ENDLESS NIGHTS
Chapter 17
**At the Hospital**
Alessia
I stepped carefully through the automatic sliding doors of the hospital, leaving Ethan behind, his troubled expression etched into my memory. The sterile smell of antiseptic wafted in the air, mingling with the faint sounds of hushed conversations and distant beeping machines. My heart raced as I navigated the maze of light-colored walls, heading toward Aunty Gini's room, a sanctuary of comfort amidst the chaos.
Once inside, I found Aunty Gini, nestled in her hospital bed, enveloped in a cocoon of tranquility, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. Mandy, her ever-faithful companion, sat quietly in a chair by her side, her eyes flickering with concern.
"Is everything okay? Did you tell Ethan about the pregnancy?" Mandy's voice, soft yet piercing, broke the stillness. I shook my head, though the weight of my unspoken truth sat heavily on my chest.
"I didn't, but he's been acting suspiciously," I admitted, the words slipping from my lips reluctantly.
"Pregnant??? Are you pregnant?" Aunty Gini's sudden inquiry jolted me. I turned, wide-eyed, toward her, my heart fluttering in panic.
"Is she awake? Oh my goodness... I thought she was asleep," I stammered, glancing at Mandy for reassurance.
"Alessia, are you carrying his c-c-h?"
I rushed to interject, my instinct to shield those I loved overpowering my ability to articulate the truth. "No, I'm not. I thought I was pregnant, so we did a test and I found out I'm not pregnant," I blurted out, the lie tumbling from my lips with an urgency that surprised even me. I could almost see the color drain from her face if I dared to confess the reality; she would faint again, surely. Before I could think beyond that moment, I fled the room, propelled by a mix of fear and necessity.
As I dashed toward the exit, I collided with David, who filled the doorway with an imposing presence. His expression wasn't filled with fury as I had anticipated; instead, there was a kind of storm brewing behind his eyes that unnerved me.
"Is everything okay?" I asked, my voice barely concealing my apprehension.
"Alessia, I think I am the one who should ask you the same question! Is everything okay?" His tone was firm yet tinged with worry, and I felt his grip tighten around my hand as he led me to his car, the cool metal a stark contrast to the warmth of our entwined fingers.
"What's wrong, David?" I probed, but he remained silent, his gaze locked onto mine as if searching for the truth hidden beneath my unsteady facade.
"Alessia, I want to ask you something, and you must promise to answer me honestly. Do not lie to me," he whispered, the gravity of his words anchoring my racing heart, which threatened to escape my chest.
"I already know your question; yes, I am pregnant. Can I ask my question too?" I whispered back, my voice barely a breath.
He nodded slowly. "Yes."
"Now that you know I'm pregnant, do you still love me the same? Do you still feel for me? Will you stay? Will you be there for me through all of this-the highs, the lows, the uncertainties?" My heart pounded in my chest, each question brimming with desperation.
"Who is the father of this pregnancy?" His demand hung in the air, heavy and piercing.
I froze, unable to form a response. The truth, the complicity of my situation, loomed like a dark cloud.
"Alessia, I am asking you something: who is the father?" His tone softened slightly, but the urgency was unmistakable.
"If I tell you, you won't get mad, right?" I countered, my voice quivering with nerves.
"I love you, Alessia; I have never loved a woman as much as I love you. So of course, yes, I'll get mad, but I won't hold a grudge forever. So, tell me-who is the baby's father? Is it my brother?" His words dripped with a wounded clarity that tore at my heart.
I sighed, feeling the weight of my decision spill out with my confession. "Yes, the child belongs to Ethan. I don't know how it happened, but it is what it is, and I feel lost... I don't know what to do."
"Close your eyes," he said softly, his voice a gentle caress amidst the chaos.
"What?" I blinked in surprise.
"I said, close your eyes."
With a slow exhale, I complied. A moment later, I felt the cool, soothing pressure of his lips against mine, igniting a spark I had longed for in the dark corners of my heart. The world faded into insignificance as he lifted me effortlessly, placing me on the hood of his car while pressing his lips against mine.
"David, you should stop; I think everyone is watching us," I murmured, trying to regain a shred of reality.
"Who is everyone? The doctors? The gatekeepers? Let them watch. Let the world know that you're the woman I'm worshipping." His words danced around us, a declaration of passion and defiance.
Before I could respond, the sound of a familiar voice shattered our intimate moment. Ethan emerged, leaning casually against the wall, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"Hello, dear brother... It's been ages," he remarked with feigned nonchalance.
"Ethan, what are you doing here again? I told you many times that you should leave me alone!" My tone was sharp, cutting through the tension that enveloped us like a thick fog.
"Hello, Ethan? What do you want?" David's voice froze the air around us, his sudden coldness sending a shiver down my spine.
Ethan's smile widened slightly, a predator's grin that hinted at the confrontation yet to come. "You know what I want, brother? I want my baby and the mother of my child."
"No, that's where you're mistaken. You left her at the wedding; you left her. She's no longer yours." David's voice echoed with determination.
"David, you have everything in life: a father's love, support, resources-and now, you're about to snatch the girl I love from me. We've been together for five years; do you really want her?" Ethan shot back, defensiveness simmering just beneath the surface.
"Look, you don't have to fight, guys; I think we should all just go back to our homes and think about this," I declared, hoping to diffuse the situation before it escalated further.
"By the way, Ethan, weren't you out of the country? When did you come back to Zimbabwe? What are you really doing back here?" David challenged, suspicion lacing his words.
"I was following my wife, Alessia; what about you?" Ethan replied, the intensity of his gaze boring into David's.
"STOP CALLING HER YOUR WIFE; she is mine now. Do you understand?" David shouted, his voice reverberating through the hallway, pulling the attention of passing nurses and doctors.
I felt caught in the middle of a storm, torn between two worlds, paralyzed by my indecision and the gravity of what lay ahead. The weight of the moment pressed heavily upon me as I braced myself for what was sure to come-a battle not only for love but for the future I couldn't quite grasp just yet.
Ethan glared at David, his eyes ablaze with a suffocating intensity that seemed to thicken the air around them.
"David, you're treading on dangerous ground. It would be best for you to keep your distance from her, or I swear, I'll sever your head from your body with a knife," he declared, his voice low and menacing. The weight of his words hung heavy in the atmosphere, as if the very ground beneath their feet sensed the impending storm. "You've taken everything from me; now you're after the one girl who means the world to me as well. As long as I breathe, this will not stand. And you," he said, pivoting sharply towards me, a finger raised in accusation.
"I'm leaving now, but remember this: if anything befalls my baby, I will hunt you down like a predator stalking its prey. I love that child more than anything, and the last thing I want is to see you hurt them. Yes, I admit I've stumbled in my choices, but I am prepared to own up to my mistakes. You are still mine, Alessia, and I suggest you distance yourself from David."
David, undeterred by Ethan's hollow threats, leaned in close and whispered with an edge of defiance,
"You genuinely believe your threats can intimidate us? Take them and shove them somewhere else." In an instant, Ethan reacted, his fist colliding sharply with David's stomach, the impact echoing in the tension-filled air. David, fueled by shock and anger, readied to retaliate, but I threw myself between them, desperation slipping into my voice.
"Please! Stop! I can't stand to watch you both fight like this!"
"Ethan, what on earth is wrong with you?" David gasped, rubbing his midsection, frustration flashing across his face.
"You think this is over? You will feel my wrath, David, and so will your entire family. As long as you cling to that girl, peace will be a distant dream. I will return for what is rightfully mine, and the three of us know exactly what I am referring to: the girl and the child," Ethan proclaimed, his face twisting with a fervor that sent chills down my spine. He cast a piercing look in my direction, his words dripping with menace as he added,
"And you, my beautiful girl, if you dare harm my child, just know the consequences will be dire. All I ever asked for was harmony. Hand over my Alessia, retreat to your little world, and we might come to an understanding. But you've made it clear you want no part of peace." With that, he turned on his heel and stalked away towards his car, leaving an oppressive silence in his wake. Tears streamed down my cheeks, and David's arms enveloped me like a protective barrier.
"Are you okay? I'll make this right, I promise you," he murmured softly.
Through my sobs, I lamented, "Now I find myself trapped between two billionaires. It feels as if my life is just an endless downpour of darkness. I'll never wake from this nightmare."
"Shhhh, don't cry. I'm right here with you," David whispered, his voice soothing yet filled with concern.
"No... I think we should just forget about each other," I replied, shaking my head.
"No, Alessia, I love you too much for that. We can find another way out of this mess," he insisted, his grip tightening around me, filled with unwavering devotion.
"There is no way, David. If you truly love me, then you must allow me to find some semblance of peace. I will give Ethan what he's screaming for-his child and his girl, right? Maybe then I can escape this agony," I whispered hopelessly, every word weighing heavily on my heart.
"No, listen to me, Alessia. You don't have to fear Ethan. I will always be here for you. You can't go back to someone who abandoned you on your wedding day. Look into my eyes. What do you see? You see the truth and the love that fills my heart, don't you? I cherish you, and I won't just let you slip away," he urged, urgency rising in his voice.
"Even if you claim you'll never let me go, Ethan will keep firing threats and brimming with anger to reclaim what he believes is his. You're both failing to grasp the magnitude of this situation. I never wanted this chaos in my life; I longed only for peace, genuine happiness, a fairy tale ending. As long as both of you are intertwined with my fate, I can't find joy. It will remain an unrelenting night, devoid of hope."
"Can I be your guiding light? Together, let's illuminate this darkness that surrounds us," he whispered, his earnestness striking a chord deep within me, but I felt weary, almost ready to give in to despair.
"I need to go," I said, turning away from him and stepping back into the chaos of the hospital halls. As I entered, the atmosphere shifted dramatically; doctors hustled by, urgency etched on their faces, and in the distance, I spotted Mandy, tears streaming down her face, pure panic radiating from her.
"What happened?" I gasped, dread washing over me.
"Alessia! My mom was improving, but when you mentioned your pregnancy, she fainted! She believes you're pregnant now, and she's back in a coma! If anything happens to her, you'll be the reason behind it!" Mandy screamed, anguish clawing at her voice.
"Mandy, I... Doctor! Hi, please, how is she? You have to do everything you can!" I pleaded desperately, anxiety seizing my throat. "This is all my fault! I shouldn't have said anything about the pregnancy!"
"I need some air," Mandy said abruptly, turning and marching past me, the gravity of the situation weighing heavily on her shoulders. I chased after her, intending to help her find a ride home, but she was already striding resolutely toward the exit, her pace unyielding.
"Ale! What's going on?" David approached us, worry etching lines across his handsome face.
"Mandy is furious with me. Aunty Gini is in a coma, David! I spoke about the pregnancy, thinking she was simply resting. She has heart problems, and I've made things so much worse!" I stumbled over my words, desperation and guilt intertwining in a knot of panic. "Can you please drive Mandy home? She needs to rest, and I'll stay here with Aunty Gini."
"Of course, I'll take care of her. But please, for your sake, stop crying. Everything will be alright," he reassured me, his eyes softening in compassion.
David took off to reassure Mandy and escort her home
**Pinky**
📱... "Hello, doctor? I'm on my way,"
To be continued...