CATRINA

I wake up to the feel of a hard body pressed behind me. Before I think of who it might be, last night's events rush into my mind and I remember that I told Connor everything. What would he do now? Will he let me go or will he pursue me? As much as I am scared to be back with him, there is some inner instinct of mine which wants Connor to chase me, to not let me go.

But will he?

Before I delve deeper into my own thoughts, a groan is heard from behind me and the arm around my waist tightens. I wiggle a bit to escape from his hold but he only growls louder.

"Don't move," he says in his sleepy voice which makes me freeze but not before I get a feel of his morning wood. I feel myself blush at the thought of waking up beside him and then proceeding to relieve him of the ache. I've never woken next to Connor before so this is something new and totally unexpected.

"I was supposed to go back home yesterday night," I say, turning in his arms and looking up at him. That's when I feel that I am no longer wearing my dress. I am dressed in a huge t-shirt.

How did this happen?

My shock must have been visible on my face because Connor chuckles a bit and then sits up in the bed. He's only wearing a pair of boxer briefs and his entire upper body is on display for my hungry eyes. I take it all in and only manage to not drool.

"I didn't want you to go. You were exhausted from all the crying and so when you slipped into sleep, I didn't wake you up. You were having a nightmare, so I thought of making you more comfortable. Just changed your clothes for you and then slipped in for a wonderful sleep," he says stretching his muscles. I am sure my mouth is hanging open by this time.

After what feels like an hour but actually only a few minutes, I finally gather my thoughts and speak what I should've spoken long before getting caught up in this lust-filled fog.

"You shouldn't have changed my clothes and you, sure enough, shouldn't have let me sleep here. I've already made my wants clear, Connor," I say but he's already shaking his head.

"No, baby. You don't get it. You said that you were pregnant with my babies. That formed an unbreakable bond between us. Sure, those babies couldn't survive and I think I am somewhat responsible for it but I sure as hell am not letting you go now. You are mine and you'll stay mine," he declares and also nods his head as if agreeing to his own words.

I am beyond shocked at his words. What happened to that playboy Connor who couldn't help but smirk at every other girl when in school?

"No Connor. I think I should go home," I say and go to get out of the bed in search of my dress. My panties are intact but he removed my bra last night. The nerve of this man!

"This is your home from now onwards. Your dress is in the closet. We'll stop by your earlier apartment to pack your things," he says without a care in the world.

"Stop it. I am not moving in with you. That's final, Connor."

"Yes, you are. What's the big deal in it? You are mine and we shouldn't waste any more time in formalities," he says, looking at me as if I've gone crazy.

I huff in exasperation, delighted as well as scared of this situation. The excitement of being with Connor is quickly replaced with the events of what happened in the past. I can't let him use me and then throw me away. He is just being generous or maybe he's being the asshole that he really was and taking advantage of me.

I quickly walk into the closet and find my dress, hungover. Putting on my bra and then my dress, I fix my hair fast not even thinking of peeing before walking out. Connor is nowhere to be seen but I hear the water running which means he is in the shower so I quickly make my way towards the exit. It's better if I get out of here. I can deal with Connor later when I am on some neutral ground and not in his home where he can lock me up.

~~~~~

I am running down the stairs when I feel Connor call me from his room. Not bothering to reply and scared that he'll really lock me up in his house, I take off at full speed, opening the door and smacking into someone right on the threshold of the house. The force with which I ran into whoever it is, I am thrown back and nearly land on my ass when a pair of arms grab me and I am saved.

Opening my eyes, I look into the bluest eyes that I've ever seen. The man frowns down at me as if I am some kind of a puzzle and then puts me back on my feet.

"Thanks," I whisper, offering a small smile and looking at the triad of women behind him. One is heavily pregnant and is eyeing me as if she doesn't approve of me, the other two ladies are older, both of them appearing tired with dark circles under their eyes. Despite their tired faces, their eyes shine with a glint which makes me think that they don't let the people responsible for their unhappiness dwell in their minds.

I am so lost in staring at the old women that I don't see another man walking up the porch steps. He immediately catches my attention and I shift my gaze to look at him.

He's tall. Taller than me but not very muscular. He looks fit like an athlete, not too muscular yet not looking lanky. He has blue eyes and dark hair with a sharp nose and a cut at his bottom lip.

It's like I am in a trance which makes my legs move on their own and I soon find myself walking towards the new man. He's also walking towards me and we meet halfway, stopping at arm's length. He's looking at me as if I am holding a whole bunch of my favourite cream pastries.

He's taller than me and has to look down at me, I tilt my head to look into his blue eyes which somehow feel familiar. He lifts his hand up and I watch as his fingers make way towards my hair to pull at one of the curls. I let him, not knowing what to do, yet not feeling threatened.

A loud growl breaks my trance and I jump when a pair of arms wrap around me.

Connor picks me up by my waist and puts me behind him. As soon as my feet touch the ground, Connor is off me and at the newcomer. Both of them growl at each other and then engage in a full-fledged brawl right there on the porch of the house.

I gasp at the violence with which they kick and punch each other.

Soon, the other man whom I smacked into walks right between the two brawlers and pushes them away. The force with which he pushes them causes both Connor and his opponent fall back on their asses on the floor.

"Have some shame, both of you. It doesn't look good that two responsible males fight without any reason. Consider it a warning. Next time you won't get a warning but a claw in your shoulder," growls the man and then makes his way back to the very pregnant female, who now leans on, what I assume is, her husband.

I catch the female staring at me with an assessing gaze and then my attire which makes me feel embarrassed so I quickly make a move to escape all this drama. They are clearly family and I don't want to intrude.

"Umm, excuse me. I should leave," I mutter to no one in particular and start making way towards the porch steps.

"No, you aren't going anywhere," shouts Connor from close behind me and then pulls at my elbow. I yank back my arm from his grasp and glared at him but my eyes catch the other blue-eyed, dark-haired man staring at me.

He feels different. I feel like I should know him. My mind's telling me as if I should remember him as if he's someone important to me. But who is he?

I am still staring at the man when he makes his way to me, despite Connor throwing glares at him.

"My name's Cayden. You are Catrina, aren't you?" he asks. I am shocked that he's being so informal with me as if he's known me for ages. I smile slightly, unsure of how to react. Realising that he actually knew my name, I only nod and confirm his question.

"How do you know each other? Were you dating her?" he asks and I roll my eyes at the prospect of dating this new guy. He is friendly. He feels more like a brother or fatherly figure instead of a guy whom I'll date, not that I have a type.

Hearing Connor's words, the new guy, Cayden, he also rolls his eyes and then when we realise that we both rolled our eyes together, we both chuckle at Connor's rather idiotic thinking.

"I can never date my sister, right?" says Cayden and then winks at me. I am shocked to hear that he called me his sister but I quickly shake my head.

"No, no, you are mistaken, I am not you sister," I smile to soften my rejection. Now, Cayden shakes his head and then turns to look back at the other man.

"How do we tell her?" Cayden asks that other man and I open my mouth to defend myself but am interrupted.

"No need to explain anything, son. She'll remember soon," says one of the older women, who has red hair like me. I look at her closely and then at her appearance which calls to me.

Breaking out of Connor's hold and ignoring his protest, I walk towards the lady and stop when she smiles at me, holding her hands up as if calling to me. Her eyes glisten with tears and her lips start trembling when I walk up to her.

"Why do you feel so familiar?" I ask, unable to keep the question buried in my heart anymore. Ever since I first saw her at the doorstep, I couldn't keep my curiosity at bay. She feels too familiar, too similar to something.

"Come, daughter," she says and then opens her palm to me in offering. I take her hand, not feeling hesitant at all and let her pull me towards the nearest reflecting window.

We both stand in front of it and then I look at her in question, not understanding her motive. She smiles at me softly and then motions me to look in the window.

"Look in the window and tell me what you see, child," she commands softly.

I look in the mirror and then look at myself then at her. I look back at myself who's standing taller than the lady beside me. I see two women, one young and one old. The young one looks poised whereas the older one looks waned. The older woman has wrinkles around her eyes but the young woman's face is glowing.

The only similarity in both of the women is that they both have brown eyes and red hair. Both of them share the same facial characteristics. Both of them look like the young and old version of one being.

That's me!

I look like the young version of the lady standing beside me. She looked like me when she was young.

I look like her!?

The realisation is sudden when it sets in and I whip my head to look at her and then back at the window. I raise a hand at the window to test if it's playing any games with me.

My heart's racing in my chest and it feels as if it'll burst out of my chest with the revelation that's standing right in front of me.

The woman who gave birth to me. My birth mother is standing beside me.

"I... you... me... your... How?" I stammer, unable to form a proper sentence. Taking a few deep breaths, I lift my hand from the window to the woman beside me, touching her cheek, wiping away the tear that rolls down her hollowed cheeks.

"You are my daughter," she confirms my thoughts and I take a step back at the shock of her words.

~~~~~

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