
      Paradise v2.0


      Author: aria


      Rated: R


      Rating : 


      Chapter 7
      Darien sat at the bar and watched as Serena made her way through the 
      crowd. He marvelled at the way she wove herself through the crowd, nimbly 
      picking her steps and miraculously making it over without hitting a single 
      person. She seemed so guarded though, as if she were trying to protect 
      herself from everything.
      He stared at her glowing countenance and couldnt stop himself from 
      smiling. She was so beautiful. Everything about her was simply perfect 
      from the tips of her dyed red silk pumps to the top of her golden head.
      Darien watched her slide onto a stool and edged closer. God he was 
      delirious with joy just to be in the same room with her again. To hear her 
      voice would send him to heaven.
      He listened to her tinkling voice and remembered the way that they used to 
      lay in each others arms and talk until the sun came up. His gut wrenched 
      at the thought. He missed her so much!
      Darien hid himself behind a potted plant that had been blessedly placed on 
      the bar surface and every few seconds he would take a peek at the woman 
      who had both stolen and destroyed his heart. He couldnt help himself. 
      Darien needed to see her like he needed his next breath.
      He heard her ask for a mineral water and smiled. Then he heard what she 
      said next and his heart stopped. Without thinking, Darien jumped out of 
      his seat, "Youre what?" his roar carried through the now silent room as 
      he watched her pale face turn to him before she slid lifeless to the 
floor.
      "Dammit!" he hadnt wanted to scare the life out of her. Darien ran around 
      the bar and knelt by her, shoving everyone else out of the way. "Give her 
      some air!" he slid her head onto his lap and gently stroked her face. 
      "Serena. Serena, dammit!" he swore again when the crowd got too close. 
      "Move it!"
      Darien swung her up into his arms and carried her out to the veranda. 
      "Someone call a doctor!" he kicked the glass French doors shut behind him 
      and laid her on the stone bench. He ran his hands down her cheeks. Darien 
      leant close and whispered to her now. "Serena, sweetheart. Wake up."
      Darien gasped when a hand clamped on his shoulder. He looked up to see his 
      grandfather leaning over him studying Serena. "So this is the girl who 
      stole my grandsons heart huh?"
      Darien smiled weakly before leaning over her again. "How could you tell?"
      Joseph shrugged. "Its not everyday someone gets you to make a spectacle 
      of yourself in public." He knelt down next to his grandson. "Ive called a 
      doctor. Its probably best if we take her somewhere private." He nodded at 
      the panes of glass behind them that were filled with concerned faces.
      "Youre right. Well go to my hotel room." For once, Darien was thankful 
      for his own stubbornness. Andrew wanted him to fly back home that night 
      after the party, but he didnt want to go through another flight so he had 
      booked a hotel room.
      Darien scooped her up again and cradled Serenas lifeless form close to 
      him.
      "Take my limo. I will meet you there later." The older Weston patted him 
      on the back again and smiled encouragingly. "Im sure you have much to 
      talk about."
      Boy did they ever. He carried her through the crowd and caught Andrews 
      eye as he reached the entrance. "Drew. Ive got to run."
      "I can see that. Call me in the morning." He nodded and swept Mina and the 
      indignant looking Ann back into the foyer.
      "Where do you think youre going with my date?" came the haughty voice.
      Darien rolled his eyes and knew who he was about to see before he even 
      turned around. "Excuse me?"
      Alan Ginga stood to the side frowning at the man who was carrying away his 
      date. "I asked where you were going with my date."
      "I dont know how you got her to go out with you, but shes going home 
      with me. As you can see she is in no condition to continue partying with 
      you." His blue eyes blazed angrily at the man.
      "What gives you the right to do that?" he fired back.
      "The baby shes carrying does." Darien smiled when he saw that he won. 
      "The baby is mine and so is she, and there is no one going to stop me from 
      claiming both."
      "Oh really?" Serena had regained enough consciousness to hear everything 
      they had been saying. She shoved at him until he gently put her down. "You 
      dont think that I have any say in it?" she would have shoved him away if 
      she hadnt loved the way that he felt against her or needed his support.
      "Serena. Are you ok?" Darien instantly forgot the irritating man and his 
      hands immediately went to her face, checking her over.
      "Im fine." Strong words for someone who thought she would topple over at 
      the slightest breeze.
      Darien shook his head. "No youre not. Please come with me back to my 
      hotel. Weve got a doctor there who will check you over." He took her 
      hands in his. "Please." He needed to know that they were both ok. 
"Please."
      Serena nodded shakily. She needed that reassurance as well. "Ok."
      Darien quickly took charge and led her out to the waiting limo, after 
      first shoving his way past the stunned Alan. He barked orders to the 
      driver and got in the back with Serena.
      He stared at her. He couldnt help it. There were so many things he wanted 
      to ask that he didnt know what to ask first. So he stared.
      Serena wanted to look at him too but couldnt when she knew he was 
      watching her. She could feel his gaze burning a hole in her cheek. Serena 
      looked out of the window and the passing scenery. He had every right to be 
      angry with her. She could have told him about her situation. But what 
      about him? He didnt have the right to lie to her the way he had. Quietly, 
      she seethed waiting for him to make the first move.
      Darien couldnt hold back any longer. "How have you been?" was his first 
      question.
      Serena continued to look at the frosty grass outside. "Ok. You?"
      He knew she was trying to irritate him, but he wasnt going to let her get 
      to him. "Not too bad considering."
      He was goading her now. She knew it. "Thats good."
      The anger was threatening to burst his heart now. "Thats it! Im not 
      playing games with you any more." He grabbed her by the arms and made her 
      look at him. "Do you have any idea what I went through when you 
      disappeared?"
      Serena stared at him but refused to be cowed. "And you think I havent 
      been going trough the same thing?" she scowled at him as she righted 
      herself back into a sitting position. "Do you think Ive been off enjoying 
      myself or something?"
      He shook his head. "Of course not. But you could have come back to me."
      "And back to what else? That pack of lies that you fed me? I bet there 
      wasnt an ounce of truth to anything you told me."
      "You have got to be kidding me!" He flung his arms up in the air in 
      disgust. "Give me an ounce of credit. Do you really think that I would ply 
      a love interest with lies? Please!"
      "Love interest?" she snorted. "Now give me a little credit. You admitted 
      that you only got close to me so that you could find out about Malachite."
      "Yeah, at first. Didnt you notice that I didnt talk about myself until 
      much later in our relationship?"
      "Relationship? Is that what that was? You could have fooled me." She 
      crossed her arms across her chest and in a huff turned back to the window 
      again.
      Tired of arguing Darien pulled her over to him again and held her lightly. 
      He didnt want to anger her any more. Instead he leaned in close and 
      caressed her stomach with one sure hand. "Of course it was a relationship. 
      How else would we have made this?" he glided his hand over her belly again 
      in emphasis. "Do you honestly think that I would have risked getting 
      involved physically if I hadnt been sure that I wanted you?" he stared 
      into her eyes and said so surely that Serena could barely breathe, "Thats 
      my child."
      Serenas heart clenched. "H-how do you know its even yours?"
      "Of course its mine! As much as I want to hate you right now I know 
      youre not like that. You wouldnt go gallivanting off with the first man 
      you saw even after our hideous break up." He swivelled her in his arms and 
      glared into her eyes. "Why are you trying to distance yourself from me? 
      You know you want to be with me just as much as I want to be with you."
      "Y-you want to be with me?" Somehow she couldnt believe what her ears 
      were hearing. "Me?"
      He hazarded a smile now. "Yes, you." The limo pulled to a stop. "Were at 
      the hotel." He said unnecessarily. Darien got out first and reached back 
      in to help her out.
      She was still reeling form what he just said, and she took his hands for 
      support. They walked inside silently and they stayed quiet until they 
      reached his room. She hadnt noticed the little man who was following them 
      until Darien let him into the room with them.
      He sat her on the bed and held her hand while he spoke to the doctor and 
      while he examined her.
      The doctor smiled at her. "You seem to be fine and as far as I can tell so 
      is the baby. Just take it easy for a few days, ok?"
      "I will." Serena looked over at Darien and noticed he seemed to be 
      breathing a little easier as well.
      "Thank you, doctor." Darien walked him to the door, exchanged a few words 
      with him and sent him on his way.
      Serena pushed herself up into a sitting position and watched incredulously 
      as Darien practically ran over to help her.
      "He said you have to take it easy." He propped her up with a few pillows 
      and sat back down beside her. "Can I get you anything?"
      She fidgeted in the gown. "Something more comfortable would be nice."
      "Say no more." He picked up the bedside phone and dialled. "Hello, this is 
      Darien Weston. Id like some clothing brought up to my room. Womens. Size 
      4 to 5. Just bring up one of each of whatever youve got." He waited for 
      the woman on the other end to write everything down. "Thanks." He hung up 
      and looked at Serena. "Theyll be right up with a bunch of clothes for 
      you."
      "Thank you." She lay back down on the bed and looked around the room 
      amazed at how luxuriant the room was. "Its a beautiful room."
      Darien shrugged and continued to observe her. "I hadnt noticed." He 
      fidgeted with her hands and smiled softly. "Are you ok? Can I get you 
      something to eat?"
      She nodded. "I could use a glass of water."
      He nodded and walked over to the bar and pulled a mineral water out of the 
      fridge. "Here you go." He handed it to her and sat on the edge of the bed. 
      Darien wanted her to feel comfortable with him again but he just couldnt 
      hold back the questions any longer. "Where did you go? To your parents?"
      She shook her head. "I couldnt impose on them like that. Plus theyd ask 
      too many questions." Serena took another sip of the cool liquid. "I went 
      to see Raye."
      Darien was glad that she had such a good friend to rely on. Hed have to 
      thank her for taking care of Serena. "When did you find out about the 
      baby?"
      She knew he was going to ask that next and sighed. "A few weeks ago. I 
      wanted to call and tell you..." Serena sighed again.
      His eyes held hers unwaveringly. "Why didnt you? I had every right to 
      know."
      How could she explain it? "I tried. I even called you yesterday but I 
      couldnt bring myself to speak."
      Darien smiled sadly and took her hands in his once again. "Why not? Id 
      like to think that after what weve shared you could talk to me about 
      anything."
      "I dont know. I suppose its because I walked out on you. I didnt know 
      what youd think. We never discussed having children." She laughed wryly. 
      "We never even talked about anything permanent. As far as I knew, you 
      could have thought that you and I were just a fling."
      His grip on her hand tightened as he growled, "Youd better take that 
      back."
      Serenas eyes widened in shock when his hand clamped on hers. Panic rising 
      a little, she tore her hands out of his grip. "And why wouldnt I think 
      that? After all isnt that what all you rich boys are like?"
      Darien had never wanted to slap a woman until now, and he was trying him 
      damnedest not to. "I cant believe you said that." He shoved himself off 
      the bed and stalked as far away as he could while still remaining in the 
      same room. "Do you really think Im like that?"
      The hurt showed in his eyes and it caused her gut to twist. "I-I...No. No, 
      I dont think youre like that." It was what she told herself whenever she 
      started to feel her reserve start to falter. She lied to herself so she 
      wouldnt have to face him. "I just needed a crutch, you know?"
      Darien ran a large hand over his tired features and nodded. Hadnt he been 
      doing the same thing when he blamed Malachite for everything? "Yeah I 
      know." He reached into the fridge and pulled out a can of Coke and guzzled 
      it. There was one question left to ask and he knew it was on both their 
      minds.
      "So what do we do now?" Serena was the first to voice what they were both 
      thinking.
      Darien raised one dark brow at her, "We get married of course."