Alexander

1

"He's just been through a very messy divorce," Nick explained hesitantly, "I highly doubt he's feeling on-top of the world."

"But his little brother is getting married!" I persisted and nudged my soon-to-be brother-in-law in a friendly manner, the drinks I had had tonight having already risen to my head, "he'll forget about it the moment he gets here, I'm sure of it."

The stingy bar just down the street from the Dormer's countryside estate was relatively empty even on a Friday night. After having arrived here yesterday, I was in desperate need of drinking my worries away. I was anxiously dreading my parents' arrival tomorrow, aware of what would ensue.

"Sara, have a shot with me," I urged my younger sister, casting her a wry smile over the round and dark wooden table, "you haven't had a sip since we got here!"

I watched as she looked over at her fiancé and he took her hand into his, gazing at her in a way sweeter than Willy Wonka's Chocolate factory on its best day.

"We should tell her," Nick whispered, discreetly glancing over at me. My brows furrowed as I took the two in, my hazy mind jumping to all sorts of conclusions due to their sudden secretiveness.

"Tell me what?" I prodded, eyes moving between the two with the perceptiveness of a chair umpire at a tennis match.

"Bella," Sara finally looked back over at me, a warm and content smile on her lips, "we're expecting!"

Nick kissed her cheek lovingly, not able to get any closer to her in the small booth as much as he tried. I stared at the two with obvious shock, feeling delighted and nervous at the same time.

"Expecting what? A baby?" I blurted out. The two laughed and nodded joyously.

"Is that why the wedding is so rushed?" I questioned without thinking, knowing pregnancy before marriage wasn't too accepted in their family, a family that had quite famously suffered through a few scandals within the British nobility.

"No, of course not," Sara was quick to shake her head, before  shrugging, "well it was, partly. Nick's my lobster, Bella. Obviously we want to start our life together as soon as possible."

Maybe our mother's constant nagging and attention concerning my way of life would subside if she learnt of her youngest being pregnant atop her upcoming wedding.

"Aren't you happy for us?" Nick inquired hopefully, hand placing gently on his fiancée's stomach which was still flat for now.

"I am," I found myself nodding, knowing that in Sara's shoes I would be petrified and running for the hills, "I really am. How...how far along are you?"

"Almost nine weeks," she attempted to contain her excitement but failed miserably, "our doctor says the bump will start showing right around the wedding, or just after! Isn't that exciting?"

"Very," I cleared my throat and scanned the empty bar, scavenging the place for a way out of this conversation. "I'm going to get another drink," I fumbled for my purse.

"Bella, wait a second," Sara giggled, reaching her hand across the table to hold mine. My attention moved back to her, my purse rested on the table in front of me.

"Nick and I have talked about this," she began secretively, unable to contain that wide smile of hers and surely about to burst with happiness any moment now, "and we know you're not the biggest fan of children, but..."

"We would love for you to be the godmother," Nick finished, still gazing adoringly at his soon-to-be wife.

"Oh, gosh," I breathed out, brows raised at the absurd request.

Family was everything to us, it always had been. I had been branching out for years though, experiencing life as an independent and successful journalist without any kind of ball and chain on my ankle. My mother pushed and pushed for both of us, especially me, to find a man, get married and have children. She wasn't very modern in that sense, having been a housewife her whole adult-life and now expecting us to follow in her footsteps. Me being the oldest often caused her to place all the pressure on me, while Sara had things much easier.

"You can think it over," Nick assured me, before retuning to his brother, "we'll be asking Alexander if he'd be the godfather."

"That's lovely," I mumbled out, visibly deflating in my seat, "this is really great, you guys. I'm still jet-lagged, otherwise I'd be jumping up the walls..."

They laughed and nodded with understanding.

I spent the rest of the night listening to what they had planned for us this month leading up to their wedding and third-wheeling like it was my last night.

--

"Is there a reason you're naked in my bed?"

I screamed brokenly and scrambled to tug the duvet over my nude body. I could see a silhouette of a man standing in the doorway to the dark bedroom I had been assigned to. He was tall and the dark suit on him fitted well enough for the contours of his muscled body to shine through.

"Who the hell are you?" I quickly sat up, glaring at the sturdy figure.

"Alexander Dormer," he took a step inside the room, beautifully sculpted body coming more and more into view while his unholy voice silenced me for a moment, "who the hell are you?"

"Bella Barclay," I spoke, heart racing at the speed I had woken up from my deep slumber, only to end up almost dying from fright, "you're Nick's older brother."

"And you're Sara's sister," he shook his head to himself with a low chuckle, "it's nice to meet you, Bella."

"Nice to meet you too..." I mumbled out tiredly, uncomfortable as I was still very much naked under the duvet and the frighteningly sexy man was standing only a few steps away, "Sara told me to bring my things here."

"This has to be a misunderstanding. There's a guest bedroom right next door," he told me, arms folding over his chest, clearly expecting me to get out of the bed and leave.

I could faintly see hints of his facial features, but not enough to create a full image, though through hearing his low tone I was able to sense a general idea of the man. His presence was overpowering.

"Can't you take the guest bedroom?" I reasoned, exhausted and knowing I would get more than grumpy if I wasn't able to continue my sleep soon.

"I just got here, Bella. This is my childhood bedroom," he insisted in the most infuriatingly unbothered way, "I don't like the idea of a stranger sleeping in it."

My eyes widened even as he had no way of seeing my reaction. If this wasn't the best way to meet someone you would see in every family gathering and birthday from here on out, I don't know what was.

"Then don't consider me a stranger," I decided with finality, "I'm too naked for this right now, we can change rooms tomorrow."

He stood there in silence, staring at whatever he could see of me in the dimness, only a few stray strands of light squeezing their way in from the hallway.

Without another word he left the bedroom and closed the door behind him, leaving me baffled and confused. 

I heard a door in the hallway open and close, presumably the guest bedroom, where Nick's brother Alexander would be sleeping at least for tonight.

I fell asleep soon after, deciding I would sort this out with Sara in the morning.