Elani
I waited for what seemed like an eternity before I swiveled on my heel and tried to run toward the back door. I had to figure out the code. He’d said I knew him very well.
So, then what the hell is the code?
I stood in front of the backdoor staring at the damn thing and then couldn’t help but to start pacing the floor. Was it his birthday? What the hell was it? I paused for a moment and did what he told me to do before, to just stop thinking and concentrate on the first thing that came to mind. I took a deep breath and held it as my trembling hand went to the keypad on the side of the door. I pressed the numbers 25262. The thing beeped three times, then I heard the door click.
I let out a breath and squealed. I touched the knob and opened the door. It completely opened for me and I could’ve cried. I smiled hard as I took one step out, not bothering to look at my surroundings. Before I could lift my other foot out the door, I was tackled to the ground by something big and heavy. It moved off me and I lifted my head to look around. I spotted the biggest, blackest dog I’d ever seen in my life. It stared at me as I stared back at it. I wasn’t sure what it was, but when I finally made an attempt to get up, it growled at me.
I whimpered.
I should’ve known someone like Ales would have a dog, almost my height and large as hell, patrolling the grounds. I wasn’t afraid of dogs or anything, but this one made me want to be afraid. I looked at the dog then the door that had slid shut. The damn dog stood between me and the door as if it was left instructions to make sure I stayed there. I tried to talk to the dog, hoping maybe then it’d be nice to me.
“Good doggy… Good boy? Girl?” I wasn’t sure, but at the sound of my voice, it barked.
A bark so loud and powerful, I almost pissed myself. I slowly sat up, and tried to stand up, then the dog got into a pouncing stance causing me to sit back down on the floor. The dog mirrored my actions by sitting back.
“Please don’t hurt me,” I pleaded with the dog, but it merely stared at me as if it was its mission to watch me. What was I going to do now? I couldn’t outrun the dog. Even if I made it to the door, before I could punch in the code again, it would have already bit me. I didn’t want my death to be due to a damn dog attack. So, I sat there, facing the dog as if I had nothing better to do.
I don’t know how long I was there. I’d fallen asleep, but the pain in my lower abdomen shocked me awake. I tried to sit up, but couldn’t, the pain was too much. I felt liquid between my thighs but couldn’t get up to check. The pain increased, and I cried out. It hurt so bad I began sweating profusely; even the damn dog whimpered.
The dog came near my neck and nuzzled me with its snout. It whimpered again then sniffed me. It sniffed my entire body, and it ran off. The tears flowed more now. I would die alone; even the dog didn’t want to be there. I was going to die in Ales’ house. Then, as my eyes drifted, the loudest noise blared throughout the whole house. The dog came back to my side, still whimpering, trying to stop me from drifting off.
The pain didn’t let up and neither did the loud alarm in the house. I was so out of it that I conjured up images of Ales running toward me and scooping me up in his arms. I wanted to live so badly. He was my rescuer, and I imagined him looking down at me with such worry in his green eyes. I must’ve drifted off, but I felt like we were in a car driving somewhere. Ales still held me in his arms with someone else driving. He caressed my cheek and unshed tears glistened in his eyes. The way he looked at me was how I wanted to be looked at; with love and adoration and with such passion. I was dying for conjuring up my deepest, darkest desire and letting Ales play them out. I tried to smile at him.
“You’re everything I’ve ever wanted,” I claimed.
“Shhh. Baby, stop talking. We’re almost there.” His voice was hoarse, as if he had been crying. The things my dying mind conjured up.
“I know this is all in my imagination and even then…it’s okay,” was all I was able to get out as I passed out, hearing Ales call out to me, but I felt far away.
***
My eyes fluttered open, and the lights blinded me. I shut them again. I breathed in and out before opening my eyes, again, letting them adjust to my surroundings. I turned my neck and tried to sit up, but there was a heavy hand over my body not permitting me to do so. I looked down at the tanned arm and then at the head full of golden blonde hair lying face down on the side of my bed with the rest of the body in the chair. I knew who it was without having to guess.
“Ales…” I called out to him.
His head shot up. His face displaying a look of worry, bloodshot eyes and a five o’clock shadow.
“Elani…” he called out to me with longing. He didn’t move a muscle as he watched me for a moment. Then, he slowly stood and leaned down, gently pulling me into his arms. “I thought I lost you again, love.”
I blinked. My body wanted this hug so bad I didn’t bother running away. I wrapped my arms around him too, and he buried his nose in the crook of my neck causing electricity to shoot from my head all the way to my toes. I shut my eyes and stayed in his arms. I wasn’t dead, and I had never been so grateful in my life.
“I didn’t die,” I said, and Ales placed a kiss on my neck that caused goose bumps to appear.
“No, baby, you didn’t. Lady saved you.”
“Lady?” I probed.
“My dog, Lady. She saved you.”
“How?” I asked but then someone cleared their throat.
Ales reluctantly let me go and my body felt empty. It immediately felt alone as if Ales was the heating blanket it always needed. He moved out of the way and the doctor was standing there smiling.
“You’re up? Great! I was passing by and wanted to see how you were. I’m so glad you’re up, Mrs. Petras. Your husband was really worried about you,” she said with a smile.
I turned to see a smirk on Ales’ face and, before I could argue that I wasn’t his wife, the doctor came closer and began her examination. Ales cleared his throat and had the common decency to stand up, trying to give me privacy.
“Oh! Before you leave, Mr. Petras, I want you in the room for the news,” she exclaimed.
“News?” we said at the same time.
“Yes! So, what happened to you, that awful pain, it was a close call. You almost miscarried, but you are fine.”
“Miscarried?” I repeated her, not understanding what she was saying.
She nodded. “Yes, but you and the baby are fine.”
“Baby?” I repeated, the news not clicking in my head.
“Yes. Oh, you both didn’t know. You’re sixteen weeks, congratulations!”
I turned to look at Ales who blanched, and my reaction probably mirrored his. I hadn’t had sex with him or with anyone for that matter in years. What the hell kind of twisted game was someone trying to play with me?
I’m not pregnant.
“Do the test again!” I gritted my teeth.
The doctor’s smile slipped.
“Can we do an ultrasound?” I heard Ales, but I was so angry that my vision was blurring.
“An ultrasound for what?” I screamed. “I’m not pregnant!”
Ales finally focused his sight on me and shook his head, as if indicating for me to shut up. I opened my mouth to scream at him some more, but he spoke before me.
“You trust me, don’t you?” he asked.
I wanted to scream, but he spoke again.
“I told you I would never let anyone hurt you. I won’t. I’ll explain it all later, love, okay?”
I gritted my teeth and looked away.