by A P Gore
Tears streamed down Samantha’s cheeks. She must have done some great deed in her past life to meet someone like Gavin in this one.
“Wh-at ha-pp-en” She paused, drawing in a long breath.
“What happened to you?” Al asked.
Samantha nodded, a tiny nod.
Al sighed. “I guess I can at least tell you that. When you were in the Caribbean, you collapsed at the airport. Gavin rushed you to a hospital, but the staff there was incompetent, so Gavin flew you back to New York.” She paused, rubbing Samantha’s knuckles. “I don’t know the exact terms, but the doctor said something happened to your lower back, and that it affected your brain, and you went into a coma.”
The spinal cord injury. Yes, she had suffered lower back pain for months before meeting Gavin, but she never thought it would be so serious.
“You’re lucky you’ve Gavin in your life. He used every measure at his disposal to treat you. He even went to Russia to talk with some doctors working on new research on comas.”
Samantha’s heart choked with emotions. She had no words to express her gratitude toward him. For her, love was subjective, and he had no obligation to do so many things for her. It was a fake marriage, and she had declined his love. Still, he saved her and Aaron from a disaster. If it wasn’t him, who would have looked after Aaron?
“Can you believe Jade knew him from the past, and we bumped into you guys in the Caribbean? Isn’t that wonderful?”
Samantha forced her lips into another tiny smile.
Al leaned forward. “I don’t know if I should be telling you this or not, but yesterday Jade saw Gavin visiting a diamond shop. I think he might be planning to propose you again.” A beautiful smile played on her lips. “It makes sense. You’ve just gained a new life, so a new proposal should happen. Right?” She pressed her palms together. “How romantic. Now I want Jade to propose to me again. That moron plainly told me that he was going to put a ring on my finger.”
Samantha swallowed as hard as she could. Why would he propose her again? What was he planning to do?
A knock on the door pulled them from their conversation. A maid stood in the doorframe.
“Ma’am, Aaron’s nana is here, and she wants to see you.”
Samantha nodded. Gavin must have told Martha about her. She expected a tall, beautiful lady, but an older woman with a sharp chin and wrinkled face stepped in. Gracie.
Chapter 45
Samantha’s chest constricted. It was her worst nightmare. James’s mother was here to torment her again. Why? And how did she find this place?
Her pulse quickened as Gracie stepped toward her, and the green graph on the monitor attached to the left of her bed went red.
Alice rose from her chair to give Gracie a half hug, and Gracie received it with a warm smile.
What?
The graph spiked higher.
Gracie stepped forward and brushed Samantha’s cheeks with her rough hands. The strange thing was, Samantha didn’t feel any animosity in her touch. It was like a mother touching her child.
“Child...” Tears rolled down Gracie’s cheeks. “I don’t deserve it, but I came here to receive your forgiveness.”
Samantha’s gaze jumped to Alice who had stepped a bit away from them.
What was going on? Did someone cast a spell on Gracie? Gracie never acted this nice to her. Not before her marriage with James, and certainly not after James died. Jesus, it got worse after James death. That’s why she ran to New York.
“I’m sorry for all the years of not trusting you.” She latched on to Samantha’s hand and sobbed hard.
Maybe Gracie thought grabbing Samantha’s hand was okay, but her moderate pressure sent waves of pain through her. She wanted to cry, to shout, but her mouth wouldn’t open.
The graph went a darker red, and the machine emitted a continuous beep.
Al finally noticed the reaction and pulled Gracie away. The nurse came rushing in too and dragged Gracie out of the room.
The pain spiked again, and sweat soaked into the sheet beneath her back.
Al ran her fingers over Samantha’s forehead, easing a bit of her pain and tension.
“Sam, calm down. Please calm down.”
The nurse came back and injected something into the IV line, and a few moments later a wave of pain relief passed through Samantha’s body.
The heart monitor calmed as the sedative rushed through her body.
Al sat next to her, caressing her temple continuously. Her touch eased Samantha into sleep.
WHEN SAMANTHA OPENED her eyes, Gavin was sitting beside her bed, his cheeks wet.
“Sam?” His voice cracked, and he scooted closer when he noticed her eyes open.
“Gavin, why... Gracie?” She used all her might to ask that question. Why was that old woman here? She hated Samantha so much, and she’d never accepted Aaron as her grandchild. When James died, Gracie kicked Samantha out of their house, accusing her that Aaron wasn’t James’s child. The woman was so toxic that she didn’t even let Samantha attend James’s funeral. Why was she here asking for penance? She cried, tears spilling from her eyes. Because of Gracie, she’d rejected Gavin. A man who loved her beyond anything, and she’d pushed him away like he didn’t matter.
The machine on her left side started beeping, and the nurse rushed in.
“Sam, please,” Gavin said. “Trust me, and let the pain go. We’ll talk after you recover completely.” Gavin ran his fingers through her hair, easing her stress. “Please calm down. For Aaron, for me, calm down.” His tears dripped on her hand.
His touch, his tears brought a strange calm to her heart. All the pain in her heart vanished, and she realized why she’d come back to life again. It was him and Aaron she couldn’t leave behind. Ever since she woke, she’d had this strange memory of someone always staying next to her, like she hadn’t lost everything that’d happened in the last five months. His touch left a presence in her mind she would never forget.
With that thought, the monitor stopped beeping. Her stress level went back to normal, and the nurse sighed.
Gavin rested his head next to her head. “Thank God. I can’t let you go through that again.” He rose to his feet and turned to face the nurse. “Please make sure no one except me or Aaron steps into her room until she regains her strength.”
“Gavin,” Samantha said.
Gavin turned back and sat on his knees, bringing his face close to hers. “Just sleep. Everything can wait, but not your health,” he said in a soft voice.
“Pl-ease marry me.”
An ear to ear smile split Gavin’s face. Lifting her hand, he kissed it lightly. “We’re already married, Sam. But we’ll have a nice wedding once you recover completely. I promise.”
With that promise in her mind, she gave in to the fatigue once more.
Chapter 46
Samantha walked into the Chinese restaurant’s small private dining room. Gavin followed her and closed the door behind him.
“It’s better than the last time we saw it,” Samantha said as Gavin pulled a wooden chair out for her. Glancing around, she looked at the tropical painting hung on one wall and the orange dragon pattern marked on the other wall. The room still smelled like fresh paint and polish, but it had transformed into something authentic and delicate since the last time she had seen it.
“I can’t believe you’ve transformed this place in just one month.” Samantha added as she brushed her fingers over the moving circular platform in the center of the table. This was the Asian style, a circular platform on the dining table so everyone can rotate it to serve themselves items from any of the dishes. It was practical and nice looking.
Gavin replied with a smile. He wore a casual blue jacket and gray jeans, his now long hair relaxing on his shoulders. Then again, everything and anything looked good on him.
She was wearing a long blue dress and a matching blue diamond necklace which Gavin had gifted her last night. It was an expensive one, and before waking up f
rom the coma she would have rejected it straight away, but no more. After marrying Gavin—again—one month ago, she had stopped worrying about the little things that bothered her previously.
Once they settled at the table, a few waiters brought lots of dishes and placed them on the rotating platform.
“Let’s eat.” Gavin rotated the circular platform and a bunch of delectable dishes came in front of her. “I’ve asked waiters to not disturb us.”
The smell of sushi enticed her. It always had, but even more so now. “So, my husband, what’s special about today? Why are you treating me this nice sushi instead of all that tasteless healthy food you’ve been feeding me?”
“The doctor cleared you for eating out, and for all the questions that are boiling inside your mind.”
Samantha sighed. “I don’t care anymore about that. I’m your wife now. Only you and Aaron matter to me. Nothing else.”
“I’d like to tell you what happened between me and Gracie anyway.”
Samantha glanced at him, wondering if she should stop him, but he seemed tense, so she decided to hear it. It wasn’t going to affect her mood, though. “Okay.”
Gavin leaned an arm on the table. “I had a DNA test done on Aaron. I’m sorry for not asking your permission first.”
Samantha swallowed hard but didn’t react. He had his reasons.
“When I met Gracie, she doubted Aaron’s parentage, so I acquired some of James’s clothes and had a paternity test done.” He tapped on the table. “After I showed her the proof, she was quite happy to gain a grandson.” He released a long breath.
“What would you have done if the paternity test had come back negative?” Samantha asked, her pulse racing.
“Nothing.” He walked around the table and knelt beside her. “Why would it matter to me? From the moment you became my wife, Aaron became my son.”
A full-blown grin covered her face. “Thanks for coming into my life, love.” She leaned forward and tasted his kissable lips. No matter how many times she tasted those, her hunger would never be sated. Not in this life.
Epilogue
Noah's phone buzzed with his favorite Ne-Yo song, reminding him of Fel. Glancing at her picture on his clock-screen placed next to his bed, he picked up the call.
“Noah, it's Gavin. Are you home?”
Jumping out of bed, he glanced at the neon clock on the table next to his head. It showed 7 a.m. “Hey, Gav. What's up?” he asked, his voice still hoarse from just two hours of sleep.
“I need a favor.”
Noah grabbed a Diet Coke from the refrigerator in his bedroom and popped it open, draining half the can in one long drink before replying. “Speak up.”
“I want you to take over Tecme Systems as CEO in the next few days.”
Noah shook his head and glanced again at the clock, then pinched himself. “Are you mad? I told Rosie I’d do that in a couple of months. The current start-up I'm working on needs my full focus.” Last night was one of the many all-nighters he had pulled to help the developers remain on track for the launch next month. He couldn't just desert them and run to a new company. Granted, he’d said he would help Gavin however he could while his wife was in a coma.
“I have good news.”
“What news?” He rubbed his eyes and then poured the remaining Coke in his mouth. If Fel was here, she would have scolded him for drinking so much Coke. But she wasn't here, nor she would be.
“Sam woke from the coma yesterday.” Gavin's joy slipped through his cheerful tone.
“Congrats.” Noah was truly happy for his friend. It was a shocker when he heard Gavin got married, and even more so when he found out his wife had collapsed and went into a coma on their honeymoon.
“You've got to help me, man. I'm already neck deep in work at Dad's company, and I just can't handle Tecme Systems at the same time. Either you take over as CEO, or I have to put the fate of fifteen hundred-odd people in the hands of an investment firm I can't trust.” Desperation slipped through Gavin's voice.
Noah sighed, a sign of exhaustion. Maybe he should get out of this small hole he’d been living in for the last four years. After Fel got married, he’d moved to somewhere and started his own business, a business to help start-ups. Then he got into investments, and so far he had done well with the small companies. When Gavin asked him a couple of months ago about taking over his company, he’d agreed because it would bring a new challenge to his life.
What else he could do other than chase new challenges? After Fel got married, all he had was challenges.
“On one condition,” Noah said. “I need Rosie to stay on as my personal secretary for one month.” Rosie was supposed to move to her dad's business, but if he had to join early, he would need to juggle Tecme Systems and the start-up at the same time.
“Done. I'm sending my private jet to pick you up.” Gavin cut the line.
Noah glanced at the big black eyes that stared at him from his phone screen. It had been many days since he’d checked in with her. With that thought, he called Fel. So she was married now, and he’d loved her for nearly fifteen years before that. So what? Despite all that, she was his best friend, and friends always kept in touch.
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