43

"Is the food good?" Nick asked watching me closely.

I nod stuffing pasta in my mouth. Nick brought me to a beautiful resturant for lunch and promised to take me home himself afterwards.

He was still shaken by my visit and trying to figure out what I knew. If Nick knew that I knew would his facade drop? 

"This is so good." I happily continue eating leaving to keep guessing.

Nick looks at me intensely but doesn't say a word.  This feels like a twisted game and I will play along until he decides its time to reveal the truth.

"Does your mom always come see you?" I ask casually but that causes my husband to freeze up.

Nick bites the inside of his cheek thinking of possible reasons why I'd ask him that.

"She comes sometimes."

"Oh."

"Why did you come out on your own?"

"I needed fresh air and we are leaving Kyoto soon...I wanted to walk around and take everything in." 

"What about me?"

"What about you?"

"Why did you come see me?"

I laugh. "I missed my husband. So I came to see him." 

He smiles. "That's what I wanted to hear." He lies with ease. Nick is such a good liar, almost as good as me.

"I wonder if our baby will be too pampered." I said changing the topic. 

"Why?" 

"Our families are really extreme. I know for a fact your mom will spoil our baby." I wanted to see his reaction. I don't know why I enjoyed hurting myself.

Nick looks sad for a split second. "She will definatley spoil our baby." He says forcing a smile.

I place my hand ontop of his. "What you said last night was true."

"What did I say?" He asked unable to remember. I smile moving closer to him.

"I am going to be a protective mother." I said with a smile.

Nick looks at me confused. "Yes but why-"

"But you know what?" I stop smiling. "I am also very protective of those I love and I won't let anyone hurt them." 

Nick gives me a look I've never seen before. I knew he understood exactly what I was referring to. I just indirectly told him I overheard his conversation.

"I won't allow anyone to do anything to hurt those I love, no matter what." I smile again. 

Nick doesn't say a thing. He was processing everything. Now the cards were in his hands. Would he drop the facade now? Will he show me his true colors?

"I'm glad my wife is such a good person who loves her family. I feel so safe." Nick jokes smiling.

So he wants to continue playing. This was our chance to come clean and face each other but Nick chose to pretend like everything is fine. I will pretend too but only because I know he understood what I told him. It was a threat to him and his mother that I would not sit idle and allow anything to happen to my family.

___________________________________

Nicholas Sakurada///

"Thank you for bringing me home." 

Samantha removes the seatbelt ready to make her way out of the car when I gently hold her wrist to stop her.

"I love you." 

I focused my gaze on her beautiful face wanting to get her raw reaction. 

Her gaze softens as she looks right back me. "I love you too."

I wish we were normal people who could love each other with no barriers.

I let go of her wrist.

"Go inside. I will be back later." 

She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Nick. I mean it when I say I love you." 

I smile. 

"I know." I give her a kiss on the cheek. "I love you too."

"See you later then?" 

"Alright."

She gets out of the car watching me as I drive away. I tried to ignore the ache that was slowly building up inside my heart.

Samantha and I both know the truth, we know that we are blatantly lying to each other yet neither of us is willing to admit it. I feel like I have gotten too used to playing make believe. 

It's like we love pretending everything is completely fine while we are living in a house made of cards ready to collapse at any second.

My phone's ringtone pulls returns me to reality. 

"Yes?" I answer.

"Nicholas we need to talk." 

Sana sounded irritated, more than usual.

"Why?"

"She is pregnant?!" 

"Are you calling to congratulate us?" 

My eardrum almost burst when she shouts.

"Do you think this is a joke?!" 

I sigh. "No." 

"Nick what is this?!"

"Don't call me again. I'm serious about my wife now." 

Before she could say anything I hang up. Sana is someone who can be sweet like cherrypie then act like an unhinged maniac. 

I know she won't let this matter slide so easily and will probably try to harm my wife. 

Samantha is pregnant with my child meaning no one can hurt her until the baby is born, not even me.

I pull up infront of Hoshi's apartment complex. There was no way I could go to work, not while I have so much on my mind. 

Samantha's pregnancy really threw me off. I had planned to get her arrested for what she did to my sister by the end of the year but now she was carrying my child. 

A huge part of me felt like a traitor. I betrayed my sister's memory by falling in love with Samantha. 

I tried to tell myself I was doing everything for revenge but I still found myself worrying that my uncle might hurt her somehow. 

"Kento?" Hoshi can't hide his confusion because I usually called before coming to his house.

I let myself in his apartment in desperate need for a drink. 

"What happened to you man?" He asked in Japanese.

I grab a beer from his fridge. "Samantha is having my baby."

Hoshi jumps up in joy. "Really?" He runs over to give me a hug.

"Congratulations!" He beams happily. "I knew when you went to go get her when she went back home your relationship would be better."

I sit down gulping  down the beer.  Hoshi notices my sour mood.

"What's wrong?" He tilts his head trying to figure out the issue. "Do you feel nervous to be a dad?"

"I'm going to be a single dad." 

Hoshi gasps. "Is the pregnancy dangerous to Samantha's health?"

"No."

"Then, what are you talking about?"

He sits beside me. "Come on, Tell me what's wrong."

I sigh heavily. Preparing my self mentally for his reaction.

"Samantha. Will be in jail." 

Hoshi's eyes widen and his mouth opens and closes. 

"W-what?"

"I'm going to send my wife to jail as soon as she gives birth to our child."