My Ward My Woman

I looked at Jessica to warn her not to say anything but it was too late. It was then I realized her true purpose here. “Oh Alexandra, whatever are you doing here?” Alexandra stopped short when she noticed her. Her eyes went from Jessica to me, and back and I could see the wheels spinning. Hated the sick look on her face.

“Oh hi, Jessica I didn’t know you were here. I’ll just see you at home Solomon.” She turned to leave the room and I stood to stop her.

“Solomon? What happened to uncle Sol? Never mind that, I guess it’s only fair that you be the first to know.” “First to know what?”

“Jessica…”

“Well, that you’re no longer the only child in Solomon’s life.” She patted her stomach and smiled at Alexandra whose eyes flew to mine. “What do you mean?” Her words sounded empty, lifeless. “I mean that your uncle and I are having a baby. Isn’t that great?”

Alexandra lost all the color from her face as she stood stock still in the middle of the room. I moved to go to her but Jessica got in the way. She wrapped her arm through mine and turned back to the young girl that was dying right before my eyes. I pulled away from her and went to Alex but she turned and ran from the room.

“Wow, talk about not wanting to share. She’ll get used to the idea. We should start making plans for the wed…”

“Get out.”

“Excuse me?”

“Get the hell out of my office. I’ll see you later.” I all but pushed her out the door before leaving myself to go after Alex.

I hurt for her; never knew that shit was possible. The fact that it was I causing her pain was like a knife to my heart. I ran out of the building and looked up and down the sidewalk but she was gone. “Where is she?” Her team was scrambling to their car.

“She ran out and got into the car before we knew she was there. We weren’t expecting her…” I cut her off with a harsh ‘go’. I’ll fire every last one of them if something happens to her. They’d be lucky if that’s the worst I do to them.

I called her phone immediately but the answering service picked up. “Baby, where are you? Come to me.”

I headed for the car and ordered the driver to take me home. All the way there I was afraid. Afraid of what was happening to her innocent heart. I could strangle Jessica for telling her like that. I hadn’t missed the look of satisfaction on her face as she struck the blow. She was in for a rude fucking awakening though.

She wasn’t home, her car wasn’t in the garage and she hadn’t returned my call. “Fuck!” I didn’t know where to look. Should I start calling her friends? Her team had already called in with the fact that they’d lost her.

They were already fired by the time I hung up from that call. She’d been giving them the slip too often lately. That reminds me. I still haven’t learned who this White Rabbit person is. I’ve been too busy falling in love. And why the fuck am I thinking about that shit now when she was out there lost and alone?

When all my efforts failed I called the one person who could calm me down from the blinding rage that was ready to explode. “Mom, I can’t find Alexandra.” I was damn near in tears.

If anything happens to her, I won’t be able to forgive myself. What if she’d driven too fast and got hurt? What if she ran away and I never found her? Fuck that she wasn’t leaving me.

“She’s here son.”

“Oh thank fuck…thanks mom. Send her home; don’t let her drive, have your driver bring her I’ll get her car later.”

“Uh, she doesn’t want to come home just yet.”

“What do you mean she doesn’t want to come home?”

“She told me what happened Solomon.” There was a long pause after that that spoke volumes.

If she were going to take me to task for hurting Alexandra she’ll have to wait. I wasn’t in the mood just then and besides, she couldn’t tell me anything I hadn’t already told myself. “I think we should let her rest here for a few days and then…” I hung up before she could finish whatever madness she was about to say and headed out the door. My driver opened the door as my security team ran to their cars.

“Where to, boss?”

“My parents; hurry.” My gut was in knots as he sped through the streets and I stared out the window without seeing anything. Inside I was a mass of confusion. I didn’t know how to make this right.

The only thing I knew for sure is that I wasn’t letting her go. The thought of her alive in this world, living away from me, having an existence that did not include me, was like death.