I woke up on Alex’s bed; the other side was cold and empty. My eyes snapped open; my last memory was falling asleep in his arms. Alex usually stayed up late at night reading files, making notes and calls, and never left the bed until I woke up.
Over the past week, I’d grown used to waking up to him beside me, wishing me good morning, and ensuring I’d slept well and hadn't been plagued by nightmares, as I had been the first few days after my rescue. I never told him about them, but he somehow knew.
A growing suspicion had taken root: the two weeks I hadn’t seen him, filled with dreams of his touch, kisses, and hand-holding, weren’t dreams. He’d really been there, sitting beside me all night.
“Alex?” I called sleepily. Receiving no reply, I got out of bed. The bathroom and walk-in closet were empty. This was strange. Alex wasn’t here.
I quickly completed my morning routine, changed into comfortable lounge wear, and rushed downstairs.
Even before reaching the hallway, I heard Sofia’s voice: “I loved the chocolates, thank you, and the new hair. Are you sure you can’t stay for breakfast?”
Another voice replied, “Sometime else? I need to help Dad with some work today. I’m interning under him for the summer, and I’m so excited—”
I tuned out the girl’s words as I approached. Sofia hugged a large box of chocolates, facing a girl with light pink hair, perfectly curled to her shoulders. She was fair, my height, and fit, her toned muscles visible in her shorts and small top.
The girl stopped talking and her smile vanished when she saw me.
“Oh, Skye, this is Mia,” Sofia said, sensing the tension. “Mia, this is Skye. She’s Gabriel’s friend’s daughter, and they were best friends until high school, after which Skye moved away. She’s finally back!”
I remembered Skye—the girl who, according to Aurora (not me), had followed Alex like a puppy when they were children, then left the country at sixteen after he rejected her. Dramatic, much? And I was his first love's wife.
“Alex’s Mia?” Skye looked disapproving.
I offered a small, nervous smile. “Nice to meet you, Skye. I’ve heard a bit about you from Aurora.”
Her lips twisted. “I can’t believe Alex got married,” she said, scrutinizing me. I instinctively hugged my arms across my chest.
“Skye,” Sofia said sternly but affectionately. “Be nice and welcoming.”
Skye sighed, then forced a smile. “Sorry. You just surprised me. It’s weird; the Alex we knew ran from commitment, and then boom! He has a wife.”
“Skye,” Sofia warned.
“It’s okay,” I said, smiling awkwardly at Sofia, then batting my eyelashes at Skye innocently. “It just takes the right person, I guess.”
Skye’s face soured. “I should leave. I’ll visit another time.” She quickly hugged Sofia, gave me a perfunctory goodbye, and hurried out.
Sofia sighed. “I’m sorry about her. She’s just… she’s been a huge fan of Alex since childhood.”
“You don’t need to apologize. I understand.”
“You’re family, okay? If Skye disrespects you again, come to me. Clear?” I nodded. “But from what I saw, you handled her pretty well.”
I chuckled. “Where… where is Alex?”
Sofia’s brow furrowed. “He didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“Alex left last night. An emergency required his immediate presence. I asked if you knew, and he said he’d call and explain before you woke up.”
Fear and anxiety gripped me. “Alex left for where?”
“He went back to Philadelphia, Mia.”
And left me here? What the f**k?
My anger didn’t fully erupt until that evening, while I watched Netflix in his room. Triple security was in place—likely for safety—but his phone was still off. That bitch left me alone and actually went back. So much for protecting me. Granted, a million guards would kill a fly that tried to bite me, but he still left.
My worry intensified when I tried calling him that night; his phone was still off. I slept with the phone in my hand, but my worry escalated to panic when morning arrived with no contact.
So I did the logical thing: I barged into Alex’s father’s study, demanding Damien’s number.
All my confidence vanished when Gabriel Whitlock looked up from his files, as if I’d offended him by entering without permission. “Can I help you, Mia?”
I gulped. “It’s Alex. He—he said he’d call after he arrived, but it’s been over twenty-four hours. I—I’m worried about him.”
Gabriel’s expression softened. “He does that sometimes. He gets engrossed in work there and keeps his phone off to avoid distractions. Says distractions cost lives in his line of work.”
“You’re not worried?” I asked, surprised.
“I was the first few times. Now I’m used to it.”
“I—I’m not,” I said quietly. “I told him I was happy here, but I didn’t mean he should leave me here and go without telling me.”
“You miss him,” Gabriel commented. I avoided his gaze. “Mia, I’ve seen the way my son looks at you. You tamed his demons—the ones my wife and I spent our lives failing to chase away. He hasn’t abandoned you. He would never leave you if he had a choice. I’m sure the situation demanded it.”
My worry persisted.
“When you were in the hospital after your kidnapping,” Gabriel added, his voice slightly playful, “Alex roamed around like a wounded puppy. I wasn’t sure if his men would even take his orders; he was that distraught.”
I chuckled softly.
“He used to wait outside your room every night when you refused to see him, waiting until you fell asleep so he could sit beside you,” Gabriel said. “His mother and I asked him to sleep countless times because he worked all day, but he refused to close his eyes because that was his only time with you—at night.”
Tears welled in my eyes. Stupid hormones and medication. “Thank you,” I whispered breathlessly. “For telling me this.”
“My son’s an idiot, but don’t give up on him, okay?” Gabriel nodded with a small smile. “And that’s not to say you should accept his crap. If he ever mistreats you, come to me, and I’ll fix him for you.”
I smiled back. “Thank you,” I repeated.
“Family doesn’t thank each other,” Gabriel said, sighing when I thanked him again. I apologized for barging in and left, my heart lighter but still worried. Where was he? What was so important that he left like this?