Back To You (Completed)

Chapter 9

                8 and a half years ago

   When we reached Athens i completely disappeared. I felt like i had cheated on Alex. Crying day and night for almost a month I avoided all contact with everyone always saying that i was busy with paperwork. I was going to study History of Arts in Oxford and i had to get prepared for my fresh start. The classes were going to start in a week. I was trying to distract myself from thinking that specific night in Spetses but the blurry memory of the event kept invading my thoughts. Between packing and stress about my new beginning i hadn't notice my parents strange behaviour. They kept asking about the vacations and how Andrew responded as the host. I kept responding bored and indifferent but inside i was burning.

  " Why all this sudden questions about Andrew ? ", i asked once irritated.

  " He is a good kid ", my dad simply replayed but i could see the meaning behind his words.

  " Alex died almost five months ago ", i said back bothered by the thing he implied.

  " I know it's soon but you could think about it ", he calmly said. My mother was silently eating her food.

  " Why don't you say anything ? " , i asked her angry.

  " Alice i found the pregnancy test in the bathroom hidden ". She was now looking at me slightly disappointed. We always talked about everything. The last year that had changed.

  " And you assumed that he was the father ? It could be anyone ! ", i hissed back almost crying.

  " Watch your tongue ", my dad warned. " We always did everything for you to be happy. To be a good person. Even though the company is in big trouble due to the crisis we are going to pay an enormous amount of money in order you study in England cause that's what you want. We paid your vacation to help you relax and get away, heal your wounds. We did everything to make you feel better and you came back pregnant. So is he the father or not ? "

  " He is ", i answered embarrassed.

  " Good ", he said and left the table. Before i followed his example my mothers words stopped me.

   " We are going to bankrupt soon, you know that ". She sounded exhausted and i froze to my position. " I know you were to the edge of depression but your father is really stressed two years now trying to save the company. Andrew's family could save us...I am not saying that you should quit your dreams but his money could help you and your family. Just think about it and call him. At least he needs to know ".

   After that one conversation everything happened so fast. My parents were - with their own unique way - pressuring me to marry him. The child was the perfect trap. I couldn't believe that my parents were thinking of me as someone their were willing to trade in order to keep our position in society.

  It was mid October and i still hadn't left for Oxford. I said that my father wasn't well something not far from the actual truth. I was hiding my pregnancy from everybody. My morning sickness was the only symptom of my condition after all.

   After much pressure, Mark and Cassandra persuaded me go out for dinner with them and the rest of the group. Max and Eleanor were also an item now and he spent all of his free time in Athens. I knew that if i was going Andrew would be there and sitting next to my baby's father who didn't have a clue about the pregnancy wasn't an ideal situation at the time for me. I still hadn't figured a way to tell him or decided what i wanted to do with it. Eventually i gave in. A part of me deep inside wanted to see him.

  We went to a mexican restaurant. It was fun, but Andrew seemed almost ready to kill me every time our eyes met. "What's with him", i wondered. I should be the angry here. He had sex with me even though i was obviously way too drunk and he got me pregnant. Ok, i wanted to have sex with him badly the last two days of our vacation. That i should admit. He was way too attractive with his dark brown hair wet and his blue eyes reflecting on the sun. He teased me all day round without making me feel uncomfortable anymore. The way he behaved the last weeks of our vacation  had made me really change towards him. He was a guy that i actually liked a lot. When i saw him that night flirting with another woman i became suddenly possessive, jealous that he smiled to someone else than me. I was sure that he liked me and the thought of him kissing that girl bothered me . The fact that i couldn't admit it first to myself and second to anyone else made things even worse. Maybe that was why i got so drunk that night. The not - so - innocent thoughts i made about him made me feel bad about Alex. He didn't knew all that. My phone rang disrupting me from my thoughts and i saw my mother was calling.

  "I have to take this", i said and i walked to the door. The music was loud even for a restaurant so i went outside to hear her. She didn't use to call me when i was out with friends.

  "Αλίκη...", her voice was trembling. " I am at the hospital. Dad had a heart attack in the office ". Her voice completely broke and i could hear her cry.

  " Tell me where you are mom. Mom ", i shouted. " Mom stop crying . Mo...". Suddenly, everything went black and i fainted right in front of the restaurant's sidewalk. When i woke up i was also in a hospital room. I could see at a distance Cassandra and Eleanor talking but the guys were nowhere to be seen. I tried to move but a nurse stopped me. The girls rushed to my side. Their faces were so serious.

  " My dad. We have to go, i need to go to my mom, she is alone there ", i started to mumble.

" We are not going anywhere. At least for now ", Cassandra said firmly. " Your dad is out of surgery. Mark and Max went there and called seconds before you wake up ".

  " No, look i am fine ", i said weakly.

  " Fine. Just pregnant ", Eleanor continued with irony.

  " Does he know ? ", i asked scared to death.

  " Well the doctor told him. He thought he was the father since he was carrying you in his arms and walking in the hall like a lion in the cage", Eleanor informed me.

   " Fuck ", i said between tears. That's when i saw him standing against the door staring at me. He looked lost, confused. Cassandra and Eleanor went out of the room and he approached me. Standing in front of me, he clearly waited for me to explain since he didn't move his lips a bit.

   " I was going to tell you "

   " Before or after the abortion ? ", he asked not leaving my eyes for a sec.

   " I haven't decided about that yet "

   " You are eight weeks pregnant. Maybe you should start " , he said without giving away what he wanted me to do.

  " I ' m sorry ". I didn't know why i was apologizing.

  " I didn't wear a condom ", he said also like apologizing.

  " You told them ? ", i asked about his parents nervously.

  " They are angry with me"

  " What do you want me to do ? "

  "An abortion. Tomorrow would be good", he hissed emotionless as ever.

   " Get out. GET THE FUCK OUT OR I WILL FUCKING RIP YOU APART, YOU CUNT ". A nurse came inside as he walked out of the room trying to calm me down.

   Unfortunately, i couldn't just do it. I needed time to think. He called the next morning, i never answered. I texted him back never to talk to me again. The next few days he called again a number of times but still no answer from me. My father was recovering and both of them were pressuring me to contact him until i told them what he said.

   Two weeks later and he gave no sign. I was reading a book in the pool house about pregnancy since i had decided to keep the baby without ever marrying him. I was absorbed by the book and didn't notice him. He was standing in front of the door and when he knocked i got scared.

  " Hi ", he murmured not moving.

  " Fuck off ", i said fatally polite and he looked at me amused.

  " You didn't do it "

  " No. Not yet ". I couldn't figure out what the hell he was thinking and that drived me crazy.

  " Not yet " , he repeated standing in front of the fireplace. He had obviously seen the book i was reading even though i tried to hide it when i saw him.

  " Well... ", i said ironically trying to make him angry or show any emotion. I still wondered what he was doing here.

" Well i came to tell you that we are engaged. Congratulations are in order. We are getting married next month "

   Anable to speak, shocked by the news of our upcoming marriage i watched him turning around and leave placing a small red box to the table beside him. Inside there was a big oval shaped ring with an emerald stone surrounded by small diamonds. It truly was breathtaking.