by A P Gore
Guilt creeped inside her and crawled to her heart. Half an hour later, she felt like the worst person in the world. She needed to apologize and mend fences with him. Maybe if she told him about Gracie, he would let her visit and maybe find a better solution than getting slapped.
Yes, she would do that.
A knock on the door pulled her from her ruminations. The housekeeper stood in the doorway with a tray bearing two coffee mugs. The all-familiar vanilla coffee aroma lifted her spirits.
“Ma'am. Mr. Hamilton asked me to bring you coffee. Shall I serve it in here, or do you want to have it in the dining room?”
An idea popped in her head. “Is the second mug for Gavin?”
“Yes, ma'am.”
“Then give the tray to me. I'll take it to him.”
The lady seemed surprised, but she agreed and left the tray on the small table next to the door.
Samantha set one mug aside and took the tray to Gavin's bedroom. She had the perfect opportunity to apologize. When she reached the first floor, she found his bedroom door open, so she went inside.
Gavin's back was to her; he was talking on the phone with someone, and she heard her name. She was about to call his name when she overheard him ask about her background check.
Samantha froze in place, unable to say anything. All she heard was his words. He was asking someone to run a background check on her. Why would he do that? Didn't he trust her?
The tray she bought for him quivered, and the brown coffee mug filled with his favorite coffee slipped off the tray. It shattered on the floor, and the coffee sprayed everywhere, staining the white dress Tan had bought her. She was here to apologize for her obnoxious behavior, but instead she was accused of lying. That's what he thought about her? A gold digger? Was that all she was to him? Had she asked him for a single penny? Why did he have to do this to her? If he had told her to go away, she would have.
Pushing back her tears, she ran downstairs. She couldn't live here anymore. She’d had enough of this nonsense. All she got was a broken heart, and enough hatred for a lifetime. Marriage wasn't for her. Her first husband died, and the second one didn't trust her.
Gavin followed her. Catching up with her, he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him.
“Sam, would you please listen?”
She stared in his warm brown eyes. Usually she would find herself in those eyes, but today she found deception and lies. “What's there to listen to? You ran a background check on me. Are you afraid I'll ask you for more money?”
His eyes changed, the same look James’s mother—Gracie—used to give her when she fought back. A look of contempt.
Yanking her hand from his, she pushed him away. “I can't stay here anymore. I'm going back to the airport and taking the first flight back to New York with my pumpkin.”
Leaving him behind, she stepped into her small bedroom and stuffed her recently unpacked luggage back in her bag. When she walked back into the main hall, Gavin was still there, staring at her with pained eyes.
Seeing her, he stepped in front of her and extended his arms wide to stop her. “Sam, please calm down. I can explain. I just wanted to protect you That's why I asked Rosie to check your background, so I can eliminate anything coming at you.”
Samantha snorted. Protect. Running background checks on someone without that person's knowledge, was that these rich people called protection? If he wanted to protect her, he could have asked her directly, and she would have told him everything. Her life was simple, and she had nothing to hide.
“That's a breach of my privacy, Mr. Hamilton. This wasn’t in the contract. So, please, get out of my way.” She had nothing else to say to him. All she wanted was to get out of there and go back to her normal life with her pumpkin. Two days without him, and she had already suffered enough, had been through enough. She just wanted peace now. So, she was putting an end to this.
“Sam.” He grabbed her arms. “For God's sake, listen to me. Can't you understand my feelings?” He pulled her closer. “I love you, dummy. Can't you feel that?”
She remained stiff in his arms, not responding at all.
After a few moments, he released her and held her at arm’s length. “I don't want to continue this fake marriage. I want us to be real.”
Chapter 39
Samantha's heart stopped. Did she hear that right? Did he just say he loved her? Her eyes searched his and found sincerity burning in them.
Jesus! He loved her. He actually said those words.
She wanted to jump in the air, run into his arms, and kiss him wildly on those kissable lips.
But then James’s face floated in front of her eyes, along with Aaron’s.
No, she couldn't do that. She couldn't betray James like this. What would she tell Aaron when he grew up? What if he asked why she betrayed his father? This was a sin, and she would not do it.
Her heart broke with that thought. Teary eyed, she stared at Gavin who was looking at her with hope-filled eyes.
Jesus! Why did she meet this man? To say no to him? How was that fair?
But what about her heart? Why was it bouncing inside, urging her to say yes to the man standing in front of her?
She swallowed hard. She wished she could swallow her heart, too, and stop it from crying out.
“Gavin, I'm sorry. I can't.”
“Why? Because I asked for a background check on you? Is it that a big a crime? Or do you really think I believe you want to ask me for money?” He released her and ran his fingers through his hair. “For God's sake, Sam. Take whatever you want. I don't care. I want you to be with me. If I cared about money, I'd have joined my dad's business.”
She shook her head. No, she didn't think that at all. But she didn’t know what to say either. She could feel his sincerity, and her heart knew the truth, but how could she betray James?
“Then what?” he asked. “Did I mistreat you? Or lack sincerity in my efforts?”
She again shook her head. He was the most sincere man she’d ever met. All the times he’d taken care of her, comforted her, or hid her in his arms ran in front of her eyes, and not once he had shown any insincerity in his efforts. But she still couldn't betray James, nor Aaron.
“You really don’t want this? Don’t want... me?” Gavin said softly.
No. She wanted to cry out loud and say no. But then Gracie popped up in her mind’s eye, accusing her for James’s death. How could she say yes with all this baggage on her shoulders?
She bit her lower lip. Her heart slammed against her chest, trying to jump out and go to him.
“No, Gavin.” She forced the words out one by one. It was hard. “I want to go home.” What she really wanted was to curl up somewhere and cry her heart out.
“Okay then.” He dropped on a nearby couch. Shoulders slumped, eyes downcast, he looked defeated. And it broke her heart. “I'll drop you off at the airport.”
It felt like a final goodbye.
“I can make it on my own.” She wasn't ready to say goodbye. She was afraid she would break down and give up. She was afraid she would run into his arms.
“No, I'll drop you off myself and send you back in the same jet that's bringing Aaron here. That way I know you’re both safely on your way.”
Even now, he was caring for her. With all the strength in her body, she muscled down tears. They were threatening to come out at any time. “No, I'll book a ticket back on the next flight.”
“That's not acceptable. I dragged you here, so I should be the one to get you home.”
Nothing came to her. She just sat on a nearby chair in silence. Words couldn’t fill the hole in her heart.
Chapter 40
Someone stepped through the front door, but Gavin didn't notice. He was too baffled to notice anything right now. His heart was shattered. For the first time in his life, he understood what it felt like to be heartbroken. The woman he loved just rejected his affection, and she was walking away from him forever.
For the hundredth time, he stole
a glance at Samantha sitting nearby, head down, eyes closed.
Seeing her like that tore his heart into a hundred pieces, and knowing that he was the reason for her unhappiness tore those hundred pieces into a thousand once.
God. Why did he do that? Why did he ask Rosie to run a background check on her? Was it that big of a mistake? No, right? Even Samantha said it wasn't, and yet she rejected him. Why would she do that?
He ran his fingers through his hair for the hundredth time, but no solution came to mind. Only one thing moved in his mind, swinging back and forth like a pendulum. She was leaving, and she would be out of his life for good.
“Gavin, do you have to come?” Her voice came out low, like a child after a ton of crying. Anger leaked through her voice, leaping at him for his mistake. Her words squeezed his heart, bleeding it dry. She didn't even want him to come with her one last time. But he couldn't let her go alone.
“Yes.” He wanted to add “don't go,” but he didn't. Pushing down the pain, he added, “I have to. You're my responsibility.” He choked on the word. He wanted to run to her and plead with her, but she wouldn't listen.
She shrugged a shoulder. “Let's go, then.”
Gavin rose and went straight to the limo. He sat up front with the chauffeur, knowing that she wouldn't want him near her. She even hated him hugging her. Didn't she feel a single thing about him? Was he that bad?
No answer came. There was no answer. It was his first love, and yet he’d failed. The mighty Gavin Hamilton, who could possess any woman he wanted, failed to win the heart of the one that mattered.
He punched the dashboard.
“Sir, is something wrong?” the chauffeur asked.
Gavin stared straight ahead. “Why do you ask?”
The chauffeur frowned. “Nothing, sir. Shall we depart?”
Gavin nodded and closed his eyes. He didn't open them again until the limo pulled up outside the airport.
“Please take her luggage to the jet that's arriving in an hour or so.” He glanced at Samantha in the rearview mirror. She was rubbing her eyes. In the half hour journey, she seemed to age by ten years. She must have regretted all of this. And well, she should. She must be thinking about what a jerk she’d met by accident.
Regret filled his heart and tightened around his lungs. He sought her eyes in the mirror.
“Please...” It was hard to say any words at all. “Wait in the waiting area. I'll get you something to eat.”
She nodded and got out, then headed for the airport. From the corner of his eye, he spotted Rosie waving her hand and walking toward the car, but suddenly her eyes widened, and she cupped her mouth. He followed the direction of her gaze.
Samantha lay on the ground.
Chapter 41
His heart in his throat, Gavin leaped out of the car and ran to Samantha’s side. Kneeling, he gently pulled her into his arms. A weight settled on his heart. What had happened to her?
“Sam, wake up.” He lightly slapped her cheeks, but she didn't respond. “Sam, please wake up.” Still no response.
His heart raced, and the weight on his heart doubled. What was wrong? Why wasn't she answering?
Tan and Rosie caught up with them. “Brother, what happened?”
Gavin couldn't speak. He was paralyzed by fear. Why wasn't Samantha responding?
Tan leaned forward and put her fingers on Samantha's wrist. “Oh my god, is she dead? I can't feel her pulse!”
The weight on his heart tripled, and suddenly he couldn't breathe. Dead? No way! She wasn't dead.
“Tan, shut up.” Rosie sprang into action. First, she placed her hand on Samantha's throat. “Her pulse is normal. She's just unconscious.” Then she slapped Gavin's shoulder hard. “Gavin, get up and take her to the hospital.”
Yes, he should take her to the hospital. He couldn’t lose her. No matter what, he would hold on to her. Grabbing her close to his chest, he rose to his feet. If he remembered correctly, there was a hospital nearby.
“Rosie, stay here and wait for Aaron.”
“Okay. Call me as soon as you hear something.” Rosie's voice died up as he ran toward the airport exit.
“Sam, please wake up.” He glanced at her pale face. Seeing her like that, his muscles again started losing strength. No, this wasn't time for that. He swallowed his anxiety and sped up.
This was the second time she’d collapsed like this. The first time, the doctor said it was because of stress. Why didn't he get her checked out completely? God, what was happening with her. The moment he reached the airport exit, he spotted an ambulance parked on the corner. Having a private jet, all his check-out activities were taken care of, and for the first time he felt good about it.
“Help!” He called to the uniformed man leaning against the ambulance, smoking. “She collapsed. I need to get her to a hospital!”
The man jumped into action, and once Samantha was settled in the back of the ambulance and EMT’s performed their initial check, they began their journey.
Gavin sat next to her head, his eyes fixed on her pale face, unable to think of a reason she would collapse like this. There was nothing wrong with her. They were enjoying their time together. Then what?
Nothing came to mind.
Ten minutes later, they got out at the hospital. It didn't seem like a nice hospital, but he didn't have much in the way of options. The nurse took Samantha to the ER and asked him to wait in the lobby.
He waited, pacing around the old worn out lobby, thinking about her. Worried sick. Why did he come here? If he hadn't listened to his mother, he and Samantha would be in New York. This hospital did not look good.
His pulse raced with every passing second.
An eternity later, a doctor with a long beard and sleepy eyes walked out of the ER. He paused, looking around before approaching Gavin. “Mr. Hamilton?”
“Yes, that’s me. How is she?”
“Are you her guardian?” The doctor asked, studying him.
“I'm her husband. Is she all right? Is she awake?”
He paused, a pause that threatened to stop Gavin's heart. “She’s stable right now. I've ordered a full workup. We’ll know more when we have the test results.”
“Can I see her?” Without waiting for his answer, Gavin rushed through the door. The ER was horribly outdated. God, they separated patients with worn out sheet partitions. Samantha lay on an old bed with an IV attached to her wrist. Other than her pale face, she seemed fine, but she didn't respond when he called her name.
Grasping her hand, he rubbed in and said her name again, and again, but she remained unconscious.
Blood boiling through his veins, he rushed outside. The doctor was talking with Tan. “Doctor, why isn't she waking up? You said she's stable, but she seems anything but stable.”
“I don't know. Let's wait until the chief comes back.”
“Then why did you say she's stable?” Gavin muscled his emotions down. He couldn't explode here.
Doctor scratched his head. “Well, her heartbeat is normal. So’s her blood pressure, ECG... Everything looks fine. I don't see any issue with her, physically.”
“But she's still unconscious. Doctor, please. You have to give me an answer that makes sense. People don't go unconscious for no reason. There has to be a reason, right?” This was crazy. The doctor made little sense.
The doctor shifted his weight between his legs. He looked everywhere but Gavin's eyes.
“I'm waiting.” Gavin tried to keep his voice down, but it was getting more difficult with each passing moment.
“That... I don't know,” the doctor said after a long pause.
For a moment, Gavin thought about grabbing doctor's collar and asking to see his degree, but Tan touched his back and the urge passed.
“Can you please call the chief here? I need to see him right away,” Gavin said.
The doctor made a sheepish face. “I'm sorry. Right now, I'm the most senior doctor here.”
Gavin finally lost it. Grabb
ing the doctor's collar, he shook him like a madman. “Call someone. Get them here. I want to know what happened to my wife. Otherwise—"
A hand grabbed his arm. “Gavin, stop it. He's a doctor.” Tan’s familiar voice penetrated the fog of his anger. She sounded scared. “Please, brother.”
He released the doctor’s shirt and looked down. “I'm sorry, doc. I'm just...” A hand rested on his shoulder.
Gavin turned to face the new arrival. It was Jade Hyde, the owner of Parker Chemicals—Hyde Chemicals, now. Gavin had looked after the company for him a few months back and was still on the board of directors. Jade wore a simple blue T-shirt and gray pants that made him look much simpler than a billionaire businessman.
“What happened, man? Why are you all worked up?”
Gavin rubbed his forehead. The tension was killing him. “My wife's sick, and this doctor doesn't know what's wrong with her.”
Jade patted his shoulder. “Calm down, okay? Let me talk to him.” Taking the doctor aside, he spent few minutes with him.
Gavin paced around, unable to be still.
Jade returned. “Okay, we've got two choices here. The dean of the hospital is out hiking in the jungle. I can find out if there's a chopper around to fetch him, but that could take hours.”
“What's the second choice?” Gavin asked, hoping for a solution. His head was pounding, and he couldn’t think of any other solution.
“We can fly her to New York on my jet.”
“Transportation isn’t an issue. I've got a jet parked at the airport, but I need to know what's wrong with her before we move her. What if her condition worsens in flight? It's a three-hour flight, and I can't take any risks with her health.”
Jade scratched his stubbly jaw. “I agree, we can't predict that.”
“Why don't we use the jet that's bringing her kid here?” Tan asked. “It has a doctor and emergency equipment. I heard mom talking about it.”
Gavin punched the air. “Yes! Good idea. And since there's a doctor on board, he can check her out. Maybe he’ll figure out something the doctor here hasn’t.” He felt like he’d found a solution, but his heart wouldn't be at ease until he found out what was wrong with his wife.