Christian was sitting in the reception room waiting for her when she walked into the house. “So, how did the wedding go? Did Alexander whisk Eva away with him?”
“Yes, he did. There was war, but no bloodshed thankfully! I’ll get myself a drink. It was too much for a day!” She got a bottle of water and emptied its contents. Then she explained everything that happened to Christian.
However, her relief was short-lived. Erica was again critical, and they re-admitted her in the middle of the night.
“You can go back and rest, Skylar. I’m here,” said Christian, as they sat outside the Emergency Unit.
“No, I can’t leave you alone here.” She knew his condition. It wasn’t very good either. He needed more rest than she did.
For the next two days, they took turns at the hospital. Skylar didn’t get time to catch up with her friends anymore. They eagerly waited for Sebastian’s return.
After five days, they brought Erica home. She was pregnant with twins and her condition was critical with both fetuses positioned low in her womb. Christian appointed a nurse to look after her at home. Sebastian arrived after a day and thanked them over and over.
Christian picked up Skylar’s grandparents from the airport and brought them home later in the evening. They had come over from Cleveland to take care of Erica since she had no family of her own.
“I’ll just go to the hospital to collect Erica’s reports and meet her doctor. I have an appointment with her and I’m already late,” said Christian, rushing out before Skylar could say a word. Ever since they came over to New York, they hardly found the time to talk, let alone connect the way they wanted to. Although they missed what they shared on the flight, they couldn’t give each other time.
Granny Miriam hugged Skylar, although it had only been a month since they had separated.
“Take care of Christian, dear. I can see him still limping around. If he doesn’t take it seriously, this problem will persist.”
“Yes, granny. He hadn’t been able to continue with the therapy lately. Once we return, I’ll ensure he does it religiously.”
“So how long are you staying?” asked Grandpa Phil.
“Alyssa and Nicholas are getting married this Saturday. We’ll leave after that.” Alyssa and Nicholas returned from the island and announced their wedding. Although it was sudden, no one was complaining. Thankfully, it was being held in the Van Every house where the girls grew up. Skylar hardly wanted to travel somewhere else with Christian’s condition deteriorating. All she wanted to do was to wrap up everything and return home to LA.
Christian returned from the hospital with Erica’s reports. They looked hopeful, with the placenta making slow movement upwards. Sebastian walked into the house from work. He looked quite tired, having rushed to work after returning from Milan.
“It’s quite normal to have a low-lying placenta initially. As the pregnancy processes, the placenta climbs up from the cervix,” said Granny, making Erica smile.
“I don’t need a nurse, please, Sebastian. Mrs. Jules has joined us and so has Granny and grandpa. I’ll be fine, now,” begged Erica. With Sebastian’s return, she looked much better already.
“Fine. We’ll observe you for another day.”
After dinner, Christian joined Skylar in bed, his whole body aching from exhaustion.
“Tired?” asked Skylar, massaging his legs.
“Yes. I had to climb stairs from the report collection center to the emergency department. The elevator was out of order and there was a queue in front of the other two elevators. I was in a hurry to catch hold of Erica’s doctor before she left.”
“Why didn’t you let me accompany you? I could have climbed the stairs instead.”
“Granny and Grandpa were arriving, and I wanted you to stay at home to welcome them.” His voice grew heavy as she massaged his legs.
“You have magic in your hands, baby! I’m tired of this place. We’ll return home on Sunday.”
“I can’t wait to go home. I hadn’t expected this to stretch so long.”
“Neither did I. Now, I hope Hayley won’t marry soon. I’m tired of New York already,” he murmured, making her eyes go wide with dread. She just hoped Hayley at least gave them some time to rejuvenate themselves before her wedding.
“I’m not sure about that. She’s pregnant with Ashton’s baby. I have a feeling she will announce their wedding soon.”
“Oh, what about ours? Did you inform them about our wedding?” Skylar shook her head, releasing a sigh.
“I couldn’t tell them. All my friends have involved us in their wedding. I’m the only one who didn’t involve anyone. They’ll be mad at me.”
“Our situation was different, Skylar. You can explain it to them. If you want, we can throw a party to treat those who missed our wedding.” Skylar grinned at his suggestion, loving it immensely.
“Please, can we do that?” She clapped her hands with excitement, making Christian smile.
“Sure. Please, can you continue the massage for a minute more?” Skylar continued her therapy and soon Christian dozed off to sleep.
The next day, he took her shopping. Even Hayley joined them at the mall.
“What about Eva? Will Uncle Daniel allow her at the wedding?” asked Skylar. They all knew how Daniel Van Every hated Eva.
“I don’t know. Alexander and Eva have disappeared since their wedding. Even Alyssa doesn’t know where they are,” informed Hayley.
“Alexander will surely come back before the wedding. I just hope they don’t create trouble. I’m so done with melodrama. We’re returning on Sunday,” said Skylar.
The next day was the wedding, and they arrived at the Van Every mansion to get Alyssa ready. But where was Alyssa?
With the wedding happening at noon, Alyssa arrived a little later from Nicholas’ house, where she was staying.
“Who arrives so late on her wedding day?” asked Sienna.
“What were you up to early in the morning?” Skylar glared at her, but her impish grin gave her away.
“We just had a relaxing breakfast, okay? You all really have to change your mindset.” She rolled her eyes at them.
“Breakfast? What did you eat? Food or each other?” giggled Hayley.
“Each other. Happy?” said Alyssa, giving up. They rolled with laughter, pulling her with them to her old childhood bedroom where they had so many memories together of their childhood.
“Why did you shower already? We had planned to dip you in aromatic oils to drive Nicholas crazy all day,” said Sienna, and they all groaned at seeing their plans go down the drain.
“I don’t need that, please. Just fix my hair and makeup already,” said Alyssa.
They fought amongst themselves over who would do what, forgetting all their initial planning, and Alyssa rolled her eyes, missing Eva all the more. Still, she didn’t mention her even once. It was useless to hope for her! She would never set foot here knowing how much her parents hated her! Sienna started working on her hair when her mom walked into the room to check up on their progress.
Skylar worked on her makeup while Hayley helped her with the wedding dress afterward.
“Exquisite, beautiful like a queen. I’m so proud of you, Alyssa!” said her mom, coming up to stand beside her.
“The officiant is here, Alyssa. Hurry,” said Aunt Claudia, coming into the room.
Her mom fixed her veil, and she was ready to go. They escorted her out of the room to where her dad was, on the shady porch.
Skylar’s eyes went towards Christian, standing with Nicholas, Maxwell, Lucas, and Ashton. They all waited near the aisle along with the other guests.
When she turned towards Alyssa’s dad, she saw him talking to Alexander. Where did he come from?
“When did he arrive? Where’s Eva?” whispered Skylar in Alyssa’s ear, but she couldn’t hear a thing as her eyes were glued to her brother.
Just as they dreaded, there were a lot of arguments, but eventually Daniel Van Every allowed Eva to attend the wedding. They all breathed a sigh of relief.
After the wedding, Christian whisked Skylar away before her friends could ask her about her wedding plans. She knew they had been bursting with curiosity, but she wasn’t ready to treat them yet. Maybe the next time!
At last, they bade farewell to Sebastian, Erica, and her grandparents and boarded their jet to return home. Christian’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he led her to the bedroom after taking off. It had been almost twenty days since they had kissed or made love.
“I missed you like crazy!” he said, pulling her onto the bed.
Skylar wrapped her arms around his shoulders, embedding her face into the crook of his neck.
“Me too.”
She distinctly remembered every detail of the magical moment they shared in this same bedroom on their way to New York. Ever since she had craved a repeat but it couldn’t happen.
He tightened his hold around her waist, crushing her against his chest.
“I’ve been longing to make love to you again!” he whispered hoarsely, grazing his lips against the sensitive spot below her ear.
“We can now!” He smiled and tangled his fingers in her hair while his lips claimed hers in a magical kiss. It took her breath away, and she surrendered to him.