Chapter Fifty

 Chapter Fifty

During such action, Chris's eyes fell on his phone screen. Due to pure coincidence, he saw the unfamiliar name and ascending minutes. 

Creasing his eyebrows, Chris, not one to curb his tongue, inquisitively questioned. 

"Who's Sharlene?"

Quickly pulling the phone from his curious eyes, Nick ignored him and returned it to his ears. 

"Sharlene, are you still there? I am sorry for the delay."

Chris burst out in laughter when he heard his gentle and soft tone. Leaning over while grabbing his stomach, he was having a field trip with the discovery. 

Seeing Nick having a private call with a woman and speaking like the device would shatter to pieces and the woman's voice disappearing into the wind, Chris could not help but laugh until tears pricked the edges of his eyes. 

Ignoring his famous piercing glare, Chris slapped his knees as he recovered from the rush of excitement.

"No wonder you spoke about marriage so gallantly. Are you finally dating? Who is she?" 

He questioned while pushing himself closer to the phone.

Nick kicked him away, but the man was like a fly.

"Yes. I also heard everything. Was that your friend?" 

Sharlene inquisitively asked. While patiently waiting on the other line, she heard everything. 

The baritone and unfamiliar male voice was loud, his words comical. He sounded like an easy-going individual. She had also heard his name: Chris. Though she presumed it was a nickname derived from his full name. He was also a great contrast to Nick's gentle nature. 

She reasoned that he was either an acquaintance or a close friend. 

During such action, Chris's eyes fell on his phone screen. Due to pure coincidence, he saw the unfamiliar name and ascending minutes. 

Creasing his eyebrows, Chris, not one to curb his tongue, inquisitively questioned. 

"Who's Sharlene?"

Quickly pulling the phone from his curious eyes, Nick ignored him and returned it to his ears. 

"Sharlene, are you still there? I am sorry for the delay."

Chris burst out in laughter when he heard his gentle and soft tone. Leaning over while grabbing his stomach, he was having a field trip with the discovery. 

Seeing Nick having a private call with a woman and speaking like the device would shatter to pieces and the woman's voice disappearing into the wind, Chris could not help but laugh until tears pricked the edges of his eyes. 

Ignoring his famous piercing glare, Chris slapped his knees as he recovered from the rush of excitement.

"No wonder you spoke about marriage so gallantly. Are you finally dating? Who is she?" 

He questioned while pushing himself closer to the phone.

Nick kicked him away, but the man was like a fly.

"Yes. I also heard everything. Was that your friend?" 

Sharlene inquisitively asked. While patiently waiting on the other line, she heard everything. 

The baritone and unfamiliar male voice was loud, his words comical. He sounded like an easy-going individual. She had also heard his name: Chris. Though she presumed it was a nickname derived from his full name. He was also a great contrast to Nick's gentle nature. 

She reasoned that he was either an acquaintance or a close friend. 

"He is more of an acquaintance than a friend."

She heard Nick mutter, then Chris's loud gasp of outrageousness. It appeared he had moved in listening range to spy on their conversation. 

"Oh, come on, man. We knew each other from diapers."

She heard him whine. 

Soon, there was loud shuffling, and then Chris's voice entered the speaker. 

"Hello, Miss. My name is Christopher Billion, but you can call me Chris. A childhood friend and not an acquaintance of Nicholas Ross."

He proudly introduced himself.

With a nervous chuckle, she was unsure of what to say. 

"Uh…It is nice to meet you. My name is Sharlene Cunning-ham."

"Sharlene? Sounds familiar."

Hearing his low murmur, she grimly smiled.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" 

"Uh… I do not know. Can you?" 

Unsure, Sharlene was feeling awkward. 

Ignoring her undecided question, Chris flamboyantly asked.

"What are you to, my not-so-communicative best friend?" 

"Uh…his fiancé?" 

A dead silence passed through the phone before she heard low muttering, then the phone moving again. 

"I am so sorry about my acquaintance's uncouth behavior, Sharlene."

Nick's slightly haggard breath, sounding sexy and mellow, entered her ears. It appeared he had fought to pull the phone from Chris's hands. 

Blushing, she was not offended, though unprepared for the encounter. 

"It is okay."

Hearing loud shouting in the background, she frowned. 

"What is happening?" 

"I am sending my acquaintance to his private airport that will take him back home." 

"Oh." 

She hummed.

Soon, she heard doors shut, and the shouting faded. 

"That was unexpected."

She murmured with a large blush, for he was back into silence and most likely to revisit their previous conversation. 

"Yeah, it was."

She heard him murmur before he slowly continued. 

"I will accept your reward."

"What?"

Acting clueless, Sharlene turned redder.

"The kiss. Or have you already forgotten?" 

"No, no. I have not."

Smirking, Nick sat in his chair. 

"Good." 

Murmuring, he was elated after the awkwardness had left. 

"Do you like pink gold?"

He effortlessly changed the topic while glancing at his watch. 

He had five minutes left to speak to her. 

"What?" 

Puzzled Sharlene's eyes widened when he included. 

"For your engagement ring."

"My what?" 

Chuckling, for he loved how she acted when he caught her off guard, he leaned onto the desk. 

"What is a wedding without an engagement party? We are going to have one, are we not?"

Still flustered by his first question, Sharlene whispered. 

"I guess."

"Then if you do not like pink gold, we can always visit the jewelry stores for pieces you love. We can select the wedding bands as well."

'Engagement ring? Jewelry stores? Wedding bands? Did I hear wrong?'

Sharlene thought, her eyes widening. 

"Bu__but when will we have the time? I mean…" 

Chuckling, for her rambling was cute, Nick interjected. 

"Did you not tell me you would reward me if I made the unexpected time shorter? That means I will be back, and we will have all the time in the world."

As she heard his low and baritone voice, she felt blissful.

"I did."

"So, a promise is a promise. I will be back soon. I will also call you whenever I can. Sleep well, sweetheart."

Blushing all over when she heard his endearment, Sharlene was touched. 

"You too."

As the clock struck twelve, Nick cut off the call but did not feel as empty as he felt the first time. 

They both felt one step closer to each other. 

------

For three days, Sharlene was like a bird soaring through the sky. 

A bright smile was on her lips, her eyes glittering, and even if she did not get the amount of sleep required, since Nick called her at 3 am every morning, she glowed like the stars. 

Skipping down the steps, she hummed her favorite song. 

Upon reaching the kitchen, where her mother was busy making breakfast, she chirped.

"Good morning, mom."

Turning around to glance at her, Helena tsked.

"Well, aren't you happy on a cloudy day like this?"

Outside, it was raining heavily, the hated weather of both AJ and Helena. 

"And so it is not a good morning."

AJ, who stepped into the kitchen, muttered with a scowl. He did not look happy in leaving the house for school today.

"Mom, can I skip today?" 

Sending a you-better-shut-your-mouth glare in his direction, Helena turned off the stove. 

Serving the hot food on three plates, she moved towards the table. Placing them on the table, she scoffed.

"I'm still angry with you for getting suspension twice. Do not think your theatric will work on me."

Lily, Clarice, and Tristan had left with smiles, hugs, and kisses in the early morning of a hot day three days ago. The house felt empty with only the three of them, but they were not saddened because they would soon return.

"Sit down and eat your food because you are going to school today, even if lightning flashes and thunder rolls."

She muttered while pushing his plate in front of him. 

Sighing as if the whole world was on his shoulders, he sank into his chair and scarfed down the food. 

AJ despised traveling in the rain. But that was an excuse. He hated going to school daily, whether the sun shone or not.

Walking over to grab a chocolate from the storage, Sharlene's hands paused, for her mother quickly grabbed it.

"Ah, ah, ah. No, you don't, young lady. Today, you are going to eat a proper plate of food. It will satisfy both yourself and the baby. I can't have a skinny grandchild, now can I?" 

Rolling her eyes, Sharlene whined. 

"But it is my drive every morning, Mom."

AJ snickered. 

"I told you one day Mom would catch you."

"Oh, hush."

She scoffed while sitting in her chair with crossed arms. 

"Stop behaving like a child, Shar. Leave it for the one in your womb. Besides, too many sweets are not good for a developing baby. Here, eat."

Her mother expressed as she pushed her plate of food in front of her. 

"Fine."

Murmuring, Sharlene began to eat her food. 

"You will also replace those unhealthy snacks with vegetable sticks every morning." 

With her mouth open, Sharlene placed the fork back onto her plate.

"Close your mouth, or flies will enter pipsqueak."

With a teasing smirk, AJ placed a fork full of eggs into his mouth. Instantly, Sharlene closed her mouth shut.

"What? You can't do that, mom."

"Of course, I can. Do you want to have a healthy baby?"

Pouting, Sharlene mumbled. 

"Yes, I do."

"Then case closed. When you return from work, we will figure out a meal plan for you and the baby. I am sure the gynecologist you visited gave you a rough background, but you can't be too careful. The number one food on the meal should be vegetables and fruits."

Grumbling, Sharlene returned to eating her food.

Happy with her compliance, Helena sat at the head of the table and pulled her plate towards her. 

"Can you drive me to school, sis?"

AJ, who had finished eating, asked.

Standing, he brought his plate to the sink, where he quickly tidied up. 

"Sure."

He almost dropped the mug from shock when he heard her agreement. 

"AJ, be careful!"

Helena gasped. 

Carefully placing the mug on the counter, AJ turned to face surprised Sharlene. 

"Did you just say sure?" 

In a matter-of-fact tone of voice, Sharlene responded with a shrug. 

"Yes, I did. Why?"

Suddenly, AJ burst out laughing, which made Helena and Sharlene frown. 

"Why are you laughing, J? What's so funny about bringing you to school…oh?"

Realizing what she was doing, Sharlene raised her head with confidence.

"I'll make an exception because I am happy today."

Coughing after laughing, AJ poured water into the mug and drank it to help clear his throat. 

"I cannot believe I would ever hear my sister, who loves her car and wants nobody else to touch it, especially yours truly, accept that request."

"Don't rub it in. As I said, it's an exception. Tomorrow and every other day after that, you use your two legs to make the trip."

Cheekily smiling, AJ wiggled his eyebrows. 

"I quite like Nick now."

At the mention of his name, Sharlene blushed beet red. 

"What does Nick have to do with this conversation?" 

Smirking, he taunted. 

"He is making my sister's brain mush that she treats her little brother better now." 

Frowning, with a twitch in her eyebrow, Sharlene huffed.

"You little blue-eyed devil. My brain is not mush."

"Of course it is. Mushy, mushy squishy sisty. Maybe, I'll call you that from now on."

"Why you...!"

Standing so that she could catch him before he left the room, Helena quickly stopped her while the grinning blue-eyed devil began to walk away with a loud laugh. 

"Stop it, Sharlene."

"But he started it."

Grumbling, she huffed when he sent a wink in her direction.

"I'll meet you in the car!"

Calling, he rushed out of the kitchen, most likely to grab his bag upstairs. 

Pouting, Sharlene returned to her seat and continued eating. 

Watching her, Helena shook her head with a smile on her face. Whether she was pregnant or not, Sharlene was still the same.