Love, Lies and Billionaires

“Alex!”

“How are you doing, little man?” Alexander asked, returning the tight hug which Nathan threw to him. “Hey look at me,” he urged and Nathan obeyed, breaking the hug. “You missed me, didn’t you?”

Nathan stared at the ceiling and clasped his hands behind his back as if not wanting to say what was on his mind. “Nooo,” he said quietly, with a goofy smile on his lips.

“Now that there is a lie. You’re going to tell me you didn’t miss big ol’ Alex?” Alexander asked with a pretend frown on his face.

“Mmm,” Nathan replied, nodding.

“Nah, I don’t believe that” he said and grabbed Nathan by the waist and buried his head in his stomach as he blew on it, making Nathan laugh out loud while he struggled to pull Alexander’s head away from him.

“Should I go on?” He asked as he stopped when he noticed Nathan was almost choking from the laughter.

“No, go away from me,” Nathan said, still giggling.

“Oh yeah? How about I just…”

“No, stop it Alex,” he said as his tiny fingers struggled to push Alex, who was about to resume.

“Okay then, have it your way.” He said and looked behind Nathan at Maren, who had been quietly unpacking some of her things but was now on her phone, but still completely ignored them.

“Hey, do me a favour.” he turned back to Nathan. “Why don’t you go to your room so I can talk to your mom? I promise we’re going to have some fun when I’m done”

“Okay” Nathan replied.

Alexander smiled. “That’s my boy.” he stood up from where he was crouched and ruffled Nathan’s hair as he ran through the hallway to his room before closing the door behind him.

“Hi,” he said, staring at Maren.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

“Hi” she returned, quietly.

He ran his hands through his hair like some sophomore who was anxious to ask a lady to prom. “Ah… when did you get back”

She rolled her eyes and turned to him. “Really?” She asked. He just shrugged and gave her an ‘I don’t know what else to say look’. “Not long ago”

“Well, I called in while you were at your mom’s. I don’t know if she told you?”

“Yeah, she wouldn’t stop blabbing about how and why I needed some sunlight”

Alexander smiled and folded his arms, keeping his eyes on her.

“Why are you staring at me, Alexander? I’m not back here because I want to. I’m here to save your ass from the press” she tucked her hair behind her ear as she spoke.

“Perhaps you could save be the stress and please tell me what happened between you and Irene at William’s funeral”

Maren’s heart skipped a beat at his words, but she didn’t know why. To be honest, she wasn’t expecting the question, but she knew she should have.

She was the one who’d had a heated conversation with Irene at a solemn gathering and then ran to hide at her mom’s house and shut the door to everyone.

How on earth was she not expecting Alexander to be concerned, especially now that he’s proving to care more than ever?

Maren’s eyes widened a little as she stared back at Alexander, who had taken a seat beside her on the bed.

“Look, I get it if you’re still angry and remembering what she said would wield something up inside you…”

“No, Alexander” she interrupted him. “It’s fine” she turned away from him, her mind searching its depths for words to replace: ‘I just found out I’m a whore’ which her mind kept repeating after that day.

“Okay, that’s cool,” he said, quietly.

Maren really wasn’t sure of the reason she didn’t want to tell him about the fact that Nathan wasn’t William’s and he was some kind of miracle child or something.

Perhaps it was the fact that Alexander’s strict and authoritative manner had suddenly put on a calm and caring one, which she hadn’t enjoyed long enough to ruin.

“Any day now,” he said, interrupting her thoughts.

She raised her head from her feet, which she had suddenly gained interest in, and met his bright grey eyes.

“It was nothing much, actually.” She began, surprised at her own composure. “It’s just annoying old Irene trying to make me the bad person as usual,” she said and looked away again.

“I mean, what did she mean by everything was my fault? How was I supposed to know I was hurting William when he wouldn’t open up to me?” She blabbed.

“Then he went to her, like a sneaky bastard he was and told her everything. Excuse me, I’ve got ears too!” She nagged. Alexander remained quiet.

“And all for what? Because she was my best friend? I don’t believe he loved her. He knew the way she was. For god’s sake, she slept around! She never stayed with one man for more than four months. She always wanted ‘someone new'” Maren continued, forgetting Alexander was sitting beside her.

Her voice was beginning to quiver, and tears slowly built beneath her eyes. “I really don’t see how I pushed him to Irene, really. I’m sure whatever I did wasn’t that deep, was it?” She asked rhetorically, but Alexander felt an urge to reply and made some kind of grunting sound.

She ignored it and continued. “I loved him. I really did, and he knew it. I never meant to hurt him, really. I just…” Her voice broke as a tear rolled down her cheeks.

“Hey hey” Alexander shushed and pulled her to rest her head on his shoulders. “That’s okay. It’s enough,” he said while patting her back gently.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Maren. Irene is just bitter about this entire situation. I’m sure she’ll regain herself when all this blows over,” he assured.

Maren silently sniffed and was still for a moment. “What if Irene killed William?” She said, sitting upright to face Alexander.

“It’s possible. She does have a reason to”

“No, I mean, while she was talking to me, she mentioned she loved him, but somehow he still came back to me”

“You mean she killed him because she was jealous of you?”

“That too but also, she said she gave him the go ahead to do what he wanted, but he took it too far,” she said and paused, lifting her eyes to Alexander, who still looked somewhat confused.

“Irene’s a really dangerous human being.”