(Lexi’s POV)When the elevator door opened, I looked around, finding a place for Aliyah to sit. I led her to the couch and helped her get into the leather L-shaped sofa. I sat beside her and enveloped her little hands in mine.“Will you be okay here?” I asked her as my eyes wandered because I did not prepare for this.I should have brought a sweater for her or dressed her appropriately since the aircon’s temperature was set at a lower number here on Finn’s floor.“Uh-huh.” She went quiet for a few seconds, groping the leather seat, then smiled. “Lexi, where’s my book?”I took out the book from my bag and gave it to her. “You call me if you need anything, okay? I’ll just go and talk to Finn.”“Okay,” she answered, flipping her book open.I took a deep breath before walking toward the door, hoping to ask Finn if I could borrow a blanket for Aliyah. Frank and Finn hated me, but their fondness for my sister seemed to have remained, so maybe he would give in to my little favor for Aliyah’s
(Lexi’s POV)I was dreaming… I must have been dreaming, but I wasn’t. I could really hear Aliyah crying and calling my name.When my eyelids opened, the wall clock told me it was only after midnight, and I was still wearing the same clothes I had the whole day. I winced when I sat upright on the couch and raised my hand to my nape to massage it.“Argh! Why am I here?” I asked absently, but before I could recall why I heard my little sister calling me.Aliyah was crying.“Aliyah!” I snapped myself from dreaming and dashed to my bedroom.“Lexi,” she whimpered, raising her arms and groping her hands in the air.I reached for her hands. “I’m here,” I said, sitting on the edge of the bed and cupping her face. “What’s wrong?”“My tummy,” she complained. Her mouth downturned, whimpering and rubbing her belly. “My tummy hurts, Lexi.”My lips quivered as I bent forward, pressing my ear to my little sister’s belly. I bit my bottom lip, realizing her gurgling tummy told me she was having gas pai
(Finn’s POV)It was fifteen minutes before seven when I saw Lexi almost out of breath as she entered the building. She looked like a single mother escaping from someone walking fast to the lobby with two bags on both shoulders. Tossing the magazine I was pretending to read, I stood up but still thought about whether to walk in her direction or just watch her.I called Jolene last night, but before I could inform her that Lexi was coming back to work, she told me that Lexa would not come home for a few days, and she felt guilty that she could not help in taking care of Aliyah because she had an exam this week. I wished to tell her I didn’t care, but after calling her at three, I had been sitting here for an hour, waiting for Lexi, but didn’t realize Frank would be coming to work early too.My eyes squinted, and my lips curled in annoyance when I saw him taking Aliyah and the baby bag from her shoulder. I stood up and walked toward the elevator, following them. Lexi panicked, pushing th
(Finn’s POV)Lexi took the recorder and checked it once again before placing it back on the table. When I glanced at her, I knew she was taking minutes, marking some words that I was sure she would check in the recording later; that’s why she was anxious about it.Just like the last time, I recorded the meeting using my smartphone, my own contingency plan, just in case she forgot to turn on her recorder again. I knew it was early to tell if she was pregnant, but I could not help myself glancing at her.Yesterday, I almost dragged Chelsea out of my office, but she pushed me to the couch and pounced on me like a tigress sitting on my lap. My hands were on her hips when the door suddenly opened, but I didn’t want to explain to Lexi that I was about to lift Chelsea and sit her on the couch. Instead of telling her what was happening, I growled at her, and she ran outside like a scaredy cat.The meeting had already ended when a company nurse knocked softly on an ajar door and peeked in Lexi
(Frank’s POV)“Knock, knock!” I said gently, knocking at an already ajar door.Sky raised his head and lifted an eyebrow at me instead of asking what I needed. I didn’t usually knock because I would usually come and go to his office bringing documents or anything he needed.“I know you still have one meeting, but can I leave early today?” I asked, wanting to go to Lexi while I still had the courage to talk to her.“My meeting’s with the president of Absolute Glam, Frank, and I was still thinking about whether to talk to her here or in bed,” he smirked.“I prefer the bed,” I chuckled.“I might consider your suggestion, so please, go!” He raised his hand, gesturing a short wave before focusing on the report he was reading.Catherine only waved her hand at me when I took my car key from the table, and like Sky, she returned her eyes to the monitor.As I entered the elevator and pressed the button toward Finn’s office floor area, my mind wandered to the day I was jogging the mesmerizing s
(Frank’s POV)Lexi was quiet the entire drive going home, and we could not talk with Aliyah in the car with us. When we arrived, I thought of hundreds of reasons just in case I saw Lexa at their place, but instead of seeing her, we saw Jolene sitting on the porch, waiting for her.“Why are you here?” Lexi asked, surprised that she showed up.“Mom asked me to come here and told me to stay with you. She’ll just pick me up tomorrow and drive me to school,” she answered and smiled at me. “Hi, Frank!” she greeted me and turned to Aliyah. “Tell me about your day,” she said, taking the bag from me, holding her hand, and leading the child inside the house.“Please, come in,” Lexi said, but I shook my head.“Can we just talk in the car?” I asked her, not wanting Jolene to overhear our conversation.Lexi nodded and followed me back into the car. She plopped inside the passenger seat and waited until I got to sit in the driver’s seat.“I’m sorry, Frank,” she sighed, lowering her gaze. “I’m sorry
(Lexi’s POV)I was dreaming.Lexa was here, waking me up with a kiss on my forehead. When I opened my eyes, I found her sitting on the edge of the bed, silently crying. She lay beside me, wrapping her arms around my body, kissed my cheek, and apologized for leaving me.“Forgive me, Lexi,” she whimpered.I rolled to her side, facing her, and smiled.“I love you, Lexa,” I uttered in a sleepy voice, reaching for her face. “Aliyah and I missed you so much,” I sighed, not wanting to close my eyes, but the past two days of working and caring for our little sister were tiring, and sleep was dragging my consciousness again.“I love you, too,” she whispered and hummed a song.As I opened my eyes again, my lips curved into a gentle smile because the woman brushing the strand of hair on my face was the one I had wanted to see for a long time.“Mom…” I whimpered.“You’re such a brave girl, my Lexi. I love you…”It was like an air whispering to me. My eyes closed when she kissed my forehead. When
(Lexi’s POV)“You choose, Lexi. Whom are you going with? Frank or me?” Finn asked, crossing his arms to his chest as he waited for my answer.“No one!” I hissed angrily at them. “I’m going with Jeannie.” I stomped in Jeannie’s car, leaving them, not caring if they started killing each other.Jolene was already sitting beside Aliyah in the back passenger seat, and when her mother saw me coming, she opened the car door from the inside, pushing the door open for me.When I plopped on the seat and fastened my seatbelt, I caught a glimpse of her pursing her lips as if stopping herself from laughing. Her eyes pinned on the rear-view mirror, glancing at the two gorgeous men in their business suits watching her old red sedan before she began driving.As much as I wanted to look at them again, I was too annoyed that my nostril flared and my lips curled, not deciding to talk the entire drive. Jolene broke the ice as she began asking Aliyah about Oxygen.My little sister had forgotten about Finn