Love Unleashed

4

Serena's POV

My heart broke when I walked into the room and saw Amy lying on the hospital bed.

Her petite frame appeared delicate, her wavy hair tangled, and her blue eyes sad.

“Mommy!" she wailed, extending her arms. I ran to her side and carefully scooped her up.

“Oh, my baby. I'm here. Mommy is here." Her arms clung to my neck, and I could feel her tiny body trembling against mine.

“She's fine," the nurse reassured me while changing Amy's IV. "A little shaken, but nothing serious. "The doctor will be in shortly to confirm."

"Thank you," I said softly, touching Amy's hair.

Amy sniffled and drew back slightly, her bright blue eyes staring up at me. "Mommy, isn't that the man from the lift outside the door?"

I froze, my heart missing a beat. "What man?"

“The one from yesterday. He held the lift for me," she added, her interest piqued.

“I think I saw him through the door's little glass window earlier."

I forced a serene grin. "It's probably just someone who resembles him, honey. Don't worry about it right now."

Amy bent her head and studied me. "Mommy, he was polite. Very nice."

“I'm sure he was, baby," I replied, kissing her forehead. "But let's not think about that now, okay?"

She nodded, her energy diminishing as the nurse returned to take her vital signs.

As I sat with Amy, my thoughts kept turning to Ryan. I knew he was outside waiting.

It was exactly like him—stubborn and relentless.

Ryan's POV

I paced outside the hospital room in serious concentration.

If Amy turns out to be my daughter, everything will change.

I couldn't stop thinking about how Serena had stared at me earlier, her defences raised like a castle.

I was sure she was hiding something.

Finally, the door opened, and Serena emerged. Her face was pallid, and her shoulders drooped from fatigue.

“How is she?" I enquired.

"She's okay," she murmured softly. "Only a few bruises. The doctor says she'll be able to go home soon." Relief flooded over me.

“That's good."

We remained there in awkward silence for a while before I revealed what had been bothering me.

“Serena, is Amy my daughter?" Her eyes widened, and she looked back at the door, as if she was afraid someone would hear.

“Ryan, this isn't the time—"

“It is," I interrupted her.

“I need to know. Five years ago, I made the biggest mistake in my life. I allowed someone else to come between us, and I served you with divorce papers because I was too blind to recognise what I already had. I thought I was pursuing love, but I had no idea I was leaving it behind."

Serena's expression darkened. "You're oversimplifying things, Ryan. You didn't just leave me… you broke me."

Her remarks hit me like a blow to the chest, but I refused to back down.

“Yes, I did. I will never forgive myself for that. But if Amy is mine, I want to be present in her life. I have to be."

Serena looked down, her hands trembling.

For a second, I believed she was going to tell me the truth. But before she could speak, the nurse appeared at the doorway.

“She's asking for you," the nurse informed Serena.

Serena nodded and returned her attention to me.

“We'll talk another time, Ryan," she remarked before entering the room.

I exhaled softly, frustration and hope battling within me.

~~~

I lingered outside the hospital because I couldn't force myself to leave.

Amy was still asleep in Serena's arms when she eventually stepped out.

Her small head lay on Serena's shoulder, and her hair framed her calm expression.

Serena seems shocked to find me still there.

“You didn't have to wait," she explained quietly.

“I was going to drop you off at home," I said. My eyes were locked on Amy, and my heart felt like it was about to burst.

"You don't need to worry about it. Someone brought my automobile here.” Serena said as she walked towards her car.

I followed, offering to help. "Let me carry her."

She looked unsure, but eventually nodded and delicately moved Amy into my arms.

Holding her seemed weird. She was so little and lovely. My heart ached from emotions I didn't understand.

We arrived at Serena's car, and I gently placed Amy in her car seat.

I stepped back and turned to face Serena. "We need to continue our previous discussion," I reiterated.

She glanced at me with cautious eyes. "Oh, please. "Not now, Ryan."

I wasn't ready to back down, but seeing how fatigued she appeared, I hesitantly spoke. "Soon, Serena. You owe me an explanation."

She did not answer, but I noticed the conflicted glances in her eyes as she got into her car and drove away.

I hurried to my car, got in, and began following her.

Chapter 5.

Ryan sat in his car a few houses down from where Serena had parked, his hands firmly grasping the steering wheel.

The small home, with its well manicured plants and comforting lights lighting inside, told him one thing; Serena had made her life here without him.

He wasn't sure what to expect, but seeing the house triggered a peculiar combination of emotions; shame and longing.

He watched Serena gently carry a sleeping Amy into the house. The sight of his daughter caused his chest to hurt.

He had missed so much, years of her life that he couldn't reclaim.

But right now, he wasn't there for Amy. He needed to see Serena.

Ryan waited until the lights in the house darkened, then calculated how long it would take Serena to tuck Amy into bed.

His mind raced, and memories of their time together came flooding back.

When they were only pals, her laughter would lighten even his worst days. After they married, she gazed at him as if he were her entire universe.

But then, he had thrown everything away.

Not tonight.

Tonight, he refused to let her push him away.

When enough time had elapsed, he stepped out of his car, his resolve unwavering. He came up to her door and rang the bell.

Serena was startled by the sound of the doorbell, and her heart raced.

Who could be here at this hour? She hesitated for a bit before walking to the door.

She noticed him while looking through the peephole.

Ryan.

Her pulse sped, and a rush of emotions washed over her—anger, perplexity, and something else she didn't want to accept.

She opened the door slightly while holding the chain lock in place.

“What are you doing here? Are you stalking me?” she asked sternly.

Ryan's gaze was fierce, his eyes fixed on her.

“I could not leave things as they were, Serena. We need to talk."

“There's nothing to talk about," she said, beginning to close the door.

Ryan pressed his hand against the door, using his strength to keep it open.

“Let me in, Serena," he murmured quietly, but with a demanding tone.

She hesitated, sighed, and briefly closed the door to undo the chain.

Ryan did not wait when she reopened it. He walked inside and slammed the door behind him.

“Ryan, I—" Serena began, but before she could finish, he was on her.

His hands cupped her face, and his lips smashed down on hers with such force that she lost her breath.

She froze for a brief minute, taken aback by the ferocity of his kiss. But then her body failed her.

She melted into him, her hands grabbing his shirt as his lips pressed against hers, demanding and relentless.

It had been so long since she felt this, and her carefully constructed defences fell in an instant.

“Ryan," she muttered against his lips, but it came across more as a plea than a protest.

He did not stop. His hands slipped down to her waist, bringing her closer until there was no room between them.

“I've missed you," he said softly, his voice raspy and full of love.

Serena's determination weakened. She'd spent years convincing herself she was over him and had moved on.

But now, with his touch sparking every nerve in her body, all of the falsehoods she had told herself began to unravel.

"Stop," she said quietly, but her body betrayed her as she kissed him back just as hard.

Ryan picked her effortlessly and carried her to the couch. He lowered her carefully, his lips never leaving hers.

"Ryan, we shouldn't…" she started, but his kisses ran down her neck, leaving a trail of heat.

“Tell me to stop, Serena," he said, his voice heavy and desperate.

However, she didn't.

The night passed in a flurry of intensity and intense emotion.

Serena had forgotten what it was like to be touched by him and feel so loved.

She despised herself for giving in so quickly, but nothing else mattered in that moment.

When she eventually fell asleep, her head resting on Ryan's chest, she felt a peculiar sensation of calm that she hadn't felt in years.

~~~~