CHAPTER 11
S
he was lost in a haze. Everything was unreal. She was in a white room. Everything was white. From the walls to the bed and the linen on top of it.
Where was she? This was not her room. Where was her father?
Then she saw him. He was sleeping with his head at a crooked angle on a sofa on the opposite end of the room. She studied him awhile.
His dark hair falling lightly on his forehead, she realized then that she had never been angry at him. Had never harbored any bad feeling for him. This was the man she loved. The man who caused her pain and happiness at the same time.
She shifted and gave a small grunt as a sharp pain pierced her on her side.
Luke stirred, opened his eyes and was immediately at her side.
“How are you feeling?” he asked as he smoothed a lock of hair out of her face.
“What am l doing here” she croaked, her throat drying up.
“Here,” he said as he lifted her head and gave her a sip from the glass of water by the bedside, “rest now, you had a huge fright”
“Where’s my father?”
“He will be available to you as soon as you are feeling okay”
She tried sitting up and he rushed to assist her. As soon as she was seated comfortably she brushed his hand away. Being close to Luke at this time was not a good idea.
He seemed to take that gesture astride and went to sit on a chair next to the bed.
“l want to see him. Now!” she demanded.
“Alexa, you shouldn’t get worked up in your condition”
“I just want to see my father, l don’t think that’s too much to ask for”
“just relax a bit and when----”
“stop it! Just stop it! Stop telling me what to do about my life and if l want to see my family, l will!” she was fuming inside, who the hell died and made him king?
But then again, Luke Masters was a king in his own right. And with the attire he had on, he couldn’t be mistaken. The black shirt and slacks he had on did no justice to his well muscled, well toned body. His brown, silky hair clinging closely to his skull, the stubborn lock still falling foolishly on his forehead.
Alexa caught her thoughts before they cascaded into an unknown lane.
Luke Masters was the enemy and forever shall!
She now stared defiantly into his green eyes and raised her eyebrow in question.
She saw that he wasn’t going to budge and drew in a slow and deep breath to steady herself.
“I’m not even allowed to see my own father? Why cant you just leave me alone, Luke? I even made it easy for you, just turn around and---”
she saw the way his eyes clouded over and she felt a small shiver run up her spine.
“l cant, Alexa, cant you see? Even if l wanted to, l wouldn’t, l couldn’t. Dammit Lexy, when were you going to tell me?, if ever!”
“you had no right to keep me prisoner in your place, Luke and if l wanted to leave l was free to” she added on a quiet note, “without informing you”
He whirled around, his eyes clouding even further, reminding Alexandria of a dark night, “l am not talking about that, and frankly, l don’t blame you that much, but to keep this, this from me. Its too much!”
Confusion was written all over her face, “what are you talking about? I didn’t run---”
“Our baby Alexandria! My child!”
Shock mixed with her earlier confusion made her turn pale and before she uttered another word, she was again lost in oblivion.
It was at least another four hours before Alexandria regained consciousness. The room was empty and void now, just like her heart. Luke's revelation came into focus and she gave a little gasp and clutched her stomach. A baby was growing inside her. Her baby.
Their baby!
At the thought of Luke she tensed. The way she knew him, he would want a share of the baby's life no matter what. No matter what SOB he was, he was a man of honor, that much she knew. He would even drag this to court if he had to, was forced to.
The baby's life! She hadn’t even decided whether she was going to keep it!
But as she dug deeper into her soul and heart in the accumulating darkness, she knew there was no question about it. The baby was hers to keep, now and forever.
There was no other time that she had missed her mother, Gabriella like now. Her advice, her warmth and just her presence. Her pillar of stone and guidance. She stopped the tears as they clung stubbornly to her eyelashes. This was not the time to mourn the past, she had a new life to take care of.
She settled back comfortably on the pillows and stroked her stomach. How had she not known, all this time.
It all finally added up, her morning sickness, her dizziness and the vomiting at any tilt of emotion. She should have known, Dammit, she was a woman.
Luke had really believed that she had kept it from him purposefully, even took it as her reason for leaving the mansion.
How could she make him believe otherwise?
Blotting all thoughts of him out of her mind, she settled back and relaxed with an effort. And for the first time in a month, she slept peacefully.
The next time Alexa awoke, was in broad daylight. Slightly dazed and confused, her watch said twelve but the room was dark. Not as dark as night but dark.
As she took stock of her surroundings, she realized with a small gasp that all her windows were covered up by papers. She ran her eyes even further around her massive room. There were flowers everywhere!
She got off the bed without much difficulty, the windows forgotten and sauntered over to the hundreds of vases standing guide around her room. Most of them were Daisies but there were also Daffodils, Roses and her substitute, Lilies. She bent down to smell one of the Daisies but a sharp pain pierced her back so she stood up and plucked a card from among the soft yellow petals.
Luke, of course.
A closer inspection told her that all the flowers except for three of four were from the same person. Disgusted and happy at the same time, she returned to her bed and pressed a button next to her bed. A minute later a nurse appeared, clad in a pristine white uniform.
“how are you feeling today, Mrs Masters?”
Alexandria was aghast, “Miss O'Malley”
The nurse seemed confused for a minute, “as you wish. Your father said to tell you that since you were out of the woods and in perfectly good health, he will come to collect you tomorrow”
“May l ask why my windows are boarded up?”
The nurse paused from straightening Alexa's blankets on top of her and eyed the windows, “oh that.” she resumed. “the Media has been going crazy about the whole thing and your Hus---, Mr Masters had the windows closed.”
Alexa, stared at the nurse not comprehending anything. The media? But she wasn’t anybody that counted.
Her connection with Luke! That must have been what drew them. Did they know about her pregnancy? Even as she thought about it, she knew she wouldn’t, couldn’t face Luke Masters and her protective motherly instinct kicked in as she stroked her stomach. No one was going to hurt her baby, not even Luke Masters.
Turning to the nurse who was watching the play of emotions on Alexandria’s face with curiosity, “l would like to discharge myself. Today.”
If the nurse was shocked, she didn’t show it, “if you feel okay with it” and with that the white shadow was gone.
Alexandria set about collecting all the items her parents had brought over since her three day stay at the hospital. She chose a vase of Lilies sent in by Lily, as her companion. She would save her father the journey to the hospital.
“And sign here also” the matron at the desk directed Alexandria, “are you sure about leaving alone? Why not call your husband? I'm sure he would love to come”
What was with it with these people?
The matron, Mabel was huge but not in an overweight way. Her pristine white uniform formed a contrast against her darkly tanned skin. And her eyes were deeply set in her head, conveniently covered by a pair of thick lenses.
“I’m not married” she replied sharply.
The matron didn’t seem put off by Alexa's tone but seemed to be more energized by it, “well, one could have had the wrong impression. What with him buzzing in here like he owned the place, but from what l hear, he can buy this place a thousand times over. He was throwing instructions around like he was directing a national brigade or something. You could have sworn we were treating the Queen of England or something. No offense.”
“none taken” Alexandria said in a crisp tone. Mabel seemed like one of those ladies who talked none stop and never stopped to take a breath and considered themselves the adviser of everyone.
“so, tell me, pumpkin. How you going to bring up that baby of yours without you two being married. If you ask me, a lot of them youngsters are having too much freedom out there, what with them pregnancies and diseases. I've seen a lot of them young single girls come in here everyday with bellies big and bursting. My own sister's cousin's daughter came in here when----”
“if you don’t mind, I’d like to be leaving now, my sister said she would come for me”she lied, she was getting tired and weary and needed to get home to contemplate her future.
“of course, of course. You poor pumpkin and I’m standing rumbling on about nonsense when you must be itching to get home. Why don’t you just sit here and wait for you sister to come by?” she said as she handed her her release form.
Alexa did not want to spend anymore minutes with this rumbling woman. Anybody who could get a word in side words with her talking like that, deserved to be in the Guinness Book Of Records. She could not wait until she was out of here, away from the hospital and the burly Mabel. Hospitals always made her feel nervous.
She smiled sweetly, “she may already be outside”
“Why don’t we get Jacques to check her for you,” she said indicating the janitor who was cleaning near the exit door. “Its a frenzy out there.”
“No, l”m good. Thank you anyways,” she paused, “For everything.” though she didn’t know exactly what the everything entailed.
“No problem, pumpkin, that’s our job. You take care of that baby, you hear? And good luck”
Good luck?
Alexa stroked her stomach and smiled at the Matron before emerging from the door. A rush of relief flooded over her. She was glad to have escaped not only the over-bearing woman but the hospital smells that always hung in the air.
Now for the easy but difficult task of finding a cab that would take her all the seven miles to the ranch.
Luckily, her father or Sheila had brought her purse to the hospital and it contained, Alexa hoped, enough money to get her there.
At first it was a miniscule flush against the white washed walls of the Lady Kaitlin hospital and Alexa thought it was a glass that caught the sun. but the flashes of light continued and accumulated as she walked further, she noticed they were accumulating and accompanied by small sounding clicks. Looking up and around she noticed a group of people, mostly male forming a small circle around her.
The Paparazzi! She was being horded by the media!
The first thought that came into her mind was Luke. He was responsible for all this. And more.
She tried avoiding them but they were everywhere.
“Alexandria, is the baby Luke's?” was one question fired at her. She cringed as she heard that. Did they really think that??
“There are rumors that you tried getting rid of the baby, is it true?”
“Alexandria, look this way!”
“Do you think Luke Masters will accept it?”
The nerve!
She wanted to shout something back. Tell them where they can stick their absurd questions for all she cared. But she couldn’t. She just stood there. Petrified, not knowing what to do or think.
Her consciousness was going numb. She couldn’t take in any more. She had to shut their questions and probing eyes out, but before she had achieved that, a car drew up in front of her and burst through the little crowd.
“Will you leave Miss O'Malley alone, please”
Alexa heard the nicely phrased question which in no way was delivered in a nice manner. Within seconds, her entourage had drifted away to the new comer.
“Mr Masters, are you sure the baby is yours?”
“will you be raising it together?”
“Mr Masters!! Mr Masters!!”
Alexa felt her elbow being clutched in a not too nice way and being actuated towards the car.
“Mr Masters the baby..!”
Luke tucked in Alexa before turning to face the black cloud.
“l have no doubt whatsoever in my mind that Alexandria’s baby is mine and so in that respect will be raised as such” with that he entered the car and drove away.
“How could you!” she screamed, “let me go!! let me go”
“Not until we are in the house”
She tried yanking her arm away from his hand but succeeded in tightening his grip.
“You're hurting me” she whined.
“l know” came the reply.
Looking up at his face, Alexa realized that this want the time to dally words with Luke. Was he really that mad at her? Did her really think she had deliberately kept the news of the baby away from him?
She resigned herself to being dragged up the numerous stairs to Luke's house.
He had hijacked her from the hospital even though Alexa was glad he'd been there when he needed her, she would rather die than say it out loud, then drove all those hours non-stop and not a single word had passed through his lips, that is, until now.
They were at the door now and before Luke could raise a hand to open it, the housekeeper, Consuela, was there , “evenin' Sir would yer like some---”
Luke cast her a look that would have made the ice queen crack, “Nothing”
He half dragged and half carried Alexandria up the flight of stairs and deposited her in her old room.
“Stay” he ordered.
“l will not be treated like--” but she was only shouting at the close door. Moments later she had the lock turn, and she knew for sure she wasn’t going anywhere. Not with Luke around.
Midos! He would murder someone. And right now that someone was currently in her room probably hating him for everything gone bad in her life, though he didn’t blame her. Alexandria O'Malley had every right to hate him and more. Saying he had treated her badly was the understatement of the year, no the century. And with her being pregnant.......
He downed the golden brown liquid in one swallow, his own flesh and blood, at last, one he could call his own.
He poured another glass. Usually he only had one and never finished it. But today was different, it called for celebration even though the circumstances were less than normal.
He was a man well traveled and thought he knew everything in the world that was to be known but no, not when it came to Alexa. That woman was hell itself yet he couldn’t leave her alone.
And the night she had cooked for him. That was his undoing, he had felt at home, so complete, something he had never felt before, not since he was a little boy and his mother was around. He understood now, Alexandria O'Malley-Fitzgerald completed him, he was nothing without her, nothing at all.
Six years!
There was never enough time in the whole universe to make him forget the times he spent with her. The love they shared. They could have been a family, he was sure of that. Probably more kids than one, kids raised in a healthy environment, kids who had everything and their parent's love who would scour to the ends of the earth in their love for them.
But no. he had to go and ruin everything. Not only his life but that of sweet Alexa too. All for what! Money? A so called legacy? To please his father?
Looking back now, Luke felt ashamed of how weak he was, how he let his father manipulate him into a loveless marriage. A marriage that was designed to bring the Masters and McAllisters together and create an heir. An heir Powerful enough, with the two names behind him, to hold the whole world in the palm of his small fist.
And he had failed. Failed not because he couldn’t do it.
No. failed because he had wanted it to.
All those years while he lived in luxury with a woman who didn’t give a rat's ass about him or his life was painful. It was an excruciating torture while he watched from afar, Alexandria, grow and move on with her life.
He had been standing in one place for so long that his hand had grown numb and his fingers suddenly let go of the glass. He swore as it crashed to ground. He clearly was wound up. There was one way he cold get rid of the tension in him. Hit someone or go to the gym. The latter seemed more doable so he headed downstairs to the cellar a la gym. Being a man who valued his privacy, he had had it installed years ago.
Within minutes he was working up a good sweat. He wished all his problems could be solved as easily as this. Halfway through, he had an epiphany. Alexandria O'Malley was never going to be truly his, not until his past life was in the past.
He knew what he had to do. The final task he had to carry out so he could live his life with the one woman he loved. The was no escaping this. He had to do it or face losing Alexandria for the second time in his life.
This time, he wasn’t sure his heart could take it...