'The message doesn't seem like a threat but a caution. A caution against Alec' Michelle thought feeling sick at heart.
Only recently she was planning to tell Alec the truth when some unknown person cautioned her otherwise.
She was perplexed and scared at the same time.
'What would Alec do if I told him the truth? What if that person is speaking the truth?' Michelle thought to herself imagining different scenarios of Alec reacting to the truth.
The mail had got into her head and the scenarios she imagined were getting worse than the previous one.
"El.. El.." Alec shook El's shoulder.
El was snapped out of her imaginations and she flinched immediately.
"What's wrong Love?"
"N.. nothing" she said avoiding his gaze.
She felt herself having her guards up around him. Ignoring him she got up from the chair and laid on the corner of the bed.
'First it was Ricky being all preachy and now El is avoiding me as well' Alec felt irritated.
He quickly showered and laid beside El, wrapping her waist with his arm.
"Did you take care of it?" He was referring to what El had told him the previous day.
His firm tone had a tinge of fury in them, further alarming El.
"N..no".
Alec pulled El closer with force using his arm. El let out a gasp.
"What's wrong?" He asked again.
"N.. nothing" she gave the same reply.
"Then why is your heart beating so fast?" He asked and pulled her further closer.
She laid stiff without resisting him. Her covered back was completely touching his bare chest.
Alec slid his hand under her t-shirt and stroked her bare belly with his fingers.
To El's surprise she couldn't bring herself to stop him. It was as if her body was betraying her when she was around Alec.
She felt a sense of helplessness. Yet her mind kept thinking about the mail she received.
"Alec.." her voice trembled.
"I won't touch you there until you want me to." He said firmly gripping her waist.
Everytime she said something he gripped her tighter.
She could feel his annoyance towards her resistance.
She wanted to ask him if something was wrong. But her mind stopped her reminding her the contents of the mail.
She felt as if her body and mind were playing a cruel game with her, Allowing her only to lay motionless.
Alec buried his face close to her nape. Her body stiffened again. She tried hard to not make any sound in order to not trigger any reaction from Alec.
Soon, in the same position they both succumbed to sleep.
The next day, Alec woke up and saw El lying in a fetal position. Her face was scrunched up as if she was in immense pain.
"El.."
"Hmm" she replied in a sleepy voice.
"Are you alright?" He asked with concern. He felt his heart constricted to look at her in pain.
"My stomach hurts," she said in a low, complaining voice.
As she said it, she shot her eyes open and hurried to the bathroom.
Few minutes later she came out of the bathroom, looking at Alec's anxious face she explained,
"I get cramps a day or two before my periods". Alec looked at her as she was still holding her belly.
"You should rest, I'll have Patty send the breakfast here." He said, making her sit on the bed.
El was taken aback for a moment given how swiftly Alec moved her and made her sit. It was as if her body moved involuntarily.
"Stop treating me like a child Alec, I'm fine". Saying this she got up.
"Besides I've to go to work." Her words constricted as she got till the end of the sentence. She has only taken two steps when her cramps reoccurred.
She hugged her stomach with both her hands and hunched forward. Alec glared at her and she lowered her gaze clumsily.
"Sit," he said in an authoritative tone. El silently obeyed.
"Patty" Alec called out.
Before Patty could come, El looked at Alec,
"Alec, I'll feel better if I'm outside and not stuffed in a room" she said, widening her eyes slightly and making a cute face.
"I know you make that face on purpose." Alec retorted. "But fine. I'll take you out."
El looked at him in a confused way when he said 'take you out'.
The next moment Alec carried her in his arms and walked out.
They sat in the living room, Alec was reading the newspaper while El sipped her herbal tea. El was feeling fine. The cramps used to unexpectedly occur and stop as well. Without it El was fine.
"Al.." Carolyn Wilson entered their living room along with Kaitlyn Miller.
She was clearly furious given her facial expressions.
"What is this I'm hearing? fireworks? tell me it's all not true"
"You are a day late Mrs Wilson." El said nonchalantly.
Carolyn was livid, "You've learnt to speak back huh, trust me Alec, this girl will be your doom."
She got closer to Alec and spoke in a low voice, "Kaitlyn still likes you. Besides, the Miller's are already cornering us since you rejected .."
"Ahh.." El whined interrupting Carolyn. Alec got closer to her wrapping his hands around her shoulder, "Are you alright?"
El nodded with her eyes squeezed shut. Clearly she wasn't well.
Alec picked her up and rushed to his room. He laid her on their bed.
"You, stay here. There is no need to step out today." His voice was stern.
El looked back at him without saying anything, her eyes emulated a different type of pain.
"Is that understood?" He asked, expecting her to reply. But El continued to only stare at him.
"Answer me" he growled as his eyes darkened. El quickly nodded and said "Yes" in a low submissive voice.
"Good". He said and stepped towards the door.
As he walked he could feel his sleeves being tugged. El was holding his sleeve.
"Don't go," she said in a low voice.
The sudden realisation dawned on Alec.
'She resisted because she didn't want me to leave her.' he thought.
Her hands holding his hand, her angelic face and eyes and the way she said ' don't go' filled Alec's heart with utter contentment.
He called for Patty,
"Be a good host to Mother and the woman with her. Offer my apologies to them for not being able to host them, I'll be here taking care of my wife."
Patty nodded at his instructions and left.
Alec leaned in and kissed El.
She kissed him back with equal dedication.
She gripped his shirt tightly as if she was afraid he might leave.
Alec undid the kiss but Michelle was still gripping on his shirt.
"Don't leave me Alec." She said longingly.