CHAPTER 74: PRESENT DAY
Present Day
James woke with a jolt, his eyes flying open to meet Diana's. He blinked at the sight of Diana's concerned face inches from his.
Her eyes widened as they took in his battered face – a swollen lip with a small cut, a darkening bruise blooming around his eye.
"James, what happened?" Diana cried, scrambling closer. "Did you get in a fight?"
He shook his head, his voice rough. "No. I let the guys beat me up."
"On purpose?"
"Yes," he confirmed, his voice surprisingly calm with an unwavering gaze.
Diana's brow furrowed. "Why on earth would you let them do that to you?"
He met her gaze, a flicker of pain crossing his features. "Because I deserved it."
Tears welled in her eyes. "James, no! What made you think you deserve this?"
She sat up, turning fully towards him. She cupped his face. "Look, I know we did not plan for this baby. And if you don't want it i can remove it...." Her voice trailed off, a silent plea hanging in the air.
"I choose you over this baby, James," she whispered fiercely, wiping away a fresh tear. "If you don't want it, I'll get rid of it. We can tell Harry to remove it right now. I don't want this baby if you don't want it." She felt hot tears rush up her eyes again as she sniffed.
"You would really do that for me?" James asked her sceptically
"I swear with everything i hold dear".
He stopped her with a gentle kiss. "Diana," he murmured, "trust me, I don't want that because i believe you."
Relief flooded her features, quickly replaced by a flicker of doubt. "Do you? Really?"
He squeezed her hand. "Absolutely. And I'm so sorry for before. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions by indirectly assuming you cheated on me. I behaved like an arse, and I deeply regret it. I'm sorry."
Diana intertwined their fingers and caressed his hands as he continued.
"I figured there are things you should know about me", he began, then hesitated.
"James you don't have to say anything if you don't want to", Diana interrupted him.
"I do Diana," he said, taking a deep breath.
"I never knew my real parents, Diana. All I know is that I was found abandoned in front of a police station 28 years ago. Jared's mom—God bless her memory— was the woman who found me, took me in and raised me."
His voice grew quiet. "Growing up, I discovered I was... different. I could do things people couldn't. I was called all sorts of names and ostracized for it: freak, devil, monster, and worse. I never meant to hurt anyone, but they couldn't help but want to hurt me, all thanks to my father".
A tremor ran through him. "I was bruised, beaten, and battered for years, and my father never did anything about it. I was always told to 'man up' and never retaliate. My father threatened to send me to the government, to be experimented on if I ever fought back. The thought of becoming a lab rat in one of those government facilities scared me, so I refrained from hurting people and took the beatings".
He paused, his eyes glistening. "The fear of that kept me from defending myself. My only solace was my mother, who stood by me. She eventually discovered what was happening and got into a fight with my dad. That day, she withdrew me from school and began to Homeschool me. She Homeschooled me for five years before she passed away".
"Throughout that period, the only ones who remained constant were my friends, especially Jared. He was younger, but he'd always stand between me and bullies, even if it meant getting hurt himself."
Diana listened intently, tears tracing a path down her cheeks. She saw a flicker of those same tears welling up in James' eyes, a vulnerability that touched her deeply.