The Queen of Diamonds

by Raven Cavalleu

  Everyone chuckled and followed Alex as she led them to a small family owned restaurant nearby.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The following evening they took a gondola ride through several of the smaller canals as the gondolier serenaded them. He pulled up to the small pier he had agreed to take them to, and helped them from the boat. He bowed low to Alex, kissing her hand after receiving payment, and pushed off the pier to disappear into the early evening shadows.

  She led them through a dimly lit passageway into a small courtyard. Here strategically placed fixtures bathed the trees and flowers in a soft light, and illuminated the path to a bench beneath the largest tree in the center of the courtyard.

  "How beautiful." Dani paused to look around the courtyard. "It's a little private garden. So romantic."

  Alex knocked on the door to the only house with a canal view, and waited. When the door opened, she looked up into Sera's slightly harried but smiling face.

  "Alex, how wonderful to see you again." Sera pulled her into a hug. As she stepped back she said, "It has been too long. Won’t you come inside and introduce me to your friends?" She held the door open as everyone filed through and introductions were quickly made. "I'm afraid Pia is still at the hotel, and I'm still working on dinner. She should have been home an hour ago to help."

  Alex linked her arm through Sera's and turned towards the kitchen. "Well then, how about we help out instead?"

  Sera stopped and shook her head. "But you are guests, Alex."

  "Since when am I a guest?"

  Sera chuckled and proceeded to the kitchen. "You stopped being just a guest a long time ago, my friend." They worked together to finish off the meal preparations amid much laughter as Sera told Nikki, Dani, and Rachel stories about their time together in Florence.

  "I'm still surprised you didn't just walk away from me that first night and never look back," Alex said as she finished preparing the salad. "I was such a basket case."

  Sera walked up and placed her arm around her waist, pulling her close. "Yes, my friend, you were." She released her, stepped over to the cupboard, and began to pull down wine glasses. "But there was just something about you that I couldn't walk away from."

  Nikki gave Alex a tender smile. "Yeah, she has that effect on people."

  Alex walked around the butcher-block island, stepped into the circle of Nikki's arms, and tilted her face up for a kiss. Sera watched as Nikki leaned down and captured her lips. She chuckled as Dani rolled her eyes. "Indeed." Sera's chuckle turned into a laugh when Alex pulled away from Nikki, her cheeks aflame.

  "Hush." Alex gave her friend a playful glare, which caused everyone to laugh harder. She heard a noise and looked towards the doorway to the living room. Pia stood, leaning against the wall as she quietly watched. "There you are. I was afraid you weren't going to make it at all."

  Pia walked up to Alex and pulled her into a quick hug. "It's good to see you all again. I hope you haven't been waiting long." She turned to Sera and placed a kiss on her cheek. "I'm sorry I'm late."

  "Dinner was wonderful, ladies. Thank you," Alex said as everyone moved into the living room. She looked up as Sera slipped an arm through hers and pulled her away from the rest of the group.

  "You're quite welcome," Sera said as she led her towards the stereo. She selected a CD and adjusted the volume before turning to her. "May I have this dance?"

  Alex looked over at Nikki. She was engaged in what appeared to be a deep conversation with Pia, Rachel, and Dani. Looking up at Sera, with a smile and dip of her head, she held out her hand, allowing her to lead her to an empty spot in the room. They began to move across the floor as one, gracefully spinning, dipping, and sliding.

  "I had forgotten how good this feels," Sera said as she spun her around, capturing her in her arms, and stepping back. She saw the unasked question in her eyes and clarified. "I had forgotten how good dancing feels. Especially with someone that knows you so well."

  As a slower song began to play, Alex took a step closer and placed both hands on her shoulders. They began to slowly move across the floor. "Don't you dance with Pia?"

  "Not like this. We've gone clubbing a time or two, but it's not the same." They danced in silence for several moments, each enjoying the music and the feel of the woman in her arms.

  Alex caught a glimpse of the group seated across the room as Sera turned her. The look on Pia's face could only be described as jealousy, and she felt a pang of guilt for monopolizing Sera's time. "Pia looks upset."

  Sera's grip tightened on her waist briefly. "She'll have to get over it. She knows you are with Nikki now." Alex pulled back and looked up into her face. "What?" Sera asked.

  Before she could respond the song ended. She stepped out of Sera's arms and took her hand. "Let's rest for a minute." She led her over to the group and urged her to sit next to Pia on the couch. She sat on the coffee table in front of her two Italian friends and smiled. "I have a story for you two. I want you to listen quietly and save your questions until the end, okay?" She looked over at Nikki and gave her a wink before looking back at Pia and Sera. "When I met Nikki, Dani, and Rachel I realized they had no idea who Alexis Mohr was. I wanted to know that their motives were pure, so I hid it from them.

  "Eventually Nikki and I became lovers, and still I withheld the truth of my past. She knew I was holding something back, and she tried to give me time but I took too long." Tears filled her eyes and she blinked them back quickly. "Tired of waiting, she packed up and left me." She looked at Sera and Pia. "My fear and dishonesty caused me to lose the one thing I wanted the most. And losing her nearly killed me. After several months, I gave up ever getting her back. I packed a bag, closed down my house in the states, and moved into the villa."

  Sera looked over at Nikki, then back to Alex. "But…"

  Alex gave Nikki a tender smile. "Nikki tracked me down and showed up on my doorstep several days ago. We have spent the time since working through the issues my dishonesty caused."

  Sera leaned forward slightly, her elbows on her knees. "I'm glad you two are working through the issue, Alex, as it appears as though you are both very much in love, but why are you telling us this?"

  Alex captured one of Sera's hands in one hand and one of Pia's in the other. "Because you two are very important to me." She looked from one to the other. "And because I have a feeling that neither of you has been completely honest with the other." She held Pia's hand tighter when she tried to pull away. "You have both made comments to me that have proven that point, and I want to clear the air between us all.

  "I love you both, and I know you both love me." Both Sera and Pia nodded in agreement. "What I don't think you realize is that it has always just been friendship between the three of us." She smiled at the raised eyebrows on each of the two faces before her. "You've both assumed, incorrectly, that I slept with the other, and have both been jealous of me for no reason." She pressed the two hands she was holding together until they wrapped around each other. "It's time you were honest with each other, before you lose what is right in front of you."

  She stood, held a hand out to Nikki and said, "Dance with me?" She smiled when she took her hand and led her a short distance away. They danced quietly for several minutes with Rachel and Dani dancing a few steps away. Nikki graciously stepped aside when Pia cut in.

  "I can't thank you enough for what you just did," Pia said as she pulled her into her arms.

  As they began to dance, Alex looked up into her friend's face. She saw a sparkle in her eye and a smile on her lips. "All I did was tell you the truth. It's painfully obvious, at least to me, that you two are very much in love." The corners of her mouth lifted slightly as Pia's smile grew. "I'm so happy for you both. I think you are perfect for each other, and you deserve –" She stumbled, clutched at Pia's arms, and, dropping her head to her chest, hissed in pain.

  Pia stopped moving and held the trembling woman in her arms. "Are you all right?" she asked. She looked quickly around the room and
caught Nikki's eye. "Alex, honey, are you okay?"

  Nikki stepped away from Sera and rushed to Alex's side. She looked down and saw that she had shifted all of her weight to her right leg. Nikki scooped her into her arms and headed for the couch.

  Dani followed closely behind and quickly sat down, placing Alex's head in her lap. She ran her fingers through her hair, attempting to calm the clearly distraught woman as Nikki tried to massage the cramp from her leg.

  Alex nearly screamed when Nikki rubbed her thigh. She pushed her hands away, slapping them when they returned. "Oh Dio, brucia." Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she struggled to remove her pants, still muttering in Italian.

  Dani looked over at a stunned Pia and Sera. "Translate, please." She captured one of Alex's flailing hands, and held it against her chest.

  Sera stood beside Pia, clasped her hand tightly and said, "She said it burns." She squeezed Pia's hand as Alex yelled out. "She wants to take her pants off."

  "Get me a couple bags of ice," Nikki called out as she began to remove Alex's shoes.

  "I'll get it." Pia quickly headed for the kitchen, Rachel on her heels. They returned moments later to find Sera's eyes wide with shock as she stared at Alex's bared legs. Pia handed Nikki the bags of ice and stepped back.

  "Wait," Alex croaked, stopping Nikki. She took a deep breath. "I need my purse." The words came out slowly as she fought to speak clearly. Rachel dug through Alex's purse and pulled out a bottle of pills, handing it to Nikki.

  She looked at the label on the bottle, and looked down at Alex with a frown. "Is this what you wanted?" Her frown deepened when she received a nod in response. She opened the bottle and shook it into the palm of her hand. The first thing she noticed was that all of the pills inside had been cut into quarters. "How many?" she asked.

  "Two," Alex ground out through clenched teeth as her entire body began to shake. Beads of sweat broke out along her brow and upper lip.

  Nikki placed two pieces of a small white tablet on Alex's tongue and watched as they began to dissolve. A couple of minutes later she saw her slowly begin to relax into the cushions. "Are you ready for this?" she asked as she lifted the first bag of ice.

  Alex slowly turned her head and looked at Nikki with a lazy smile and a big blink. "Sure." Her response was slow, the word drawn out as if it contained several extra letters. As the weight of the icepack on her leg registered, her muscles immediately tensed back up, and all of the air in her lungs rushed out in a long low groan as she fought not to scream. She finally collapsed back on to the cushions and Dani's lap, her eyes closed.

  Dani ran her fingers through Alex's hair, gently massaging her scalp. "I think she passed out. Nikki, what the hell was that?"

  Nikki sat down on the floor, leaning against the coffee table as she looked at her sister. She shook her head and shrugged. "I'm not sure."

  Alex slowly opened her eyes and peered up at Dani. "Apparently I have some nerve damage in my thigh and knee." She saw the concerned look on Dani's face and smiled at her. "I'm okay, Dani. The doctors don't know if it is permanent or not. They think these episodes are my nerves trying to regrow, or it could just be my nerves firing off. Either way doesn't really matter. It was worth it."

  A tear ran slowly down Dani's cheek. "How can you say that?" Alex frowned and tried to sit up. She held her down and shook her head. "Stay right where you are."

  She dropped back down and sighed. "I wouldn't go back and change it even if I could, Dani."

  "I would," Dani replied. "If it meant having you whole again, I would. I would make sure I had a firm grip on Madison's hand so that the accident never would have happened."

  She shook her head. "But I still wouldn't be whole, Dani. Without the accident, I wouldn't have Nikki, you, Rachel, or Maddy in my life." Her head rolled to the side as she looked at Nikki. "Without Nikki, I would still be stuck, terrified of everything, lonely, and forever a victim. Instead I have overcome so much, I've grown, and changed. I'm happy." She gave her a wink before looking back up at Dani. "It was worth it, honey. I promise." She reached up and carefully wiped Dani's cheek.

  Dani captured her hand and kissed the palm. "I am eternally grateful you were there that day. I love you, Alex."

  "I love you, too." She looked over at Rachel and winked. "What about you, Ray? Do you love me?"

  Rachel looked over at Nikki. "What the hell was that you gave her?" she asked.

  "Xanax."

  Rachel chuckled. "You are high as a kite, Alex."

  Alex frowned at Rachel. "Maybe, but at least my nerves are no longer on fire." She slowly sat up, placing her feet on the floor, and watched as the two ice packs slid off her leg. "And I'm no longer crawling out of my skin."

  "Are you ready to put your pants back on?" Nikki asked. "Or is the leg still too sensitive?"

  Alex frowned. "Can we give it a few more minutes? There's still some tingling."

  "Of course we can, but you should put the ice back on it." She handed over one of the bags and watched as she placed it on her thigh with a grimace.

  Alex quietly hissed as the cold bag settled against her leg. She looked up and saw the wide-eyed look of concern on Sera and Pia's faces. "It's okay, guys. I'm not contagious, and I'm not going to fall apart either." She waved towards the empty loveseat directly across the coffee table. "Please come sit down." She smiled as they made their way closer.

  Sera sat on the edge of the loveseat, her hands clasped in her lap. She looked over at Alex, her brow furrowed and her eyes full of questions, before looking down at her hands. Alex waited patiently for her to find her voice. She looked up, and, seeing Alex's unwavering gaze, said, "What happened to you?"

  Alex blinked slowly several times before looking down at her leg. She removed the ice packs and dropped them on top of the coffee table. She slowly ran a finger over the largest of the scars along her thigh. "You mean this?" she asked as she looked back up at her friend. At Sera's nod she continued. "I was hit by a damn Mercedes."

  "What?" Pia gasped.

  "I decided to go for a jog before meeting up with Emily for dinner." Alex shook her head, her eyes blinking rapidly for a moment. "I was…I…" She paused, ran her tongue over her dry lips, and swallowed several times. "I…I can't…" Giving her head another shake, Alex quickly stood. "Please excuse me." She headed for the bathroom, her head down and her eyes on the floor, as she fought to stay in the present.

  Once the bathroom door was closed behind her, Alex slowly slid to the floor. She stared straight ahead, her eyes unable to focus on her surroundings as the memories of that fateful day overwhelmed her, pulling her in deeper. The memories flowed through her mind like lava from a volcano, slow and hot, as the pain once again burned through her body. She managed to locate the toilet seconds before her stomach revolted. She emptied its contents and flushed away the evidence, before crumpling to the floor. Part of her brain registered the smooth, cool tile under her cheek while another part felt the rough asphalt from long ago. Moisture began to pool under her cheek, running from her wide, unblinking eyes as the darkness began to descend upon her.

  Nikki watched Alex walk towards the bathroom. She heard her sister begin to tell the story and turned back to listen. Dani told Pia and Sera of the accident and the ensuing coma, stopping to answer several questions. When the conversation finally wound down, she realized more than fifteen minutes had passed and Alex still had not returned. She looked over at Pia and said, "Could you please point me towards the restroom?"

  "Of course." She stood and led her across the room and down a short hall, pointing to a closed door.

  Nikki stepped up to the door and knocked lightly. "Alex, honey, are you okay?" When she didn't get a response she tried the knob, pushing the door open. The sour smell that hung in the air was overpowering and explained Alex's sudden departure. She gasped when she saw her lying on the floor. She rushed to her side and quickly began to check for injuries. "What happened?" When she didn't respond, Nikki paused. She leaned down,
nearly pressing her face to the floor, and looked into her eyes. She noticed they were properly dilated, but unfocused. "I need some blankets," she called over her shoulder, hoping Pia was still nearby. She carefully checked for any blunt force trauma that could have caused her to lose consciousness. When she didn't find anything, she gently rolled her onto her back, scooped her up into her arms, and slowly stood. When she turned, she saw Pia standing in the doorway holding several blankets to her chest.

  "Is she okay?" Pia asked as she followed Nikki back to the living room.

  Three sets of eyes looked up at Pia's question. Sera gasped, quickly placing her hand over her mouth. Dani and Rachel stood, making room on the couch. Nikki softly deposited her precious cargo, and, taking the blankets from Pia, covered Alex's shaking body. She sat down on the floor and leaned back against the cushions. She looked up at everyone and shrugged. "I don't know. All we can do right now is wait. There doesn't appear to be anything wrong, other than the fact that she's completely unresponsive."

  Rachel stepped up and placed a hand on Alex's cheek, staring into her eyes. "I think she's stuck in a memory." She looked down at Nikki as she said, "Sometimes she's unable to control the memories and she gets pulled into them, reliving them. I've seen it a couple of times before, but it's never lasted this long. At least not when I've been around."

  Dani sat on the couch at Alex's head, placing one arm across her chest, her hand resting on her shoulder. She began to gently rub her shoulder, attempting to soothe both herself and the comatose woman. Rachel lifted Alex's feet and sat, placing them in her lap. She took her bare feet into her hands and began to warm them.

  Sera watched the three women care for her friend and a faint smile rose to her lips. "You all love her very much, don't you?"

  "We do," Rachel replied softly. "She's very special, and we are blessed to have her in our lives." She looked over at Dani and smiled. Together they began to explain some of the reasons why they felt the way they did.