There was no need to stay in bed, that much Halle knew but she was still bedridden for three days either way.Horacio had come back a few hours after Xavier had left her with those chilling parting words. He came with two nurses that helped him with more intimate tests just so that Halle wouldn’t feel uncomfortable.He said he had to redo everything else and also make sure her body was still healthy enough for the procedure but before that, she needed at least two weeks to heal fully from Simon’s assault.Halle found herself breathing out a sigh of relief after everyone left the room. She didn’t realize just how scared she was of the procedure until Horacio made it clear to her that a date would soon be set.It wasn’t like she was going to be the mother of the child but yet her heart pounded hard in her chest and her mind flew to many places.If she were to become a mother later in life…no, that would never happen!After two days of staying indoors and not really leaving her b
Join them? Halle wasn’t sure what action to take, she chewed down at her bottom lip as she looked at all of them, overwhelmed by all of their attention.The blonde was still smiling patiently, his hands still holding the seat out for her.He had large brown eyes, they made him look like a perfectly drawn comic book character.He had a round face but Halle could tell from his beard and the look in his eyes that he was actually older.This was the first time she’s seen this many people in the mansion.Halle shrugged as she walked to the dining area and took the seat held out for her.What’s the worst that could happen?Besides, she’s been in her room for the past three days and she could really do with some company.“Good morning,” Halle said to them, it earned her wide grins from the men. They looked at her with a certain awe in their gazes and that baffled her.Somehow it made her feel weird that they all knew who she was and what she was here for but as long as they didn’
After the men had left the kitchen, Halle stayed back with Collette and helped with some of the cleanings despite the young woman’s protests. “You’re not supposed to be doing anything stressful!” Collette had exclaimed when she saw Halle with a wet rag. “There’s nothing stressful about wiping down a table Collette,” Halle replied with a playful grin, “And besides, I’m not pregnant yet so those rules don’t apply to me,” Collette pursed her lips and left Halle to her devices but of course, Halle could still feel the woman’s stares from the back of her head and her slight in takes of breath whenever Halle made a little strenuous movement. They were treating her like she was some egg that would be broken by anything and everything. Halle was sure if they had their way, she would be up in her room for the entirety of the year. Somehow she managed to block off all thoughts of Xavier and Simon from her mind as she cleaned, her mind rather thinking about the lessons she’s been taught and
“That son-of-a-bitch better watch his fucking back!” Greta snarled, “Cause the next time I set my eyes on him, I’ll be ripping his skin off his bones!”“Jesus, Greta,” Halle said in shock, “You need to calm down,”She could feel the woman’s anger through the phone and Halle knew what Greta was capable of when angry.“The last thing I want is for you to go to jail because of my personal problems,” Halle said. Her phone was on the vanity table and loudspeaker as both her hands were busy, pulling out the pins on her hair and releasing her thick strands from their tight bondage.“Your personal problems?” Greta practically seethed, Halle could almost imagine the smoke leaving her ears and her narrowed eyes.“This shit is far beyond a personal problem Halle! Why didn’t you go to the fucking cops?”“Because…” Halle sighed in relief as her hair finally came loose and fell to her back.“It's Simon and—”“—oh forget it!” Greta groaned, “After all, when you were supposed to call the cops on that
The dining room was dimly lit, unlike what it was earlier in the day. The scent of homemade pasta and sauce drifted to Halle’s nose, she inhaled deeply, her stomach grumbling as she made her way to the take. He was there.He was still in his three-piece suit hit, he had taken his blazer off and loosened his tie, kept it right next to his blazer on the armrest, the first three buttons of his dress shirt were left open and he looked laid back.He looked really good with long hair but damn, this low-cut hairstyle was just...It gave him a certain edge that she didn’t see before. It seemed like he had slow-growing hair...Or was he just trimming it every morning?His eyes had been on her since she stepped through the door.She could feel it and also wanted to pretend that she didn’t. Tabitha had just set down an extra dish on the table right next to Xavier’s fingers, he flashed Tabitha a grin and muttered a ‘thank you' to her.Halle blew out a short breath, summoning courage from whate
Xavier sat up, his eyes no longer avoiding hers once she’d asked the question, she tried to gauge his reaction but for someone that was pretty confident in her accuracy of reading people, she was failing miserably right now. She couldn’t understand a single thing when it came to Xavier. His expression became blank and he reclined into his chair and interlocked his fingers in front of him. Halle bit her bottom lip nervously, staring into his insanely calm eyes and wondering if she should be worried about such a reaction. He looked like he didn’t have a care in the world, he looked like Halle didn’t just ask him if he killed someone in cold blood. What was she going to do if he said yes? How was she going to react? Would that change her views or mayhap by chance, her feelings? “You think I killed him,” Xavier said, swirling the wine in his glass before emptying it yet again! He closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh like he was savoring the taste. Halle caught a glimpse of his p
“There you are…” Halle heard a voice whisper softly into her ear.Halle could vaguely remember strong arms wrapping around her waist and lifting her body off the damp grass. She wanted to protest but she was in between sleep and reality.Instead, she nuzzled into the warmth and sighed contently as she inhaled that familiar scent.“You shouldn’t be out in the cold like this…”Was that faint voice Martha’s? She could hear the urgency and worry in her tone.“I am fine Martha…get the door,”Xavier. His voice was deep and strong and she remembered feeling soft thuds from his chest against her face.Halle woke up with a content smile on her face, a yawn left her lips as she stretched and then pulled the sheets off her body.Halle was reluctant to leave the warmth and softness of the bed but—She froze.Bed?Why was she on a bed?Halle could remember falling asleep under the tree while waiting for her sobriety to disappear but instead, it seemed like the alcohol only made her fall
Halle spent the next two days hiding out in her room, using reading for her final exams as an excuse. As much as she didn’t want to take advantage of the women working in Xavier’s house, she had begged Collette to bring up her food any time they cooked.As much as Halle wanted to be in the kitchen, where all the magic happened, she also wanted to avoid Xavier as much as possible, not liking just how strong his effect on her was.Halle spent most of her time in the room reading and the time she wasn’t reading in preparation for the exams, she spent it repeating to herself that this was a job and nothing else.Sure, Xavier had done more for her than any other boss would do and she had more benefits than any surrogate she’s heard of. These things made it tougher for her to convince her mind that everything was strictly professional and that they should continue to stay that way.That dinner with Xavier had almost broken every single one of the rules she had set for herself because Ha