The Precious Topaz (The Precious Trilogy Book 2)

by C Renee

  He was so proud of his son, but he wasn’t as proud as he would like to be of me.

  I couldn’t help that, I was with the love of my life and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  “Hey dad, how is the news tonight?” I sat down next to him when all I got was a grunt. What a great homecoming welcome that was.

  I sat there for another ten minutes before I got bored of the news and wanted to help mom in the kitchen.

  “Mom is there anything I can do?” I sat at the table facing the kitchen; the whole counter was covered with all sorts of food. My tummy rumbled from smelling all of it.

  “Mom, this smells delicious. When is dinner going to be served?” She turned around to face me; she was carrying a bowl of roasted potatoes. I looked at her face and saw she was wearing a huge smile. She wasn’t smiling like that at me. So, I slowly turned in my seat and there, standing in the hallway entrance, was Seth.

  “OH MY GOD!” I jumped out of my seat and bolted towards Seth, he had his arms already open to welcome my incoming hug.

  “Hey Lou Lou, how’s my baby sister?” I hadn’t seen my brother in two years and that feeling of having him home was amazing.

  “I’m good Sethy, it’s so good to see you!” I hugged him a little bit longer before I released him. It was mom’s turn to give him a hug, she had a few tears in her eyes but she didn’t show it.

  “Hey mom, it’s good to see you as well.” They let go and I watched Seth walk over to where dad was sitting. I couldn’t hear what they were saying but Seth kept looking over towards me.

  Yep they were talking about me, nothing new there.

  “Mom, did you know Seth was coming?” I helped mom set the table and I stole a few potatoes when she wasn’t looking.

  “Yes, I wanted to surprise you. Stop eating before dinner Louise!” Oh damn it, she saw me. I am so happy that she kept Seth’s return a surprise.

  I looked back over to my dad and Seth talking and really look at Seth.

  He hadn’t changed much but he did look older than he was. His brown hair is longer; it kept getting in his eyes, his grey eyes looked tired but still had the sparkle. He was dressed in jeans and a button up shirt. He did look handsome.

  I remembered when we were kids, people have always mistaken us for twins but Seth is four years older than me.

  “Dinner is ready guys.” Mom called from the living room, we all followed dad into the room and I was shocked at the amount of food on the table.

  “Mom, are you sure you cooked enough?” I looked over to Seth to see his reaction to mom’s obsession with food.

  “Yes, I did Louise. You and Seth will be taking left overs home with you. Your father and I can’t eat it all by ourselves. Now shut up and eat, before it gets cold.” I heard Seth mutter under his breath “Yes Ma’am.”

  We all sat down at the table and helped ourselves.

  The remainder of the night was full of chatter between my family and me.

  “Isn’t Seth coming?” I looked over towards mom and waited for her to answer me. She looked nervous and worried.

  “Mom, just tell me. It is okay that he doesn’t show up. I know he has a busy life and all that.” I looked at my dad but no one was moving or saying anything.

  Oh my god, has something happened to him?

  “Is he dead? OH MY GOD! He’s dead isn’t he?” I start to cry when a voice comes from the doorway.

  “Are you missing me that much Lou Lou?” I turned towards the voice, I have tears falling down my face and I wipe them away to get a good look at who is there.

  It’s Seth, he is here.

  I can’t believe he is here, in my room.

  In America.

  Holy shit, I hope someone pinches me because I don’t want this to be a dream.

  I look around the room and everyone is laughing.

  “Why are you all laughing?” I asked to no one in particular.

  “Honey, you said that out loud.” Mom answered after she finished laughing.

  “Oh, well that is embarrassing.” I looked back to Seth and I can’t believe my eyes. He is really here.

  “I’m glad you’re alive Lou Lou, but I do wish that fucker would have been either punished or killed. I think the latter would have been my option.” Seth walked over to the bed and gave me a kiss on the head.

  Yep the water works are coming again.

  “Oh Lou, there’s no need to cry, I’m here now. We are all here and you’re safe.” He pulled me into a hug and held me for a little while until I stopped crying.

  I may be stuck in a hospital bed but I haven’t been this happy in a long time. The doctor had to come into my room right this second with the results and to tell me the extent of my injuries.

  This is just perfect.

  Not.

  “Bad timing Dr. Grim.” I say with a little resentment in my voice.

  Chapter Three

  Louise

  “AH, SORRY LOUISE. THE nurse informed me that you were awake and I wanted to run through the results with you before you are discharged.” Dr. Grim walked towards the end of my bed and pulled the chart out of the holder. I watch his facial expression when he scans the pages.

  Could there be anything really wrong with me?

  Am I going to be okay this time around?

  I thought he knew what injuries I had; maybe he just needed a recap.

  “Louise, honey are you okay?” Mom calls from across the room, she can always tell when something is wrong. Of course she knows the results, as everyone in this room. Why won’t they just hurry up and pull the Band-Aid off.

  “Can you just hurry up and tell me what’s wrong?” I look over at my mother who is holding dad’s hand really tight.

  Oh God, this can’t be good.

  “Well when you came into the OR three weeks ago at Snake Valley in San Diego you were in bad shape. You had a gunshot wound to the abdomen; you had a fractured skull and multiple broken bones. You weren’t responsive; we rushed you into surgery to contain your internal and external bleeding. There was no exit wound from the bullet, which caused more concern to get you operated on. The bullet ricoched through your small intestine and lodged in your uterus.” The doctor looked around the silent room before he continued on. This doesn’t sound good, can it get any worse?

  “There was swelling in your brain from the trauma and you had internal bleeding but we managed to contain it. We assessed your numerous broken bones but they weren’t serious. The doctors at Snake Valley hospital put you in an induced coma to contain the swelling and to monitor you for any bacterial infection before they transferred you here. You were stable and in a coma for three weeks.” Can this sound less scary? I looked over to Alex from across the room and his face was as white as a ghost, I take it the bad news is yet to come.

  “Please go on, I need to know all of it.” I look at the doctor to urge him to continue.

  “Alright, there was no brain damage and your skull is on the mend, we aren’t worried about that now. We are concerned about your gunshot wound, you shouldn’t be lifting anything heavy for the next few months, and you need to change the gauze every few hours. If you start to notice more bleeding than normal, I urge you to return to the hospital immediately.”

  “Okay Doc, but I want to know the other minor detail you are leaving out, did you repair the intestine and what about my uterus because that sounds dangerous.”

  The doctor looks back to my family before he said his next words.

  “I’m afraid the damage to your uterus and your ovaries were too extensive to repair it fully, but we managed to repair your small intestine.” He looks down back at the paperwork before he looks at me.

  “Okay, so the damage to my uterus and ovaries means what?” I ask the doctor, I don’t want to look around the room because the atmosphere suddenly got intense.

  “It means it is 80% chance you won’t be able to get pregnant. I am truly sorry, I read in your file that you already lost a child a few years ago.” H
e looked at my parents and they tried to hold back a sob.

  “So if I was 20% lucky enough to get pregnant what are my chances are at keeping it or carrying it to full term? Will the baby be at risk?” I looked over at Seth and he didn’t look happy with the topic of conversation. He will just have to grow a pair and get over it.

  “There are risks but in your case it’s higher than a normal pregnancy. I wouldn’t worry about that right now. You should get some more rest. You will be discharged tomorrow; of course the hospital does home care once a week, the nurse will come by with papers to fill out and a list of Do’s and Don’ts. I will pop in again before you leave. See you then Louise. You are lucky to be alive.” He puts the chart back and walks out of the room and I hear everyone exhale their breath. Glad I wasn’t the only one.

  “Honey, how are you feeling? Do you want me to get you anything?” Mom comes to the bed and grabs my hand; she gets her free hand and stroked my hair out of my face.

  “I’m okay, it’s a lot to digest. Can I talk to Alex alone?” I look around at everyone and they nod.

  I watch Steph and Seth leave; then my parents both kiss me on the head before they leave the room.

  Now that leaves Alex and me alone.

  I can’t find the right words that I want to say to Alex. The room becomes this awkward silence.

  What if this doesn’t get any better?

  I don’t want to be made out like a fool.

  “Are you doing okay Louise?” Alex stands up from his chair in the corner. He hasn’t stepped towards me but he watches for my reaction.

  “About earlier, I am sorry for crying on you. It’s been a rough couple of years.” I ramble on, I know he must want to tell me he doesn’t want to see me again so I try and get in first.

  “Listen Alex, you don’t need to say it because I’ll do it for you. You can go on with your everyday life and pretend that you never met me. Go live your life and find a perfect woman to call yours. Honestly, I’ll be okay.” I turn over on my side hoping he takes the hint that this conversation is over. I don’t want to ever see his face again.

  “No… “ He takes a step closer to me.

  “I will not…” He takes another step to the bed.

  “Lose you… ever again.” Alex is finally standing at the side of my bed but I still have my back to him.

  “Louise, turn over and look at me.” His voice is commanding but I wait a few seconds before I slowly turn back over onto my back. I close my eyes and try to think of my happy place.

  I come up empty, I don’t actually have one.

  “Louise, I won’t ask you again.” He leans over and grabs my left hand. I open my eyes and find Alex looking down at me, waiting for me to say something to him.

  “Alex, I don’t understand why you would bother with someone who is damaged goods. Didn’t you hear the doctor? I’m a useless human who can’t reproduce.” The true reality hit me hard, the possibility of not having my own child dawns on me. I won’t make Alex take the same fate.

  “Do you think that bothers me? It doesn’t and I want you to know that I won’t leave you. The moment I found out you went back to that death trap was the hardest thing for me. Do you want to know why?” He squeezes my hand to get me to answer him. I’m not sure if I want to know the answer but the curiosity got the better of me.

  “Why?” I ask him, mentally preparing myself for the answer.

  “Alright, I didn’t think I would have to tell you this so soon but now is a better time than any.” He lets go of my hand and walks back to the chair; instead of sitting down he drags it across the room and places it right next to the bed.

  “Five years ago I was preparing myself for business finals in college, I just proposed to my girlfriend when we decided to take a small vacation. Just the two of us, to relax and be with each other before our lives got hectic. On the way to the cottage in the middle of nowhere, it had been lightly snowing so the roads were icy and slippery. I didn’t think anything of it. There was no one really around that area, and well, I didn’t think there was until we drove around a bend. I looked over to Tiffany for a split second but in that second a log truck lost control and two other cars were coming around the bend. I don’t remember much from the accident except seeing the people in the cars screaming and calling out for help. I passed out before help arrived. I woke up in the hospital badly injured and the doctor broke the news to me that I had lost … that … sorry Lou, it’s still hard to talk about it. He told me that I had lost Tiffany and … she was FIVE months … pregnant. We had lost our baby girl. So Louise, I may not know what you’re going through but I can tell you. You … are … not … alone.” I find myself with tears running down my face; I know he meant everything he said to me because he had tears down his face also. I watch as he reaches up and brushes his tears away and then places his hand back in mine.

  I can’t believe he just told me all that, he doesn’t even know me well enough and he just pulled that skeleton out of his closet to share with me. He was going to be a dad and a husband but one accident took all that away from home. How can life be so cruel?

  “Louise, look at me. I can tell by the expression on your face that you’re feeling sorry for me.” I turn to look at him and he’s smiling. What on earth could he be smiling about?

  “Why are you smiling Alex? You just told me something so sad and yet you’re smiling.” I shake my head at him but he just looks at me.

  “I’m smiling because I have you in my life and I haven’t felt this way about anyone before. Not even for Tiffany and I was with her for FIVE years. I have something for you.” He lets go of my hand and he digs around in his pocket before he pulls out a small black square box.

  What the fuck!?

  “It’s not what you think this is, don’t panic Louise.” He pulls my hand and opens it so it’s resting flat against his open hand. He gently places the smooth box in my hand. I watch him as he takes his hands away and tucks them in between his legs. Did I mention that he has great legs?

  I mentally shake my head and try to focus on the little black box in my hand.

  “Open it, I was going to give it to you a while ago but you left before I could.” He sits there, itching for me to open the box.

  “Okay, but if it looks expensive you are taking it back.” I reach over with my free hand and I touch the outside of the box. Yeah this feels expensive, I don’t really want to open it.

  I touch around the square edges; the box is smooth and black velvet. I might be overreacting to whatever is inside this and he assured me that it isn’t an engagement ring because that was the first thing that came to my mind when he showed me the box.

  I slowly lift the lid to reveal what is inside and I’m blown away. The piece of jewelry that is in front of me is a Red Ruby Oval necklace. It is a precious gem and it’s absolutely beautiful. I can’t believe he got this for me, but it must have cost a fortune. I closed the lid on the necklace, I can’t accept this. How did he know that I collect Gemstones, Minerals and rocks?

  “Why did you close it Lou? Don’t you want to wear it now? Do you like it?” Alex seems nervous, I can’t tell him that I don’t want it because I would be lying. I do want it but I can’t accept it.

  “Yes I love it in fact, I’m not sure how you knew I am obsessed with Gemstones but I can’t accept this.” I try to hand back the black box but Alex moved away from me.

  Argh, typical.

  “No Louise, you will accept this gift. Do you know why I chose this specific piece?” He leans back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest. He seems to be growing impatient with me.

  Good because two can play that game.

  “Alright, I’ll humor you.” I lean back in my bed and place the small box on my stomach. This should be good, some lame excuse to get in my pants.

  “The first night I saw you was at the Fundraiser event or so I thought. Anyway you were wearing that beautiful red dress and after I spoke to you for that brief moment, I still
had thoughts about you. In times when I shouldn’t have been, but I was and I still do. From that moment I gave you a pet name.”

  “Precious…” I say quietly, not realizing I’ve said that out loud.

  “Yes, Precious is my pet name for you.” He leaned back again and reached across the bed to grab the black box but my hand came flying down on top of his.

  “No, I will keep it but I won’t wear it while I’m in here. Thank you for my wonderful gift.” He keeps his hand there but he looks up and into my eyes. I see the adoration there; it’s clear as day. How have I not known about his feelings for me?

  Have I really been that blind?

  “Thank you, do you want me to get your family back in here?” He gets up from his chair and starts to turn to walk to the door.

  “Not yet, Alex what did you mean when you said so you thought about meeting me for the first time. I don’t remember meeting or seeing you before that night.” I hold my breath waiting for his answer.

  “I’ll tell you another time, you should get some rest. I’ve spilled enough of my skeletons for one day.” With that he walks out the door and I’m left with thoughts about when or where he first saw me. I wasn’t even in LA long enough to be spotted by anyone.

  I hear a knock at the door that interrupts my thoughts. I don’t want to let this train of thought leave but now I don’t have a choice.

  “Come in.” I am certain it’s my family again, to make me feel better but I don’t want their sympathy. I just want to get on with my life and just forget the last three years of my life existed.

  I watch the door open and my parents, my brother walk in and following behind them is Steph.

  “Hey honey, how are you feeling now?” Mom walks over to the bed while dad and Seth stay behind. Steph comes and sits beside the bed where Alex just was.