Spark: Book 1 (The Heat Series)

by MJ Masucci

  “Yes, but I’m not married. What is Xander going to say when I tell him?”

  Alicia reached out and pulled on Ava’s shorts bottom. “Sit.”

  She sat in the rocker putting her face in her hand. Alicia reached into the bag and handed her the contents. Ava looked up to see what Alicia was handing her, a pregnancy test.

  “Go to your bathroom and follow the instructions. I’ll join you in a minute.” Ava trudged down the hall with the box tucked under her arm. She didn’t want anyone to see it especially Brooke.

  In her bathroom, she read and followed the instructions on the package. By the time Alicia came into her room, it was time to check the indicator.

  “I can’t do it. Can you look?”

  Alicia peered at the indicator on the stick. “Congratulations, you are pregnant.” Ava groaned.

  “This isn’t the end of the world you know. It’s a good thing.”

  “Things are not going well with Xander, and now this is just one more thing that might put a wedge between us.”

  “What are you talking about? I’ve never seen a man dote on a woman more than he does you. He is head over heels in love with you. Can’t you see that?”

  “There are things that he has hidden from me.”

  Alicia narrowed her eyes, “Has he cheated on you?”

  “Well, no.”

  “Lied to you?”

  “I don’t think you could call what he did lying, but he has not revealed something to me that he should have.”

  “Like what?”

  Ava took a deep breath “He fucked Brooke years ago. You think he would have told me that before we started dating.”

  “Big deal. Why do you think that is such a terrible thing? My sister is married to a man that my cousin dated for two years before they got together. It happens, and we move on from those things because they become irrelevant in our present lives. Are you worried he wants to get back with her?”

  “No, they were never together. They just had casual sex several times from what I heard.”

  “What do you mean from what you heard?” Ava felt sheepish telling Alicia she had eavesdropped on Xander’s conversation with Brooke the night before. She explained what she walked upon the night before.

  “Have you discussed this with Xander?”

  “No.”

  “So you are jumping to conclusions about the state of your relationship and that poor man has no clue? Don’t do this to yourself. You need to have a heart to heart with him especially now that you know you’re pregnant.”

  “Who is pregnant?” Xander appeared in the doorway of the bathroom startling them both. When neither of them said anything, his jaw dropped.

  “Ava, are you pregnant?”

  Alicia scurried to the door, blurting out, “I’m going to leave you two alone to discuss things.” She pulled the bedroom door closed leaving them to talk.

  “Are you?”

  She handed him the stick indicator. He held it in his hands staring at it then sat down on the edge of the bed.

  “How, how did this happen?” He asked with a raised voice.

  “If I need to explain to you how it happened then we have a big problem,” Ava said matter of factly.

  “That is not what I meant. I mean you’re on the pill, right?”

  “I am on the pill, but I also took antibiotics a few weeks ago.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Apparently antibiotics could render the pill ineffective. I think I got pregnant when we had sex the night of the gala. It certainly fits the timeline.”

  Xander ran his hand through his thick hair.

  “Fuck, Ava. Why didn’t you read the information the doctor gave you when she prescribed the antibiotics. I saw the instruction sheet on the table.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me, Alexander?” He winced at the use of his given name. “You seriously are going to blame this on me? It takes two to tango. Maybe you should have used a condom each time we had sex.”

  He tried to make a joke. “That would have been a lot of condoms!” She scowled at him, and he became serious again. “I didn’t mean it that way. I mean I want children, just not now.”

  “So what do you want me to do, get rid of it? I don’t need you. I can have this baby on my own.”

  He kneeled down in front of the toilet where she was still sitting on the lid. “I want what you want. I would never abandon you or the baby. I’ll always be available.”

  “Are you breaking up with me?” Fat tears started to roll down her cheeks.

  “No! No, what gave you that idea? I love you so much that it hurts. I would never leave you.”

  “Then why do you make it sound so final? Will you be available? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Xander wasn’t used to Ava using curse words since she rarely did.

  “This is so much to absorb. I’m not using the right words. I’m sorry. I love you so much.” She waited and narrowed her eyes. She was angry at his response and wanted to hurt him further.

  “When were you going to tell me that you fucked Brooke? You could have done it anytime over the last three months, and you never did. Would you have ever told me if I didn’t find out? You promised, to be honest with me and you deceived me.”

  “I…”

  “Leave me be. I don’t want to look at you right now.” When he didn’t move, she got up and went into the bedroom and hid her face in her pillow. She waited to hear the door to her room open and close before she looked up. Then she became hysterical. Alicia who was just finishing up with the twins bath’s left their diapering to Michael to go to Ava.

  “You can’t upset yourself this way. You need to be careful now that you’re pregnant.” She held her tightly against her while Ava cried it all out. An hour later she was tucking Ava into bed for the night.

  Michael made his way to the pool house after Alicia had come back from being with Ava. Most of the family was enjoying the summer air by sitting either on the porch or the outdoor dining area. He made sure that Jacob and Sandra weren’t in their bedroom, then made his way to Xander’s room. He knocked twice before he got a response.

  “Who is it?”

  “It’s Michael.”

  “Come in.” Xander was lying on his bed looking up at the ceiling.

  “So, buddy, you had a pretty hard night so far.”

  “Michael, are you here for a reason? Are you here to tell me what a dick I am to your sister and that I don’t deserve her? If so, then just get it over with.”

  “Can I talk now? As Ava’s brother, I love her and want to protect her. But I also need her to make her own mistakes and decisions.”

  “So you think that I’m a mistake?”

  “The worst thing you can be right now is defensive.”

  Xander apologized and asked Michael to continue.

  “Ava had it hard as a child. She was a bit nerdy, our mother passed away and had Brooke for a sister wasn’t easy on her either. We all protected her, maybe too much. She needed to learn to cope with things on her own, and she did that when she got to New York. She changed, she grew up because she wasn’t with us to take the burden for her. Now she is a grown woman with grown woman problems. If pregnancy is one of them, then she will deal with it as an adult. She doesn’t need you if you want to leave. I hope you will stay because from what I see she loves you desperately.”

  He waited for Xander to speak. Instead, Xander reached into his bedside drawer and took out a small black velvet box and handed it to Michael.

  In the box was a dazzling two carat emerald cut diamond engagement ring. The ring had a platinum setting and surrounded by smaller accent diamonds around the main stone and band. Michael whistled.

  “This must have set you back a pretty penny.”

  He handed the ring back to Xander.

  “I bought that ring the day Ava left to come here. I passed by the jewelry store several times for many days and kept looking at this ring. I thought to buy this long before I k
new she was pregnant because my plan has always been to marry her. To me, this relationship is for keeps. I don’t want anybody else but her. She is the air I breathe, the water I drink, the blood in my veins. Being away from her is torture for me.”

  “Have you told her that? Does she know how much you love her?”

  “I think so.”

  Michael held his hand up. “Don’t think she knows, be sure she knows. Tell her the way you just told me. When are you planning on asking her to marry you?”

  “I was going to do it tomorrow after the reception. I want to go back to New York with her as my fiancée not just my girlfriend.” Xander hung his head. “Do you know the other part?”

  “You mean do I know about you and Brooke? I’ve known for years. I overheard her talking on the phone about how good you are in bed to one of her idiot friends. It was all I could do to get away from listening to that conversation. No offense of course.”

  “I wasn’t using Brooke. I think it was mutual between us. She revealed to me that she wanted more after we had slept together several times but I knew what type of person she was even back then. I could never have a relationship with someone like her. How can Ava and Brooke be sisters and yet has such different personalities?”

  Michael shrugged his shoulders. “I like to think that families are made up of all types of people. I think I fall in the middle of the two of them. Ava is one of the most selfless people I know. She cares so much about others that she will give you the shirt off her back even if it was below zero. Brooke is just the opposite. She is one of the most selfish people I know and would take that shirt off your back even if you were shivering.”

  “I’m glad I chose the right sister.”

  “I’m curious about something. When did you know you were in love with Ava?”

  Xander kept eye contact with Michael and told him the truth.

  “The minute she walked through my office door I was a goner. She just seemed special to me. Frankly, when I met her five years ago at Daniel’s house, I was intrigued. She was so shy, and I just had this overwhelming urge to hug her, but I didn’t. I tried to think back to how many times I had seen her over the past years, but I couldn’t remember very many. When you’re kids, four years apart, it’s a big difference until you become adults. Now it means nothing.”

  Michael got off the bed and squeezed Xander’s shoulder. “I have to go help Alicia make some bottles to put in the refrigerator. The twins are eating like little horses. Are you going to be alright?”

  Xander nodded. “I’m going to be fine. I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me since tomorrow is your day.”

  Michael walked to the door. “Just remember what I told you. Tell her how you feel.”

  Xander prepared himself for bed though he was sure that he wouldn’t sleep. He had too many things swirling around his head. Leading the way was the fact that in several months he would be a father. It was important to him that he be the best father he could. Secondly, that he ask the woman that he loved to marry him. And thirdly, that he tell her the last secret he had been harboring. Maybe not in that order. Tomorrow was going to be a blockbuster of a day.

  Chapter 26

  The sounds of the house coming to life woke Ava out of a deep sleep. The wedding preparations were in full swing, and she was exhausted. She lay on her back on the bed in the semi-darkened room. She had so many things in her head. Her life was going to change drastically over the next few months as well as her body. She was one big ball of emotions, fear, happiness, sorrow, loss, elation, and anger. The list went on and on.

  But this was her brother and Alicia’s day. She wasn’t going to let her mess affect the festivities. She got out of bed, took a shower and began working on her hair at the vanity. She was so involved that she didn’t hear the door to her bedroom open and close. Xander’s reflection appeared in the mirror behind her. She whirled around feeling anger seeping into her. As if he sensed it, he backed away and sat on the edge of her bed.

  “I’m sorry. I reacted terribly to the news that you, uh, we, are pregnant. I say we because that is how I feel. You might be carrying that baby, but it is ours together. I’m sorry I disappointed you last night. I was in shock, and I let my feelings get the best of me when I should have been supporting you.” He stopped talking waiting for her to say something.

  She just sat there staring at him. She wasn’t sure if she should hug him or throw him out of her room. Then she remembered what Alicia had said. We move on from things because they become irrelevant in our present lives. Her sister and Xander had sex several years ago. It doesn’t mean anything in her present life. Xander rose from the bed.

  “I see you are still angry with me. I deserve it. I want to talk with you even if it takes until we get back to New York, but I hope you don’t wait that long.” He walked out of the bedroom closing the door behind him. He stopped at the door to the nursery. He could hear Michael behind the closed doors talking to the twins. He decided it was time to get acquainted with babies, and he opened the door.

  “Xander! Come and hold my son for me.” He handed baby Michael to him. He felt awkward with the baby in his arms but soon he was enjoying the feeling of the child being close to him. He kissed his peach fuzz head, breathing in the clean scent of baby. A smile bloomed on his face until he was grinning widely. Michael turned around from changing Elizabeth and saw him.

  “See, it’s one of the greatest things to be a father. To hold your kids in your arms is a feeling that is hard to describe. Look at you; you aren’t even a daddy yet, and you look like a pro.” And the baby started to cry flustering him. He regained his composure and started to rock the baby until he quieted down again.

  “Can I feed him?”

  “You would be doing me a favor because I promised Alicia I would let her have the morning to herself while I took care of them. I don’t know how she feeds them together. It’s not an easy process. I usually prop them up in the same crib together and feed them that way. Sit in the rocker and hold him in your arms this way.”

  He showed Xander how to hold Michael for feeding by demonstrating with Elizabeth. He handed him the bottle and Xander gently placed it against the baby’s lips. Baby Michael immediately took the nipple in his mouth and began to suckle. Michael sat in the opposite rocker and did the same with Elizabeth. While they were feeding the babies, Ava went down the hall passing by the partially opened door to the nursery. She could see Xander feeding her nephew, and he had a smile on his face. She was overwhelmed by the feeling of love. She stood watching him as he cradled the baby in his arms. It was then that she knew he would be a willing participant in their relationship and as parents. She stayed watching until Brooke came out of her room.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Nothing, just seeing if Michael needs help with our niece and nephew.”

  Brooke came to the nursery door. “Looks like Xander puts on a good act. I doubt he would make a very good father. I doubt he would make a very good husband either. You should run the other way before he breaks your heart.”

  Ava moved away from the door because she didn’t want Xander or her brother to hear.

  “Why would you say that Brooke?”

  Brooke narrowed her eyes, and her tone became sharp. “Because it’s true. Xander likes to fuck women and dump them. He is a commitment phobe. He probably has an STD; you should get yourself tested.”

  “He does not,” Ava said under her breath.

  “What did you say?”

  Ava raised her voice just enough to be audible, “I said he does not.”

  “How would you know, sweetie? You are too naive and virginal to ask for him to take a test. What could you possibly offer him in the way of experience? I’m sure you aren’t very good in bed.”

  Ava scowled at her. “If being good in bed means I have to sleep with many men like you do, then you can keep it. We do just fine.”

  Brooke sneered at her. “Did he tell you that or you are just gues
sing that you satisfy him. I bet he has cheated on you already.”

  The door swung open, and they came face to face with Xander. “That’s enough Brooke. Don’t you dare talk to her that way and spread lies.”

  “They aren’t lies, and you know it.”

  He took a step towards her. “You haven’t been around for five years so what do you know?”

  Michael stepped out into the hallway to end the dispute.

  “Brooke, either go downstairs or go to your room and stop causing conflict. Today is my day, and I am asking you as your brother, not to create drama. Dad needs help going over the liquor and wine order with Ingrid so why don’t you go down to the kitchen and offer your services. I’m sure you have a lot of experience with alcohol.”

  Brooke turned in a huff and walked towards the stairs.

  “She is my sister but what a bitch she can be. Are you okay, Ava? You aren’t a kid anymore. Stop taking her shit.”

  “I know, but she always knows how to dig at me.”

  “I have to go check on Alicia. Can you just watch the twins and make sure they don’t start crying?” He side hugged Ava and went down to his bedroom leaving her with Xander. There was an awkward silence between them as she went into the nursery. She went to the crib with Elizabeth and stroked her soft chubby legs. She turned to Xander.

  “I saw you feeding Michael.”

  Xander blushed. “Do you have doubts about me being a good father?”

  “No, I think you would be a great father, but the question is do you want to be a father?” He reached out to stroke her face. She had put her hair up and even though he wasn’t sure how she felt about him, he kissed her exposed neck.

  “I want to be a father, and I want to share that experience with you. Would you let me?”

  She hugged him around his waist putting her head against his chest. She looked up at him, “I will let you.”

  They stayed in the room briefly, until the twins fell back to sleep. Natalia came up to retrieve the baby monitor so she could keep an eye on them during the wedding. This gave Ava and Xander a chance to get dressed before the guests arrived.