Blackmailing Aria [Book 1 of the Stavros Series]

10

The vodka bottle in Xander's hand drops to the floor and shatters. The stench of the strong liquor envelops the bedroom and tickles my nose.
Xander stays frozen in his seat, keeping his eyes glued to me in shock. I gasp when I realize what I have just done, then the tears follow.
"I'm sorry," I sob, sitting back on the mattress. I pull my knees up to my chest, trying to gain any kind of comfort. "I'm so sorry."
I have lived with this secret for years, burying it deep inside. I didn't want anyone to know. I didn't want to become the spectacle of my small conservative Texan town and I especially didn't want Xander to know.
I should have told him as soon as I found out that I was pregnant, but there was no way to contact him. I had to wait months for summer to roll around before I could go to New York and see him again.
But, by the time spring had arrived, I had already lost the baby.
I blamed myself for it, since it's my body, but that didn't make me feel any better. So I shoved the blame on Xander. It was his child too. I told myself I hated him for years, but I only hated myself.
Minutes go by before I feel a comforting hand on my back. That's all it takes for me to sob harder. Xander pulls me into his chest quickly, holding me tight. I begin to feel his tears soak my neck.
"I'm so sorry," I cry over and over again, clutching onto his shoulders with my life.
"Shhh," he whispers, holding me closer. "Don't say that. It's not your fault . . . is it?"
I pull away from his hold in anger, but once I see the look upon his face of absolute heartbreak, I deflate. How is he supposed to know what happened if I don't tell him?
I reach out and grab his hand, squeezing it tightly. "It was an abdominal pregnancy," I whisper with a crack in my voice. "It's very rare, and even more rare that a child will be born from it with a healthy body, or at all."
"You mean," he croaks, "it was . . ."
I look him in his red rimmed eyes that are still wet and shedding tears. Softly, I say, "My fertilized egg attached itself in my abdomen, rather than my uterus. It couldn't get the right nutrients that it needed from me."
He looks down at the blankets on the bed and focuses his stare at one spot. He seems to be lost in his own world.
I lay back in the bed, resting my head on the pillow. I tug on Xander's hand, silently asking him to lay next to me. He does it without question, lying on his side to face me. Gently, I move his hand to my stomach. He begins to cry once again, as I do the same.
When the sun begins to peek through the curtains, I close my eyes. He pulls me closer to him, letting me rest my head in the crook of his neck. With his fingers running gentle circles across my back, I fall asleep.
...
When I awake in the mid afternoon, I have strikes of pain, light lightning shooting through my stomach. I groan and turn over, expecting to roll into Xander's side. Except, I don't.
My eyelids finally pry open to reveal a vacant spot next to me.
The room is empty and the door to the bathroom is ajar, showing no one else inside. I notice the broken bottle of alcohol from the night before is gone, and any remnants of it has disappeared as well.
After taking a while to wake up, and a trip to the bathroom, I drag myself through the villa. I call out his name and look in every room, but it's like he vanished.
But he wouldn't leave me like this . . . would he?
Pain shoots through my stomach once again. I gasp while holding my hand to the spot that feels as if it's being stabbed.
My feet carry me into the kitchen, where a chef is preparing lunch. "Bueno sera," she greets with a big smile on her face. "Lunch will be ready soon."
I slide onto the stool before the counter, feeling as if death itself as found it's way to me. "Can I get something to treat my stomach? Maybe some tea?"
The chef comes around the counter, a concerned look on her face. "What is wrong?"
I shake my head as I grumble, "I don't know. But it hurts."
The chef reaches her hand out and presses it against my own hand. "Here?" She presses harder, nearly making me scream. She jumps back in surprise. "Oh no," her accent strong as steel. "You must have eaten something bad. Hard to digest."
I nod my head in agreement, not knowing any other reason. She rifles through the cabinets, pulling an item from each one. Fifteen minutes later I have a concoction pushed in front of me that resembles soup, but it's too bright to be that.
I look up at the chef with a confused look. "Eat," she yells, waving her hand. "Good for stomach!"
Cautiously, I pick up the spoon beside the bowl and take my first bite. It tastes a lot better than I thought it would, because not much later it's gone.
By the time the chef finishes lunch, Xander finally walks through the door.
"Oh," I mumble, "hi."
He comes to my side and kisses my head. I savour in the feeling of having him so close to me.
"I'm sorry I left you," he whispers in my ear. "I wanted to finish all my work."
I look back at him with confusion. "All of it?"
He nods his head, a smile creeping on his face. "I talked to my Dad and brother. They said they would be happy to finish the work here. I explained to them I wanted to spend time with you."
I begin to shake my head, except Xander's hands stop me. With my cheeks in his palms, he stares deeply into my eyes. "I need this Aria. We both need this."
I close my eyes blissfully as he leans into gently kiss my forehead.
Home. That is what this feels like.