So a much needed soak in the tub is just what I need to relax and to shut my mind down. The bathroom in my room has a claw-foot tub that has been calling my name since yesterday. I poured an ungodly amount of bubble bath in the tub and have been soaking ever since. Instead of relaxing, my mind has been wandering from one thing to the next. My brain not able to shut down for more than five minutes. Wondering if the police will find the crazy bank manager John who has an unhealthy fascination with me. Also, to find out he quit working at the bank makes me nervous, making me wonder where he is hiding. My body shivers at the thought of him never getting caught. I just hope he’s not doing this to another girl.
Then to the fact that Alexander Wade wants me. Which still blows my mind. I mean, let’s be real here. He can have anyone he wants, and yet he still chooses me. A part of me is scared to take this leap of faith with him. I’ve never been in a relationship like this and I don’t want to screw this up. But I know if I walked away now, once this is all over, I would regret it for the rest of my life. With Alexander, I can see everything I always wanted in life. The house, the kids, the two of us getting old with each other and the love I know that would continue to grow as time went on. The more I think about it, the more excited I’m getting, and the fear slowly recedes into the back of my mind. I just have to have faith I’m making the right decision and allow the love I have for him to guide me. I just have to stop thinking so much and just be in the now.
The water is getting cold, so I drain the tub and get out, wrapping a fluffy towel around me. Lathering my lotion on, I put on a pair of leggings and a sweater and some fuzzy socks and head into my bedroom. Now that I’m more relaxed, I think I’m done hiding from Alexander. I make my way out of my room and head for the kitchen, where I can hear him talking to someone on the phone. As soon as I turn the corner, he clocks my every move as I head for the coffee machine.
“Alright Banks, I have to go. I will see you tomorrow. Bye.” He stuffs his phone in his pocket. “Are you feeling better after relaxing?”
I take a sip of my coffee and turn to face him. “Much better thank you. You didn’t have to get off the phone on my account.”
He’s shaking his head, smiling at me. “No, it’s okay. Banks is my assistant and was reminding me about my morning meeting. I swear if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t even know the day of the week. He definitely keeps me organized.”
“Maybe I need to hire him. My office is a mess half the time. It’s honestly chaotic compared to Everleigh’s. Anytime we are working on a project together, she refuses to work in my office.” Alexander laughs, but it’s true. Just then, my phone buzzes across the counter, making me wince when I see who is calling.
He looks down at who’s calling me, raising an eyebrow. “Do you not get along with your mom?”
I blow out a breath, shaking my head. “It’s not that. My mom is my best friend. We've always been super close. I tell her pretty much everything. I just haven’t told her yet what’s been going on with my stalker. And if I haven’t told my mom, I definitely haven’t told my step dad Peter. He’s kind of protective of me and mom. And I know they are going to be upset with me because I didn’t tell them. I just don’t want to see the disappointment in their eyes.”
He passes my cell phone to me with a tender smile on his face. “Then you should definitely call them and tell them everything that is going on. I will be with you and if they need confirmation that you are safe, I will be right there to reassure them.”
I take the phone from his hands, knowing that he is right. I should tell them what's going on. Doesn’t mean I have to like it. My mom also knows about my secret crush on Alexander, so this should really be fun once she sees him. Let’s just hope she doesn’t say something she shouldn’t. “Fine, but you're probably going to hear a lot of yelling. I’m also sorry in advance because don’t be surprised if you get grilled by my dad. Like I said, he takes his protectiveness to another level.”
He just smiles at me, knowing I’m stalling now. “Baby, I would expect nothing less. Now stop stalling and call your parents.” He puts his hand on my lower back, steering me towards the living room.
Sitting on the couch, I make myself comfortable. I look at Alexander once more and he gives me an encouraging smile, nodding his head. I blow out a breath, my hands shaking slightly, and hit my mom’s number doing Facetime instead. The phone rings twice before it connects. I plaster on a smile I definitely don’t feel. I can see my dad sitting beside her.
“Hey mom and dad, how are you doing? Sorry I missed your call.”
“Where doing good, baby girl.”She narrows her eyes at me, looking at me all over. No doubt she can see something is wrong.“What’s wrong, Selene? The better question is, where are you?”That definitely gets my dad’s attention as he sits up straighter. They both push their faces into the screen and it takes everything in me not to laugh. It’s as if they think they can see more by doing so.
Here goes nothing.“So something has happened and I’m staying at Alexander Wade’s house for a bit.”
My mom’s eyes show shock and she smiles, connecting the dots on whose house I’m at but not my dad as he shoves his face into the phone, looking mad, if his red face is anything to go by.“What happened? And who the hell is Alexander Wade?”
“Now, Peter, let's give Selene a chance to tell us. Hi Alexander.”My mom waves into the phone like a crazy person with a massive smile on her face. Alexander comes into view, giving my parents his million-dollar smile.
“Hello Mr. and Mrs. Doyle, it’s nice to meet you.”After the introductions are over, my dad gives me his no nonsense look and I know my stalling is over.
“Alright baby girl, stop stalling and tell us what’s wrong.”
“So you can’t get mad and you have to let me finish telling you what happened.”Alexander takes my hand and gives it a squeeze and I jump into telling them for over a month now that I’ve had a stalker. I tell them everything, not leaving anything out down to Alexander hiring his brother as my new security detail and the restraining order I now have. By the time I’m finished talking, my dad’s face has gone ten different shades of red and mom has tears in her eyes. I feel so bad not telling them what has been going on sooner, but I thought it would have stopped by now.
“So that’s everything. I’m sorry for not telling you sooner. I just thought he would have gone away on his own. How wrong I was.”I put my head down, not wanting to see the disappointment in their eyes.
“Oh Selene. I wish you would have told us sooner what was going on. We would have helped you. Why don’t you come stay with us for a bit while they sort this all out?”I watch as my mom wipes a tear from her face, making me feel guilty.
“I’m okay, really I am. And Alexander is taking good care of me. Plus, he hired his brother Adrian’s company to be my extra security while I’m at work. Please believe I’m going to be okay here.”
“You have nothing to worry about, Mr. and Mrs. Doyle. I have top - notch security here and I will protect Selene with my life. You have one special daughter here.”
I look up at Alexander and he’s smiling down at me with a tender look on his face. My mom clears her throat. I can hear the laugh in her voice making my face go all red.
My dad, on the other hand, doesn’t find this funny.“Selene, I want updates. Even if you don’t have any, I want them. I will work a few of my contacts on my end so we can find this fucker. Maybe I can have a little meet and greet with this asshole before the cops find him.”My dad gets a sinister smile on his face, the same one Alexander had.
“DADDY!!”
“PETER!”Mom and I yell at the same time, and he just shrugs his shoulders, not caring one bit.
Alexander just laughs at him, totally agreeing with him.“I said the same thing, sir. My brother Adrian is all for it. I will send you all the info I have on this guy.”
