“Ouch!” I yell, grabbing hold of my stomach. 

“Megan, what’s wrong? Is it the baby?” 

“Go!” I reply in a stern voice. 

“Megan, no, what’s wrong?” 

“Nothing.” Ouch, this pain is worse than the one before. 

“Megan.” 

“Please, leave me. I need to relax, not get stressed.” I take a deep breath. 

“Lie on the sofa, Megan, please.” I do as he asks me to just to save arguing. 

“Goodbye, Mark. I will be fine now.” I can’t believe how hurt I feel we are not even a real couple. 

Mark stands up, walking out of the room and saying nothing. Next minute I hear him talking. 

“Listen. You need to get to Megan’s. Something is wrong. It’s the baby.” Mark leaves the room. I can hear his voice, and he is talking to someone. No idea who or why.

Mark walks back into the room, going onto his knees at the side of the sofa. 

“Who were you on the phone to?” 

“Jenny, she is on her way.” 

“I don’t need anyone; it is just a Braxton-Hicks.” The pain is slowly easing. Why do I feel safe with Mark here? I slowly sit up to go get a drink.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“To get a drink,” I state.

“I'll get it for you. What would you like?”

“Water, please. Glasses are in the third cupboard along from the sink on the right.”

“The water is in the tap.” Mark starts laughing. “I'm sure I’ll manage, baby.”

I remain there, listening to the clinking of the glass, water running, and hearing the switch on the kettle go. Mark reappears, kneeling down beside the sofa.  “Here you go.”

Slowly sitting up, I take a little sip. Thankfully, the pain in my stomach has died back down. I hear Jenny entering the house. “Megan, are you all right?”

“I’m fine. It was nothing,” I tell her.

Rich then walks into the room and heads straight to Mark, grabbing hold of his shirt collar, pulling him up and shoving him against the nearest wall.

“You idiot. Why did you do that to her?” Rich screams. Mark stands there not saying a thing.

“Let him go, Rich!” I yell. Rich lets go of Mark’s shirt, standing right in front of him with no space between them.

“I hope you got what I meant,” Rich says in an angry voice before walking away from Mark, and then he storms into the kitchen.

“Jenny, you stay here. I am off to talk to Rich,” I state, leaving Mark with her. I follow Rich into the kitchen, walk toward him, and place my hand on his arm. “Rich, why did you do that?  I can look after myself.”

“I know you can, but I can’t have him hurt you,” Rich turns around, taking hold of my hand.

“Rich, I am fine. Take Jenny home. Have a nice day together.”

“No,” Rich leans towards me and places a kiss onto my lips. I pull straight away. 

“Why did you just do that?” I question in an angry voice. 

“Sorry,” Rich runs past me. 

Did that just happen? Why would be kiss me? I have only known him through Jenny. I have never spent any time alone with him. I stand there in shock. 

“Jenny, I’ll meet you at the car,” Rich says in a calm manner. 

Jenny walks in behind me. “What happened? Has he calmed down?” 

I just stand there, not moving. 

“Megan,” Jenny says in a raised voice. 

“Maybe, I don’t know. You need to go and talk to him,” I say in a shaky voice.

“Are you sure you will be okay?” she asks with worry in her voice.

“Yeah, Mark is leaving now.” 

“Mark’s been telling me about the cabin. I think you and he should go.” 

“What?” 

“Mark explained everything to me. You like him. Now, go and spend time with him.”

“I don’t want to,” I state, standing my ground.

“Megan, you only live once, even if it is just a couple of days away from here.” 

“Rich kissed me,” I said.

“What?” Jenny exclaimed.

“Yeah, exactly, all I was doing was telling him not to do that!” 

Jenny stands there in stunned silence. 

“Jenny, you need to go talk to him. I don’t have any interest in him.” 

“I know, Megan. I’ll text you later.”