A Stolen Heart

by Beverley Hollowed

  “OH YES! ZACH! YES!” she cried out as her orgasm almost ripped her apart. Her cries sent Zach over the edge as he slammed into her one more time and pumped his load deep inside her.

  Once again he hadn’t use protection, but this time he didn’t care. She was his. She was going to spend the rest of her life with him and nothing else mattered.

  They slumped to the floor, hot, sweating and exhausted but completely satisfied.

  They stayed there in the floor wrapped in each other’s arms for the longest time.

  Emma was the first to move.

  “I really have to get back,” she whispered as she leaned up and kissed Zach tenderly on the lips. “I don’t want to go. I never want to leave you. But I have to face the mess I created.”

  “I could come with you,” Zach suggested, much to Emma’s surprise. “We could face them all together.”

  “I love that you want to do this with me,” Emma said and smiled. “But this is something I need to do myself.”

  Zach sighed and got up off the floor, reaching down he offered Emma his hand and helped her up.

  They dressed in silence and Emma knew Zach was worrying.

  “Will you call me later,” Zach asked as he walked her to the door.

  “I promise you I will,” she said leaning up and kissing him again. “Please don’t worry, everything will be fine.”

  Zach didn’t reply only to kiss her once more.

  She reached for the door but stopped and turned back to Zach and smiled. “I do love you Zach Adams.”

  Zach smiled and she turned and walked out the door and down the stairs.

  She headed back to her parents’ house and hoped she got back before anyone was up.

  As she let herself in to the house, she could hear voices coming from the kitchen. It was her parents and Jonathan. She stood at the end of the stairs trying to decide if she should try and sneak up stairs or go and face the music.

  She decided to go upstairs. She had only gone up about three or four steps, and was mentally scolding herself for being such a coward, when her Mam called from the kitchen.

  “Is that you love?”

  Emma walked back down the stairs and headed into the kitchen. She paused for a moment before opening the door.

  “Morning pet,” her Mam said as she walked into the Kitchen. “You were out early.”

  “I couldn’t sleep so I went for a run down by the beach” she lied. She glanced at Jonathan who was looking her strangely. She gave him half a smile.

  “What some breakfast?” she asked as she filled the kettle.

  “Yes,” she replied. “But I think I will have a shower first?”

  She turned and walked back out of the kitchen. She walked back up the stairs but this time her feet seemed so heavy but not as heavy as her heart. She felt disappointed in herself and wished she could have been the person Jonathan believed she was.

  She got to the bathroom and stripped off her clothes and climbed into the hot shower. She stood under the water for, what seemed like the hours. She let the hot water run down her back. Then she began to scrub herself.

  She scrubbed with great vigour. She wished she could scrub away all her problems but she couldn’t.

  When she finally climbed out of the shower and felt no better. She wrapped a big towel around her and slipped on her bathrobe and went back into her bedroom.

  She walked into her bedroom and began to open her robe but was startled when she turned around and saw Jonathan sitting on her bed.

  “Wha... what are you doing in here?” she asked, quickly closing her rob again.

  “What’s with you?” he said with an amused little laugh. He stood up and walked over to Emma. He slipped his arm around her waist, and pulled her close. “I missed you last night.”

  Emma smile casually but inside she was panicking.

  “In fact I have missed you so much these past few weeks,” he continued. “Are you still mad at me for not coming last week?”

  “It’s ok,” she replied and gave him the best smile she could manage.

  “Emma is something wrong?” he asked his tone a little worried.

  “Why would there be something wrong?” she asked as the panic bubbled up inside her.

  “You have been acting so strange since I got here,” he said as he arms slipped from her waist. He sat back down on the edge of Emma’s bed and stared at the floor. “Is there someone else?”

  His words made Emma feel sick. She knew this was her chance to tell him. She sat down beside him on the bed and took his hand. She took a deep breathe. She looked in to his face. He was staring at her with dread. Right then she knew she couldn’t tell him the truth

  “Of course there is no one else,” she lied to him. She was so angry with herself for being such so weak. But still she continued to lie. “I guess I am just nervous about the wedding. It’s only days away and there is still so much to do.”

  “Well I am here now and I will do whatever it is you need,” he replied the worried expression fading from his face. He kissed her then stood up and walked to the door. He paused at the door and turned back to Emma.

  “You know I love you,” he said softly. “And I promised I am going to make you so happy. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have you.”

  He walked out and closed the door behind him. Emma slumped back on her bed. She wished she could love him the way he loved her. He was such a sweet, kind and caring man. She knew she could never tell him she didn’t love him. At least, not to his face

  She closed her eyes and thought of Zach, she couldn’t hurt him either. She knew she had to follow her heart and her heart was telling her it was Zach she was meant to be with.

  She realized the only way she could break free from her mess was to run away. She realized it was the coward’s way of dealing with things but she knew she could never look into Jonathan eyes and tell him the truth.

  She would ask Zach to run away with her. They could go back to the States. She would have to go before the wedding. It was the only way she would be able to go through with it. She couldn’t imagine standing in front of Jonathan and her family and telling them she loved someone else.

  She knew if she did, it meant she would have to leave everything behind, her family, her friends, her life back in New York. She would have to give it all up but the thought of it didn’t scare her. Because she knew she would have Zach and that’s all she needed.

  Chapter 20

  Emma sat beside Mia’s bed side and watched as her little girl struggled for breath. She had been at the hospital for almost eight hours and she still had not regained consciousness. They still hadn’t discovered what the cause of her mysterious illness was despite the string of test they had done on her.

  Emma stared at the many different machines connected to her little girl. She sat and silently prayed for her daughter to be all right. The only sound in the room was the rhythmical beeping of the various machines. Emma held her hand gently and whispered into her ear but Mia never moved an inch.

  Helen had left for home about two hours earlier to take care of Lily who had been left at home with Emma’s dad. She didn’t want to leave but Emma insisted. And it was not just because she wanted her to look after Lily. She thought her mother looked so tired she wanted her to have some rest. She knew her Dad would make her lie down for a while when she got home.

  Louise, Connor, Grace and Jenna had arrived at the hospital the night before, following Emma, Jack and Zach from the pub. The doctors said they couldn’t all stay so Emma told them all to go home and get some rest.

  She was glad when her mother had gone home as well. She knew she meant well but she was driving her crazy with her endless words of encouragement. Emma just wanted to sit in silence but her mother never stopped talking. She realized that she had got her nervous chatting from her mother. And her mother meant well, she really did and Emma was truly grateful for her support but she needed to deal with this in her own way. She didn’t want
to talk about when she was a little girl and she got her tonsils out. Or when Jack fell off his bike and broke his arm and had to get stitches. None of that mattered now. Her little girl was sick and that was all she wanted to think about.

  “Ms. Daniels,” a nurse said as she crept into the room shortly after eight. She was a short slim woman with a very kind face. She had a country accent. Mayo perhaps. “I am Emily I will be Mia’s nurse today.”

  “Hi,” Emma replied trying to sound up beat. “And it’s Emma.”

  “The doctor will be in with you shortly,” she told her and smiled at reassuringly.

  “Has he got some results back?” Emma asked hopefully and sat up rigidly in her chair.

  “I don’t really know,” she replied as she took Mia temperature and pulse yet again.

  “Any change?” Emma asked her hopefully.

  “Afraid not,” she replied sympathetically. “Poor little lamb.”

  She checked her drip and the other machine to make sure everything was as it should be.

  The door opened suddenly and a grey hair man dressed in green scrubs and a white coat walked in.

  “Ms. Daniels,” he asked as he walked up to Emma and reached out his hands.

  “Emma,” she said shaking the doctor’s hand.

  “My name is Alex Stewart,” he said introducing himself. “I am the senior paediatrician here in the hospital. I will be your daughter’s doctor.”

  Emma forced a smile and braced herself because she wasn’t sure what was coming next. He pulled up a chair and sat next to Emma and quickly checked through Mia’s chart. Finally he looked up at Emma and began to speak.

  “Emma,” he said in a tone that immediately panicked her. “As you know, we have been running tests all night, it would seem that Mia has a serious virus which has gone astray and attacked her brain. Her brain has some swelling which has caused Mia to slip into a coma. We don’t really know what has caused it and as it is a virus it can be very hard to treat,”

  “What does that mean?” Emma asked anxiously trying to take in what he had just said.

  “Well we have her on antibiotics,” he explained. “But antibiotics have a very limited, if any effect on viruses.”

  “But she will be ok?” she pushed. She just wanted to hear the words. But they didn’t come.

  “We don’t know. All we can really do is try and get her temperature down and hopefully let it run its course,” he said honestly. “I am sorry it isn’t better news and I assure you we are doing everything in our power for your little girl.”

  His words hit Emma like a steam roller. She couldn’t take it in. She turned to her daughter’s weak little body lying so helplessly in the bed. The tears stung her eyes but she tried to force them back.

  “Emma,” he said softly moving closer to the bed. “If there is someone important that needs to be here, you need to get them here.”

  “What?” Emma asked knowing what this meant. She wiped the tears that had trickled down her face. She thought for a moment about what he had said. “Dr. Stewart, are you telling me my little girl is going to die?”

  “I am just saying we need to be prepared for the worse,” he replied and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “But she is in the best place and we will do everything to have her up running around and fighting fit as soon as possible.”

  “How long?” Emma asked this time unable to fight the tears. She couldn’t believe she was even asking this question.

  “Well the next 48 hour are critically” he replied. “If we get through that we should know more.”

  He stood up from his seat and placed his hand on her shoulder. “I am sorry.”

  “Thank you,” she said finding it increasing difficult to keep her composure.

  As soon as the doctor left the room Emma broke down. Emily rushed to her side and put a comforting arm around her shoulder.

  “Come on,” she said giving her a gentle squeeze. “You have to be strong for that little girl.”

  “I can’t handle this again,” Emma sobbed. “This can’t be happening again.”

  “Is there anyone I can call for you,” Emily asked. “Her Daddy maybe.”

  “No,” Emma cried wiping the tears from her face. “He em... he was killed in a car accident. It was last May.”

  “Oh Emma,” the young nurse said genuinely sad for this poor woman. “I am so sorry.”

  “It’s ok,” she sniffed.

  “You have been through the mill haven’t you,” Emily said. “And you could certainly have used her Daddy here today.”

  “Her Daddy,” Emma laughed sound a little hysterical.

  Emily looked at Emma. She didn’t understand what Emma was talking about.

  “That’s the problem,” Emma confessed. “He wasn’t her really Daddy.”

  “I’m sorry,” Emily replied. “I don’t follow you.”

  “My husband was not her biological father,” Emma said not knowing why she felt compelled to confess to this stranger. “I never told her real father she was his child. To be honest I haven’t told anyone, at least not until a couple of weeks ago. I told my brother. He said I should tell the guy the truth but it’s so complicated.”

  “I see” Emily said unsure want to make of what Emma had just told her.

  “I’m sorry,” Emma said realizing she probably said more than she should have. “I shouldn’t have dumped all my problems on you like this. I don’t know why I told you that.”

  “Well my Mam always said, ‘a problem shared is a problem halved,’” Emily said with a smile. But then she turned serious “And I know it’s none of my business, but if you are going to tell this guy the truth, well maybe you should do it soon just in case. What I mean is, if anything happened you would never forgive yourself if you have denied him a chance to by his little girl’s side.”

  Emma realized she was right. She looked at Mia lying there so helpless in the bed and she knew she had to tell Zach the truth. She knew he had a right to be here beside his daughter’s bedside. And if he didn’t want to, well that was his choice to make not hers.

  “I need to make a call,” she said as she wiped her eyes with a tissue and turned to Emily.

  “There is a phone right outside the door,” Emily replied giving her an encouraging smile. “I will stay with Mia.”

  Emma got up and walked to the door. She turned back to Emily before she left the room.

  “Thank you,” she said, grateful to this kind stranger for being her shoulder to cry on.

  She closed the door behind her. She walked over to the phone and picked up the receiver. She looked through the glass partition at her little girl fighting for her life. She knew it was the right thing to do. She took a deep breath and dialled the number.

  “Hi Zach,” she said when he answered on the other end. “It’s Emma. I think we need to talk.”

  Chapter 21

  ~Five years earlier~

  “Did you get the tickets?” Emma asked Zach two days before the wedding. She had told him she couldn’t tell Jonathan what had been going on. She said she knew it was the coward’s way out but she just couldn’t face him.

  They had decided they would go to San Francisco because that was where Zach had a job lined up for May. Until then they would just get part time jobs. She could maybe get another job teaching.

  Zach had spent the past few days organizing everything for them and all that was left to get was the tickets.

  “Yes,” Zach confirmed excitedly. “The flight is at midnight, tomorrow night.”

  “Talk about last minute,” Emma replied nervously.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Zach asked. “I understand if you can’t go through with this.”

  “I’m sure,” Emma replied unsure now that he was. “Are you sure?”

  “Of course I’m sure!” he exclaimed. “I have never been surer of anything.”

  “Good,” she said and kissed him. “So I will see you tomorrow night.”

  “9 o
’clock at the garage,” he said confirming their plans. He kissed her once again. She watched as he climbed back into his car and drove away. She thought that was the last time she would have to leave him after a secret meeting.

  She hurried home before anyone noticed she was gone out of the house.

  She counted the minutes until the next night. She thought it would never come. She wasn’t sure if she was more excited about being able to be with Zach all the time or if she was nervous about someone finding out before they got away.

  Every time Jonathan looked at her, she felt panic fill her. It would sweep over her like a wave rushing on to the sand on the beach. She tried her hardest to act as normal as possible. But it wasn’t easy. That night as she sat down to dinner with her family and Jonathan she realized that it was probably the last time she would get to do this. She looked across the table at her mother and a sickening knot grew on her stomach.

  She loved her Mom so much and she wished she didn’t have to lie to her or didn’t have to let her down. But she knew she would. She tried to forget about what was going to happen in the future and enjoy the now. Enjoy her last time sitting with her family and being a part of something good. Something special.

  The next afternoon she and Jonathan spent the time making sure every little detail was ready for their big day. Emma felt so guilty for lying to him but she couldn’t bear to see just how much pain she would cause him.

  At seven o’clock Jonathan said it was time he was getting back to the hotel. He had agreed to meet his parents, who had arrived earlier that day, for dinner at eight.

  “Well,” he said standing at her parent’s front door. “Guess I will see you tomorrow then Miss Kelly.”

  “I guess so,” she laughed. She could barely breathe. She wished she didn’t have to hurt this lovely, wonderful man. But she knew she didn’t truly love him. Well not the way she should.

  “I will be the one up the front with the big smile on my face,” he said with a big smile. “I’ll be smiling because I am the luckiest man in the world tomorrow. I am marrying the woman of my dreams.”