(Leigh’s POV)
When my eyelids open, I try to recognize where I am for a while. The pink paint of the wall and the symmetrical design of the place remind me I am in my bedroom, and this is the second day I wake up as Mrs. Hearst. I breathe in and out, stretching my arms only to realize I am alone in the bed.
Where is my Cupcake?
A thrilling smile curves my lips as I climb down from my bed and fix the beddings carefully, making sure that everything is in the right place before going to the bathroom to wash my face.
As I walk to the kitchen, my nostrils catch the scent of the breakfast my mother is cooking, and she rolls her eyes as I steal one hotdog from the plate. We all eat together on all meals except when we are at school or work. My eyes search for Alex as I take my cup and pour coffee in it.
“He’s outside with your papa,” she says, hi
(Alexander’s POV)I ask for one good reason, and Leigh gives me one. “Because I like you, Alex, and I still want us to be friends when all these are over.” I feel her trembling from the cold and our intense conversation as I embrace her. There are more things to know about Kayleigh, but now I need to assure her of my promise that I will not fall in love with her.This is stupid! I understand that we are here in this situation because of my father, Chase’s foolish decision, and my fear of being left at the altar alone. She is happy with her relationship with Sebastian, but I only make it complicated by meeting her family and making them believe we are very much in love with each other.“Let’s get out of the water, Leigh,” I tell her, and I breathe in relief when she nods her head. Aunt Ida went out again, bringing u
(Leigh’s POV)“Let me touch and taste you, Kayleigh.”My mind is screaming a no to him, but my body seems to have its own mind, disregarding what my head is telling me. I close my eyes when Alex pulls me to him and kisses me fervently while his hands explore my body.The cold sprinkle of water in the shower changes as Alex takes my lips into him, sliding his tongue into my parted lips and expertly exploring my mouth. His hands grope down to my mounds, kneading them mercilessly that excites me more. This is my problem when Alex kisses me because I suddenly forget where I am, what our real relationship is, and what is the possible outcome of all these.My heart starts hammering against my chest, wanting to jump out of my body when Alex leaves my mouth to kiss my neck down to my shoulder and nips on my skin. My breathing becom
(Leigh’s POV)Alex laughs at me, placing the milk cartons on the kitchen island as he walks back to me and wraps his arms around my body, kissing my forehead.“How can I face my family when I do nothing but put myself in an embarrassing situation?” I bawl like my two-year-old niece, causing him to lift my chin and shower me with tiny kisses on my face. He did not stop until I stopped crying, and I ended up giggling.“Stop it, Alex,” I said, placing my hands on his chest to push him, but I couldn’t.He wipes my tears with his thumb and gazes at me lovingly. “Hey, it’s not as if we did something illegal.”“I know,” I hiccup, whimpering between my words, and then I stop crying, raise my eyebrows, and ask, “We didn’t?”He shakes h
(Alexander’s POV)It was funny how I said it, but it was an excellent reminder to myself that Kayleigh David is engaged to Sebastian, and soon I would be proposing to Zyra. Formally. In public. I have proposed to her many times, proof that I was deeply in love with her, and I was excited to start my family with Zyra, the mother of my future children.Staring at Leigh, I was reminded again that it was like being with Georgia, a distraction, and testing my long-distance relationship with Zyra. Perhaps like Leigh, I easily fall in love, too. Leigh is also a complicated person, a childlike young woman, stubborn, a crybaby, and who knows what else I will discover in one month.I won’t dare fall in love with Kayleigh David.When my phone rings, Leigh escapes my embrace. “Answer it, Cupcake. I’ll prepare our coffee.”&nb
(Alexander’s POV)“Kayleigh David!” I sighed, saying her name in a stern voice.Her eyes are sparkling with excitement as she moves closer to me, unbuckling my seatbelt when I didn’t unfasten mine. When she was done, she opened the door, confusing me more.“Come on, Alex!” She says excitedly, turning her back on me and leaning on the car.I blink, waking myself up from a lustful dream and getting out of the car. I walk in her direction, and when I am standing beside her, she anchors her arm into mine. She leads me to the pavement that I only notice just now.“It’s sad we can’t stay to dine here, but a takeaway would do,” she utters, stopping for a while to take a picture of us. When I didn’t smile, she gave me a look. “Smile, Cupcake. Make my uncle happy,&rdq
(Alexander’s POV)“Don’t touch anything,” Alfie whispers as I sit on Kayleigh’s chair.He warns me sternly as if there is something in her table that would interest me. Most of the spaces in their office occupy the lounge, a photo booth room, stock room, breakroom, and a small private office where I think the three of them share.Alfie left me again, giving me time to look around. I wouldn’t say I like sitting in her chair, too. I saw the problem when one of her things was moved, and I didn’t like Leigh to be looking for her stuff all day just because I touched one. I stood in front of the big corkboard on the wall where Alfie pinned a picture. I looked at the photos of the events they had in the past, and I could not help myself from smiling, finding each picture entertaining to see.My eyes darted on the pi
(Alexander’s POV)My hand, trembling in anger, searched for the cigarette case in my pocket, took one stick as I looked blankly into space. My chest was so tight that I felt like wanting to explode in a wave of unexplainable anger. It was like somebody took something I owned.I close my eyes, remembering I don’t have a lighter. George always brings one with her, although she knew I gave up smoking years ago. It was just a habit that I always had a cigarette case in my pocket, and in this situation, I really wanted to smoke.The ‘cling’ sound of the metal lighter case opening causes me to turn my head to the person who stands beside me. Wendell lit his cigarette, and then he gave it to me. I placed the stick between my lips and lit the cigarette. We smoked quietly like no one wanted to start a conversation.“Leigh surpris
(Leigh’s POV) “You should have just gone to the beach, Leigh. What’s this for?” Alfie asks after giving me the half-kilo of rock salt. “I’ve been experiencing bad luck today,” I answered while checking on the salt. I wondered if it had something to do with marrying Alex or if something in me had changed since I met him. I shook my head, brushing off wild thoughts about him. He took it back, surprising me. “I should have brought you pink Himalayan salt then.” He clucked his tongue as he placed it on the table. “Hey!” I groaned, reaching for the paper bag, but Alfie took it again, and this time, he gave it to Elle. “My God, Elle, it’s like unlocking a new level of curse in your life,” Elle says as she rolls her eyes on me. “Paulo, Wendell, and Sebastian, all in one day? Did something happen to you and Alex to anger heaven
(Alexander’s POV) “You may kiss your wife,” the officiant said, but my lips molded Leigh’s lips before he could finish his line. Leigh and I laughed as we watched Alfie’s video that he had sent us. I saw myself as tears rolled down my cheeks as I claimed her mouth, tasting the sweetness of my wife’s lips and feeling the overflowing happiness that we had finally renewed our vows. We were seated on the couch, facing the king-sized bed where the twins slept soundly. “Renewal of vows,” Leigh whispered as she leaned her head on my shoulder. “When I saw you and Chase talking this morning -” I cut him. “He was telling me the big problem I’d face if I continued my plan of marrying Zyra.” Her almond-shaped eyes gaped at me, looking at me with wonder. “Why didn’t you sign the divorce papers, Alex?” I planted a kiss on her hair. “Because I always hoped we will have our chance, Leigh.” “Me, too,” She smiled, but her eyes squinted and asked me, “When they said that the groom was missing, I
(Leigh’s POV)The groom is missing.How dare Alex ruins his multi-million-dollar wedding? I was puffing out air, thinking about what came to his crazy mind running away on this special day.When Ellen and Kayla came to my room, they were quiet. They seemed to have known the problem, but they chose not to talk. Kayla placed little Alexander in his stroller while Ellen approached me, taking baby Amanda from me.Elle opened the door and helped me fix the skirt of my wedding gown.“An update, Elle?” I asked her.“Alfie’s fixing the problem,” she said, glancing at my sisters, who padded out of the room. She laughs nervously when she notices I am worrying and don’t know what to pick first. “Focus, Leigh. This is your wedding. You’re not the one who loses the groom, so give that beautiful smile and have a blast,” she said, picking up my bouquet and giving it to me.“I just saw him a while ago -” My voice trailed off, realizing it was nonsense to talk about him now. “And why are you here? You
(Leigh’s POV)So much for my plan of beauty rest!I hardly had a wink last night because baby Amanda was crying almost all night that I wanted to rush her to the hospital, but whenever I danced her in my arms, she would stop crying and go to sleep. George brought Maxine yesterday to our house, and since she couldn’t come to our bedroom, she has been howling and crying until midnight. Only when Kayla got Callie out of my room that she stops whimpering.“What happened to you?” Elle blinked, looking at me as she entered my room.I climbed down from the bed lazily, went to my dresser, and saw my hair worse than a haystack. I groaned, looking at my eyes.She rolled her eyes, tugging me back to the bed.“What time are we leaving?” I asked, lying again on the bed. I need sleep—more of it.She chuckled. “We’re actually leaving. Just sleep in the car,” she suggested. “You need to have your hair done, makeup, and everything.”I groaned, going under the covers of my blanket. “Why is it that it d
(Leigh’s POV)“For you… For you, I will…” I breathed out, clutching my shirt, wondering why I couldn’t memorize my wedding vow.I inhaled… and then exhaled, looking at the perfect blue sky. It was a miracle that the weather today cooperated with us. Since Alex left that night, the sky has been crying with me, and though my family and friends saw me smiling, my heart was aching from the deep wound of the hard decision we had made.As long as we are together, every step or decision we make will be a mistake.“The flowers are soooo beautiful, Leigh,” Alfie uttered, admiringly looking at the different flowers, from roses of different colors to other flowers that we hardly recognize unless they would tell us what they were.I smirked at him. “When you get married, and the budget is sky is the limit, this is the result.”“But the couples would go to hell after,” he sighed.“Don’t say that,” I said, looking at the large and open meadow.It was last week when Mr. Hearst, the older Mr. Hearst,
(Alexander’s POV)After dinner, George went to Aunt Ida’s house, her temporary place to stay while we were here. Even if I don’t ask her, I know how she likes staying here because of the homey feeling we are experiencing.I heaved a deep sigh as I looked at the dark sky, trying to gather my senses together, thinking of what happened today and what I would do after this. For a honeymoon idea, I knew how much Leigh wanted to go back to the farm. We could spend our time there as one family, and when the twins are one or two, maybe we could all travel together.“Beer?” Royce asked, giving me a bottle of beer.I smiled, taking the bottle.“Reconsidering?” He sat on the wooden bench, gazing at the sky.“About Leigh or the twins?” I smirked, causing him to chuckle.He drank his beer, giving me a silent answer to tell him my plans for them.“As much as I hated Leigh for lying to me, I still love her, Royce,” It was easier to be honest to him than tell Leigh my feelings. She is one complicated
(Leigh’s POV)Was it the warm sprinkle from the shower? Perhaps Zyra’s fingernails have poison causing me to feel like this.Before he stepped into the shower area, my body was burning with desire, and there was a need inside me that wanted him to touch me… and kiss me.“Leigh,” His voice trailed off because as soon as he was in front of me, my hands grabbed his head, curling my fingers to his hair, never wanting to let him go. My heels have their own mind, raising my body to reach his soft lips, making my tongue do its work, exploring his mouth, taunting him into an adventure that I didn’t care if we would regret in the end.I must have turned on something in him, too. He pinned me to the wall, and his hands excitedly touched every part of me, feverishly arousing my heart, body, and soul. We were on fire, kissing intensely, touching passionately, caressing our bodies like we have hungry for a long time.He brought me into a new world when he thrust his manhood to my core, rocking and
(Leigh’s POV)Before I went to the kitchen to drink water, I brought the three babies to the porch and continued working there. Being a single mother, I had to work, but I mostly handled special editing projects, so I could still work from home. I asked Dyna to watch them for a while as I went inside, but as soon as I returned to the porch, she left in a hurry to go to her bakeshop. If only I could pull the days to our wedding day so that this would be over. Yet I also wished to stop the time, hoping that Alex would not get my children from me. I was in the middle of editing a picture when a familiar car stopped in front of our house.I rose to my feet, walking in the direction of the white vehicle because I was not sure at first who could our unexpected visitor be, but when the passenger door at the back of the car opened, I was surprised to see Zyra.She dashed to me, looking furious as she approached me. “You bitch!” She screamed angrily as she pulled my hair toward her.I could n
(Alexander’s POV)With a crib in Kayleigh’s bedroom, it was impossible to add another bed, and despite everyone’s disapproval of letting me stay in her bedroom, they didn’t have the choice when Carlito spoke up, explaining the reason why. I received sullen looks, especially from her brothers, but no one shared their disagreement.I have been staring at her ceiling for an hour now, listening to her even breathing. I felt guilty for taking our children on the day of her birthday, but I didn’t know, and I was already consumed by much anger that I didn’t think much.When I heard baby Amanda cry, I closed my eyes immediately when I felt Leigh move. She got up, still yawning, when she climbed down from the bed, taking our daughter from the crib. She sat on the chair next to the bed and pulled off her sleepwear to expose her breast to her. When I heard her even breathing as she breastfed our baby, I opened my eyes to check on them, watching her look like she was sleeping.As my little girl w
(Alexander’s POV)Kayla and Eloisa came into the room with little Alexander and baby Amanda. When the twins cried, it was like something snapped inside Leigh’s mind, making her blink. She scrambled to her feet, ignoring me in front of her and seeing only her two children.“Alex…” She cried.Eloisa, her eyes puffy from crying, nodded. “Yes. Alex came back and returned them.”“Are they hungry? Is Alex…” Leigh said, pressing her breasts and shaking her head. “Never mind.”“You have to eat and clean up first, Leigh,” Kayla told her.“Of course,” she said, pacing around the room, not knowing what to do first. “Is Alex -”She stopped again, perhaps she still didn’t know how to ask it, but couldn’t she see me? Kayla placed Amanda in the crib and approached her sister, putting her hands on her shoulder and holding her in place.“Alex is fine. He’s very much okay. You don’t have to worry about him. Listen to me, Kayleigh, gather yourself together because the twins are hungry. Eloisa will help