XANDRY
My gut was tied into a thousand knots. The kind that it took days to settle. I could feel the hesitation in her action, see the confusion and worry in those eyes, but above all, there was hope in that embrace. I could feel the pulsating of her vein, the quickening of her heartbeat— only for me.
I left her though my heart told me not to. At least her heart didn’t lie—and that was what I was holding onto.
I had plans for tomorrow, so I slept like dead the moment I rested my head down against my pillow.
The constant ringing of my phone woke me up from a deep slumber— it was a call from the hospital, telling me that Sunshine had wakened up.
“Hey, how do you feel?” I smiled down at Sunshine still on her bed. She looked better—a light pink color tinged on her face, though her body was still weak, she was able to seat on the bed without support.
They transferred her to the private room I paid for her, but the close monitoring by her doctors continued.
“Better, I guess. Thought I died that day,” she chuckled softly, then winced.
“You’re not gonna die, Shine. We’re going to witness together when Sammer walks down the aisle, have kids, and grow old. Should I call a doctor to check you up?” I asked, holding her hand, which was surprisingly warmer than yesterday.
“No, thank you. I’m fine. I have a strong pain threshold. When I can see her again, Xandry?”
“You’ve just seen her, Shine. You need to fully recover your strength. We don’t want to open your wound, do we?” I’d learned from her nurse that she wouldn’t stop whining if they didn’t allow her to see Sammer before I arrived. That was actually the reason why the hospital called me early— they thought I might be able to convince her to calm down.
“Fine,” she mumbled, seemingly unimpressed with my decision, but I couldn’t put her life at risk again. We had to follow the doctor’s advice for her and our child’s benefit.
“She’s beautiful, right? Wanna see her pictures? I have them.” I’m glad it excited her to see our daughter despite the fact that she almost died from complications. I pulled out my phone from my pocket, tapped the gallery icon, and offered it to her.
The tears fell down her face, lips quivered to smile as she looked at the photos I took yesterday. She touched the screen gently like touching the delicate face of our baby. “She’s beautiful, Xandry. I didn’t get a chance to hold her longer. I suddenly felt dizzy in front of her.” More tears rolled down her cheeks. “Thank you so much for everything! I might be dead without you and I wouldn’t get a chance to see and hold her.”
“I won’t let you die, Sunshine. I’ll do everything in my power to save both of you even if I have to put my life at risk,” I assured her, wiping the tears from her face.
“I wish I could see her again.” She sniffed, and I pulled some tissue and gave it to her.
“Just get better and you’ll see her again.” I held her hand and promised. “She weighed four pounds, the doctor said when her weight will be doubled and able to adjust to the temperature of the environment and able to breathe all by herself, she can come home with us. Mom and—” A soft knock on the door cut me off. “Speaking of the devils, come in!” I released her hand and stood up.
Mom, Dad, and Saph came in. After what happened with their last encounter I wasn’t expecting Saph would be here with pink glossy balloons on her hand with ’Welcome to the Williams Family, Baby Sammer!’ in golden print. Mom had a bouquet of flowers on her grasp.
“Congratulations, Sunshine!” Dad moved closer, kissing her head. “I’m glad you’re awake. How’re you feeling? You know you’re like a family to us, so whatever your plans after this—”
“Dad.” It wasn’t the right time to talk about her future, though it was not a secret on both sides, still, with her condition, she couldn’t process it all.
“It’s alright, Xandry.” She pasted a small smile on her face.
“What your dad is trying to say, Xandry. Nothing’s changed, we are still here for her,” Mom explained, and I didn’t say any more.
“Well, congrats, mamasita!” Saph placed the balloons down the floor and smiled at Sunshine.
“Thank you, Ms. Williams.”
I rolled my eyes and glanced at Saph. “Call her Saph, Sunshine.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry about what I said and how I treated you before. It was wrong to judge you, now I’m an Aunt Saph, I think we should start over and forget the past, right?”
“Good,” I muttered.
“Thank you, Saph. You know it was not my intention to get—you know, pregnant.” Sunshine shrugged with teary eyes.
“Oh, you two stop being dramatic and I can’t wait to see Sammy—”
“Sammy?” I cocked my brow to Mom.
“Yeah, she can’t be Sam because you’ve got one.” Mom propped her hands on her hips and her brow raised.
“That’s not what I mean, Mom, but did you just gave my daughter a nickname?” I laughed enthusiastically.
“Of course, and I can’t believe my children have grown up and I’m a gramma. I still remember when you peed while I was changing your diaper, Xandry, and you know you’re little—”
“Oh, Mom, please, It’s not little anymore.” I shook my head, again and again, feeling my face heated talking about my Rosy boa turned into an Anaconda.
Dad burst out laughing, kissing Mom on her head. “Don’t insult his little snake, we don’t have little Sammy if, you know?” he whispered, though it was loud enough to make Sunshine’s face tinged rosy.
Jesus H. Christ!
“We’re still young, Princess. So, we should probably arrange a welcome party for our first grandchild, what do you think, Sunshine?” he added.
“That would be awesome, Mr. Williams.”
“It’s just Phoenix and Sam, honey.”
“I’m excited to invite my friends, yay!” Saph almost jumped with excitement, and I looked at her quizzically.
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing. Sammy has to stay for at least six weeks until she gets her body weight to normal.
“Good to know, son. You did your homework.” Dad slapped my back with a chuckle.
Sunshine yawned after the nurse gave her an injection. We left the hospital separately after a short visit to my child.
Saph held my arms before I could get inside my car. “Xandry, I know you sent Blaine to her sister’s apartment.”
I turned to face her, waving my hand to our parents leaving in their car. “So?”
“So what? Are you two back together now you’re a dad?” Now, she was back to the nosy cat.
I rolled my eyes. “Do you think it’s too early to talk about my relationship?”
“What I mean, how do you handle it when Sunshine still has to stay in your apartment?”
“So? Blaine knew Sunshine and I only share Sammer.”
“So, it’s okay with you if she let Ethan stay in her house?”
And that caught me off guard. My hands already fisted at my side, my face turned granite and my muscles tensed simultaneously at the memory of how I saw him touching what was mine.
“That’s what I thought.”
Seething, I said through gritted teeth, “It’s different.”
“How is it so different?”
“They don’t share Ben, and Hall signed that he had nothing to do with the child.”
“And that’s my point because you have full custody and yet, you allow her to see your child anytime she wants. Where is your privacy then?”
“Are you telling me that I should kick Sunshine out of my child’s life?”
“Not kick out, but figured it out soon. At least she should see Sammy every weekend or you send her when Sunshine has no classes, then you have time for yourself and to spend quality time with Blaine.”
My brows furrowed because Saph had a point, but I was stubborn to accept my own mistakes, so I walked out instead. “It’s too early to talk about it, Saph. I really should go, take care, twinnie. I love you.” I got in my car with scattered thoughts.
“Do you have a date?” She knocked on my window and grinned with mischief.
“No, I don’t have a date,” I answered nonchalantly, buckling the seat belt.
“A friendly date then?”
“Stop it, Saph, I have to work now I have a child to feed.” It was nothing new between me and my twin, I’d always tried to shoo her away when she got too nosy.
“Don’t lie to me now, brother. You will always come to me when you’re in trouble.” She winked, still smiling mischievously, then blew me a kiss.
***
“Welcome to my apartment!” I greeted them with a wide smile on my lips as I opened the door, then I stepped aside to let them in.
Blaine agreed to see me as a friend and for Ben as he kept on asking about me since I left yesterday. She refused for dinner at the restaurant. I didn’t get it why though, but I didn’t pry. I was glad she agreed otherwise I didn’t get a chance to see her again. She wore a simple above the knee cut white lace dress that fitted immaculately on her figure.
“Sandry, you have a big home!” Ben gushed, wandering his eyes around as he sauntered inside, leaving me alone with his mom at the front door.
“Thanks, buddy. And thank you for coming, Mommy Blaine!” I planted a kiss on her cheek.
A red flushed all over her face. “I know you’re a busy dad right now, but thank you for inviting us. By the way, how’s Sunshine?” she asked, seemingly guarding her words.
“My pleasure, sweetheart. Sunshine’s doing great, but still on bed rest. The doctor will allow her to walk once her dizziness subsided.” I placed my hand on her lower back as we got inside to my spacious entryway which opened up to the large living room. I called the housekeeper when I came back from the hospital. I invited them to my white custom-made couch where I let them settled in while I was going to prepare our dinner— just taking the red wine out, more or less.
“I wish I cooked this food,” I said when she appreciated the dinner I ordered. I could cook, but I didn’t have much time and not as delicious as this steak that the meat melted in my mouth.
“It’s yummy, Sandry.” Ben grinned, then licked his lips.
“Thanks, buddy! I’m glad you like it.” I smiled at him, then I looked at Blaine. “That’s from our restaurant. I was planning to open a new branch or a restaurant on my own in your town, but I guess I have to postpone it for a while.”
“Oh, well then, let me be your first customer.” Her voice registered surprise and lips spread into a striking smile.
After the dinner, we watched The Good Dinosaur on the full HD TV screen attached to the stone wall and down was an opulent electric fireplace.
Blaine sandwiched between me and Ben with a bowl of cheesy popcorn on her lap. Inwardly, I groaned when my foot accidentally rubbed against hers as she crossed them together.
Damn you people who made friendzone a big thing!
“No way, his dad is not gonna die,” she remarked when Henry saved Arlo before he swept away by a flash flood on a rainstorm.
“Have you not watch this movie?” I leaned my head on her shoulder and grabbed a handful of popcorn from her bowl. My heart thundered in my chest as I smelled her sweet and feminine perfume. The feeling of her warm and soft skin pressed against mine almost made me moan. My skin tingled, hummed, and flushed.
Shit!
Her head turned to look at me. “No, I thought this is a little hard for kids.”
“And yet, you let Ben watch. We can play another movie, I have rented other animated films for Ben.”
“I want to watch this, Mommy,” Ben protested, craned his head, and looked at us.
“Sure, baby. Cover your eyes if you don’t wanna see something, okay?” Blaine raked her fingers through Ben’s long hair just as I slightly raised my head to watch her doing it. Ben nodded obediently.
A warm filled my chest with her small gesture to her son. I almost dreamed of her doing this to Sammer. But, will she ever accept me and Sammer as a package deal?
She didn’t take you back, asshole! Who is so ahead of himself now?
“What?” She gave me a quizzical look.
I raised my head. “What what?”
“You chuckled. When was the last time you cut your hair?” She swept the hair on my forehead. The closeness of her face made my heartbeat gallop. I could feel her red wine smell-breath warming my face.
“Do you want me to cut it?” My voice turned raspy and deep. My cock reacted happily to her touch— it hardened, twitched, and strained against my pants.
Fuck!
She stared at me intently, warmly, and admirably. Her gorgeous eyes darkened and ablaze with desire. I was sure as fuck she saw how shamelessly turned on I was through my eyes.
My jaw clenched.
She moved her gaze down to my lips, unconsciously biting her red-coated plump lip. And it drove me insane as I stared longer at her and not being able to slam mine on hers.
What a beautiful tease!