FALLING INTO PLACE

CHAPTER 33

"Just tell me what you want" she started. "Money? Wealth? Name it, and it would be yours."

"If that's the case, I want only two things, you or our baby"

This was what Aria had been trying to avoid; Vincent showing interest in her and her baby's life. Her heart rate increased as she thought of her future problems, especially ones that were related to Vincent.

All she truly wanted from the beginning was to be noticed and have a life with Cole, even when it meant stealing him from her childhood best friend. She was obsessed and knew it but was not ready to give it up.

"It's not your child, it's Cole's" she snapped back like a bulldog.

Vincent gave an evil chuckle which scared her, she was filled with uncertainty and fear. She didn't know what he was going to say next but she still prepared to hide her fear with her confident and angry voice.

"Cole's child?" he said with a sinister chuckle. "Do you think you can fool me?"

"Do you think I don't remember when you drunkenly told me all your sorrows? How Hendrix rejected you that night and how you were filled with joy when Ayla died" he said in a low-pitched tone.

By now Aria was scared to death, her plan was falling apart

"I don't know what you mean," she said with her confidence reducing with every word.

"You don't need to; I already have the DNA results and it shows that I am the father," he said. "You better do my will or I'll send it straight to Hendrix"

"Wait…" Aria said before he hung up on her.

She tried to dial his number again but it was continuously being rejected.

Her breathing became louder and she was more stressed than ever. She could feel her heart jumping in her chest.

Feeling trapped, all she wanted to do was cry. She had different issues on her hand; Ayla/Ashley issue, trying to make Cole accept her child, and now Vincent.

A wave of sudden anger rose in her and she started trashing everything she saw. While screaming, she dragged off the sheets and duvet, threw the glass vases, stabbed and scratched the pillows with table knives, broke mirrors, threw off things from the tables, and many other violent acts.

Ashely suddenly walked in to see Aria violently trashing the room. She was deafened by anger and she couldn't notice she had just come into the room,

"Arianna!" she screamed in anger and fear.

She was not just angry at her violence in the room but also at the fact that she wasn't thinking of the baby in her womb. She knew that a pregnant woman shouldn't just be stressed but also not engage in violent and endangering acts.

Aria, still under the influence screamed, "Leave me alone and get out!"

Ashley couldn't take her misconduct; she walked up to the blonde, held her by her arm, and gave her a tight and resounding slap.

This wasn't the first time she had slapped her, this time she did it for her good and the good of Cole's child.

"Are you crazy?" Ashley screamed at the already calmed-down blonde and pulled her in for a tight reassuring hug.

She knew whatever happened was worsened by the pregnancy blues. She felt Aria hug her back tightly as she cried out her heart on her shoulder.

"Everything is going to be fine" she reassured as she patted her back gently.

Though Aria hated Ashley, she couldn't deny that this was the reassurance she needed. As the hug calmed her whole being, she plotted how to wriggle out of this mess.

*****

Cole was once again the usual base, his study. Still on the same issue of #ASHLA#. Kim Bryon had already investigated her home town but there was still no sign of her relationship with Ayla according to Kim something was fishy.

Kim had not given him the full report on the investigation but he was to give him after his return.

Suddenly there was a loud bang as Ashley stormed into the room. She looked anything but happy.

"Master Hendrix," she said with mixed feelings.

He was surprised as it had been very long since she called him that. She called him that when she saw herself as a stranger to him.

"Why did you call me that?" he said confused and stressed causing him to sound disgusted.

"I know I don't have the right to say this but I suggest you take care of your ex-fiancée," she said. "Especially when she's carrying your child; the heir to the Hendrix"

"And who gave you the right to talk about my private matters" He cut her short.

Ashley was not surprised; Afterall her main aim was to make him hate her. Even if he didn't tell her, she knew he had feelings for him just like she did for him.

"I'm not speaking for you but I'm speaking as Aria's friend" she snapped back.

"Arianna's friend," he said with an evil chuckle. "The Arianna that you slapped once? You must be joking"

At this point, Ashley was cut short of words. She had nothing to say all she did was stare with defeat.

She couldn't do it anymore, she knew she disgusted him with every sentence.

"I know you're fully aware that I have feelings for you but you still don't have the right to take Ayla's place." He said in a fit of rage.

His words hit her hard like a spear, but she didn't know why. She wanted him to hate her but she also wanted to mean as much as Ayla did.

"All I wanted to tell you was that Aria hurt herself," she said before leaving for the door.

"Lastly before you leave....don't ever say her name around me," he said to Ashley who had stopped right at the door.

Meanwhile, Aria was at the door enjoying the drama and intensity with a satisfied smile. Just a little cut on her wrist was making everything fall in place.

She reached for her pocket and unwrapped the crumbled paper, on it was written:

Break the trust and relationship between Ashley and Cole

Frame Ashley and Vincent for cheating

Kill Ashley

Give Cole a shoulder to cry on

************

Janet sat on the plank just before the large lake with her legs dangling over the water. She threw pebbles into the water trying to recreate the scene where the rocks bounced on the water for some time before they sank but it was futile.

That was her relaxation exercise, but it didn't seem to work. She kept thinking of how foolish she was to fall for Tegan.

She threw another pebble but it sank immediately. Just then a pebble flew past her and skipped on the water thrice before sinking. In shock, she turned to the direction where it came from. Behold standing a few feet from her was the one betrayer and player she couldn't get out of her mind.

She didn't realize she had gone into thinking mode and was staring at him for some seconds until he took a step towards her.

Without saying a word she stood to her feet and made for an exit before she was stopped by the familiar feeling of his gentle grip on her wrist.

"Please just give me a few moments," he said sounding more genuine than ever.

Neither was she ready to listen to him or look into his deceiving eyes.

She tried to wriggle her wrist to freedom but his grip was too strong.

"Please give me a chance to explain," he said with a regret-filled voice.

She didn't want to speak as she knew she would break down in tears, all she did was stare into the nothingness of the lake.

All the memories of how he denied whatever she taught they had their moments together, everything. She was so hurt at how he found it easy to treat her the way he did when he didn't have any feelings for her.

She struggled to yank her wrist out of his hands but lost her stamina and slipped into the lake. This was 9a nightmare; she had no idea how to swim in deep waters.

Struggling to stay afloat she kept splashing into the water as filled her mouth with every scream. She could hear Tegan giving some instructions but she was in too much of a panic to listen.

As her face submerged into the water she thought she was going to die until she felt an arm wrap around her whole body and suddenly they were going back to the surface.

Once at the surface, she opened her eyes while taking huge breaths as Tegan calmed her down by patting her back. They were still floating in the water with Janet hugging him tightly as if he was her only ticket to life.

Her face was buried in his shoulders as she murmured the statement, "Please don't let go" continuously.