When he felt her melt in his arms, he pulled away and looked down into her desire drugged eyes. “You’ll marry me, Helen. Or I’ll tell your father what we’ve done and he’ll force you to marry me.”
Without another word, he walked away from her, grabbing a shirt from a drawer as he headed towards the doorway. “Breakfast is on the terrace. Be ready in five minutes so we can eat quickly and tell your father the happy news.”
Helen stared at the now closed doorway, her confusion and anger so strong, she couldn’t form a coherent thought. He was demanding that she marry him? How odd, and very….traditional.
Chapter 11
Helen rushed through the hospital doors, both trying to get to her father’s bedside but also needing to escape from Alex’s presence. Since seeing him naked this morning, experiencing his kiss and being left wanting…she couldn’t get the image out of her mind. She wanted him and felt as if she were betraying her father by those feelings. She’d found her underwear and pulled on her clothes roughly, applied a smattering of makeup and then rushed out to find the terrace so she could confront him about his demands. But when she’d finally found the terrace, he was on the phone, speaking in German and Helen simply poured herself some coffee and grabbed a pastry before settling down to glare at him.
He got off the phone moments after she arrived but didn’t give her a chance to discuss the marriage issue. Instead, he gave her an update on her father, quickly transferring her energy away from an argument with him and changing to fear for her father despite Alec’s reassurance that her father had improved significantly overnight.
“Good morning, papa!” she said, with a bright, cheerful voice that she definitely wasn’t feeling inside. “How are you feeling?” she asked, bending over and kissing his cheek, noting that he really did look much better today. At least his lips weren’t blue and his face didn’t appear as gray. There was even a slight tinge of color in his upper cheeks.
“Wonderful,” he said, smiling weakly as he accepted her kiss, patting her on the hand in return. “You look refreshed,” he said, his stern eyes taking in the high color of her face and the sparkle in her eyes.
Helen turned away from his too-knowing look and pulled the uncomfortable looking hospital chair closer to the bed so she could sit next to him and still hold his hand. “I am,” she agreed with a falsely cheerful voice. “What’s the news? Have the doctor’s been by to visit yet this morning?”
Before he could answer, her mother stepped into the room, carrying three cups of coffee. While she was handing them out to Helen and Alex, she smiled down at Edward, a great deal of love shining through her eyes with that look. “He’s being moved to a regular room today. His progress has been great over the last twelve hours.”
Helen was so relieved, she slouched down on the plastic chair, blowing out a sigh. She took a bracing sip of the coffee and didn’t cringe at how awful the brew was. She was only comparing it to the delicious, rich coffee she’d had less than an hour ago with Alex and this stuff was borderline toxic, she thought. “So when might you be released from the hospital?” she asked, putting the cup of coffee off to the side.
“Helen, I need to speak with your father alone,” Alex interrupted, his eyes hard and absolute, challenging her to defy him.
Helen had been ignoring him since they’d arrived at the hospital, not wanting to even acknowledge his presence. But with his words, she looked over at him, knowing what he wanted to discuss and not liking it one little bit. Her fears escalating with the understanding that he was going to tell her father the exact opposite of what she wanted. “No, Alex. There’s nothing you need to say to my father.”
Elisia looked from her daughter to the man standing firmly at the end of the bed. She must have understood that something momentous was about to happen and stepped into the fray. “Helen, I need some help with something. Come along, dear.”
Helen shook her head. “No! Alex has nothing to say to papa,” she said firmly, her mouth set in grim lines while her arms were crossed over her chest, defiantly denying Alex his time alone with her father.
Alex didn’t reply, but simply stared at her, glaring right back at her. Helen tried to hold his gaze but couldn’t. She looked away first but was still shaking her head. “No, Alex. This is a family matter. Thank you for being here initially, but we’re fine,” she said, praying he’d take the hint and leave them all alone.
Without taking his eyes off of Helen, he said, “Elisia, would you mind taking Helen down to the waiting room? I have business to discuss with Edward.”
Helen shook her head, but when her mother took her arm, she pulled against leaving the room. “Don’t do it, Alex,” she pleaded. “This isn’t right and you and I need to talk more. This isn’t the solution.”
“You’ve already said all there is to say about the subject this morning. I have your answer,” Alex said with a grim expression.
She had no alternative but to allow herself to follow her mother. Looking down at her father, Helen noted his confusion and concern, and she just prayed that Alex wouldn’t say anything that would cause her father to regress.
Helen paced in the waiting room for five minutes before she couldn’t take it any longer. “He can’t do this,” she said to her mother and slipped out of the door. Getting back into the hospital room was easy since they were moving her father down the hallway to a private room.
Alec watched her from the doorway. “It’s done,” he said before she could provide any other comments to her father. “We’re getting married, Helen.”
“No!” she exclaimed, gripping the doorway to the waiting room. She felt the world sway and instantly, Alex was at her side, holding her steady. “Why?” she asked weakly. “Why did you do that?”
“It’s done,” he replied firmly, pulling her out of the way. “You’re father has already agreed to my suit.”
Helen caught her father’s eye and shook her head. “Why not?” he asked patiently.
“Because…” she started to say but Alex crossed his arms over his chest, daring her to counter his claim.
“I….we…just don’t….do well together,” she finished lamely.
“We ‘did well’ enough on Wednesday,” he countered.