by Skyla Madi
“You got sick. A few minutes after taking the shit, you said you felt sick. I took you to bed.” He paused. “You said some things.”
“W-what things?”
He smirked. “You think I have a big dick.”
I groaned, covering my face with my hands. How embarrassing.
“You also told me that Michael isn’t your real father.” Stephen turned slightly to face me. “You also said that you love me.”
The color drained from my face as I stared at him. I pulled my hand from his and quickly got out of the car. Stephen grabbed my wrist before I could storm off. He pulled me back and gently pushed me against the side of the car.
He was smiling down at me. “It freaks you out this much to hear that I know your secret?”
“You said you don’t want to involve feelings.”
“Alia, you and I both know that feelings got involved the first time we met.” He reached out to stroke my cheek. “You’re not good at lying or hiding your feelings. Your eyes always give you away.”
“Stephen—”
“Promise me something, Alia.”
“W-what?”
“Promise me that there will be no secrets between us anymore. No matter what happens, there will always be truth.”
“I-I promise.” He smiled again and then leaned forward to press a kiss against my forehead.
Stephen took my hand and led me across the street towards the restaurant. It was easy to spot my parents once we entered. They sat at the back along with my sisters, my aunt and uncle, and my sister and Patrick. I gripped Stephen’s hand tightly as he led me forward. My mom spotted us first. She gave me a bright smile as she stood. I hugged her tightly. She was losing weight, and it was easy to tell when we hugged.
Drinks were ordered along with appetizers. Stephen seemed ill at ease being around them, but he joined in on the conversation. It was after our dinner when things became tense. Silence settled. Michael cleared his throat as he glanced around the table. My eyes darted to my mother when she sat forward.
“I think it’s about time we tell you what’s been happening,” she said softly. “That weekend we went away wasn’t for a convention. I went to see a specialist at a hospital that deals with cancer.”
Stephen reached out to grip my hand. I could feel my heartbeat increasing when she paused.
“A few months ago, I was diagnosed with cancer,” she sucked in a breath. “I have leukemia. There’s no treatment I can take that will cure me. I’m dying.”
***
Cool air brushed against my back when the covers were raised. The bed dipped seconds later as Stephen climbed into bed. He didn’t touch me at all. A part of me wanted to be alone, but the other part needed him to be with me. I licked my lips then turned around to face him. Stephen laid on his back staring up at the ceiling. Lightning flashed, flooding the room with light. He sighed and then turned onto his side. I could feel his eyes on me even though it was dark. Minutes passed before he spoke.
“Are you okay?”
“I don’t think I’ll ever be okay again,” I whispered. “She’s dying, Stephen.”
He said nothing as he pulled me against his chest. A sob fell from my lips as reality settled in. My mother was dying, and there was nothing we could do to save her. The tears dried, which left me with a dry mouth and burning eyes. Stephen continued to stroke my back.
“Do you want me to get you some water?”
I shook my head. I sucked in a shaky breath as I pressed myself tighter against him. Stephen pressed a kiss against my forehead and then turned onto his back. I placed a leg over his as I laid my head on his chest.
“She’s dying.”
He linked his fingers through mine. “You should spend some time with her.”
“I’m sure there are some treatments she could do. Like chemo or—”
“Baby, there is no treatment. Like she said, it has gone too far to be cured. It’s too late.”
She’s dying. My mother was dying, and there was nothing I could do. How long did she have? More tears filled my eyes and silently dropped onto his chest. Everything was silent until it started to rain. Thunder made the windows vibrate.
“Do you ever think about the future?” I whispered.
“I’ve been thinking about it a lot since I met you,” Stephen said softly.
I could feel his heartbeat increasing against my ear. Was I part of his future? Were we together in the future?
“Stephen—”
“I dream of us,” he muttered, cutting me off. “I dream of watching you walk down the aisle toward me. I dream of watching our baby grow inside you. I dream of having lots of kids that look like you.”
“How many kids are we talking about?”
“At least five,” he said seriously.
“Five?” I raised my head to look up at him.
“You don’t want five kids?”
“That’s a big number,” I breathed. “How about we stick to one first and see how it goes?”
“We could do that.”
He reached up to cup my cheek. “We could buy a house on the beach.”
“No.” Horror washed through me. “I’d be spending my time worried sick that they would wander out and drown.”
“Okay.” He chuckled. “No beach house.”
“Do you want to have a big wedding?” I traced shapes on his skin with my finger.
“Isn’t that your decision?”
I smiled. “I’m fine with anything as long as you show up.”
Stephen laughed. His hand slid down my back to settle on my hip. He fell silent.
“Let’s elope,” he suddenly said.
My mouth fell open in shock. I gasped when he suddenly moved. Stephen hovered above me.
“I’ll take a few days off at work, and you don’t have to worry about school for another two weeks. I can get some plane tickets and we can go to Vegas. Just you and me, baby.”
“You’re serious,” I muttered, surprised.
“Yes,” he muttered.
His lips caught mine before I could say anything.
“Stephen,” I pressed my hands against his chest, “be reasonable. We can’t just run off to get married. Too much is happening right now. I don’t want you to do this and then regret it within a few months. I—”
“I won’t regret it, Alia. I’ve never been so sure about something in my life. I want to marry you and build a family with you.”
“You said you didn’t want any kids.”
He smiled at me. “The idea of having kids scares me shitless. I’ve never had a good role model, so I have no clue what a father is supposed to be like. I don’t think my grandfather counts.”
“Why not?”
“He had this thing where he would hit me over the head.” He laid down on his side with his head on his hand. “I had this tendency to ignore him when he spoke. He would always start telling these stories about what he did in his time. They were really boring. I would space out and get a slap to the head. He used to do that when I did something wrong. I know he didn’t mean it in a bad way.”
“He sounds like an interesting man,” I said softly.
“He was.” He smiled. “My grandmother was head over heels in love with him. One thing she couldn’t stand about him was his smelly socks. I wish they were still here for you to meet them.” Stephen reached out to trace my cheeks. “They would’ve liked you. Especially Granny.”
“I would’ve liked to have met them too.”
Silence settled again. The sound of the rain was slowly starting to lure me to sleep. My eyes fluttered closed, but I forced them open.
“It’s getting late. We should get some sleep.”
“Yeah,” I muttered, moving closer to him.
I was halfway asleep when he said the words that made me smile.
“I love you, baby.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
I parked the car in front of the station before getting out. The wind made my hair fly ar
ound my face as I climbed the stairs. It had only gotten colder after last night’s rain. The station wasn’t as packed as it was the last time I was here to see Stephen. In fact, it was almost completely empty. I walked toward the desk and cleared my throat to catch the woman’s attention. It was the same one who wouldn’t let me see Stephen.
“Can I help you?”
“I’m here to see Chief Dune,” I said softly.
“Do you have an appointment?”
“No—”
“Make an appointment then you can see him.”
I slammed my hands down on the counter and glared at her. “Listen here, bitch, I’m not in the fucking mood to be pleasant. I’ve had a shitty day. I want to see Chief Dune right fucking now!”
“You have no right to talk to me that way!” she yelled, her eyes almost bulging out of her head. “You better get some manners or I’ll lock you up for the night.”
“Fuck you,” I growled. “I want to see my fucking father right now, lady!”
She laughed. My hands fisted when she turned away from me. The woman walked over to the desk and sank down into the chair. My body started to shake the angrier I got. She was fucking ignoring me!
“Fine.” I gave her a smirk before charging the door that would lead me to the back.
It slammed shut behind me, which cut her off. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with bitchiness today. I glanced over my shoulder as the door opened and walked straight into someone else. Hands gripped my arms to steady me before pushing me away slightly. I glanced up straight into the face of Michael. He looked grim as he stared down at me.
“Sir,” the woman said behind me, “this girl claims to be your daughter.”
I bit my lip as I glanced up at him again. His lips twitched, but he didn’t smile. Michael glanced over my head at the woman.
“Thank you, Ferdie.” He looked back down at me. “Come on.”
I followed him silently as he led me through the tables and toward his office. He stepped aside for me to enter first. I took a seat in the chair at his desk. Michael walked around it and took a seat behind it. He watched me silently for a few minutes.
“Your mother wants to tell Marlin the truth,” he said softly.
“I bet you’d like that.”
“Not particularly.” My eyes snapped up to his. “I assume you came here for a particular reason?”
My eyes dropped to my lap before lifting to glance around his office. Surprise filled me when I saw the photo against the wall. It was taken not so long ago at a barbecue. Emma was posing at the camera dressed in a pink princess dress. I stood next to her with Sam in my arms. My eyes slowly drifted toward him.
“I didn’t like the fact that you aren’t my blood. I still don’t. It hurt me knowing that your mother had an affair with my brother,” he said softly. “A part of me understood why it happened, but the other part felt betrayed.”
“You still see him around—almost every day.”
“Yes, and it takes everything in me not to beat the shit out of him.” Michael sighed and then stood. He surprised me by taking a seat on the chair next to me. “Marlin was always better than me. He made our parents proud and it made me jealous. Everything I did never seemed good enough. Then I met your mother and it didn’t matter anymore. It hurt me because she lied to me about it, and then later when I confronted her, she told the truth. She was going to pretend like you were mine.”
“Would it have been so bad just to pretend? I always thought you hated me. You were always so distant and mean,” I said. Tears filled my eyes.
“Some things are just hard to explain, Alia.”
“Then try!”
“Why did you come here?”
I stared at him silently as he stood and turned his back on me. I stood and took a step closer to him. “Tell me! Tell me why you hate me so much! Look at me and tell me!”
“Because you’re not my blood!” he yelled as he spun around. He pressed a finger against his chest. “You’re not my blood! You’re not my daughter. You’re a reminder that my wife had sex with my brother. You look like him! You’re a reminder that I wasn’t there when she needed me. You’re a reminder that she betrayed me in the worst way possible after promising she would never offer her body to another man. Is that what you wanted to hear, Alia? I don’t fucking hate you. I hate the fact that I failed. That I—” He broke off, sucking in a breath. “I don’t hate you.”
“It feels like you do,” I whispered. I wiped my cheeks. “Are you going to hold it against her forever? You don’t have to forget, but you can forgive.” I reached down to pick up my bag. “You might not be my biological father, but you are my father in every other way.”
I walked out of the office before more tears could fall. Eyes burned into my back as I made my way toward Stephen’s office. The door stood open. I paused in the doorway. Stephen sat behind his desk with his eyes focused on the computer. He had a pen in his hand and would write down something every few seconds. I stepped into the office after a few more seconds. He glanced up. The smile he gave me made my heart swell.
Stephen dropped the pen as he pushed his chair back. Dropping my bag on the edge of the desk, I moved toward him. He opened his arms for me, and I didn’t hesitate to sit in his lap. His arms wrapped around me to keep me in place.
“Are you okay?”
I shook my head as I wrapped my arms around his waist. Something on his belt dug painfully into my hip, but I didn’t want to move away. He shifted slightly.
“Kate has been set free.”
“Oh.” I glanced up at him. “I thought you said they would keep her locked up until she tells the truth.”
“She has an alibi, so our hands are tied.”
I sighed and then dropped my head against his shoulder. His arm around my waist tightened. Stephen started working on the computer again. One of his hands stroked the skin of my back. I relaxed against him and closed my eyes. Our conversation from last night flashed through my mind. I sat up.
“Let’s do it,” I said softly. “Let’s elope.”
Chapter Forty
I stared down at this list in my hands. Half of it was already loaded into the cart. Nathan had made the list, and Stephen had added some things. Excitement filled me. We were going to elope. I was worried about the future, I admit that, but being with him made all the doubts fade. He wanted to marry me. I grabbed a jar of peanut butter and placed it in the cart before marking it down. Stephen said he’d look into tickets before talking to Michael. Once we got home tonight we’d talk about it more.
Half an hour later, my shopping was finished. I paid for the stuff before walking out of the supermarket. It started raining while I was inside. I paused briefly as I saw a black van parked a few feet from my car. It was a reminder of the day I almost got kidnapped. With my heart beating erratically in my chest, I walked toward my car. My eyes darted around nervously, but nothing seemed out of sorts. The keys dug into my hand as I gripped them tightly. I paused halfway to my car and pulled out my phone. Stephen answered on the second ring.
“I hope you didn’t change your mind.”
“No.” My eyes darted to the van again. “I—”
“What’s wrong?”
I paused, feeling a little unsure. “There’s a van parked in the parking lot, and it just reminded me of what happened. I’m sorry I’m being stupid.”
“Alia,” Stephen said softly, “you are not stupid. I understand why you feel this way. Can you give me the license plate number?”
I repeated the number to him before walking toward my car again. I felt stupid. It was probably somebody’s family van. Most people used those to travel with the kids.
“I’m sorry I interrupted your work,” I said softly. “I should get going, and so should you. I’ll see you at home.”
“Of course you will, baby. We have some plans to make.” He sounded excited.
I hesitated but decided I had nothing to lose, so I repeated the words he said to me.
There was a pause. “I love you too, baby.”
I ended the call and then turned to my car. The phone slipped from my fingers as I stared at the man.
“It’s nice to see you again, Alia.”
I was frozen in fear. My legs wouldn’t listen to the command my brain was sending to run. The man’s eyes darted over my shoulder, but before I could do anything, I felt something prick my skin. With a hand pressed to my neck, I spun. Tears filled my eyes as my body started to turn numb. My mouth fell open, but not a sound escaped. Kate raised the needle in her hand as she smirked at me.
“I told you that you will regret it.”
***
My body was overheating. It was too warm to breathe normally. I felt sick and groggy. A moan fell from my lips as I slowly turned onto my back.
“She’s waking up,” a voice whispered nearby.
I opened my eyes and blinked rapidly as I stared at the face above mine. It was slightly dark, but I could make out her face. Another one appeared; she had dried blood against her temple. I winced as they helped me sit up. My body was stiff and bruised.
“My name is Marie,” the girl to my left said softly. “That’s Anne.” She pointed to the girl with the blood on her temple.
“Where are we?” I croaked.
“Here.” Anne held out a bottle filled with water. “Take it slow. You’ve been out for a while, and the water is warm.”
I took the open bottle from her with a shaky hand. The water tasted like shit, but it felt good trailing down my dry throat. After taking a few sips, I handed the bottle back over to her. I glanced around. Shock filled me. About twenty other girls sat around. They were all dirty and looked thin and extremely pale.
“They have been here a lot longer than we have,” Marie said softly.
“How long have we been here?”
“If I had to guess I’d say about a day, maybe two.” She paused. “You’ve been out for a long time. Even when they threw you in here, you didn’t wake up.”
