Chapter 1 Laila POV

My body froze as my gaze fell on him. He walked into the diner with a sly grin on his lips like he always does.

My heartbeat produced sounds that I was certain if the diner was quiet, I was sure the boy who stood just inches away from me would hear it.

Anton Leigh!

What the hell was he doing here?

How did he find me?

My hands flew to my stomach in fear, I suddenly felt the urge to protect her, to protect us.

Without a second thought, I ran off through the back door. My greatest fear was him finding out about the pregnancy.

While running and looking back to make sure he wasn't following, I slipped at the door and fell.

The indistinctive chatter in the room woke me up. Anton was standing in the room with someone in a scrub. He looked furious guessing from whatever they were discussing. They must have told him about the pregnancy. I was in no mood to explain anything to him. Making sure my baby was okay was what mattered the most to me. They seemed to be deep into the conversation so I cleared my throat to get their attention.

The nurse came running as soon as she saw me awake. She told me everything was fine and that I just needed to get more rest.

It was just Anton and I in the room after she left.

He was pacing back and forth angrily. I didn't bother asking why because it was obvious.

Dating him had never been an easy feat. He had the nastiest temper I had ever seen, which was why I ran away in the first place. I loved Anton but having a child with him had never been part of the plan.

We had a heated argument the day I left and he had hit me continuously. It wouldn't be the first time he did that. Hitting me was becoming a norm for him.

We broke up so many times but always got back together.

So that fateful evening, I had gone to his house to end things with him yet again, only this time I had decided not to get back together no matter what happened. I knew I should have just gone but I needed that closure to be able to move on to the next phase of my life.

He was drunk when I got in and that was the classic everyday Anton. Life wasn't anything to him without constant partying and drinking.

Dragging myself out of his place after the whole argument, I made my way to the train station. My parents and my best had no idea what was going on. Me leaving was the best thing for everyone and my baby, at least that's what I thought. My parents loved me but they loved their reputation too and this pregnancy would ruin things for them and that was the last thing I wanted.

I lay there on the hospital bed thinking about my parents and what they would think of me when I came back. Anton was never going to let me out of his sight again and he would do anything to make sure I go back with him.

I tried to think of ways I could sneak past him but every time I tried to execute one, he always found a way to ruin it.

He tried to make conversations many times but I wasn't in the mood.

I finally found a chance to sneak out when my eyes opened and he was asleep on the couch. Immediately taking off the needle on my arm, I slowly walked to the door. Opening it, a man in his 40s stood there. He was coming into the room. I told him I wanted to get some air outside as this was the only opportunity I had to escape but he said he had important news about my baby. My heart started beating fast as I turned and walked back to the bed. What was this important news? Anton was awake now. Sitting there and searching the doctor's face as we both awaited the news. He seemed to be taking his time but my patience was almost out. "What's the important news?" I finally broke the silence. "I'm sorry", he began and I regretted asking the question almost immediately. I wasn't ready.

The news of me losing the baby was unbearable. For a few minutes, I sat there unable to speak. I felt a part of me die. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I rubbed my stomach.

"This was your fault", I finally spoke as I stared at Anton. "This was your fault. If you had just stayed back, my baby would still be alive", I screamed at him. Their attempts to calm me down proved futile. The room suddenly became suffocating and it was hard to breathe.

I quickly ran outside. The hospital was the last place I wanted to be right now and Anton's stupid face was the last thing I wanted to see. Walking back to the diner in the hospital gown and the plaster on the back of my palm. Changing into normal clothes and picking up my things, I decided to go back home. There was nothing else for me here. This place would only remind me of what I'd lost and I wasn't in the right state of mind to go through that.

Walking outside the diner, Anton was by his car waiting. He begged me to get in the car so we could go home.

Devastated and heartbroken and not knowing what fate awaited me back home and if I was going to survive this loss, I reluctantly got into the car and followed him home.