Secrets, Love and Lies (18+)

27 - My Safe Place

Present Day

My father and Walter had conspired to end my relationship with Luca. All those years I endured the heartbreak of Luca's abandonment and betrayal only because of Gunnar's need to control every aspect of my life.

Gunnar and Walter. They created this. This insidious mess my life is in. Gunnar, Walter, Eliana. They all made me into this. This lost girl who has nothing and nobody.

No Luca. No baby. No Alex.

They left me alone and broken, all because of their choices.

I stand up from the bed and search around the room in a sudden panic. When I finally open the small locker in the wall, I discover what I'm looking for. The clear plastic bag holds the clothes I was admitted in. Though they are dirty and smell horrible, I put them on and toss the used hospital gown onto the floor of the bathroom as I step out.

Walter had promised to bring me back supplies this afternoon, so I have nothing to clean myself up with, but it doesn't matter. I quickly find my purse in the same locker and grab my phone about to leave the room, then stop and pause in thought.

I send a text to Alex, then wipe the phone's memory and place it in the drawer of the bedside table. I glance into the hallway and wait until there are no staff in sight and bolt through the door.

I manage to make it to the elevator unnoticed and follow the signs to the main entrance of the hospital. My walk of shame look turns a few heads, but I manage to make it out of the hospital with no more than a few curious glances in my direction.

Once I'm finally outside the hospital, I hop into the first available cab.

The ride is long, and I'm anxious the whole way there, especially with no phone to distract me. When I pay the driver and step out of the vehicle, doubts began to flood me as I stare at the doors of the two-story suburban house I have only visited once before. The memories that wash over me as I stand quietly in the driveway threaten to overwhelm me like a tidal wave, but I somehow manage to keep my legs from buckling beneath me.

Suddenly the front door swings open and Alex flies out and rushes into my arms. And then I start to breathe again as he holds me up in his strong embrace.

"Come on, let's get you inside," he murmurs into my hair before he pulls me into the house. He doesn't release my hand, doesn't stop in the entrance, but slams the door and quickly leads me all the way upstairs toward his room.

"Where is everyone?" I'm nervous, truthfully. This is the first time I've really been alone with Alex since we both learned the truth. 

"Family barbeque. I didn't tell them where I was going, I just came home when I got your message. Nobody knows you're here yet but me."

I nod my head in relief. I'm definitely not ready for 'Meet the family: part two', so I sigh and sit on the edge of my brother's bed.

"Do you think I could have a shower and maybe borrow some clean clothes?" My skin is crawling, and my clothes smell like vomit and sweat. I can't stand another minute in this filth.

Alex leads me to the bathroom he shares with his brother, our brother, and brings me in some of his sister's products; he's thought of everything from facecloth to shampoo, conditioner and body wash. I jump into the shower, tossing the disgusting clothes onto the floor and soak myself under the hot, refreshing downpour of the shower.

I hear my name called and nearly jump out of my skin in surprise until I realize that Alex is standing on the other side of the navy blue shower curtain.

"I didn't even think about, you know, your privacy. Um...I'm sorry. I just wanted to let you know I left towels, some clothes and a new toothbrush on the counter for you. Anyway, I'll leave you to it."