Prego and the Phoenix 🐇↩️✔

Arabella - Twelve

Flames of passion run deep and burn even the most cautious. Unique situations befall everyone that tests those flames. Will they be left to ember? Will they be doused away, left only to smoke? Or will the trial shake the flames; only disturbing the flow for just a while but unintentionally fueling the fire?

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It's been about a week or so after I stayed with Bourne and I have to say that I have never felt so wonderful in my life. Bourne was such a wonderful and caring boyfriend. His mother was good to me as well, acting like my own mother should have. I can't understand why my parents put me out like they did. I mean, sure I married someone when I was way too young but I mean, it was in wedlock that I got pregnant and it's not like I was a bad child...
"Arabella?" I hear Bourne say to me. I turn to him. "You seem like you're far off."
"Just thinking."
He wraps his arms around me, placing his bearded chin atop my head and I lean into him. We are at the beach, much to my dismay, but Bourne said it was beach day. "Everybody has a beach day. You don't necessarily have to go into the water, but without you there it would be a total drag." he had told me and I reluctantly came.
"Can I ask you a question?" I say, looking up at him.
"Of course."
"Your tattoo. How come I can't see it? Alexis and the twins looked really shocked when I said I didn't see it."
"It's a long story and one that I'm not ready to tell you. Let's just say the tattoo is special. You not seeing it is a good thing."
"Oh... You've gotten kind of mysterious all of sudden. A weird illness that should have you either in the hospital or dead, a tattoo that can't be seen by me, and some secret that I know you're hiding but won't tell me."
"When you tell me why you were telling Trevor to stop whatever it was he was doing in your dream the other night, then I might indulge you with that secret." He tells me, kissing my cheek with a smile. "Until then, lovey, I will keep my secrets just as you keep yours."
"Can you tell me one thing about it? I mean, is it detrimental?"
"What's got you so piqued about it?" he says, and I can hear the exasperation in his voice over my questioning.
"It was just so odd that you said I should be able to see this humongous tattoo that I've heard people say that you have and that your family also proclaims you have. Yet here I am, looking at your bare back and I see nothing. You can't hide a tattoo that big with makeup and definitely not in this kind of weather... at the beach."
"It just means your special."
"And what's with all this-"
Bourne pulls my head back and plants an amazing and definitely distracting kiss on my lips. I know he just wants me to stop prying and he pulls away from me.
"Please stop questioning me. Just have a good time. Relax..."
I snuggle into his embrace and watch the twins run after each other as Alexis yells at them something in Spanish. I still have questions but I guess he's right and I should just leave it alone for a while.

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Things seem to be for the better in everything and I think I'm really seriously falling for Bourne. And I mean deep, almost the same way I did with Trevor and I sigh at the prospect of it. I don't want what happened with me and Trevor to happen to me and Bourne. He's too special to me to have him just deject me like that. If he left me like Trevor did, I'd never want to live again. He was etched into my heart now and just to see him walk away from me like that would.. it would just be horrid.
I head down to my class when an arm grabs me. Thinking it is Bourne, I start to put my arms up to wrap them around his neck but find Trevor in my wake instead and immediately put them down.
"Trevor, how unpleasant of you." I growl, taking a step back. "What is it?"
"What were you about to do?" he asks with that smirk that would have made me melt a couple of years ago.
"I thought you were Bourne."
"Ah, speaking of that hulking ape, I thought I told you to stay away from him?"
"And I thought I told you that you were no long in my life anymore and therefore, have no rights to tell me who I can and can't date." I say, crossing my arms over my belly.
"For the sake of our child, I ask you to please-"
"Sake of the child my ass. I don't know what beef you have with Bourne, but he has made me feel more like a woman and a beautiful one at that." I snuff.
Trevor looks like he just wants to strangle me but he closes his hazel eyes and then runs his fingers through that black hair of his and I sigh, wondering what exactly went wrong between us.
"Look, I'm trying to get you to understand that he is not normal. He's not what you think he is... Winter is on the horizon, Arabella, and when it comes, you may not be happy with what it brings."
"I know. You've told me all about that."
"You won't understand until you see it."
"When I do, I will decide for myself. Now leave me and my love life alone, Trevor. We don't need you."
He sighs angrily but I walk away and head to class. Though I have to admit that he is right about Bourne acting a little weird as of late. Those early winter winds have started coming down from the north and it's about time to bring out those big winter coats. Bourne, as big and hairy as he is, was wearing a heavy coat the other day as if it were already winter. The twins were dressed in long sleeves but nothing like Bourne. I will admit there is something going on, but enough to hate him? No way in hell.

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One of my favorite movies is coming on tonight and so I decide that I will cook something for myself at home and eat it and watch TV like a normal teen that is left by themselves. Bourne said that he had some studying to do so he wouldn't be taking me out and since I had done all mine already, I took advantage of my time. In all honesty, it feels a little nice to be by myself again, just to straighten things out a little in my head and then get back to grind. I mean, I remember being married for that short period of time and having to see Trevor every damned day was really annoying after a while. But it wasn't too bad with Bourne.
I am cooking spaghetti from a box, loving the smell of not mine. I sometimes get a little tired of my ingredients and you just want to make something quick and not made by you. The box spaghetti was always good and was just enough for me to have a couple of bowls and feel full.
I am just sitting down for the movie when I hear this noise. I roll my eyes since there are always weird noises where I live and settle down, my personal TV table allowing me to have my food placed atop my tummy. Even if it was just a little bulge, it was still nice to have it there. I smile a little at the thought when I hear a loud bang. I know that sound... and it is not the slamming of car door. It's a gunshot and I gulp, hoping there are no drivebys.
I clutch my bowl of spaghetti for a good ten minutes, my movie forgotten, when someone bangs at the door. I jump, almost sending the contents of my bowl to the floor but I gulp and look at the door again. The banging begins again and I get up, heading to the door to look in the peephole.
"ARABELLA!" someone yells through the door and I recognize Bourne's voice.
But it doesn't sound right... it sounds frightened and in pain... I put the bowl on the bar and look in the peephole. It is Bourne and I unlock the door. He looks up, his golden eyes frightened and panic immediately takes hold of me.
"Wh-what's going on? Are you alright?"
"I..." he says and just looks down.
I look down at him too and notice the blood pooling between his fingers. The wind is ripping through me like ice and Bourne is shivering. I move to let him in and he tries to move but ends up falling to his knees to the floor. I quickly shut the door and carefully get down beside him as he gasps in fear, watching the blood just trickle from the wound.
"Bourne, you need to stay calm for me. I'll go get a towel to soak up the blood and then we'll call the ambulance."
"No! No ambulance... no... I..."
I scramble as quickly as I can to my feet and get the dish towel, wadding it up and putting over Bourne's wound, watching it slowly turn red and warm with his life.
"What happened? How did this happen?"
"S-someone was after me. I was at the library and decided to just w-walk home and I felt like I was being followed. I ran but they chased me and- and... God! It hurts so bad!" he yelled, putting his hands over my mine press down harder.
"How did you get here?"
"Your complex was close by and I thought maybe I could stay here until they stopped but... but they had other plans... Oh, God... Shit, I'm freezing."
"It's pretty cold out..."
"No... no, I'm so cold. Arabella..." And the light from his eyes just vanishes as his hands go limp around mine.
My eyes widen and I shake him, hoping he will do like last time and I will see him in the morning. But he's gone... He's dead...
I let out a cry of pain and lean back against the doorframe, my hand in my mouth to stifle my tears. It doesn't help because I only end up bruising my hand with my teeth and the tears escape anyway. I curl up as best as I can and just bawl. The best thing in my life just died in my own home and I could have prevented it if I had only called the ambulance. I don't think I have ever cried as hard as now. I close my eyes, a headache forming where I tried to not cry but I did.
I open my eyes when I smell smoke and I look up. Smoke seems to be lifting from Bourne and I stare at his body in awe and confusion. All of a sudden his body bursts into flames and I skitter back, not wanting to catch fire. The flames just keep bursting forth from his chest and engulfing him and I yell in pain at watching his own body take him away from me. All of sudden, this huge flame shoots up and it looks like the shape of a bird stretches its wings and then dives back down into the flames.
The light is blinding and so I turn my head, when the crackling of the flames stops and I turn back. All that is left of Bourne is his charred clothes and I sniffle, feeling cheated not once, but twice. I crawl over to the pile and start to move it around when I see something move and I stare. The fabric moves again so I move the shirt up and gasp.
In the charred clothes of my boyfriend a little baby is and I blink in confusion at it. The baby turns his head at me and gives me a toothless grin, his golden eyes staring at me. I stare at it with my mouth agape.
"B-Bourne?" I hear myself say, my voice nothing but a whisper.