On The Border - Marry Him Or Die

43

Jenny’s POV

I was pacing back and forth nervously in my room.

It was ten thirty at night and Alex still hasn’t returned home since morning.

He’s been gone all day long.

He missed both lunch and dinner, which was something very uncommon of him according to his mom.

I didn’t know what to make of that disappearance.

Was he looking for the real killer? Or was it that he found him and was late taking care of him?

Wouldn’t he have mentioned anything to Lucas too?

But he obviously didn’t, because Lucas looked as surprised as the rest of us when Alex called his cell to inform him that he was returning home late and not to wait up for him.

The more pressing question here is, why the hell was I feeling worried for him? It was none of my business to feel that way.

He can be out with another woman for all I care! I shouldn’t be concerned about him!

But dammit I was.

And that’s what angered me the most, the fact that he got under my skin enough to make me wait up all night for him to come back. Just to make sure he was okay.

At the strike of midnight, I could no longer sit in the bedroom a minute longer.

I put on my winter jacket and wool beanie and got out into the front yard.

The hit of fresh air was so what I needed at that moment.

As I stepped out, I noticed Diana sitting on one of the long garden couches.

I approached her hesitantly.

“Jenny! Are you ok dear?” Diana looked at me with concern when she noticed me walking towards her.

“Yes, I’m okay. Are you okay?” I asked her with the same concern in my own voice.

Did Alex call her? Is that why she’s up late waiting for him?

She gave me a tired smile and patted her hand on the cushion next to her, asking me to sit with her.

I sit down and turn towards her, anxiously waiting for her to answer me.

“I’m just worried about Alex. It’s unlike him to be out so late. Did something happen between you again? Did….. He do something?” she asked with hidden dread in her eyes.

I’m quick to reassure her as I shook my head “No, nothing happened between us. We’re actually ok with each other now”

Nothing happened….. If you don’t count the kissing between us this morning. I thought to myself bitterly.

She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly as her face softens a little.

“I’m glad things are getting better between you. I also heard you and Lucas talking in the kitchen earlier, and I’m so happy you decided to give him another chance. Lucas is a really good man, I’m not saying that because I’m his mother, but because I know the son I raised. He’s very emotional and lets that control his actions sometimes, but deep down he’s really got a very kind heart” she said emotionally.

“We did agree it will take time for things to be okay for me remember? We talked about it in the kitchen the other day? Yeah, I’m beginning to believe that now, although I have to admit back then, I thought it was pretty impossible. Turns out I was wrong” I said softly.

“I’m glad you believe it now Jenny. Look…. I want you to know that just because you’re mother is not here, you’re not left all alone. You have me, I’d be more than happy to be a mother to you. God only knows how much I really loved you from the first time you stepped foot into this house, you took a special place in my heart from the first day and I’d be more than honored to be your mom. If that is something you feel too of course” she said kindly.

Her words bring tears into my eyes and I find myself taking her up on her offer immediately as I hugged her so tightly.

It was then that I realized how much I have been yearning for that motherly hug, for that tender touch ever since I said goodbye to my mom.

She hugged me back just as snuggly and ran her hand tenderly through my hair.

“I’m so lucky to have a mother like you, mom” I said in a muffled voice as I buried my head in her chest.

“Oh sweetie, I’m the lucky one believe me” she said affectionately.

It took me a while before I got enough of that feeling and hastily let her go as we both wiped our own tears and adjusted our faces.

“So, why are you up so late at night? Is your cut hurting again?” she asked warily.

I was glad she provided me with an excuse right away, because if she didn’t, I would have ended up stumbling over my words to come up with something other than me being worried for Alex like a delusional true wife.

I tried to lie with a straight face “Yeah, a little bit” I said in a small voice.

A car was coming through the gate at that moment, and I instantly felt a surge of relief go through me at the sight of Alex’s car.

I felt Diana relax and take more calming breaths.

I could see she was worried sick about him…… just like me.

One look at him and I immediately know something was broken within him.

I don’t know how I figured it out when I barely know the guy for a few days, but I did nonetheless.

I could see him trying to mask his emotions to appear normal and calm while I felt a storm was raging inside him as he approached us.

“What’s wrong Alex?” asked Diana with concern coloring her voice.

He bent down, cupped her face with his hands, and kissed her tenderly on her forehead before sitting down on the chair to her right.

He gave me a slight nod before returning his gaze to his mother.

“Nothing is wrong mom. I had some stuff to take care of and I had to finish them tonight because I didn’t want to delay it any longer, that’s all” he said lightly.

“Why didn’t you call for Lucas or Mathew to help you out instead of doing all the work by yourself?” she asked suspiciously. I could tell, she didn’t entirely believe his excuse.

“It was something I needed to figure out alone. I’m the leader after all, somethings can only fall on me to do and see through” he said vaguely.

She purses her lips and says softly “Whatever it is, I hope it doesn’t have any bad impact on any of you. Nothing is worth putting you or anyone of you at risk, I just want you to know that and keep it saved in that head of yours that god only knows what’s going on inside it, ok?”

“Ok” he said with a small smile.

She got up and wished us good night as she retreated back inside the house.

I was looking at Diana until she closed the door behind her, then I turned my gaze over to Alex and found him looking intently at me.

“I wasn’t expecting anyone to be up this late, and I come back to find two” he said firmly.

I tried to keep my voice light as I said “She was worried about you, I was just keeping her company”

He nodded his head slightly as he continued to gaze at me.

I didn’t know what he was thinking about when he looked at me nor what he saw in me exactly, but I felt like I needed to say anything to get him to stop gazing at me so intently like that.

“Are you hungry? I can heat up some food for you” I said in a small voice.

He shook his head and said “No, I’m not hungry. Thanks though”

I wanted to ask him what he did today and whether his disappearance had anything to do with uncovering the truth or not, but I didn’t want to be shut down by him.

I decided to take a chance. I gazed back at the guards standing by the gate to make sure they were out of earshot then turned to him as I leaned a little towards him and slightly whispered “So… I can’t help but notice that you look like crap… and I just wanted to ask if……. You are ok?” I chickened out at the last second and instead of asking him about the reason behind his absence, I asked if he was ok when he so clearly wasn’t.

He seemed a little amused by my struggle as he imitated me and whispered back “Is that genuine concern I’m detecting in your voice Jenny? It almost seemed like you couldn’t sleep because you were the one worried about me”

I leaned back and looked at him with annoyance “Don’t kid yourself Alex… I was just being nice that’s all”

Smug ass!

He chuckled and his face seemed to lose a bit of its wariness and tension.

“Have I told you before what a terrible liar you are?” he asked in amusement.

I pressed my lips in a thin line, unable to come up with a proper comeback for the first time.

I wasn’t obviously fooling anyone, not even myself.

Damn you blind heart! Stop making a fool out of me!