RENT A HEART

CHRISTOPHER'S POV

A beat of silence hung in the air, then everyone's gaze swung from me to Eve, surprise evident on their faces. Her mom was the first to react, her face lighting up as the news registered.

"Oh, my baby!" she exclaimed, hurrying over to envelop Eve in a tight hug. The rest of her family followed suit, crowding around her with congratulations.

"I'm certainly not thrilled that my little sister is pregnant," Cole said, his voice low.

"To be honest, I'd always wanted to protect her, shield her from any hurt including the ones that had to with the heart. But she found love with you, so… congratulations to both of you. Anyway I'm happy I'll be an uncle soon." He flashed me one of his rare smiles before patting me on the shoulder.

"Why are you congratulating him? He's not the one carrying the baby," Lexi said, raising a knowing eyebrow at Cole.

I saw Cole pinch the bridge of his nose in exasperation and turned away to his sister.

"Congratulations, boy. I'm proud of you," she said, hugging me, and I chuckled.

"You just did what you scolded him for," I reminded her. She just shrugged.

"Do you like Cole, perhaps?" I asked, finally giving voice to a suspicion that had been nagging at me. I'd noticed how she always picked at him whenever we were all together.

"What?! No… absolutely not," she dismissed, her cheeks flushing slightly. I just laughed.

"Then why do you always pick on him?" I asked.

"Because he's too uptight. He needs to loosen up and smile more often. It's a pity he's actually really good-looking, and to me, it's a waste if he's always frowning," she said, rolling her eyes.

I laughed at her. Oh, Lexi, who are you kidding? I thought.

"I'm going to be an aunt, and probably a godmother. That's the only thing important to me right now. So, if you'll excuse me, I need to go check on the actual person who's carrying the baby," she said sarcastically, winking at me before turning and heading towards Eve.

The others swarmed around, offering their congratulations, and honestly, it was the best day of my life. My family and Eve's family had finally reconciled our differences and truly come together, I was going to be a father, and I was marrying the best woman in the world. I couldn't ask for anything more.

"Excuse me," I said again, drawing everyone's attention back to me.

"I want to move our wedding up to this weekend," I announced, looking at Eve, who just raised an eyebrow at me, surprised. I hadn't told her about this yet, so she was hearing it for the first time, along with everyone else.

"Why, Christopher?" Her mom asked, her voice laced with concern.

"Because, as you can see, my Eve is carrying our child, and I wouldn't want her to stress herself at all. I'd rather we have the wedding now, while the pregnancy is still in its early stages, so she can get maximum rest afterward," I explained, my gaze fixed on Eve, hoping she understood.

A pin could have dropped in the sudden silence that fell over the room as everyone stared at me. Then Mason, one of the twins, started clapping slowly, a grin spreading across his face.

"What a thoughtful man! There surely is a version of you in a woman, because I could use that in my life right now," he said, his voice full of admiration, and everyone burst out laughing, the tension broken.

We quickly reached an agreement and started making arrangements for the wedding to be held the coming weekend. It would require more work, more hands on deck, and reprinting of the wedding cards, but who cared when we had the resources? All that mattered was Eve and our baby.

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Eve was asked to lie back on the table, and the female doctor applied a cold, clear gel to her stomach. She pressed a handheld device against the gel, moving it in slow, deliberate circles, and an image flickered to life on the monitor.

"Here," she said, pointing to the grainy image on the screen. "That's your baby."

I felt my heart swell, a wave of emotion washing over me as I gazed at the tiny, indistinct shape.

"Wait… hold on," she instructed Eve. "Just stay still for a moment."

"Is something wrong?" I asked, my heart rate quickening, a knot of anxiety forming in my stomach.

"No, nothing's wrong. But I think I hear another heartbeat," the doctor said, her gaze fixed intently on the screen. I squeezed Eve's hand tightly, my knuckles white.

"Well, there it is," the doctor said, a broad smile spreading across her face. "Congratulations, you'll be having twins."

For a moment, my brain didn't register what she'd said. The words seemed to hang in the air, suspended. But then I looked down at Eve, her face radiant with a soft, joyful smile, and it hit me. We were having twins. We were bloody having twins, my mind screamed.

"Are those tears, babe?" Eve asked softly, reaching a hand toward my face. True to her words, there were tears streaming down my cheeks.

"Come here," she said, opening her arms to me. I obliged, leaning in to bury my face in her neck, her arms wrapping around me, holding me tight.

"Thank you," I whispered, my voice cracking with emotion.

"No… thank you," she said, kissing my cheek before gently pulling away.

My child wouldn't be an only child, after all, I thought, relief washing over me.

The doctor handed us a printout of the ultrasound image, a fuzzy black and white photo of our babies. She then led us to the registration area for antenatal classes, which we promptly signed up for.

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"Hello?" I called out, my voice echoing in the vast space.

I walked through the arched doorway and took in the hall. It was decorated from top to bottom, draped with shimmering fabrics and twinkling lights. A stage was set up at the far end, and I noticed from the table settings that it was a round-table event. The atmosphere screamed wedding reception.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" I shouted again, but my question was met with only the echo of my own voice.

I walked towards the center of the room, and that's when I saw a huge banner hanging above the stage.

Happy Married Life to Christopher Luther and Eve Mikelson, the writing on the banner read. A soft smile tugged at my lips as I stared at the picture of the two of us, happy and in love. But then, something felt off. Terribly off.

If this was the reception hall, where was everyone? I thought, the question pounding in my head.

Where is Eve? I mumbled, my unease growing with each passing second.

That was when I heard a light chuckle and slow clapping from behind. I whirled around, adrenaline coursing through my veins, to come face to face with Frederick, who wore a cocky, triumphant smile on his face.

As I looked closer, I noticed a dark red stain on the white shirt he wore underneath his jacket, and even on his sleeves. My blood ran cold.

"What are you doing here, Frederick?" I asked, my voice a low, dangerous growl as I slowly walked towards him.

"Congratulations! You finally killed her," he said, the smile he wore disappearing, replaced by a look of cold, unadulterated hatred.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I demanded, closing the distance between us and grabbing him by the collar. He didn't resist, just laughed, a hollow, mocking sound that sent shivers down my spine.

"You know what I mean, Christopher… she would have been better off without you in her life," he said, his voice dripping with venom, and he casually brushed my hands away from his collar.

My heart plummeted, and an unfamiliar, icy fear gripped me. I didn't want to believe the thoughts starting to form in my head, the terrifying possibilities that seemed impossible, yet…

"Look at your hands! You killed her!" he screamed, his face contorted with rage and something akin to triumph.

I looked down at my hands and recoiled in horror. They were slick with a dark, crimson liquid. How had it gotten there? I had no memory, no explanation. Just when I was lost in a vortex of confusion and dread, I heard Eve's voice.

"Chris! Save me!" The sound was faint, a mere whisper, but I heard her.

"Eve! Where are you?" I yelled, my heart pounding erratically against my ribs. Unfathomable fear consumed me as I spun around, trying to pinpoint the direction of her voice.

"You're already too late," I heard Frederick call out behind me, his voice laced with sadistic glee. But I ignored him, fueled by a primal instinct to find Eve, to protect her. I forged ahead, pushing through the heavy velvet curtains that lined the walls, stumbling into the shadows at the back of the stage.

And then I saw her.

Eve was lying on the cold, hard floor, bathed in the sickly glow of the emergency exit sign. Her white dress was stained crimson, and blood pooled around her.

I froze, every muscle in my body locking up. My already erratic heartbeat constricted, making it difficult to breathe.

Surely this is a dream… this cannot be real?

I mumbled the words like a desperate prayer, each syllable a plea to wake up from this nightmare. I walked toward her slowly, my legs heavy and uncoordinated, as if wading through thick mud. I reached out a trembling hand, desperate to touch her, to confirm that this was some horrific illusion.

"Chris… is that you?" I heard her faint voice call out, barely audible above the pounding of my own heart.

"Hey, baby, I'm here," I managed to say, the words thick with emotion. I knelt beside her, cradling her in my arms, trying to swallow the lump that had formed in my throat.

"I'll go get help, okay?" I assured her, trying to sound strong, but my voice wavered. I attempted to stand, but she gripped my hand tightly, stopping me.

"Stay with me, honey… I don't want my last moments to be alone," she whispered, her voice cracking with pain.

I forced myself to look at her body, to assess the damage. She was wearing a white gown that resembled a wedding dress. Part of it, around her stomach, had been torn, and blood seeped slowly from a gaping wound. I placed my hand above the wound, trying to stem the flow, but then I noticed another cut, near her ribcage. And another, and another...

I tried to remain strong, but the knot in my chest tightened, and hot tears streamed down my face, blurring my vision.

"Baby, please let me go get help," I pleaded, my voice breaking.

She shook her head weakly. "Let's just stay like this… I won't make it anyway," she said, her voice fading to a mere whisper.

I looked away, unable to bear the sight of her suffering. I sobbed uncontrollably, my heart shattering into a million pieces.

Who did this? I screamed inwardly, the question burning in my soul.

"Look at me, Chris," she said, her voice surprisingly firm.

I immediately looked down at her, my gaze locking with hers.

"Don't cry," she said, raising her hand with what seemed like a monumental effort toward my face. It was warm, and she gently wiped away the tears that streamed down my cheeks.

I nodded vigorously, holding her hand tightly in my own. "I'm not crying, I promise," I said, but the tremor in my voice gave me away.

She gave me a weak, but warm smile, the most beautiful smile I had ever seen, before her hand went limp, and she breathed her last breath.

"Eve… baby, open your eyes," I pleaded, cradling her face in my bloodied hands as she lay lifeless in front of me.

"Eve!!!" I bellowed in anguish, my voice raw with grief, as I felt my heart literally breaking into pieces. The pain was too much to bear. Blackness crept in at the edges of my vision, and then, I passed out.