His Baby

Chapter Eight

She grabbed everything she thought to be essential including a burner phone from her closet, no one would notice if one went missing in this family. There was so many of them it was hard to keep track.

Rose looked at her own phone and saw over two hundred messages from Ace, it was too late now, besides, after four weeks he could have come and banged on the door demanding to talk. But he didn’t.

She takes her phone and puts it on her bed, then walks to her window, she looks around her room, one that she only for five months.

Grabbing a notepad, she leaves a message for her family, she felt guilty for leaving without them knowing but she needed to think away from it all.

She sticks her head out the window and looked to see if anyone was outside. It was clear. Using the tree nearby she climbs down to the ground and into the back garden, keeping to the trees as it was her best camouflage so no one would see her was she ran.

The town was soon behind her in thirty minutes and she heads to the airport, she had no cash on her so the credit card she never cancelled in her back pocket ready to pay for her ticket.

The lady at the desk looks up and smiles at Rose “Hello, can I help you?” she asks with an overly cheery voice, one that Rose just wanted to slap off, she wasn’t in the mood for happy campers.

“Can I get a one-way ticket to Australia please” I speak with no happiness in my voice at all.

But the woman was too oblivious to Rose sarcasm.

“Anywhere specific?” she questions as she types away on her keyboard, everything about her perfectly placed right down to the hairs on her head.

“Sydney” Rose says. She had always wanted to go there and to be honest there was no other place she could think about right now.

The woman asked for Rose’s passport and scanned it before handing it her back and then typed some more on the compute before handing her ticket, “Have a nice trip” she says.

Following the signs to the right departure gate Rose waited for the call over the intercom and with a final sigh she board the plane, running yet again from her problems. It was mid-June which meant it was winter in Australia so the weather would be perfect for Rose, she wouldn’t overheat.

*

At home, Scott had everyone in the living room, he was worried, she was fine this morning. Well not fine but at least she was in the house and now she’s gone.

“I can’t track her phone, she left it on the bed” Dominic says as he walks into the room a note in hand, he passes it to Scott.

“I can’t be here, it’s happening again, I can’t do it. I’m sorry” sighing, Scott placed the note on the table and then puts his head in his hands.

The guys look at one another, they knew what the message meant, and they hated themselves for not seeing it.

“Damien, find Ace now” he demands.

Damien got to his feet, heading to the office to search for the guy who seemed to be at the centre of it all.

Two hours Damien took to find where Ace was, and when they entered the building his gang was in, everyone was lounging around not expecting nine armed guys to barge in.

The men in the gang were shocked and half naked girls screeched in horror at the intrusion of it all.

“Ace” Scott bellows, now everyone definitely knew they were there.

No one dared to move, the gang out numbered Scott and his men five to one, but the murderous glares on the nine men’s faces told them they weren’t to be crossed.

Moments later Ace emerged form a back room, he looked like a homeless man, his face covered in scruff from not shaving, dark bags hung under his eyes from the lack of sleep, even his skin was a tinted yellow from lack of sun and nutrients.

Scott came here with every intention to smack the boy in the face and then some. But by the looks of things he had already tortured himself.

He didn’t even bother to ask how they got inside the gang’s hideout.

“Scott, what are you doing here?” his voice hoarse like he had just woken up.

“What happened with Rose?” he asks getting straight to the point. Though it was more of a demand.

All eyes were on them from both sides “She found out I slept with some of the whores from the club before I met her. Then one of my guys called her one too, she shut down after that”.

Scott shook with anger; it had happened again and now she was gone without a trace. All of the guys glared at Ace and his bunch of i***t members.

“Where is the guy?” Leighton spat out referring to the one who called Rose.

“Don’t worry about it, once I dropped Rose off, I dealt with him” Ace explained. “How is Rose and the baby?” he asks.

He knew he messed up, they had only known one another a short while, and now she was no longer there he felt empty, he couldn’t sleep, eat, or do much of anything for that matter. Even the girls in the club tried to latch onto him, but he shoved them away and threatened to kill them if they didn’t. he wanted Rose and no one else.

“She locked herself in her room for an entire month” Dominic says.

Wide eyed Ace stutters on his words in panic “I-is she o-okay? The baby?” he worries. Being locked in a room alone wasn’t good for the baby surely?

“I don’t know” Scott heaves out, this whole thing was a mess.

Ace was confused “What do you mean you don’t know? Why don’t you just break the door down?” surely they could handle that.

“We didn’t need to; she unlocked the door before she left” Damien spoke.

“Left?” Ace whispers out not believing what he was hearing. She had run away.

“She panicked, after what your guy said she would have gone back into herself and after what she has already been through, she ran, it’s the only way she feels safe” Scott explained.

Ace nodded, but he had questions. “Do you know where she went?”.

They all shook their heads “She left her phone, we can’t track her, she’s off grid, her uncle trained her well, she won’t be found unless she wants us to find her”.

Ace curses under his breath, he had been sat wallowing in his own self-pity and didn’t bother to go over and have it out with Rose and now she was gone. He laughs dryly “The first chance I get at loving someone and I f**k it up” he groans out quietly.

Only they guys heard it; Scott looks at Ace surprised “What did you just say boy?” unsure if he heard it correctly.

Ace gulped “I-I’m falling in love with your daughter” he tries to be bold, but Scott was an intimidating man. He had barely known the girl long, but she was the only one who knew him, the true him in a short while and one look was all it took for Ace to fall in love with Rose.

Scott tried to hold back a grin from his face, this kid had cause a lot of s**t, but the look on Ace’s face told Scott what he said was the truth, so he only had three words for Ace “Then find her”.

Ace suddenly had a boost of determination and gave a nod to Scott. Turning on his heels he heads back to the office to begin his search.

Scott and the guys leave the warehouse and get into their SUVs “We better find her and quick” Scott mutters as he pulls onto the road and heads back home to begin their own search.

*

Rose was five months pregnant, in a country she had never been too and sweating like she was in a sauna.

She had found a small apartment near the beach close to Sydney. Paying for a taxi she heads up to the apartment. She made sure to rent in a building with an elevator, she had no idea how long she would be living in Sydney and the more pregnant she became the harder it would be to get up the stairs. But she was going to push herself until she had no choice but to use the elevator.

She had a home on the top floor, the floor only had one door. Amazed by the inside of the property, a black and cream furnishings, two-bedroom, one bath with walk in closets in both rooms and leather couches in the living room that looked so comfortable right now.

Rose takes herself into one of the bedrooms and drops her carry-on on the ground before flopping onto the large bed. This was all tiring.

Then her stomach grumbled, and she had to get up to get food. She snacked as she bought groceries and even stopped to get a laptop so she could purchase things for the baby, it would only be emergency gear in case she had to go into the hospital. But she didn’t want the have the baby here. She couldn’t do it alone. She wanted her family. But her fear kept her away.

Once she unpacked her shopping, Rose settled on the couch with her laptop and searches for things the baby would need. It was July and in a month’s time she would turn eighteen, she laughs at the thought of being a mother before she even had chance to be an adult.

The television sounded with Netflix on, she drifted to sleep with the lulling of the voices on the TV.

When she woke, the sun was shining into the living room. Her phone behind her showed that it was eight in the morning and her stomach was yet again growling with want for food. Showering and a change into some fresh clothes, Rose notices that her small bump was growing, and she smiles as her hand rubs her stomach. But the smile turns upside down when it reminds her of Ace.

He should be there with her, but he left her.

Shaking out of the bad memories she grabs her keys and heads out the door. It was time to familiarise herself with the area, so she didn’t get lost.

It didn’t take long to find a local medical centre where she could see a midwife. It was small but Rose didn’t mind, she just wanted to be sure her baby was okay, the lady behind the reception desk looked up when Rose walked in and smiled.

“Hello, can I book an appointment with the midwife” Rose asks.

The lady smiles, she seemed like a sweet lady “Sure Sweetie, what’s your name?”.

“Rose” the young girl replies.

“I need your surname too” the lady asks.

Rose didn’t want to use her actual name; she knew how good Damien and James was searching for people, so she changes her last name “Richards” she says randomly.

The lady types on her computer “I can fit you in tomorrow”.

Rose nods accepting the appointment, the lady writes the time on an appointment card and Rose heads out. She was booked in for ten in the morning.

Hopefully, she would be able to get another scan, she left her others at home. The excitement grew for the following day which came faster than expected.

Sat in the waiting area, a hand on her bump in a protective manner. She was called shortly after. Following the nurse into a room the nurse grabs a clipboard and gestures for Rose to take a seat

“Hello Rose, I’m Kay I will be your midwife for the rest of your pregnancy, I see you have filled in the papers we asked of you, now I just need to check the baby, could you lay down for me” Kay asks.

Rose lays back onto the bed and pulls up her shirt exposing her bump.

Kay smiles “Five months correct?” and Rose nods.

It was a little uncomfortable as Kay prods and pushes against her bump, but it was for health purposes. The scan came shortly after and Kay spun the screen around so Rose could see the sonogram “This is you little baby” she chimes.

Rose smiles and sniffs, her hormones being all over the place she couldn’t control her crying.

Kay takes measurements of the unborn child and frowns; Rose heartrate quickens thinking something was wrong.

“Is something wrong?” the young mother to be speaks in a worried tone.

Kay smiles, “Your baby is a little smaller than I would like him to be at this stage, so we just have to keep a close eye” she explains.

Rose nods then realises she identified the s*x “Wait he?” she asks.

Kay’s eyes go wide, she was so engrossed on checking the baby she didn’t ask if she wanted to know the s*x of the baby.

“I’m sorry, I should have asked if you wanted to know the s*x” feeling guilty for the Freudian slip.

Rose shakes her head “Don’t worry about it, I was going to ask anyway”.

The midwife printed off some photos for Rose to take home with her and she was booked again in two weeks’ time, it would be longer, but the size of the baby was a mild concern to the midwife.

Now that Rose knew she was having a son, she could back order a bunch of things for the little boy. But the thought of the size of her unborn boy was a worry.

Back home, Rose put all the scan photos on the fridge and then proceeded to stuff her face with the whole pot of blueberries as she sat with her laptop picking out lots of things her son would need.

She had barely gotten started and the crib, bassinet, and car seat took the price to a thousand. After a few hours looking at a bright screen tiredness overcame Rose and she took herself to bed.

A heavy sleep was interrupted by the alarm blaring by her ear, she almost jumped out of her skin.

She decided to take a morning walk and changed into some gym clothes, grabbing a water bottle, she headed down the stairs, the lobby of her apartment building was full of people, bags and children running around the place.

She squeezes past people and took off for her walk, in which times became runs and jogging too.

She sees a Starbucks and suddenly craves a strawberry frappe, covered in sweat, Rose walks into the building, the air conditioning hitting her sweaty body which sent a shiver down her spine form the contact.

As she walked up to the counter the guy serving wouldn’t stop looking at Rose with a smirk on her face.

“Can I help you?” she wonders, feeling slightly uncomfortable under his gaze.

“Yeah, your number” he says.

Rose raises an eyebrow in question, “Why?” she wonders, she isn’t the most attractive person.

He chuckles, “So I can call you” he states.

Rose shakes her head and orders her drink. As he hands it over, she asks “How much?” for the drink.

“A date” is his response.

Rose places a ten on the counter and walks to the door calling over her shoulder “You don’t want to be with a messed-up kid” she says pushing open the door and walking away.

He reminded Rose of Ace, the Starbucks guy, shaggy brown hair, brown eyes, lip piercing, eyebrow piercing and tattoos on his arms.

She realise till now that she had a type, but she couldn’t see that guy as anything more than a friend, Ace was always clouding her mind.