry, "I am okay." She buried her head in the crook of my neck, her hands finding their place on my chest, undoubtedly feeling the rapid thumping of my troubled heart.
"Should we find another doctor?" I suggested, my worry refusing to dissipate.
"No, Sebastian," she shook her head, her voice filled with conviction. "Don't take Aaron's words seriously. I don't think Tristan has anything to do with Celine, and even if he did, why would Aaron receive the call? Shouldn't it have been you receiving a call from Celine's mate?"
Well...there could be something more to this situation.
"Yeah, you're right," I nodded, attempting to hide my doubts and put on a smile on my face, "Let's move past this, okay?"
It was a challenging task to conceal my worry when it consumed my every thought. The fear of losing her gnawed at me incessantly, with every passing second, with every breath I took. I longed to turn back time, to prevent myself from making the same mistakes.
"Okay," she agreed after a moment
"I love you," I whispered, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead before planting a few more on her cheek. Her skin was soft and delicate, akin to that of a newborn baby.
"It tickles," she giggled softly, her laughter like a beautiful melody.
"Does it?" A smile played on my lips as I continued to pepper her cheek with kisses, relishing in the sound of her laughter. "Then that's good news." I hovered over her, attacking both of her cheeks now.
"Hey, stop it!" She giggled, her laughter becoming more uninhibited as she attempted to push me away.
"What if I don't?" I 1blew a blew raspberry on her cheek and a gasp slipped past her lips.
"What if I don't?" I playfully blew a raspberry on her cheek, and a gasp escaped her lips, followed by a surprised expression.
"What the heck was that?"
"My mom used to do this to me whenever I was sad," I explained, a hint of melancholy creeping into my voice as the bittersweet memories of my mother resurfaced.
Noticing the pause in my words, she gently reached out and brushed the back of her fingers against my jaw, a gesture of comfort and understanding. "So you're using the same technique on me?" Her smile was soft, gentle, and heartwarming.
"Kind of, yeah. It always used to make me laugh," I chuckled, placing a tender kiss on the tip of her cute nose. "And I think I'll be able to make it work on you too." Before she could respond, I blew a raspberry on her neck, and a delightful giggle escaped from her throat.
"Stop it, silly!" She playfully slapped my arm, her laughter filling the air. A wide grin spread across my face as I watched her, realizing that the sorrow I had seen in her eyes just moments ago had diminished. It seemed that the incident with Aaron was fading from her mind, just as I had hoped.
"If I do that, then what would I get?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.
"What do you want?" she asked, "Chocolates?"
"Why would I want chocolate? I'm not pregnant."
Her laughter filled the air, joyful and infectious, as she looked at me with amusement. Confusion knitted my brow as I struggled to understand what was going on in her mind. "Why are you laughing?"
"You know, chocolates aren't only loved by pregnant women..." she began, a playful smile dancing on her lips. "Children are really fond of them too, actually."
"So?" I prompted, still not catching on to her train of thought.
What was she trying to say?
"So, you're meant to be fond of chocolates, aren't you?" she teased, her eyes sparkling.
"Wait..." Suddenly, it clicked, "What the heck?! Do I look like a child?"
She giggled and pinched my nose affectionately. "Not really, but you're definitely a big baby at heart."
"This is disrespectful," I grumbled, clearly annoyed as I tried to extricate myself from her playful grasp.
"Wait," she laughed, grabbing my hand to stop me, while her other hand playfully pinched my cheek, eliciting a groan from me.
"What the—" I began, taken aback by her sudden actions.
"Babies shouldn't be this arrogant," she playfully scolded me, treating me as if I were really a five-year-old instead of a grown man hovering over her. "You need a lesson."
"Oh, really?" I challenged her, "Well, maybe it's you who needs a lesson."
Before she could react, I launched into a tickling attack, my fingers dancing across her sides. But she quickly grabbed a nearby pillow and smacked me with it, causing me to momentarily freeze in shock.
As she noticed my surprised expression, she burst into a fit of laughter and pushed me onto my back. Taking advantage of the moment, she darted away, declaring triumphantly, "I won!"
"Oh no, you haven't," I declared, quickly regaining my composure. I sprang to my feet and sprinted after her.
And for the next half an hour, we ran around like little kids, chasing each other playfully. Every time I tried to catch her, she slipped away from my arms, declaring triumphantly, "You can't catch me, Sebastian!"
To be honest, there were a few times when I purposely let her slip away just to see her smile and hear her laughter. Even though she was laughing at me, it brought me joy to know that, if only momentarily, she was free from the burden of terrible memories.
"Do you really think I can't catch you?" I asked, almost out of breath, as I stood a few feet away while she leaned against the sofa, trying to catch her breath. She had managed to make me chase her like an enthusiastic puppy.
"I don't think that, it's just that—" she began.
I didn't give her a chance to finish her sentence. Instead, I strode toward her, leaping over the sofa to reach her side.
"Oh my..." Before she could run away, I swiftly grabbed her waist and pulled her close to me.
"Got you!"
"That's cheating!" she whined. "It was supposed to be a mini break."
"Did you mention anything about taking a break?" I countered, catching onto the little lie she had used to win. "So, that wasn't a break."
"This is unfair!"
"Yes, you're the one being unfair," I chuckled, turning her to face me so I could admire her cute pout. "You lied to win when it was clear you had lost."
"Okay, fine," she finally sighed in defeat, a frown appearing on her forehead. "I lost, and you've won. Are you happy now?"
"You call me silly, yet you're acting like a kid just because you lost the game," I couldn't contain my laughter. "You're like a cute little bunny." I peppered her face with kisses, starting from the bridge of her nose down to her chin and cheeks.
"Hey, stop it!"
"No, this is my reward for winning the game," I shook my head, continuing to shower her with affection. Soon, her melodious giggle filled the air, and her muscles relaxed as she let go of her frustration from losing.
"Silly," she chirped amidst her giggles, and once again, we found ourselves immersed in a moment of bliss and pure satisfaction.
God, how I wished everything could stay just like this!
*****
I glanced over at Athena, peacefully asleep, her mouth slightly ajar like that of a baby. Suppressing a smile and the chuckle that threatened to escape, I quietly picked up my laptop and tiptoed out of the room, gently closing the door behind me. I couldn't risk waking her up. It had taken a solid half an hour to convince her to go to sleep when all she wanted was to talk the night away.
I wished I could indulge her, but I also had to take care of her health. Despite her attempts to convince me otherwise, there was no denying that she was growing weaker day by day. I had even heard her complaining of abdominal pain before she fell asleep.
Entering my study, I settled into my chair behind the desk and opened my laptop, the prescription Tristan had given me still in my hand.
I had known Aaron for quite a while. He could be selfish and unscrupulous, but today it seemed like he had come here with no other intention than to help Athena.
I wouldn't claim to be an expert at reading people, but from the emotions I saw in his eyes when it came to Athena, it didn't seem like he was lying in this case. Moreover, even if he had to lie, he could have used any other excuse. Why would he bring up Celine's name? It made no sense at all.
I opened my laptop and began searching for the medication Tristan had prescribed. I jumped from one website to another, reading reviews and examining its performance and potential side effects. In the end, I found nothing suspicious. It was simply a medication to stabilize pregnancy and support healthy growth.
That should have brought me some relief, but the worry still clung to me. Why was I still stressed?
I didn't know if I was supposed to doubt Aaron, but I couldn't blindly trust him either.
Could he actually be Celine's mate?
No, I wasn't going to accept Aaron's words without conducting my own investigation. I needed to delve into his history and only then could I draw a conclusion.
Whether he liked it or not, Aaron had given me a reason today to dig into the past. It seemed like there were many things I had missed, and they had the potential to disrupt the beautiful present I was trying to piece together, bit by bit.