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“No…but I’m still breathing, we’re all still kicking,” she added resting a hand on her growing stomach as others became aware of their presence. She saw the curious looks and whispers, but she would not let them get to her. She would find a way to live with this pain.
Hailey moved into the sanctuary, accepting the hug from their minister as tears hit her and blinked them away nodding at his quiet offer of help with anything. Her parents followed, stepping around to stop her from finding a seat and she caressed her stomach as the boys kicked her wildly.
“Hailey, there’s something you need to know, and this isn’t the best place to do it,” Thomas stated, and she looked between her parents wondering what else had happened now.
“What is it?” she questioned hoping it wasn’t Theo or Elena.
“Hailey,agape mou,” came from behind her and her breath stalled, her face paling while her body shivered as though someone had walked over her grave.
She turned around at the audible gasps that came from the room and felt herself sway. She reached out to grab the pew to stop from falling and instead of the cold hard wood, she found herself pressed against Stefano’s warm chest. “Stefano?”
“I know my darling angel, I know,” he said quietly cupping her cheek as he lowered his face to hers, claiming her lips in a soft kiss that made her heart flutter.
“You’re…but you sent me…the plane…” she said clutching his shoulders as she shook praying it was not a heartache induced dream.
Stefano stepped over to a pew, sitting her down to take in her entire body, assure himself she was safe. He saw the circles under her eyes and the redness of them, telling him that she’d been crying very recently without sleeping. He started to move back but her hands reached for his shoulders and he pressed a kiss to her forehead calming her.
“It’s alright my dearest heart. I’m right here,” he assured her, resting her hand over his heart. Her fingers curled into his shirt and tears slipped from her eyes forcing him to gather her back to his chest to hold her again.
“They said no one survived the crash,” Hailey said her shoulders shaking with relief and contained heartache as she stared at him for answers. “You sent me a message…”
“I didn’t, my phone did, likely at Demetrius’ hands. He was on the plane my darling, not I. I stepped off to get some answers to important questions and when I returned after discovering the depths of them, it was to find Demetrius and Nikolas had taken the plane. I did not know it crashed until the news came out last night and we were already in the air. I should have called you before and let you know I would be late, I know that, and I am so sorry for worrying you, for the pain you’ve felt thinking I was gone. I promise you will never feel it again. I will never leave you I swear, my darling, darling Hailey.”
“You saidwewere in the air. What was so important to take you off the plane?” Hailey asked as her chin shook and her hand pressed against his chest over his heart.
“Our children’s grandfather,” he answered turning his face to the side to see his mother and father standing there, arm in arm.
Hailey followed his gaze and gasped seeing Daniel. She blinked but he did not disappear, and her gaze went back to Stefano. “I don’t understand Stefano. You said you found answers…to what?”
“Nikolas’ deception to our family,” Stefano answered easily feeling her shake. “I promise to tell you everything my darling love. I will,agape mou, but you are shaking and need to rest. Come; let’s go home,yineka mou.”
“Do not dare leave me ever again, Husband,” she said once on her feet.
“Never, I swear my love,” he said before claiming her lips in a kiss as he picked her up to hold her tightly to him. He tucked her head against his shoulder and carried her out of the church not caring in the least about the number of people likely to send out the news to the world. The only important part of his was Hailey, and then their children.
He settled her into the limo, giving the keys for his car to Markus after taking them from Hailey’s bag, and slid his arms around her, holding onto her until they reached the house. He lifted her back into his arms carrying her upstairs to their bedroom. He knew their family wouldn’t dare interrupt them right now. They were all headed to Elena’s to give them time and Daniel promised to tell Elena everything that had happened.
“I thought you were dead Stefano,” Hailey said as he knelt in front of her again, sitting her down onto the edge of the bed. “I thought you were gone and were never coming back.”
“I am so sorry my darling,” he said softly as his hands slipped her jacket from her shoulders. “Let me show you that it’s not true,” he whispered against her lips, but she resisted the kiss and he pressed one to her forehead. “I do not mean to make love to you, just to feel your skin on mine so you know the truth,agape mou.”
She let her anger slide enough to allow him to undress her down to her slip and he to his briefs, then lay her out on the bed as he held her against him. His hands caressed her entire body and she felt tears slip from her eyes. She turned over, burying her face into his chest, letting them come and his hands stroked her, his voice whispering to her in Greek she did not understand.
“Hailey,” Stefano said lifting her face towards him. “I am sorrier than you know. Had I known what happened…I should have called you when I discovered the plane missing but I had to try and get myself enough papers in order to get back here along with some for my father.”
“I understand that, I didn’t want to believe it, but I had that message and called your phone, heard the crash…”
“I would never send you a message if I thought it were the end of my life. No matter what time it was I would have called you and let you know how sorry I was to be leaving you, how much you mean to me,agape mou. The last words from my lips for you will always be the same,” he said brushing a tear from her eyelash as he cupped her cheek. “They will always be that it is never goodbye for us for I will always be with you. I love you my darling angel. You are my dearest heart, the center of my world…”
“Don’t,” Hailey said sitting up quickly as a full cry of agony slipped from her lips.
“I know you do not feel the same for me as I do you. I know you did not and might not ever love me as I love you, but I cannot let you go my darling,” Stefano said following her.
“Don’t lie to me. I know the truth Stefano,” she said grabbing her robe. She slid into it and wrapped her arms around her stomach trying to stop the pain reeling through her body.
“What truth? Hailey, I have loved you for longer than I should have…”
“You’ve been following me for years! You don’t love me, you just wanted to possess me, own me,” she said, and his color faded as he moved over to her.
