The Millionaire's Bet [BOOK ONE][#Wattys2015][#SYTYCW15][#CarinaPress]

part twenty six

ALYSSA

Three days had passed since I discovered what Andrew's ego had driven him to do and, while I had calmed down and was ready to see him again, the more stubborn and childish side of had prevented me from picking up the phone and actually speaking to him. I had wanted to see him, and I had wanted to speak to him, but there was still something which was stopping me from doing both of those.

He had phoned me several times in the last three days and, rather than answering the phone like any normal person would have done, I let it go to voicemail and each message he left sounded more painful than the last, each of them telling me how sorry he was and begging me to listen to what he had to say. I didn't even answer the door when Diana was on the other side of it, asking whether there was anything she could do for me, or if there was anything I needed her to get for me.

I don't think she got the message that I wanted her to leave me alone. It wasn't that I didn't want to see her, and it wasn't even that I hated her either, I just didn't want to see her because she would want to know how I was feeling, and I didn't even know myself how I was feeling—all I knew is that I missed Andrew and I wanted him with me, but I was being a bitch by ignoring him and not giving in to what I want.

I smiled as I watched Ella sitting in the middle of the living room, her eyes never leaving the screen as she watched Tangled for the thousandth time, but she still remained in silence and watched as the story unfolded before her. She had changed a lot since the last time I had seen her, but I didn't care about that, I was just happy to see her again and I was glad that she was here for the night rather than just the afternoon since that wasn't enough time to get to know my niece all over again.

It's a shame her mother hadn't been as excited to see me, not that I was over the moon to see her either, not now I knew the truth about her and Ben. And, when she dropped Ella off and her daughter was safely out of earshot, she couldn't fight the urge to mention Andrew and I just wanted her to leave as quickly as she had arrived because I didn't want to explain anything to her—as far as I was concerned, she wasn't my sister, and I didn't want anything to do with her.

"Here's her bag. There's pyjamas in there for tonight, and clothes for the morning. There is also her favourite teddy, which she will refuse to sleep without, and there are plenty of toys in there so she shouldn't become too bored," Rebecca grinned when Ella threw her arms around my legs and hugged me tightly. I smiled down at her, much to the disapproval of my sister who didn't seem impressed by how much love Ella still had for me, and so she threw her daughter's bag into my chest, forcing me to look back at her.

"Aunty Aly," Ella giggled happily and I felt the lump in my throat. That was the name which Andrew had used for me, the name which he had used when we were in the bedroom and he wanted me to look at him, and it was a name which had so much more to it now besides a nickname which my niece had come up with because she couldn't say my full name.

"Hello, baby," I looked away from my sister and bent down to put a kiss on the top of Ella's head, putting her bag on the floor behind the door, watching as she ran towards the living room once she was out of my grip. And, if I knew Ella, she was probably going to see if there was anything which she could play with and, even there wasn't anything around, she would still something to play with and it made you wish that you could be a child all over again—an imagination without any worries in the world.

"Remember what I said about Andrew," Rebecca demanded as, for the third time since turning up at my door, she pulled her dress down to an appropriate length and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. I didn't have anything against my sister having fun, everyone was allowed a little fun and time for themselves, but she didn't have to act this way around her daughter and she also didn't have to be a bitch whenever she saw me.