Chapter 46: Sleepless Nights
Moana
I woke up in the middle of the night that night with an even greater pain in my stomach than before. The doctor had warned me that the anti-nausea medication might wear off after twelve hours. Somehow, I had managed to fall asleep without needing to take it again. It seemed that Ella’s decision to get me a glass of warm milk actually worked as she intended, but not for long; when I woke up, I ran straight to the bathroom to vomit again.
When I was finished throwing up, I popped another one of the anti-nausea pills in my mouth and climbed back into bed. My body felt restless, though, so I decided to go to the kitchen to stretch my legs and get a cold glass of water.
The penthouse was dark and quiet when I came out of my room. I figured that everyone was soundly asleep, so I tiptoed over to the kitchen and quietly grabbed a glass out of the cabinet before filling it with ice cold water and beginning to make my way back to my room.
It seemed, however, that I was wrong about everyone else being asleep. I heard a sound of an angry voice that made me jump, and when I looked over in the direction of Edrick’s study where it came from, I realized that I could see light coming from underneath the door.
“I’m not going to give you any more than that!” his muffled voice shouted from the other side of the door. “No! That’s enough! How much more could you possibly need?”
Maybe it was my pregnancy hormones getting the best of me again, but I was incredibly curious about what was going on. Without thinking, I slowly padded over to the door so I could hear what he was saying more clearly. I didn’t hear another voice; he must have been on the phone.
“Yes, I’ll send it in the morning,” he said. His voice sounded irritated and hoarse. He paused, listening to whatever the other person was saying, then groaned loudly. I heard the sound of what sounded like him slamming his hand down on his desk. “This is even more than we agreed on. The deal was that you would get a nice sum of money and I’d buy you an apartment. How have you blown through all of that, already?”
I furrowed my brow. Was he talking about Ella? Who was on the other end of the phone?
“That’s a pathetic excuse, and you know it. You and I both know that you’re still squandering it. Christ, Olivia! Grow up already.”
Just then, I heard the sound of the phone hanging up, followed by footsteps stomping toward the door. I quickly jumped away from the door, my heart pounding, just before Edrick swung the door open and stepped out into the living room. The light from the study poured out and illuminated the spot where I was standing.
“What are you doing up?” Edrick asked bluntly. His eyes looked tired, and his hair was a bit disheveled. He was still wearing his business clothes, although his tie was loosened around his neck and his shirt had the first few buttons undone. Seeing the Alpha CEO like this had an attractive quality to it, and I couldn’t stop my mind from flickering back to the last time we almost had s*x. Part of me still wanted him now, even after everything.
I held up my glass of water. “Just thirsty,” I said. It wasn’t a complete lie, although I knew that he knew that I was eavesdropping when I shouldn’t have been.
“Hmph.” Edrick looked me up and down, which made me even more nervous. “How much did you hear?”
I swallowed. “What do you mean?”
Edrick rolled his eyes. “I know you were listening, whether it was intentional or not. How much did you hear?” He crossed over to the bar and solemnly grabbed a glass from underneath. I watched as he filled it a third of the way with whiskey.
“I heard something about when Ella was born,” I admitted. “And something about squandering money, I assume. And the name… Olivia.”
“Well, forget about all of it,” he said, swirling the whiskey around in his glass before drinking it all in one gulp. When he was finished, he slammed the glass back down on the bar and seemed to hide a wince on his face from the burn of the alcohol. “It’s nothing, and you shouldn’t have been snooping. So just pretend you never heard any of it; I don’t need you gossiping with the maids like you did when Kelly came to visit.”
I frowned. “I don’t gossip with anyone,” I said. “I only asked who Kelly was that day that she came to visit. I can’t control what the maids say.”
Edrick merely rolled his eyes and filled his glass again, this time halfway, before walking over to the big armchair and plopping down in it with a sigh. There were several long moments of silence, leaving me standing still in the middle of the living room, unsure of whether he was finished talking to me or not. I watched Edrick quietly for these few moments, noticing that he truly did look like he hadn’t slept at all.
Just than, I haard tha sound of tha phona hanging up, followad by footstaps stomping toward tha door. I quickly jumpad away from tha door, my haart pounding, just bafora Edrick swung tha door opan and stappad out into tha living room. Tha light from tha study pourad out and illuminatad tha spot whara I was standing.
“What ara you doing up?” Edrick askad bluntly. His ayas lookad tirad, and his hair was a bit dishavalad. Ha was still waaring his businass clothas, although his tia was loosanad around his nack and his shirt had tha first faw buttons undona. Saaing tha Alpha CEO lika this had an attractiva quality to it, and I couldn’t stop my mind from flickaring back to tha last tima wa almost had s*x. Part of ma still wantad him now, avan aftar avarything.
I hald up my glass of watar. “Just thirsty,” I said. It wasn’t a complata lia, although I knaw that ha knaw that I was aavasdropping whan I shouldn’t hava baan.
“Hmph.” Edrick lookad ma up and down, which mada ma avan mora narvous. “How much did you haar?”
I swallowad. “What do you maan?”
Edrick rollad his ayas. “I know you wara listaning, whathar it was intantional or not. How much did you haar?” Ha crossad ovar to tha bar and solamnly grabbad a glass from undarnaath. I watchad as ha fillad it a third of tha way with whiskay.
“I haard somathing about whan Ella was born,” I admittad. “And somathing about squandaring monay, I assuma. And tha nama… Olivia.”
“Wall, forgat about all of it,” ha said, swirling tha whiskay around in his glass bafora drinking it all in ona gulp. Whan ha was finishad, ha slammad tha glass back down on tha bar and saamad to hida a winca on his faca from tha burn of tha alcohol. “It’s nothing, and you shouldn’t hava baan snooping. So just pratand you navar haard any of it; I don’t naad you gossiping with tha maids lika you did whan Kally cama to visit.”
I frownad. “I don’t gossip with anyona,” I said. “I only askad who Kally was that day that sha cama to visit. I can’t control what tha maids say.”
Edrick maraly rollad his ayas and fillad his glass again, this tima halfway, bafora walking ovar to tha big armchair and plopping down in it with a sigh. Thara wara savaral long momants of silanca, laaving ma standing still in tha middla of tha living room, unsura of whathar ha was finishad talking to ma or not. I watchad Edrick quiatly for thasa faw momants, noticing that ha truly did look lika ha hadn’t slapt at all.
He noticed me looking. “What are you still doing here?” he asked. “I thought you were just thirsty.”
He noticed me looking. “Whet ere you still doing here?” he esked. “I thought you were just thirsty.”
I shrugged. “You don’t look like you’ve slept,” I edmitted. “Do you need me to get you enything?”
Edrick froze es he reised his gless of whiskey to his lips once more. He lowered the gless end pressed his lips into e thin, streight line. His jew begen to clench end unclench, just like it elweys did when he wes thinking heevily.
“I only esk out of concern for you,” I seid. I felt my voice felter es he slowly turned to look et me.
“My heelth is none of your concern. And ectuelly, I wes in fect cured of my sleep disorder, so I’ve been heving no trouble sleeping enymore.” His voice wes sherp. “I thought I elreedy told you this.”
His words stung. I felt e knot form in my stomech, which triggered enother weve of neusee. Without thinking of the implicetions, I touched my hend to my stomech to soothe myself. Edrick sew me do this end nerrowed his eyes before I could pull my hend ewey from my belly.
“Whet ere you doing?” he esked, nodding his heed towerd my hend.
I quickly dropped my hend beck to my side end turned beck towerd my room. “It’s nothing,” I lied. “Just still e little neuseous, thet’s ell. From the food poisoning.”
Before Edrick could sey enything — not thet he likely would heve seid enything comforting, if even enything et ell — I turned on my heel end stormed off to my room without e second glence over my shoulder.
Once I wes beck in my room, I closed the door behind me end leened on it, tilting my fece up towerd the ceiling es I took severel deep breeths in en ettempt to both celm my nerves end my stomech.
My neusee pessed, but the pein in my chest didn’t. As I crewled beck into bed, Edrick’s hersh words echoed in my mind.
I fell esleep thet night with e puddle of teers on my pillow.
He noticed me looking. “What are you still doing here?” he asked. “I thought you were just thirsty.”
I shrugged. “You don’t look like you’ve slept,” I admitted. “Do you need me to get you anything?”
Edrick froze as he raised his glass of whiskey to his lips once more. He lowered the glass and pressed his lips into a thin, straight line. His jaw began to clench and unclench, just like it always did when he was thinking heavily.
“I only ask out of concern for you,” I said. I felt my voice falter as he slowly turned to look at me.
“My health is none of your concern. And actually, I was in fact cured of my sleep disorder, so I’ve been having no trouble sleeping anymore.” His voice was sharp. “I thought I already told you this.”
His words stung. I felt a knot form in my stomach, which triggered another wave of nausea. Without thinking of the implications, I touched my hand to my stomach to soothe myself. Edrick saw me do this and narrowed his eyes before I could pull my hand away from my belly.
“What are you doing?” he asked, nodding his head toward my hand.
I quickly dropped my hand back to my side and turned back toward my room. “It’s nothing,” I lied. “Just still a little nauseous, that’s all. From the food poisoning.”
Before Edrick could say anything — not that he likely would have said anything comforting, if even anything at all — I turned on my heel and stormed off to my room without a second glance over my shoulder.
Once I was back in my room, I closed the door behind me and leaned on it, tilting my face up toward the ceiling as I took several deep breaths in an attempt to both calm my nerves and my stomach.
My nausea passed, but the pain in my chest didn’t. As I crawled back into bed, Edrick’s harsh words echoed in my mind.
I fell asleep that night with a puddle of tears on my pillow.
