Xander It was past seven in the evening when I woke up and Nikki was still sleeping next to me, I kissed the side of her head and sighed. After my nightmare, the nurses sent a psychiatrist to my room to evaluate me, and the doctor said to me that there is a high likelihood that I could be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. I wasn't surprised but I accepted it and opted for counselling. The memories of the shooting were still clear in my head, all I wanted to do was to protect Nikki and I did, and I don't regret it. Nikki shifts in beside me, knocking me with her shoulder on my wound, I howl in pain, and she immediately wakes up. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," she says, and she gets off the bed, "Do you need a nurse?" I shake my head, "No, baby, it's okay." "I'm sorry," she cries, "I should have been more careful." "Inam, calm down," I say with a laugh, "I'm okay, modern medicine is there for a reason." She sighs, "Okay, and don't call me Inam, I hate that name." I laug
Finally, going home. To a bigger bed, to my future wife, to my family. Nikki and Charles are here to pick me up, they are packing my things while I sign my discharge papers. "Well, Mr Forsythe, if you feel any pain, you don't understand, or you feel something is wrong, don't hesitate to call," Doctor Khumalo says. "Thank you, Doctor," I reply, and he leaves the room. I look over at Nikki, and she's already smiling at me. She comes to me and wraps her arms around my shoulders. "Ready to go home?" I smile, "You know it, baby, can't wait for some tasty food." Nikki giggles and kisses my lips gently. "Come on, you two, let's get going. You know how your father doesn't like it when you're late," Charles says as he picks up my bag. I chuckle, the joke still lives. We walk out of the room and make our way out of the building, Damien is said to be waiting for us, in the basement parking lot, so that we avoid the paparazzi. We get to the parking lot and Damien is standing outside the c
Xander I have a little sister. I look over at her, she's sitting with my mother, and they seem to be laughing about something. They both shared the same laugh and smile. They were beautiful. We were sitting around the dinner table, having lunch that our mother's so wonderfully prepared. Damien and Charles were whispering, and Nikki's mother and Nikki were talking. That loneliness started to creep in. No, Xander, I scold myself, you are surrounded by people that love you, and they are just being normal. They don't like you; you should have died; he hears his father say. I shake the thoughts out of his head. He wasn't going to let his insecurities ruin his life anymore. I feel a hand on his arm, he turns his head and Charles and Damien have a worried look on their faces. "Are you okay, bud?" Damien asks. I nod, "Yeah, it's probably the meds." Charles sighs, "If you aren't feeling okay, tell us, okay?" "Thank you, Charles." Lunch wraps up and my mother and sister and I are give
Nikki "So, when do you plan on telling him?" I sigh and look at Charles, "I don't know." "You can't be serious right now Nikki?" Charles says to me. I knew that he didn't like the idea of me lying to his best friend, but I was scared. What if he didn't want a child? "What if he doesn't want it?" "Then he's a fucking asshole," Damien says as he walks through the patio doors. I groan, "Guys this is hard for me." "It will be even harder when he finds out that you kept his baby a secret," Damien adds. "Are you ganging up on me now?" Damien and Charles look at each other and then look at me. "Baby, we know our son and right now he is extremely vulnerable and open to anything. Use this opportunity wisely because once Xander is done with you, he is done with you." Charles explains. And I knew he was right, Xander wasn't one to give second chances, he may have done it with his mother but that is a special case. finding out that I was pregnant wasn't the easiest thing for me, I coll
Nikki Do you ever sit and wonder how the hell you got into the position you're in? Where did it all go wrong? That's me right now, listening to every word Chantel is telling me. How did things get this bad? They are going to arrest Damien for murder, I won't be able to live by myself if that happens. Charles will be devastated; they are planning a wedding, and then all of that has to come to a halt. Xander probably won't take it well, either I'm getting his dad arrested. "Nikki, are you listening?" she says, giving me a concerned look. I nod, "Yeah, yeah, but why would they want to arrest Damien, he was protecting us, protecting Xander. How were we supposed to know she was pregnant?" Chantel sighs, "That was my argument, but they won't hear it, that's why I called you here. You know our countries' history, if this goes to court, it'll turn into a racial case, and we won't win it Nikki, we won't stand a chance." I looked down at my now cold coffee, I didn't have an appetite anymo
Xander The look on her face said it all, I fucked up, I seriously fucked up and Charles was right, it was not a clever idea. "Ha! I told you." Charles says from behind me. "Charles, not right now," Damien warns. "Xander, you better start explaining yourself." Oh boy, here we go. "Well, with you being my fiancée and with everything going on, I just thought that it would be a good idea for us to move to the US after the trial was over." She lets out a sigh, "I thought you meant we were moving straight away, I was going to kill you." I chuckled nervously, "Oh, of course not, baby." I look over at Charles, and he's on his phone, pretty sure he's cancelling the flights I booked for tonight. She walks over to her mother, who hugs her and kisses her on the cheek. "How are you feeling, baby?" Nikki sighs, "I'm tired." "I mean, who wouldn't be with all these things happening around us," Charles says, it's something about the way he said that that made me believe that something is go
Xander"What did you say?"Nikki looks at me with fear in her eyes, "I said I'm pregnant." Oh my gosh, nope. This isn't happening. It can't be happening.A father? Me? No. I can't, I’m ready for this. No! I’m not ready for a baby."Xander, please look at me."My chest tightens and my breathing gets heavy and labored. I feel light-headed and the room starts spinning. I found a chair nearby, and I took my seat. I close my eyes and take deep breaths, calming my nerves and my mind. A father, Xander, you are going to be a father, and nothing is going to change that. Don't make the same mistake that your father made. "Andy, have you been taking your medication?"I shake my head."Are you fucking insane? Are you seriously trying to kill yourself?" Damien scolds, "Charles, go get his meds upstairs."I hear footsteps and people moving around me, but I'm not ready to open my eyes yet. I can't bear to look at Nikki's face, she must think I hate her right now."Nikki?"I hear shuffling and Nikk
Nikki "All rise, for the honourable Judge Kubeka." The entire room rises to its feet as the judge walks in and makes his way to his seat. "You may now be seated." The room sits. You could tell by energy in the room that people where expectant, and angry at Aiden, he could set the whole justice system back by years if he won this case. "Today we are beginning the trail of Aiden van Rensburg vs The State, the charges here today will be of money laundering, fraud, corruption and murder." the judge says, "Is the prosecution ready to make an opening statement?" "Yes, your honour." "You may take the floor, Mrs Chabedi." "Thank you. Good morning, ladies, and gentlemen of the jury. As you already know, we are here to serve justice to those who so rightly deserve it. Mr Aiden van Rensburg is being prosecuted for his sins." I listened closely as our lawyer spoke to the jury, the way she played on emotions and the pain of the people, it's the reason why I hired her in the first place, al