Chapter Two 

Ava POV

In a half asleep state, I rolled over to my back. I was lying on my stomach earlier. Sunlight hit my face, making my eyes blink open. I let out a sigh. My vision was not clear. I rubbed my eyes with the back of my fist and looked around me. For once, I thought everything was normal. And I was in my bedroom, in my house with my family. 

My head ached badly, so I squeezed my eyes shut and grumbled out the words, “Mom? Can you please bring me some water? I feel so sick.” I said in a hoarse voice. However, no reply came. I opened my eyes to look around. 

It was then when I got my senses back. My head snapped up when I realized that it was not my bedroom. But someone else's. Frantically, I moved my eyes around and took in the place that I was in. It was some luxurious suite type bedroom. It had a huge and I mean huge TV. It had a fireplace. On the right side of my hand, on the entrance, was a table with a flower pot on it. Also, I just realised that I was lying on a double bed and the blanket that covered me was made of silk.

In conclusion, I was at someone else's place. Not mine. Shit! 

I tried to remember last night. Trying to remember what had happened. But could not seem to remember anything. My headache like it had been hit by a metal rod. My whole body felt heavy and I felt really exhausted. I did not need any expert to tell me that I looked like a mess.

I needed to get out of here. I had to. 

I threw the blankets that were covering me to a side and stood up in a hurry.

But all of a sudden the door swung open. Instantly, my head snapped towards the direction and I saw a tall man entering inside, with a glass of water in his hand.

Seeing him, I stopped in my tracks for a second. It was more because of the beauty I saw standing in front of me than for the fact I saw a stranger in a stranger's house.

He was devastatingly beautiful. Well, if not beautiful then certainly, the most handsome guy I had ever seen in my life. He was tall. And I mean TALL. Or maybe I was too short. He was approximately more than six feet and four inches tall. He had long legs that were covered by his blue faded jeans. And he was fit. His muscles were more defined than a normal man's. Even though he was wearing a shirt, it did nothing to hide his hard muscles beneath it.

“You asked for water?” He asked in a magnetic deep voice as he approached me and extended the glass of water towards me. Who the hell was he?

“Umm... I need to leave.” I said in a bit of frantic tone and started to leave. However, he grasped my hand and just as quickly removed it. He nodded his head.

“You can leave. But at least drink this water first. You asked for it. You must be thirsty.” He said. 

If he wanted to harm me then he would have done that a long time ago. I stared at the glass in horror. Then my eyes moved towards his. He was looking at me expectantly. Without saying anything, I took the glass from him and drowned the water in a few gulps. On the last sip, I choked and started coughing a little. He took the glass from me. I straightened up.

“Last night...” I began but did not continue. He placed the glass on the bedside table and turned to me. 

“Last night, you drank a little too much. You fainted because of it. And you may have wanted to jump from the bridge...” He said and left the last sentence hanging around us. I gasped at his words. 

What? 

Then it all came crashing down to me. My parents threw me out of the house and disowned me. My friends decided to abandon me as well. And I'm stupid enough to never start a job to earn a living. Now, I'm not just homeless and abandoned but also I had no reason to live. I was hopeless. 

My shoulders shook as I let out a sob. 

“Why don't you just sit down first? You should rest. It's not good for your baby.” He said.

And then, it was then, I realised the reason for all my trouble.

This baby.

My knees turned jelly — o and gave out from under me. I slid down and landed on the bed. I bowed my head. My hands shook when I grabbed a handful of my hairs and tucked them. Tightly, I closed my eyes.

“Oh my god.” I said in a shaky tone when I realised what my life had turned out to be. I could not help but start crying in a muffled voice. This pain that I was feeling, was too much and too loud. All the blood in me rushed into my head as I tucked on the strings. Hoping it would dull the pain that I was feeling inside. My inside clenched and twisted into knots. I felt like gagging.

I was too engrossed in my pain that I even ignored the fact that I was breaking down in front of a stranger. I felt his presence only when the side of the bed dipped, and he sat down beside me. He did not say anything. While I kept crying and crying. I did not stop until I felt that I had no more tears left to cry. 

I stopped crying and pushed my hairs back that had fallen on my face, and we're sticking to my face. Suddenly, a hand placed a handkerchief on my leg. Without ever uttering a word, he stood up and left the room. I looked at the handkerchief and reluctantly, wiped my face. I also cleaned my nose with it. My head was still aching badly. 

The door opened and the stranger entered the room once again. He had another glass of water with him. He handed me the glass but this time he also gave me two pills.

“For your headache.” He said. I took the pills.

“Okay, now, tell me why are you crying and why did you want to jump from the bridge and suicide, yesterday?” He asked me directly, without beating around the bush. I looked at him. He looked back at me. I sniffed before I told him. 

“It's none of your business.” I murmured slowly. 

“It is my business when I saved you from almost drowning yourself in alcohol and jumping from the bridge. So tell me.” He said. His voice did not hold any hint of anger or irritation. Just a mere fact. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and stared at me. I glanced at him. He looked serious enough. Somehow I felt that he wouldn't make fun of me or throw me out of the house if I told him my secret. At least not as quick as my parents were. Plus, I wanted to tell someone and ease the burden on my shoulders. Thus, I decided to trust a stranger and told him everything. I made myself comfortable on the bed and started speaking. 

“I went to a party. Obviously, I got drunk. A bit too much...” I said and then let out a sigh at my stupidness. How could I be that stupid? 

“I had sex with a guy. Without a condom.” I told him. Feeling ashamed of my actions. I put my hands around my arms and rubbed it up and down to comfort myself. 

“Well. At the heat of the moment and in my drunken state I did not realise, what stupid mistake I was making. Hence, after three weeks, I found out that I was pregnant. To no surprise.” I said in a heavy voice. It was like I was living the scenes again. 

“I tried to look for that guy. Asked my friends, the people at the party or anyone who had a clue who that guy was, but no one knew.” I explained. 

“I told my parents and they disowned me. My friends had already left my side because I was pathetic in their eyes and would have dented their coolness if I hung around them. I was too uncool to hang out with.” I told him. I swallowed hard to wet my dry throat. 

“Now, I don't have a job. I don't have my family. I don't have my friends or anyone with me. I don't know what I should do.” I said in a hoarse voice and clenched my eyes shut. For a long time, I didn't open my eyes but when I did I saw his face which was deprived of any sort of expressions. 

He thought that I was pathetic. I knew it. But I asked that I should have asked way before explaining my whole life. 

“Who are you?” I asked him. His eyes gleamed at my question. 

“My name is Jasper Gray.” He said. And my eyes widened at his name. 

“The owner of Black & White Company?”