RANSOM GIFT: The Complete Collection Boxed Set (Commanding Proposal, Hidden Proposal, Ransom Proposal)

by Kristina Royer

  “You’re not helping her.” Gary was absolutely annoyed by what he’s heard.

  “But neither are you.”

  I felt the conflict going on in the air, but neither of them was planning to back out. My Gary was trying to send him away, but Clemente wanted to wait for my dad so he could talk things with him.

  I felt Gary was terrified by his presence. But why’s that? Was he threatened by Clemente’s presence or the fact that I was in this bad situation being with him? I had no idea. But he shouldn’t feel this way. He’s the only person that I’ve ever loved more than my whole life.

  But at the same time, I felt touched by Clemente’s overflowing concern. Sure, he has done me some stupid stuff but who doesn’t commit mistakes? I’ve forgiven him the moment he had decided to let Gary went away from beating him up. It was absolutely, clearly his fault anyway.

  But nothing can take away my love for Gary. My heart belongs to him and him alone.

  “This can’t happen again.” Clemente told Gary.

  “I guarantee you with my life, this will never happen again.” Gary guaranteed him.

  I heard Clemente gave him a sarcastic laugh. “No, I’m taking her with me. You’re incompetent to take care of her.”

  What? No, my Gary’s able to take care of me. It’s my fault, and he has nothing to do with it. But on the other hand, Clemente’s here for me… how sweet of him. Wait, after what he’s done to you? Ugh! It must be the medication… or is it?

  *****

  Ransom Proposal Proposal

  Ransom Gift Collection

  By Kristina Royer

  Copyright © 2015 by Kristina Royer

  The Ransom Gift Series

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including emailing, photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events or locals or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  Chapter 1

  What on Earth was I thinking?

  Okay, Kristina… this has to stop.

  Stop pretending you’re in trauma or whatever. Don’t avoid the pain, face it.

  Face it, please…

  You’re not a crazy heart-less bitch.

  Right... I’ve decided to make things right. We’ve lost a child. I’ve let everyone down, especially Gary and our unborn angel, if suffering will make it up to them. I am going to do it.

  I blinked my eyes, and I knew Gary has noticed, so he walked up to me. “Baby, are you alright?” He asked with eyes filled with hope, and automatically, Clemente pulled himself to the side as if subconsciously giving way to what he knew was exactly what I needed at the time.

  “Gary, I’m hungry”, was all that I could say then.

  I had to cry, but there has to be no one else in this room. Clemente has to leave. Okay, maybe Gary could be here, but not Clemente. I don’t feel comfortable.

  “Okay, do you want fruits or is there anything in particular that you want? I’ll get it for you.” He offered to me as if I was a little girl… could’ve been our little girl.

  I slowly shook my head, tears falling down my eyes. “I need to be alone.” I said.

  And for some unknown reasons, which I liked to call as our own little connection, Gary knew that I had to cry. He walked up to Clemente, and although I wasn’t able to hear their conversation, I never heard anyone raised up their voices, so I guess it was a good sign.

  Once done conversing, Clemente walked up to me, knelt down, and flashed me a weak smile. “Be strong, okay? We’re all behind you, supporting you. Everything’s going to be okay.” He said.

  There were those words that used to help me get by getting kicked out in eighth grade, my mother’s death and through other horrible things that have ever happened to me. Now, they’re just words…

  I slowly nodded at him. He held my head with one hand for a split second, and then h headed out towards the door. And once he was completely out, I looked at Gary only to find out that he was also looking at me. “I am so sorry…” I whispered to him.

  Tears started to fall down my eyes. I couldn’t control it. I was sobbing. And just like the flash or whoever American superhero it was, he was already in my side the fastest way possible. He held my shoulders, then my head. “Hush…” He said, while tears falling down in his eyes.

  “It’s not your fault. I knew what happened.” He said.

  No matter how painful it was, I couldn’t bring myself to hate that little boy either. My heart has this really big hole being scrapped out of it, and it felt very heavy as I there’s a mountain resting on my chest. Yes, a mountain.

  “I should’ve listened to you, and we might still have them.” I sobbed.

  I was crying like a little child. Dammit, it’s not helping! I felt more and more pained as I cry, like, I won’t be able to stop anytime soon.

  Gary’s not making any effort to stop me from crying as he was heavily crying, too. And even though I didn’t really know too much about this, I heard my Psychiatrist said it’s better for me to let it all out instead of keeping it in.

  He’s embracing me in his arms, and I was crying against his chest. It’s so painful knowing that I was the one who lost our child. It felt worse than abandoning them. I didn’t even get the chance to know their gender. I was robbed of that amazing feeling to hold them in my arms, by no less than myself. It felt so terrible.

  “Hush…” Gary said.

  Although I was so sure that he just wanted to console me. How can he make me stop crying when he was letting out the same intensity as I was?

  We shared our moment of vulnerability for the same depressing reason. Clearly, he was hurt as much I was, but it’s a whole lot worse when you’re the one who carried the child and lost them.

  “I am so sorry…” I cried and cried and cried.

  He kissed my head. “Shhh… It’s not your fault.”

  We were like this for couple more minutes that felt like hours for being so painful. Somehow, it was at least a percent painful that I had someone to share the pain with. It wasn’t enough to make every single pain go away, but at least I was sharing it with the only person I love.

  We were too busy being miserable, so we didn’t even realize that dad was softly knocking at my hospital room door to avoid waking me up if I was sleeping. He probably heard from Clemente that I was already conscious… in all its forms and meanings.

  I saw him walking down towards us at my peripheral vision, and I bet Gary also did. But we were too weak to contain our emotions.

  Before I even tried to notice my dad, he was already sitting next to us, crying for his loss as well. I felt surrounded with love and support and common denominator stuff, but it just can’t take away the pain.

  I imagine their little hands, toes, soft skin, prominent cheeks… Kristina, don’t make you so close to opting out.

  But what the hell could I do? I was so depressed, and I’ve never felt this pained in my entire life. And to be honest, I was so close to having a breakdown, like, real breakdown this time. But every single time I think of Gary, oh and of course, dad as well, I had renewed confidence.

  “I’m really sorry, dad.” I apologized to the almost-grandfather.

  He flashed his weakest smile on me, and I knew for a fact that he wasn’t blaming me at all. But I just couldn’t help but blame myself.

  “Honey, it’s not your fault.” My dad tried to lessen the pain, and console me.

  I hope soon the pain will subside, but that’s the thing, I don’t want it to. I felt like it’s going to be so unfair for the little angel who I stupidly lost.

  “Baby, please stop blaming yourself…” Gary literally begged me.

  I slowly nodded.

  “I have an idea. Why don’t the three of us go for a vacation? Aruba would be nice, or we can visit Santorini, that�
�s your lifelong dream, right?” My dad asked.

  “I agree, dad. That would be nice.” Gary has to second dad’s motion. “But how come you haven’t visited Greece if it was your lifelong dream?” Gary was curious since he knew that with my dad’s money, I can go there anytime.

  “She’s waiting for someone to come along with her.” Dad teased, trying so hard to support Gary’s move of changing the topic.

  Gary didn’t even bother ask why didn’t I just bring Clemente. I thought it’s very nice of him not to. Plus, I never thought this day would come that I’ll find someone to bring there without having any second thoughts. It just went to show that deep down inside, I knew Clemente wasn’t the one for me.

  But with Gary, there was no second thought whatsoever, not at all. “Do you think our child can forgive me?” I innocently asked my two men.

  My dad’s face turned from desperate to share me some happiness to looking really sad and awful in my behalf. “Baby, my grandchild’s not even mad at you. It’s not your fault. It’s never your fault.”

  I was about to cry again when dad has brought out a box with cake inside it. I secretly hoped Alma baked it because she bakes the best chocolate cake that can give anyone the happy hormones they need. “Chocolate cake from Alma…” Dad informed me with the fact I wanted to hear.

  I smiled at him, and tried to look excited.

  “She bakes the best.” I told Gary, and he never missed the opportunity to give me support, so he smiled sweetly at me.

  “Go have a slice.” He suggested, and stood up at his feet to get me a slice.

  And so, he fixed me a slice, and as well as dad’s. He also got a plate for himself, and I waited for him to take a bite. The moment his taste buds acknowledged that it was indeed good, he had this weird reaction that made me laugh softly.

  He looked at dad, and dad met his stares. It was their signal that their efforts were working. When they thought I noticed, they awkwardly tried to give more efforts.

  “Cloud nine, huh?” Dad teased Gary.

  Regardless how many appreciations he gave Alma; still I had no plan of getting jealous because he was stating the facts.

  “I should learn how to make this.” Gary told us.

  Dad seemed like he couldn’t agree more. “Bake it Spanish style.” He teased even more.

  “I know, I know. Spanish cooks are the best, but hey, dad, you liked my Spanish cuisine.” Gary teased him back.

  My dad made a meh facial expression, “it was alright.”

  They looked so funny, and a bit silly to me. I thought they deserve some appreciation for that, so I gave them the laugh they wanted to hear. But that doesn’t mean that I wasn’t hurting anymore because I was really hurting still.

  But I thought I should give them an opportunity to save me out of my misery.

  “What? Dad, you liked it. I heard your thoughts, you wanted to marry Kristina and I back then.” Gary told joke to my dad.

  Dad laughed as hard as I could. “Right… Okay, you win.” He admitted defeat.

  Chapter 2

  It’s been three hours since Gary and I went got home. But all the memories were in this house—when I first found out that a life was forming inside me was in this very bed, when the three of us were figuring out baby names was in the living room, that moment when Gary painted the room Yellow, and that very moment I lost them. It’s just so hard.

  “Babe, you’re sad again.” Gary noticed.

  “Please don’t mind me. I just need to deal with this.” I told him.

  “I know, but you don’t have to deal with this on your own. I’m here. I will listen to whatever you want to say, you know that.”

  I let go a sigh, and it only made my chest grew even way heavier.

  “We can do this together.” He added. “That’s what Gareth Aurora or Orlando would’ve wanted for us.”

  “Do you think so?” I asked.

  “Babe, I know so.”

  And just like a miracle, accepting that my child would’ve wanted me to live happily just take off a few loads from my chest. It has given me a bit chance for hope. Maybe it will all get better pretty soon, but I didn’t want it to be easy because the pain was my only reminder that my child has happened.

  Feeling that depressed was a healthy sign for me that I didn’t just imagine my baby growing inside my belly. He or she or they were here, and that thought gives me pain and joy at the same time. We didn’t meet, but I loved them the moment I knew about them. I should be able to transform this pain into hundred percent of joy with the help of their memory. I will always try to imagine how they would’ve looked like or were they able to get more genes from me or from their dad.

  But regardless of the pain, I promised my child that I would live happily with their father as what they would’ve wanted for me. I’ve decided to take it one step at a time.

  “Babe, I’m hungry. Do you want to visit dad at the hotel? We can have dinner there.” Gary asked.

  I knew that he was expecting for me to maybe decline or just be sad, so I wanted to surprise him with the idea of me giving my all to be back to the normal me.

  “That’d be nice.” I answered him with a weak smile.

  His eyes grew bigger, and it was obvious that I’ve caught him off guard, well, through my answer. I wanted to laugh, but I thought it’s too much effort for today. I thought to give it sometime and do it one step at a time.

  “Are you sure?” He asked with a smile on his face.

  I knew that he was hurting as well, so I wanted to show him some appreciation and gratitude for being strong for me, for putting my own recovery before his feeling. I was going to jump right onto his efforts, and probably make them work as soon as possible, without really rushing things. Yes, it was a weird thought.

  “Yeah, dad will be stoked.” I said.

  He smiled. “Do you want to get dress now? We can go after an hour.” He suggested

  “Okay!” I said, and I stood up at my feet, and I started to make my way to the bathroom. Normal times, he would come up to me inside the bathroom, and he would start something sexy and steamy. But I knew that he knew it wasn’t a good idea for now. I really appreciated his sensitivity to my needs and emotions.

  I got myself ready within an hour, and I saw him ready to go as well. I grabbed my pink purse because it matched my light makeup, and I headed towards the direction of the door where he was patiently waiting for me with my coat in his hands.

  “Thank you.” I said.

  He smiled at me. “Ready?” He asked.

  “Yes.”

  We headed out of our apartment, and we walked through the hall. For some reason, it felt like this particular step where I fell down as if it has this very strong gravitational force pulling me in. It won’t let me take another step.

  It took Gary few seconds to notice it, and his face saddened. He hugged me tightly in the very spot where I lost my child. I felt weaker and weaker as I stayed on it.

  “Come on, baby.” He said.

  Tears were threatening to fall down from my eyes. Oh no, not again… I fought the force, and I took another step. I knew that Gary noticed how hard it was for me, and so he suggested something.

  “Babe, I think it’s best if we go back to the hotel. We can just live there.” He suggested.

  What?

  “What?” I asked him.

  He stared down at me, eyeing my reaction to his suggestion. But I thought he couldn’t handle the—?

  “It’ll be fun. Dad’s there. And he won’t have to come over to see us. We’ll be a floor away from him.” He reasoned.

  Right… but what about you? Do you want to go back there?

  “But you said you’re not comfortable living—”

  “Baby, that was months ago…” He said with a smile. “I like having dad around. You know I grew up without a father.”

  Right! I had to think about it first. I knew exactly the reason why he’s suggesting it… Well, maybe he knew that every corner
of the whole place was reminding me of our loss.

  It’s very sweet and sensitive of him to sacrifice his own happiness and comfort for my fast, but I can’t do that to him.

  I looked hesitant because I was indeed hesitating to do that to him, so he went on and cleared all my thoughts and fears away. “I also want us to live with dad. I know complete family is what you need now. There’s Alma’s chocolate cake, and your bed. Remember that bed?” He was indeed trying so hard.

  But in a way, I was glad that he genuinely wanted to move back to my pent and live with dad. I felt very lucky despite of my loss. Still, I had things to be thankful for, but my loss with my child will always eat up too much space of my heart… even after I got fully recovered.

  “Are you sure?” I asked him.

  He nodded with so much excitement in his face. “Yeah, I’ll be the one to break the news to him. I’m excited to his reaction.” He sounded so fond of my father, which was the best thing, well, second to my pregnancy and being with Gary.

  “Okay…” I said.

  “Okay?” He asked with a grin.

  “Okay!”

  *****

  Couple of minutes later, we’re breaking the news to dad during the dessert. Yes, we had Alma’s chocolate cake, and it was good. I felt like I haven’t eaten in days.

  As expected, dad was so thrilled to have us back. And to be honest, I thought Gary’s reaction and all were very genuine. So maybe it was supposed to be a good idea.

  “Baby, do you want to pursue Paris?” Out of the nowhere, I blurted out the idea.

  My dad and Gary were both looking at me as if I just told Gary to break up. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

  “I’m sorry. I’m fine. I just thought maybe you want to continue our plans from where we left off.” I said.