Chapter 53
Hold Me ~ Lyrah
I woke up in the early hours of dawn due to my four am alarm buzzing by the nightstand.
I groggily sat up, reaching over to hover my hand over the sensor on the top of the digital, electronic clock. It immediately stopped, and I sighed deeply as I sat in the silent darkness.
Yves hadn't been back for a good one week and three days. He had gone on a last minute business trip, as Aiden had told me.
I didn't know how long I had to feel ashamed, upset, confused and sad. I was tired of crying every night, tired of trying to call his number and not getting any response at all.
I was tired of having dinner without him at the table. It didn't feel the same, the bed was cold every night and morning, I had no one to share my deepest insecurities with and I had no one to constantly kiss me and tell how unbelievably beautiful I was.
What broke my heart the most was how Ocean was always crawling to his father's office, in search of the tall, handsome man who would smile at him and carry him from the fluffy black rug. The man that would teach him how to say a new word and help him stand by the crystalline coffee table.
'Da-da' his voice would echo in the deathly silence. In the depressing stillness of the atmosphere.
Often, he'd whimper, on the verge of a breakdown, or find something minuscule to occupy himself in his father's office, giggling to himself in hopes that the same man would come back to feed him or put him to sleep.
I got out of bed, my legs shaking slightly due to the freezing cold weather outside. I had to be at work by five am today since I was finalising my position as a real estate agent. I loved my job, and it distracted me from my problems.
I headed to Ocean's room and as soon as I turned on the lights, his greyish gold eyes fluttered open. He began to giggle when he caught sight of me, slowly rolling over to sit up in his spacious crib. He was two now.
"Ma!" His thrilled baby voice lightened up my world in a millisecond.
"Good morning my baby," I cooed while leaning down to give him a kiss. Ocean gave me a wide baby smile, which melted my heart almost instantly and reminded me why I needed to be strong.
He was one of only reasons I had a purpose in my life. The reasons why I had to live. I had to live and be strong for my God-sent son.
I bathed and dressed him up in an all-black tracksuit with matching tiny shoes and a beanie. He cooed incoherently all the while, and I thought he was the most adorable human I'd ever seen.
After taking a nice hot shower with Ocean in his usual bathroom cushion, I headed to the closet and got dressed in some beige leggings, a long-sleeved matching thick sweater then some white sneakers.
I brushed my bleached white hair into a bun, spritzed my perfume over myself, applied some minimalistic makeup then accessorized with some earrings and a diamond necklace that Yves had gifted me on our one year anniversary.
I resisted the tears that threatened to slip out of my eyelids and took a deep breath, picking out a beige designer purse and a white furry jacket to finish off the look.
"Time for us to go baby," I kissed Ocean's cheek after lifting him into my arms.
I managed to feed him some breakfast and I had a bowl of cereal before we left. By the time I had buckled him in his car seat, showers of rain were drizzling from the sky. The air was so gelid at five in the morning, and the sky was still dark with thick grey clouds hovering above the Earth.
I played some soft soul music on the drive to work, and Ocean had fallen back asleep due to the warmth in the car.
I arrived and parked in my reserved spot then took all my stuff and Ocean from the back. I entered the prestigious infrastructure of Elite Architecture; a place that was going to be my new work haven, and eventually, my new second home.
"Good morning Isla, you're early," my boss Michael West spoke to me as I walked across the mirror-like vitreous floor towards the elevator.
"Good morning Michael, and yes, I'm going to be advertising a multi-million dollar estate in Dubai next week so I've got a few documents to sort out." I grinned at him.
He was a stable man, handsome, still in his late-twenties with a beautiful wife and no kids. He was so focused on developing his architectural firm so he wasn't really committed to having little monsters screaming around the house. His words, not mine.
"Amazing, I believe in you. Is this Yves Junior? He's very cute," Michael gestured to Ocean and I nodded with a smile. It was the first time he was seeing my son because he was barely around in the company.
"Thank you and yes, this is him." I allowed him to hold a sleeping Ocean carefully in his arms.
"Gigi has been pestering me about starting our own little family, and since then I haven't been able to work with her breathing at my neck every five seconds." I laughed softly at his remark, stepping into the elevator with him.
Michael and I had a brother-sister close relationship, mainly because we could relate to a lot of marriage issues, losing both parents at a tender age and many other aspects of life.
"Why don't you give her the baby? I mean, she's a stay-at-home mom now right?" I shrugged as I watched Michael stroke Ocean's cheek.
"Well, not quite. She's always out with her girlfriends, five rich housewives and three of them are pregnant. I guess that's what it's all about, fitting in with her fellow friends." He sighed and I shook my head with a smile.
"It won't be so bad Michael. Kids are stressful, but they can be the best thing that can happen to you." I patted his back and he rolled his lips together.
"Yeah, probably, little Ocean here makes it seem like a pretty good thing." He handed the baby back to me.
"Yeah, just let me know how it goes. I'll see you later to go through the final draft." I informed him and he nodded.
I got to my office and I managed to work for three hours while Ocean slept soundly in his little crib in his baby corner in my office. He often spent his time playing with his toys, sleeping or crawling in his baby section whenever I was working. He was a quiet baby. It was convenient enough for me to keep an eye on him.
"This two storey house by the ocean, people will be willing to pay any price. Make sure you market well, make it a lively tour, talk about all the benefits of the location, the unique features of the house. Your commission here will be about seven hundred and fifty thousand to one million for this project alone," my manager Jack informed me, pointing at the large, manilla sheet spread out on the table.
"I understand that. Although I have a question, am I able to take my son with me? I can't leave without him," I tilted my head, and Jack momentarily shifted his attention to the carefree baby who was occupied with his toys.
"Yeah, you can take him with you. He shouldn't be a nuisance though, but anyway, everything is ready. Your hotel room has been booked, your plane ticket in first class, everything. Just text me if you decide to go with anyone else," he rolled the manilla for me.
"Ah, thank you. I'm so excited, Dubai is a lovely place to go." I smiled, remembering how Yves and I had only traveled there for business. I was still traveling for business anyway but I was staying for some extra days to enjoy the tourist attractions.
After work I managed to go to my favorite restaurant for a late lunch. I managed to get a cozy sitting spot outside, where the sun shone brightly in the sky. I ordered some barbecued steak, a Greek salad and a set of fries. It was a simple meal because I didn't really have an appetite.
"Come on, say ah," I smiled at Ocean while lifting a spoon of yogurt to his lips. He shook his head, whimpering and refusing to comply.
"No no, be a good boy, come on," I held up the spoon but he pursed his lips in refusal.
"Can I help with that?" I heard an eloquent voice speak from behind me, and I turned to face none other than the beautiful goddess Lara Monét.
She was appareled in a strappy copper brown and cream silk summer dress which left the back open and hugged her slender, curvy figure to perfection. Her blonde hair was up in a ponytail, she was on clear Louis XV stilettos and she was clutching a clear designer bag. Her fragrance was so heavenly too.
"Uh, sure, good luck." We both laughed as I handed her the spoon. She took the nearest chair and sat at the table before focusing on Ocean.
"Do you see this train? It needs to offload some parcels. Here we goo," I watched as she moved her hand in an elegant motion towards Ocean, and he opened his mouth without hesitation.
"That's a good boy, aaw," I watched as she squeezed his cheek lightly and tapped his nose with a manicured finger. "He's such an adorable baby. Looks a lot like his father too," she remarked, her hazel eyes glimmering in the lustrous Sun.
"He does, he's a replica." I smiled with a shrug. Lara tilted her head slightly before moving closer to me.
"What seems to be the matter? You look quite melancholic," she placed her hand over mine and I inhaled deeply.
"Well, um, Yves. He hasn't been home for almost two weeks, and he's not picking his calls. He's out on business," my voice was almost a whisper and she squeezed my hand to continue.
"After the fight at the party, he was so upset about how much he was going to lose. He was embarrassed by me, and what scares me is that our marriage is still new. It even breaks my heart when Ocean crawls into his study every day, looking for him." I sniffled, and she didn't hesitate to pull me into a hug.
"Aww Isla, I'm so sorry. Please don't cry, you're just too gorgeous to do so," she rubbed my back in a comforting manner.
"It's just so overwhelming Lara, I feel like I'm a terrible wife, uncouth-"
"No, don't say that. I believe that what you did was out of self-defense, that's what everyone has been saying. Everyone is supporting you. This Camila girl, she's problematic and you're not the first person she's been in a public fight with," Lara spoke and I frowned.
"Really?" I wiped the moisture from my cheek.
"Yes. She has wanted Yves for such a long time, she used to be his fling back when he was immature and young, he knew nothing, but he ended things after like a month. But he has evolved, and I'm so proud that he has settled down with a lovely woman like you, you're perfect for him." She rubbed my shoulder and I grinned.
"How long have you known Yves? You seem to have so much history about him," I laughed lightly.
"Haha yes, well I've known Yves for about eight years now. I started a self-employed business, then a year later, I met Yves Nicholson. He was literally my support system to becoming successful, couldn't have done it without him." She gave me a bright smile.
"Wow, that is so amazing. Well that's Yves, always serving people," I shrugged, reminiscing the good times we had shared.
"Of course, he's very selfless-" she was cut off by her phone ringing. I allowed her to take the call, digesting her overall appearance all the while.
She looked expensive, smelled expensive, spoke in an expensive manner and everything about her screamed accuracy and perfection. Even her posture was calculated, her legs crossed at a precise angle.
"Okay. I'll see you when you get here," she murmured with a smile before cutting the call.
"Thing is, I don't want you to stress too much about this. Life is too short, and we waste a lot of time focusing on the negative. You can channel your positive energy into your son, he needs your care and attention. Yves will come back soon, he probably wants to clear his mind for a bit too. Trust me, he still loves you." She gave me another hug and I internally marveled at how kind and compassionate she was.
"You're so nice to me Lara, thank you. I guess you've opened my eyes, it's no use being sad, it has happened and I have to accept and move on with life." I nodded firmly, realizing just how much time I had wasted lamenting over the situation rather than investing in my son and myself.
"That's right. Now, if you ever want to talk, I'm sure you have my number, or you can visit the company. Things will be okay, there will be brighter days." Lara articulated, squeezing my hand lightly.
"That means so much, thank you." I watched as her eyes averted to something. I followed her gaze to a tall, drop-dead handsome guy, casually dressed in a blue muscle hugging t-shirt, light wash jeans and sneakers.
His dark hair was gelled back and his aquamarine eyes had a captivating yet analytical stare. He looked to be a rare, fine specimen. Very fine.
"Who is he? He's hot, " I whispered to her as he approached us.
"That's Vance, my personal assistant. I'm down bad," she whispered playfully and I gasped.
"How could you not? He's a walking sex god," I lightly nudged Lara as she giggled.
"I know right, a real one." We both looked up at him.
"Vance, this is Isla. Isla, Vance," she introduced and I gave him a wave. He responded to that with a nod before averting his focus to Lara.
"Are you ready to leave?" His deep, relaxing voice asked. He was probably an excellent musician. It had the power to make any girl's knees weak.
"Yes, of course." She got up but not before hugging me again.
"Good luck, he's a tough one," I whispered into her ear and she laughed.
"He is, I'll need it. So I'll catch you later, okay?" She bid goodbye before leaving with Vance. They made a cute couple, I couldn't help but notice.
After everything, I drove back home then took Ocean for his evening bath. Afterwards, I placed him in his crib and sang a lullaby.
"I love you so much, more than anything in this world." I stroked his silky dark hair gently as he stared up at me with wide, innocent eyes. He fascinated me. I wondered what he thought about throughout the day as a baby.
"I promise to keep you safe and give you my all, no matter the situation." I leaned to kiss his cheek, allowing his soft, tiny hand to grip my index finger tightly. His soft coos gave me a sense of joy and security, I loved his company.
"Da-Da!" Ocean squealed, and I shook my head slowly.
"He's not here, he's not coming back to us, baby. He hates me so much, so much," I whispered the last part, my vision blurring from the forming moisture.
My breath hitched when I felt a body warmth emanate behind me. The familiar, powerful aquatic scent engulfed me as I felt some arms wrap around my waist. The goosebumps formed rapidly on my skin and my heart rate increased in a matter of milliseconds.
A slow, warm breath brushed against my skin as the familiar, resonant voice murmured into my ear.
"I don't hate you, I never will."