Fulfillment by Golland, M. (best large ebook reader .txt) 📕

assistance of the crutches, hobbled over to thedoor.

The buzzersounded a few more times during my journey there. Okay, okay!Hold ya fuckin’ horses, you impatient pain in the arse.

I pressed thebuzzer and in a frustrated tone, answered. “Yes?”

“Alexis, it’sme.” Rick’s voice spoke back to me.

Shit! He stilldoesn’t know about my accident. Shit, shit. I can’t deal with himright now.

I pushed thebuzzer and spoke again. “Rick, now is really not a good time.”

Almostinstantly, he responded. “Open the door. We need to talk.” His toneseemed slightly more irritated.

I pushed thebutton again. “Are you still having the kids next week for theholidays?” I asked, figuring that I better clarify this before thetime was upon us.

“Yes, ofcourse. Why? Open the door. Why aren’t you opening the door?” heasked again with annoyance and a tone of confusion.

“Good. That’sall we needed to talk about then. Now please, Rick, go. I can’t getinto an argument with you right now.” Please just go. Pleasejust go.

“Alexis. Stopbeing a fucking child and open the fucking door. You could becarrying my baby and we need to talk about it,” he shouted,angrily.

My heartstarted pounding, and I felt dizzy. I braced myself against thewall as tears started to flood my eyes and face.

I pushed thebutton again, clearly speaking through sobs. “Please, Rick, justleave me alone. I can’t do this.”

“Alexis, youcan’t avoid me. This is too serious. You can’t honestly tell methat there is no chance that the baby you’re carrying is mine.” Histone had softened a little, but he was still persisting.

“Yes, I can,”I struggled to say through whimpers and gritted teeth.

“How can youpossibly fucking know?” he shouted again.

At that point,I couldn’t take it anymore, I was beyond upset. He was not going tolet this go, so I slammed my fist onto the button and screamed intothe intercom. “Because I am no longer carrying a baby, you fuck! Ifell. I lost it. I fucking lost my baby. Now fuck off, and leave mealone.”

There wassilence for what felt like minutes as I propped myself against thewall crying and reliving my horrific memories, all the guilt andgrief flowing back through me.

“Alexis.” Hisvoice wasn’t much louder than a whisper. “Alexis, fuck. I’m sosorry. Please open the door. I need to know you are okay. Are youalone? Where is Bryce?”

I slumpedagainst the intercom and pressed it with a heavy hand. “He is at anappointment. Just go, Rick, I’m fine.”

“Alexis. Openthe door, now...please...I’m begging you.” His tone was now full ofconcern, and he was pleading, so I surrendered and opened thedoor.

He practicallyburst through, ready to hug me when he saw my foot was in acast.

He put hishand over his mouth and the other through his hair. “Geezus! Shit!What happened?”

I wiped myface and glared at him then turned and made my way back to thesofa. “I told you. I fell.”

He put hishands around my shoulders, trying to help me walk. “Where? How?When?”

I shruggedthem off. “Don’t. I can do it myself.” I reached the sofa and satdown.

He didn’thesitate and sat right down beside me. “Alexis, I’m sorry. Talk tome. What happened?”

“I fell downthe stairs. I knocked myself out. I broke my ankle and I lost mybaby. That’s it,” I answered dryly.

He placed hishand on my back and gently rubbed. “When did this happen?”

“A couple ofdays after my party. I was in hospital for five days after that, Igot out yesterday.”

“Do the kidsknow yet?” He seemed really concerned. I think he too knew thatNate and Charli would be devastated.

“No, they arestill at Mum and Dad’s house. Bryce and I were going to pick themup tomorrow so that they were ready for their time with you onMonday.” My tear bank broke again and I sobbed harder this time. “Idon’t know how I’m going to tell them, Rick. I don’t think I amready to tell them, but they’ll know; they are both smartkids.”

He wrapped hisarm around my shoulder and pulled me to him. “Don’t worry aboutthat. You obviously need more time. I will drive to Sheppartontomorrow and pick them up. That way you can have this week to sortthrough everything that you need to sort through. I know I can’t domuch for you, but I can do that. I can give you the extra time youneed.”

“Thank you,Rick.” I hugged him back.

At thatmoment, the elevator doors opened and Bryce walked in.

CHAPTERSEVENTEEN

“What the fuckare you doing here?” Bryce hissed at Rick as he stepped out of theelevator.

I went tospeak, “Bryce—”

He stormedover to the sofa. “Get your hands off Alexis, and get the fuck outof my home,” he growled.

He wasfurious.

Rick stood up.“Bryce, settle down, I’m consoling her. Clearly she is upset. Andwho are you to tell me not to touch Alexis?”

“Rick—” Itried to talk again but no one seemed to be listening to me.

“I will console her, not you. You have no right to fuckinghelp her grieve the loss of our baby, mybaby.”

Oh no, this iswhy he is so upset. He thinks I was letting Rick grieve.

“Bryce, itwasn’t—” I began to explain, but I was cut off yet again.

“Who said itwas your baby, Bryce? It could’ve been mine.”

“Rick! Itwasn’t your baby. I told—”

Before I couldfinish what I was saying, Bryce had thrown a punch which connectedperfectly with Rick’s jaw.

I screamed.“Bryce! Stop! No!”

Rick recoveredquickly and barrelled into Bryce’s stomach, with his head down andhis arms wrapped around Bryce’s waist in an attempt to take him toground.

I screamedagain.

Rick wasobviously no match for Bryce, not only in size but in combat,self-defence and fighting skills, because Bryce was able to getRick in a head lock and subdue him gently, slowly squeezing the airout of him.

I tried tostand up, putting pressure on my foot and forgetting momentarilythat I had a broken leg. I cried out in pain.

“Alexis!”Bryce let go of Rick—who fell to the floor—and dashed over to me.“Shit! Are you okay?”

“No!” Iscreamed at him, now in a considerable world of pain. “I’m notfucking okay. I’m not okay at all.”

Rick was onhis hands and knees coughing, attempting to get his breathback.

Bryce didn’teven look over at him. Instead, his eyes were on mine. “What can Ido, Hunny?” His voice had softened and