The Married Billionaire’s Surrogate

Chapter 8

It was late, Alicia observed. Three or maybe four in the morning. The stars hung in the sky like a thousand baubles on a Christmas tree. Her hands held the bed sheets tightly as Steven’s body was closer than ever.

“Steven?” She asked.

“Yes, love?”

“Are you okay?” She was suddenly worried, her eyes jerking open.

“Yeah, honey. Definitely. Why?”

“Well, it’s those pills you take. I saw you drinking them a couple of times before. What are they?”

“It’s nothing, really. Just some painkillers for my head the doctor prescribed me. I have some migraines since my teenage years,” he said and he put two on his tongue. That reminded her of the bathroom scene when she was about to kill her baby and maybe herself.

“You sure everything’s okay? I am worried, Steve.”

“Please don’t, love. You have the small junior Wyatt to worry about. I will be fine. I always will be,” he whispered and kissed her head. “Now sleep.”

Steven, then, opened the door to the balcony, engulfing himself in the immensely hot summer night. There was a full moon. A huge white ball of light perfectly round and perfectly powerful. He shook, not from cold, but from something else Alicia couldn’t just pin down. Standing there for a couple of minutes he let it soothe him and went inside, leaving the milky white light of the moon lying on his sleeping body and the one of his loved one.

The morning dawned on the great mansion; Alicia welcomed it in the garden sitting by the roses she took care of. The red rose petals were nearly opened bathing in dew and the freshness of the new day. That made her smile, appreciating her life and everything that had happened to her. It was almost too surreal, unbelievable, overwhelming. Her hands crept to her stomach which was now pretty big with a baby that in two months would breathe the first gust of air of this world.

A kiss on the neck. “Steven!” She didn’t hear him creeping to her, but his lips, she knew, were his. His touch was his. His scent was his and his only.

“What’s the beautiful mother doing here? Is she enjoying the morning?” His voice was thin and as if speaking to a baby which was a recommended thing to do when expecting.

“It’s wonderful,” she said, “and little Wyatt is loving it.” The both of them had agreed a couple of months ago that they didn’t want to know the sex of the baby until it was born.

“Oh, did he say so?” Steven joked and put his head on her stomach while caressing it. The both of them laughed.

“Are you going now?” Alicia asked him, scratching his hair behind the ears.

“Don’t mention it. I hate to separate from these two angels I have. But I promise it will be quick. Some issues in the firm need to be settled down,” he said standing up and kissing her goodbye.

Alicia was again left alone, but not entirely. There was always little Wyatt, as they referred to the baby in her stomach, keeping its mother company. She loved being a mother. Although she had never envisioned herself as a mother at such young age of twenty-two, she loved every second of it. It was comforting knowing that there was another heart beating inside of her, that there was another mouth to be filled, that there was another life kicking and breathing in the rhythm of her own.

Nevertheless, Elizabeth’s figure approaching distracted her from the thoughts as she eventually came closer and sat on the white marble bench next to Alicia.

“How are you, Alicia? How’s the baby?” There was a smile on her face that provoked Alicia to think that she hadn’t come all this way to the garden just to ask her about her well-being.

“Fantastic, madam. We’re feeling amazing.”

“Lovely to hear that…” Elizabeth took Alicia’s palm into hers. “And the garden, Alicia, you’ve exceeded yourself.”

“Thank you, madam. I appreciate that,” Alicia replied as the awkwardness and unease in the garden reached a record level.

“Alicia, look…” And now it begins, Alicia thought, bracing herself for the words of her mistress. “I have this secret that I have kept for so long in my heart, but I can’t anymore. I simply can’t. It’s horrible what guilt can do to a person…”

“What are you talking about, madam?” Alicia was now alarmed.

“I was waiting and waiting for Steven to tell you this himself, but I had a feeling this morning that if he wouldn’t I would have to be the one to tell you. I think there have been enough secrets hiding in this God-forsaken mansion,” Elizabeth said.

“Oh, please tell me,” Alicia replied, playing with her fingers to hide the anxiety.

“Since Steven’s parents came, there has been a cloud over this family. His father is dying and he needs an heir. A boy, preferably, who will take on the family business.”

“Okay?”

“Alicia,” Elizabeth said, lowering her gaze, “Steven doesn’t love you. He said it himself. I heard him talking to his friend.”

“That’s not possible.” Alicia stood up. Everything became a whirl of shock and puzzlement before her eyes. “He couldn’t have lied to me all this time! He-he wouldn’t do that.”

“It’s true, Alicia. I have been living with this family for ten years now. I know. The sooner you realize the better. Alicia… Steven has no feelings for you. He used you!”