by Lylah James
“You believe me? But…before…at the beach…”
Alessio flinched at the memory, and even I felt a sharp pain in my chest.
“I was hurt, Ayla. I just found out the woman I desperately love was an Abandonato. I was just angry, but never once did I think you were the spy. I just needed some time alone. When I had time to think, I understood why you didn’t say anything,” he explained.
I saw him swallow hard. He bent his head until our foreheads were touching. “I didn’t turn away from you because you were an Abandonato. I turned away because I was hurt that you lied. When I finally came to terms with everything, I was too late. You were already gone. I ran after you, but I was still too late. Ayla, that day…I had never felt such pain. It felt like I was being torn apart.”
My throat closed up. “I fought, Alessio. I fought against him. I didn’t go easily. I screamed for you. He said…he said that you didn’t want to see me. He said you were giving me away.”
Alessio’s expression thundered with fury. “Who?” he growled. But I saw a hint of recognition in his eyes.
“Artur,” I whispered. “He gave me to Alberto. He said you never wanted…to see me again.”
When his face twisted in pain, I quickly added, “But I didn’t believe him.”
Alessio pressed his lips ever so gently on mine. The kiss was so soft, almost feather light. I could taste our tears as our lips made contact.
“I never said those words, Angel. You are my everything. I would never think of giving you away,” he admitted, his voice filled with distress.
“I know. I believed in us, Alessio,” I said, wrapping my arms around his head. I held him to me, our lips still touching.
“I believed in us, too. I never stopped believing.”
At his words, my heart raced. My chest didn’t feel like it would explode anything. I felt…lighter.
“You kept me from going crazy,” I muttered, closing my eyes as he peppered my face with kisses.
Alessio wrapped his arms around me, and we held each other. I sighed and burrowed deeper into his safe embrace. I felt loved…cherished…adored and protected.
I felt his cheek in my palm, feeling his rough stubble. When was the last time he shaved? My hands roamed over his face, touching him, feeling him.
I ran my fingers over his lips, and he kissed my fingertips. I closed my eyes as a loving feeling washed over me.
I sat up straighter on his lap and kissed his lips. I never wanted to stop touching him.
But my thoughts halted when I felt a kick. Looking down, I stared at my round stomach. I felt Alessio follow my gaze.
My nose stung as I fought against the tears.
When I felt another kick, it was impossible. I cried, holding my stomach, feeling my baby move.
Alessio placed his hand over mine. We held the bump firmly, protectively.
“He hurt me, Alessio,” I whispered. “He hurt me so much. He kept going. It didn’t matter that I cried and begged him to stop. He just…kept going. He kept hurting me. Over and over again,” I cried, my hands pressing firmly against my stomach.
The tears streamed down my cheeks as the baby moved again. Oh, baby.
I pressed my face into Alessio’s neck. “He was so cruel. He never stopped, Alessio. I don’t know how long it kept going. I just didn’t have the strength…to fight anymore. I just…wanted it all…to go away. I just wanted…to be happy. I wanted to be…with you again.”
“Angel,” Alessio groaned in pain. He held me tighter as I felt the anger course through him.
When the baby rolled again, I closed my eyes. “He said he would kill…my baby.”
Alessio froze underneath me. His muscles tightened. I thought he stopped breathing for a second. “What?”
His tone was dangerous. Even I trembled at his voice.
My heart ached at the memory. Alberto was ruthless. He tried to break me every way he could. He took me until I had nothing else to give. Still, he kept taking. He kept breaking me.
As if his actions weren’t enough, he tried to break me with his words.
“He said he would let me give birth but…deliver the dead baby to you,” I choked out, my breathing coming out faster in panic.
Alessio’s arm curved protectively around my stomach. “He’s a dead man, Ayla. When I find him, he will regret ever hurting you. He will regret even thinking of hurting our baby.”
My eyes snapped open, my breath leaving me in a loud whoosh.
He will regret even thinking of hurting our baby.
Our baby.
My heart clenched, and I looked up at his angry face. I saw the killer there. The Monster. But I wasn’t scared. I knew the Monster would protect me.
He was my Monster.
I palmed his cheeks, looking into his blue eyes. “You said our baby.”
Alessio’s eyebrows furrowed at my words. His gaze shifted to my stomach and then back up. “Yes. Our baby.”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “How do you know the baby is yours?”
Alessio brought his hand up and swiped my tears away. “Is it? Is the baby mine, Ayla?”
I winced at the question, a sense of despair falling over me. Closing my eyes, I leaned my forehead against his. “I don’t know,” I whispered. My voice broke as the baby moved again. “I don’t know. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Alessio.”
“Why are you apologizing, Angel?”
When I went to answer, he pressed his fingers against my lips, stopping my tide of words. “Not a word, Ayla. You have nothing to apologize for. At this point, I don’t even care who the father is. The baby is mine. You are mine. He is ours. That’s all that matters.”
His hand went to my round belly. He caressed the bump gently. “I think I already love him, Angel.”
My hand went over his. “I want him, Alessio.”
A surge of protectiveness and possessiveness coursed through me.
I didn’t know who the father of my baby was. I didn’t want to know. I just wanted to love my baby.
I wanted to give my baby all the love I never had.
Alessio pressed his lips to mine again. He kissed me with so much care and love, like he treasured me. He held me gently, as if I were made of glass.
I felt cherished.
His touch was soft and gentle. His words were sweet.
He was everything I needed and wanted.
I love you.
The words were stuck in my throat. I didn’t say them. I wanted to, but something stopped me.
He told me he loved me, yet I couldn’t say the words. I didn’t know why.
I didn’t think I needed to say them anyway. What we had was more powerful than those words. We just had to feel our love for each other.
Even without those words, our hearts were entwined together.
“Alessio,” I said quietly. “You are my peace.”
He smiled against my lips. “I know.”
His answer brought a smile to my own lips. We kissed, our lips touching softly. It was slow, gentle, and soft. His tongue mated with mine, and I sighed into his kiss.
A knock on the door broke us apart. Before Alessio could answer, I saw Maddie running inside, followed by Lena.
She stopped in the middle of the room, her eyes on mine. “Sam told me Ayla fainted.”
Her gaze roamed over me, fear in her eyes. Lena stopped beside her, her expression panicked too.
Alessio chuckled lightly. “She remembers,” he announced.
Maddie’s mouth fell open, and Lena gasped. Before I knew it, I was swept in their arms. They hugged me too tight. We cried together.
I missed them so much.
“I’m sorry for taking so long,” I breathed through my tears.
“You have come back to us. That’s all that matters,” Lena admonished gently.
Maddie didn’t let me go for the longest time. Lena had long left, but Maddie still held me. “I was so scared, Ayla. You have no idea. I’m so happy. I feel like
every sacrifice I made was worth it.”
My forehead pinched in confusion, and I stared at Alessio’s blank eyes. Maddie paused and pulled away. She swiped her tears away and smiled, her eyes twinkling merrily.
“What are you talking about?” I asked, confused.
She shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. You sure know how to stress someone out. By the way, I am still a little pissed that you talked to me last. Not fair that Alessio got your voice first.”
I ducked my head shyly, feeling my heart warm with her words.
“Ayla needs to rest. You can talk to her tomorrow, Maddie,” Alessio said, pulling me into his arms. My back was to his front as he held me.
Maddie nodded. “You’re right.”
She kissed me on the forehead before pulling away. “You need to rest and sleep a lot. I’m sure remembering everything has taken a toll on you.”
“I do feel a little weak,” I admitted, relaxing in Alessio’s arms.
“That’s it,” he growled, sweeping me off my feet. “I should have known.”
He placed me on the bed and pulled the comforter over me. “You need to rest,” he ordered, leveling me with a hard look.
I heard the door close as Alessio gave me a pill. “Sam told me to give you this. It’s for your headache.”
I took the pill, and Alessio held the glass of water to my lips as I drank. When I was done, he pushed me on my back and turned off the light.
He climbed in bed behind me, pulling me to his chest, his arms wrapped around my waist, his hand over my baby bump. I placed mine next to his. The baby moved once before settling down.
“Sleep, Angel.”
I closed my eyes.
Sleep, Angel. I’ll watch over you.
I knew he would watch over me. Just like always.
As sleep started to take over my mind and body, my lips tilted up in a small smile.
He came for me, just like I knew he would.
“Thank you for loving me,” I whispered into the dark.
“Never thank me for loving you, Angel,” he muttered back.
Chapter 15
I pulled my pink dress on. It stretched over my round stomach, and I stared in the mirror.
The dress was a beautiful baby pink, and it came down to my mid-thighs. I was so thankful that Maddie bought these dresses.
They fit perfectly over my pregnant belly.
I turned from side to side, staring at my reflection. The day before, Maddie had cut my hair. It now lay in the middle of my back, the same length before I was taken away.
I purposely left it down, knowing Alessio loved it that way. My cheeks were rounder and flushed from my bath. My lips were pink from hours of kissing Alessio.
It had been four days since I got my memories back. Four days and every day felt like a fairy tale.
From the mirror, I saw Alessio walking out of the bathroom. He wore a black dress shirt, the top buttons left undone and black pants.
“Ready?” he asked, coming to stand behind me. I nodded at our reflection.
We were going to see Ivy. For an ultrasound. To see our baby for the first time.
I swallowed nervously and leaned against Alessio’s chest. He rubbed the baby bump, and I saw him smile when the baby moved.
Placing a kiss on the side of my neck, he pulled me out of the room. “Let’s go.”
We walked downstairs toward Sam’s office. The door was already open, so we walked inside. Ivy was sitting behind the desk.
She sent us a warm smile and stood up. “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” I replied. She gestured for me to get on the table. Alessio helped me recline back. The room was filled with machines I didn’t recognize.
“How are you feeling this morning?” she asked. Ivy measured my bump and wrote something down on the notepad.
“I’m okay. Just a little nervous.”
She chuckled. “Of course.”
“Do you feel nauseous in the morning or when you eat?”
I shook my head. “Not really. I’m just really tired most of the time.”
“Ah, you should be happy. It’s an excuse to sleep all the time,” she teased. “Can you pull your dress up? I need your stomach bare.”
Before I could move, Alessio walked around the table and pulled my dress up over my stomach. It bunched across my breasts, hiding most of my view.
Ivy applied cool gel to my stomach, and I flinched at the coldness. “What are you doing?”
“Preparing you for the ultrasound. I’ll do a quick sonogram for dates and measurement to make sure everything is okay.”
I nodded, and Ivy began moving the wand over the roundness of my stomach. She typed something in her computer. “Everything looks good. The baby looks healthy. There’s the little one,” Ivy said, pointing at the screen. “That’s the head.”
Alessio crowded in, almost pushing his head into the screen. “Why is he so small?”
“The baby measures fine. You have nothing to worry about.”
From my position and Alessio in front of the screen, I couldn’t see anything. I craned my head up, and Alessio’s eyes snapped toward me. He hastily moved to my side and helped me up in a half-sitting position. Alessio supported my neck so I could see the screen.
“These are the hands.”
“They’re so small,” I murmured. His tiny little fingers. It was so cute.
Tears welled up in my eyes, and I sniffled as Ivy continued to show us our baby. “He’s so beautiful,” I whispered.
When Alessio didn’t say anything, I turned my face toward his. I saw his eyes filled with tears. He was completely mesmerized. His gaze was transfixed on the screen as he stared at our baby.
I saw the love in his eyes. He already adored the little one. I also saw the possessiveness there. I knew he would protect our baby with his life.
“Is he okay?” Alessio asked huskily. Tears streamed down my face at the emotional tone in his voice.
“He is. There’s nothing to worry,” Ivy assured us.
She continued to move the wand over my stomach. Just then, the baby moved. I smiled, feeling content.
“You keep saying he. Do you want to know what you’re having?” Ivy asked, looking at us expectantly.
Alessio and I stared at each other. I bit on my lips and nodded. Alessio turned back to Ivy. “Yeah.”
Ivy moved the wand for a few seconds. “The baby is a shy one.”
And then she smiled.
“It’s a girl.”
My lips parted, and a gasp escaped. Alessio froze beside me. I stared at the screen, watching my baby.
A girl. We were having a baby girl.
“A girl,” I whispered.
Alessio was still silent, his eyes glue to the screen. He held a fist to his mouth and closed his eyes. My heart sank when he didn’t say anything.
Did he want a son? I noticed that Alessio kept saying he. Even I had started to address the baby as a boy.
When Alessio opened his eyes again, he bent his head, kissing me softly on the lips.
“A princess.”
His words were a mere whisper, but my heart soared.
“We’re having a princess, Angel.”
I heard the love in his voice. And I knew, he was just as happy as me, if not more.
Ivy smiled at us and turned off the screen. She pulled a paper out and cut it in two pieces. She handed one to Alessio. “Here’s a picture.”
He stared at the picture far longer than he should have. But I didn’t complain. I just watched him watch our daughter.
Daughter. A baby girl. A smile stretched across my lips.
“Ayla, do you know when your last period was? I know it’s not easy to remember, but it would really help to know. This way I can get an exact due date,” Ivy explained.
I looked at Alessio in panic, my chest feeling suddenly tight. He held my hand, giving me an encouraging look. “I don’t really remember. But I know I had my last period before…”
>
My voice caught in my throat, but Ivy nodded, as if she understood. “From the measurement, I would say you are about twenty-four weeks pregnant. That’s five and a half months. You are almost six months pregnant.”
You are almost six months pregnant.
Alessio told me I was taken away eighteen weeks ago—almost four and a half months ago.
That meant…
My eyes met Alessio’s. “She is yours.”
He swallowed hard and nodded. His forehead touched mine, and he placed a kiss on the tip of my nose. “She is ours.”
I smiled, my cheeks wet from my tears. Alessio swiped them away. “No more tears, Angel.”
“They are happy tears.”
Alessio smiled. “Okay, happy tears are acceptable.”
Ivy cleared her throat, and we pulled away from each other. “The baby is healthy, and so are you. I will be checking back with you in five days. I am staying here for two more weeks, as a precaution in case you need me.”
I nodded. Alessio took some paper towels and wiped off the gel from my stomach. He pulled my dress down and eased me into a sitting position.
“Now, because of your trauma, I need you to be careful. No stress. Bed rest is important too. Eat healthy. A happy mom is a happy baby,” Ivy finished, patting me on the knee.
Alessio helped me stand up and pulled me close. “Thank you,” I said softly.
We walked out of the room, my cheeks hurting from smiling too much. Maddie and the others were waiting for us in the living room.
“So?” she asked.
Alessio and I looked at each other. He smiled before turning to face everyone.
“A princess,” he announced proudly.
Maddie squealed and pulled me into a hug.
Lena smiled sweetly and came to hug me too. “Congratulations, dear. Thank you for giving us a princess. It’s been so many years since we have had a baby in this house.”
She pulled away to give Alessio a hug too. Maddie took me in her arms again. “I’m so happy, babe.”
When she pulled away, I noticed the men arguing. Phoenix smirked at Viktor. “Give me my money.”
“Fuck you! It’s a boy, I’m telling you,” Viktor snapped. “Ayla, go back in there. Ivy is wrong. It’s a boy.”