For a week, I am forced to stay at Alexander's home. With Judy taking Elijah to and from school, Alexander cooking for me every day, and my team and I on standby while we wait for Abraham to open his eyes.
Then it finally happens.
When it does, everyone collectively sighs with relief.
He's awake, and he's lucid.
I run a series of tests and neurological observations on Abraham every fifteen minutes for several hours. Asking him questions, shining a light in his eyes to see if his pupils react, and making sure to take his vitals every hour until I am satisfied with the results before I happily report to Alexander and his mother that he is able to visit with them.
"Are the tubes sticking out of his head normal?" Alexander asks. "I don't recall that being a part of the process of my surgery."
"You probably just don't remember, but yes... it is normal." I try to put them at ease. "They're called drains. They drain excess fluid from the brain to prevent hydrocephalus. In another week or so he should be right as rain."
While Gillian dotes on Alexander's father, tending to his every need, Alexander takes me aside.
"Thank you, Dr. Graham." He expresses his gratitude. "Your skill as a surgeon is unmatched, but I still had my doubts. We went to several surgeons before you, and they all turned him down. Saying the surgery was too risky or that they could not guarantee he would come out of it the same man. But you've done it. You've done the impossible. And once again I am indebted to you."
"Don't praise me too much." I shy away from his compliments. "What I'm seeing is promising, but he is not out of the woods yet. And depending upon the results of this surgery, in a few weeks, we will more than likely have to do it again. Now, if he survives after that with his capabilities intact, then we will celebrate."
Alexander excitedly wraps me in his arms and exhales a grateful breath. As he pulls away, he moves to air-kiss me on the cheek, but movement to our right causes me to turn my head, and in that moment, our lips collide.
Then, for a single, satisfactory, solitary second... I stop breathing.
He quickly pulls away, but only a fraction of an inch. And as much as he grates on my nerves, if he keeps looking at me the way he is, I might be tempted to do it again.
There's a million synapses of chemistry firing between us. Pulling us together like magnets. And his lips hovering a hair away from mine is an open invitation if I felt so inclined to be bold.
Which I don't.
Carefully, I suck in a breath.
Two.
Three.
Afraid to move even an inch out of fear that I'll give in.
Only, I'm not the one to worry about.
Alexander's chest heaves up and down in rhythm with my own for several, long, silent moments before he finally says, "Fuck it," and goes in for the kill. Crushing his lips to mine and stealing my breath away.
For several more moments, I can't breathe, move, or even put a thought together as shockwaves of desire slam into me, through me, completely blowing my fucking mind. With his lips and his tongue slowly making quick work of my resolve.
Once the shock wears off, currents of electricity travel through us, and he backs me up against the wall. Crushing his mouth to mine over and over again. Albeit more forceful.
Hungrier with desire.
His tongue parts my lips and sweeps through my mouth with such fervor that I am left dizzy in his wake.
"Ahem." Gillian clears her throat. Alerting us to her presence and killing the mood. "Alex, your father is asking for you."
He hears her, but he lingers a bit longer. With a look in his eyes that says, 'this isn't over'. As if I've awakened something inside him he wishes to explore in great detail. Then, with a pensive look on his face, he turns and leaves.
What the fuck was that?
"Dr. Graham, Judy has just arrived with your son, but there's a gentleman who refuses to leave his side. He claims he is Elijah's father, and that Elijah went looking for him." She informs me.
What?!
No.
Ditching my lab coat, I'm praying Elijah didn't do what I think he did as I follow Gillian into the next room. But as I step inside, my worst fears are realized as Jackson stares angrily at me from where he and Elijah both stand.
"Is this kid your son?" He asks me. The fury in his tone making me worry. "Is what he says true? Is he our son? Because he seems to believe he's my son. He said you told him he was."
I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out. Elijah may look like me, but he has his father's crystal blue eyes and dark hair. Besides, even though this isn't the way I planned for it to happen, it's been a long time coming. And if Elijah went through the trouble of finding him, then clearly he needs this. I won't deprive him of it any longer.
Exhaling deeply, I motion to an adjoining room and Jackson follows me inside. Closing the door behind us, I face him once more and nod.
"Yes, Jackson... Elijah is yours."
The stunned look on his face is exactly as I imagined it. Only, in my version of events, he also realizes he made a mistake by leaving me for Mary and professes his undying love for me once more.
None of that is happening.
There's a look of confusion and betrayal on his face that makes me look away. But he won't let this go that easily. Instead, he grips me by the chin, and turns my gaze back to his.
"Is this payback for divorcing you and marrying your sister?" He searches my eyes for answers.
"If it were payback, I wouldn't have waited eleven years to tell you about him." I scoff.
I don't know what disappoints me more... the fact that he thinks this way about me, or the fact that what he thinks about me still bothers me.
Surprised by my answer, he rears back.
"You weren't going to tell me about him, were you? So, if he hadn't found me today..."
"I would have told you eventually." I nip that line of thought in the bud.
"When?" He glares at me. "When he graduated from college?"
"Whenever I worked up the courage to come blow up your life and have you look at me the way you're looking at me right now."
"Don't give me that shit, Evie. Does your family know?" He probes to see how far the deceit goes up the family tree.
"No one knows but you, Elijah, and me." I shake my head. "I haven't spoken to anyone in eleven years. And I didn't think Elijah would go and try to find you. So, I'm sorry you found out this way. I-I should've known he would do this. He's curious and strong-willed, and-"
"A lot like me." Jackson says what I'm thinking. Something like pride and curiosity for his son in his eyes.
"Yes." I nod.
Inhaling deeply, Jackson takes it all in. Then he exhales it out with a slow, steady breath.
"I have to tell Mary, Evie. I can't keep this from her."
Shit.
"What? Why?" I panic.
"She's my wife and she deserves to know." He scoffs like he can't believe I would ask him that.
"So was I. But that didn't stop you from keeping secrets from me, now, did it?"
"You're right. But you're also not Mary." He verbally punches me in the heart. "I love her. And I know that's probably hard for you to hear given the fact that we were married, but Mary is my soulmate, Evie."
I hate him.
Crushed, I stare at him wondering where I went wrong. Why this man that I have loved for the past decade... more than anything in this world, will never love me the way that I love him.
Every time I talk to him he destroys me with his words.
"If you do that, you know she'll come for me." I change the subject. I can't do this with him. Not with Elijah here. "I don't want any trouble. I just want to be left alone."
"Well, that ship has sailed, don't you think? I can't just ignore him now that I know he exists. And especially not after he went through the trouble of finding me."
Shit.
Why does he have to be so reasonable about this?
I mean, its partially why I fell in love with him in the first place, but it works against me here. I want to hate him for the way he broke and continues to break my heart. I want to hate him for leaving me the way he did and for my sister no less. But when he's reasonable like this, it just reminds me of why I fell in love with him. Robbing me of my anger.
"Look, I've raised him on my own since he was born. I don't need anything from you and neither does he. So, maybe you should just forget he ever approached you and go back to your perfect little life." I tell him.
"Mom!" Elijah calls out to me. I turn to find him standing in the doorway with Alexander. Wondering just how much of our conversation he heard. "Don't! If you send him away again... I'll hate you for the rest of my life!"
There are tears streaming down Elijah's face. Making me feel even worse than I already do.
"Don't send him away again, mom. Please. Please don't send him away. I'll be the best kid ever, I just... I want to get to know him."
How the hell can I argue with that?
And the tears in his eyes...
"Is there a problem?" Alexander asks.
His gaze traveling to Jackson. And like the alpha male he is, he stands protectively at my side.
"No. There's no problem." I assure him. "Jackson, this is Alexander. Alexander, this is Jackson... Elijah's father."
"So, the rumors are true." Jackson shifts his gaze between Alexander and me. "You're seeing each other."
And then some.
For the next three years we'll be husband and wife.
"Yes." Is all I say in return.
"Since when?"
"Five years ago." Alexander answers for me. Then he lays it on thick. "Off and on. I allowed my work to interfere with our relationship, so we parted ways for a few years. But I could never get her out of my head. She's the one that got away. So, I tracked her down again, and I haven't let her out of my sight since."
It's the first time I've heard our cover story, and I don't hate it. Whatever shoves how desirable I am down Jackson's throat. Because for years I've felt unworthy of his love. Even now after his admission, because no matter how hard I try, Jackson will never love me back. Not like I love him. Yet, here stands Alexander King in all his glory. A socialite with more money than he knows what to do with. A King amongst kings who only socializes with the wealthy one percenters.
Praising me.
Supporting me.
And protecting me from myself.
On second thought, maybe being married to him won't be so bad after all.
"Really? Are there wedding bells in your future, then?" Jackson asks, curious. And his genuine happiness for me threatens to undo all the good Alexander just did.
"If she'll have me." The latter peers into my eyes.
Fortifying me once more.
"Good. I'm happy for you. But we need to talk about Elijah, Evie." Jackson tells me.
"And we will." I assure him. "Just not right now."
Not while the new wound you've just inflicted upon me is still fresh.
"Okay, I'll call you tomorrow."
"Okay." I nod.
One of Alexander's guards walk him out of the house, and I sag with relief. But as Elijah watches him leave through the window, tears fall from his eyes.
My son has just opened pandoras box, and he has no idea what's coming.