Fiction: "Alexander's Child" (Read&Win / Gratitude Day10.)

Chapter1

Chapter2

Chapter3

Chapter4👇.

"Alexander-"
He couldn't bring himself to look at her. "We had sex the third day after we met. The next morning you started your period. So you couldn't have gotten pregnant until at least a couple of weeks later. I know we were careless about birth control once or twice but if he's four months old, he can't be mine. What were you trying to do, find a handy father for your ex-fiance's child?"
"Alexander shut up!" The anger in her voice finally cut into his tirade. Tears again swam in her eyes but her mouth was in a determined line. "Alexander, if you had saw him, you would know how unfair this is right now. He's your son and I can explain."
"So explain," he said coldly.
"He was premature, born six weeks early. There were complications." She choked on the word. Her throat moved as she swallowed. "But it's not important now."

He stared at her, dread making an icy knot in his chest. "What do you mean?"
Bella raised her eyes to meet his, her expression taut with anguish. I'm sorry, Alexander. He died in the accident."
Strangely, her tears still didn't overflow. She closed her eyes and her lashes grew spiky with moisture but none of it escaped to wet her cheeks. Agony burned through him. A baby. He would have had another baby, one he had denied before he knew of its existence. And he had lost him, just as he had lost his little girl.

"No," he moaned, burying his face in his hands and rocking back and forth. "No, it can't be."
He jumped when he felt a light touch on his shoulder. Bella's hand. She hung over the edge of the bed at a precarious angle so that she could reach him. "You believe me, then."

Numbly, he nodded. "I believe you. I'm sorry." Standing up, he felt curiously light-headed, her image swimming before his gaze. He blinked to clear his eyes as he moved closer to the bed.
He tucked her back under the blanket, and stood there, his hands hanging at his sides. "He died in the accident?"
His voice was an unfamiliar, husky whisper. "I won't ever get to know him."
"Go outside, shout and scream," Bella said tiredly. "That's what I wanted to do when I heard it too. Only that I can't as long as I'm in here. They say it upsets the other patients."
He would have laughed if his laugh muscles hadn't been paralyzed. "And we can't have that, can we?" He laid his hand on her shoulder, then jerked it back. If he touched her now- "Bella, will you be all right? I think have to be alone."

She turned her head towards the walls, closing him out. Not that he blamed her. In some corner of his mind, where shreds of sanity still prevailed, he knew he was a coward to leave her. They should mourn the baby's death together. The baby's death. He had come a long way in facing the bitter truth. With Ana, he had never used the term death.
"Go," she said, her voice muffled by the blanket she pulled up around her chin. "I'd like to be alone. And I can call the nurse if I needed anything. Goodbye, Alexander. Thanks for stopping in."
Dismissal.
He stumbled out to his rented car and drove back through the unfamiliar streets of Lagos, with hawkers running after each cars that slows down shouting "Oga buy from me I go sell am well for you, e no cost," in pidgin english.
By the time he found himself staring through the third story window of his hotel as the street lamps reflected in the wet pavement, he had no memory of how he had gotten there. Rain washed the window, drops sliding down like silent tears.
His face felt cold, and he rubbed his hand over his cheeks. To his surprise, his fingers came away wet. He could cry for a child he never knew, within an hour of hearing of his life and death. It had taken him more than a year to cry for his little girl, Ana, to finally make himself say goodbye to her. He hugged his arm around his chest, his shirt sleeves clammy against his cold skin. He has left his cardigan in the hospital room. Bella had said goodbye, not good night. Did that mean she didn't expect him back? Or that she didn't want him back?
And what about him? Could he stand to see her again, knowing she had kept the baby's existence from him? Or had she tried to contact him as soon as she had discovered herself pregnant, and failed to reach him because he had already left the country?
He had to know. He couldn't doubt her words that the baby had been his. She hadn't had sex with her damned fiance for a long time before she met Alexander, if ever. She had told him herself, and if she hasn't he would have known from the physical manifestations he had dimly noticed. He had to talk to her again. Then he would decide whether to stay, or to leave, never seeing her again. The thought filled him with despair. The last year had been hell, but it was over. So he had thought. Now it appeared he had been tossed into a great emotional turmoil. Tomorrow. He would see her again tomorrow. She would answer his questions. Then he would decide.

Bella listened to the faint sound of voices at the nursing station in the hall. He head felt as if there were a demolition derby going on in her brain. She swallowed, her mouth dry. She didn't want any more painkillers, she hated the fuzzy way they made her feel. But she could do with a drink of water.
She leaned towards the bedside stand, grasping the handle of the plastic jug. Her hand shook and water slopped beside the glass. A wave of dizziness overcame her and the jug slipped out of fingers, crashing to the floor. The night nurse burst through the door. "Ms Bella, why didn't you ring?" She glanced around as if she feared Alexander might be lurking in a corner, waiting to pounce. "Did that man go?"
"Yes, he went." Bella subsided against the pillow, cursing her weakness. The nurse laid a cool hand on Bella's brow. "Just hang tough, love. I will fetch you another jug of water. Sure you don't. want anything for pain?"
Bella shook her head, a mistake, as the hammering in her temples increased. "No, thanks. Just some water. Or juice, if you have it."
"Coming right up."
Bella sipped gratefully at the tart orange fruit juice while the nurse wipes
d up the spilled water and replaced the jug with a fresh one. "There, I'll put the straw right in it and you won't have to worry about pouring. Want the light off?"
Bella nodded. "Thank you."
The nurse nodded. "Sleep now, love. You will feel better in the morning." She frowned at the chair. "I see he left his cardigan. So I suppose he will be back. He has better not have the nerve, Bella thought dismally. She would mail the cardigan if necessary. If she could find out where he was staying or living. In the heels of that depressing thought, sleep mercifully claimed her.

She heard Cole crying. Hungry. She knew that half plaintive, half angry wail he made when he wanted to nurse. Her breasts stung with their weight of milk, distended nipples tingling as drops spurted out, moistening her gown. She had to go to him.

She struggled to sit up, but her arms and legs were numb. Her tongue felt parched and swollen, her vocals cords paralyzed. The crying beat against her brain as she lay helpless. Inwardly she screamed but no sound came out of her mouth. Gathering all her strength, she tensed to have her body over the side of the bed. On the floor, she could crawl to him.
But she couldn't move. She felt as if she were floating, looking down at her inert body on the bed. The crying grew fainter. She strained her ears but it faded altogether. She hung suspended near the ceiling, and it suddenly occurred to her that she was dead. She shut out the image of her body lying there, letting the darkness take her away. What did it matter whether she lived or died? Cole was dead and it was her fault for taking him out in the dark and the rain. He was gone. He didn't need her anymore.
No one needed her anymore.

She woke to the sight of lemon yellow sunlight flooding the room and Alexander Franklin slumped in the chair next to her bed. It was all a dream. "Why didn't you tell me, Bella?" he said in a subdued voice.
"You might just let me wake up first." Bella raked her hair back from her face, grimacing at the sticky feel of it. Sweating all night. Faint nausea sat uneasily in her stomach but the pain in her head had diminished to a dull ache. She cheered up slightly. Maybe they would let her up for a real bath today.
"Bella please."
Compassion at the desperation in his voice tightened her chest. She took a look at him for the first time, his eyes were black holes of pain. He clearly hadn't gotten any sleep last night, beard stubble shadowed his jaw. He wore the same clothes he wore yesterday.
"Bella, why didn't you tell me?"
"I told you last night. I couldn't find you." Remembered anger and desolation sharpened her tone. "And I didn't think you had care, in any case. You made your feelings about commitment and children clear enough. Not for you, not ever again.
"Still, if you were pregnant, I had a right to know." The dispirited still Ness dropped away from him and anger flashed in his eyes. "By whose standards?" she demanded, her own anger flaring to life. "You told me it was over. You never gave a thought to consequences." Her voice rose. "And you never told me why."
Echoes of their final argument rang in her head. Alexander's implacable voice. "I'm sorry, but this is all I can give you. I'm not going through that again, not for any woman."

To be continued.

Author's note: What made Alexander to say his not going through that again, not for any woman.
Could it be he wasn't interested in ladies anymore. Or, his wife betrayed him that he doesn't trust women anymore. Or, he lost his wife the wat he lost his daughter and couldn't cope with it.

Find out in the next chapter of "Alexander's Child" by coming Friday. Keep a date with me because the story is about getting real interesting.

Further hint: Do you know theirs still probability that the child didn't die?

You might think how?. But yes their really is. So to know how and what's the probability, keep up with me each Fridays.

Answer And Win Time 🤹🤹🤹.

1.Why did agony burned through Alexander?

2.Why did Alexander had to see Bella again?

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My Gratitude Message.
Today is the 10th day of the gratitude challenge organized by a great soul @tojukaka. In every aspect of life we should be greatful to those or things that made us to see a purpose in life is to be motivated.

My gratitude/dedication goes to @edith4angelseu, @gee1, @adejoke16, @jeaniepearl, @michelle.gent @nmalove and @surpassinggoogle. They gave me a reason to write and continue this story.
Thank you all, with so much love.

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