The temptation of my brother-in-law-Chapter 204 - Two Hundred And Four

Chapter Two Hundred And Four

Malachi’s POV

The last month of Alicia’s pregnancy was the longest month of my life.

She was uncomfortable. Exhausted. Emotional. Her back hurt constantly. She couldn’t sleep. Couldn’t get comfortable.

And I felt helpless.

"I’m sorry," she said one night when I found her crying in the bathroom at two AM.

"For what?"

"For being a mess. For crying all the time. For needing you constantly."

"Stop. You’re growing our daughter. You get to be a mess."

"I can’t do this for three more weeks. I can’t."

I helped her back to bed. Got her pillows arranged. Rubbed her back until she finally fell asleep.

Then I lay awake worrying.

About the delivery. About whether she’d be okay. About whether I’d lose her.

The thought made my chest tight.

I couldn’t lose her. Not after finding her. Not after everything.

My mind drifted back. To the first time I’d seen her.

Three years I’d stayed away from the family mansion. Three years avoiding Pa. Avoiding Travis. Avoiding everything.

I’d come back for one night. Just one night to handle business.

I’d gone to my old room. My dark room. The one place in that house that had ever felt like mine.

And she was there.

Sitting on my bed. In the dark. Crying.

I’d almost left. Almost walked away. But something stopped me.

"You’re in my room," I’d said.

She’d looked up. Burgundy hair catching the moonlight. Eyes red from crying. A bruise on her cheek that made my blood boil.

She was broken. Beautiful. Fragile and strong all at once.

And I’d fallen. Right there. In that moment.

Fallen for a woman I couldn’t have. My brother’s wife. Untouchable.

But I’d fallen anyway.

"Stay," I’d said. "You can stay."

She’d looked at me like I was offering her the world. When really, she was offering me salvation and didn’t even know it.

And every night after, when I could, I’d find reasons to to see her. To make her smile when Travis had made her cry.

I’d loved her before I even knew what love was.

And now—

Now she was having my child. Now she wore my ring. Now she’d chosen me.

But childbirth was dangerous. Women died. Things went wrong.

What if I lost her?

What if these nine months were all I got? What if tomorrow she went into labor and something happened and she was just gone?

I couldn’t breathe thinking about it.

"Malachi?" Her sleepy voice broke through my panic. "What’s wrong?"

"Nothing. Go back to sleep."

"You’re lying. Your heart is racing. I can feel it."

I pulled her closer. Carefully. Always careful. "I’m scared."

"Of what?"

"Losing you. During the delivery. What if something goes wrong? What if—"

"Shh. Nothing’s going to go wrong."

"You don’t know that. Women die in childbirth. Even now. Even with modern medicine. What if you’re one of them?"

She put her hand on my face. "Look at me."

I did.

"I’m going to be fine. Lia’s going to be fine. We’re both going to be fine. And you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because we have too much to live for. Because you and I didn’t survive everything we survived just to not get our happy ending. Because the universe owes us this."

"The universe doesn’t owe us anything."

"Then I’m taking it anyway. I’m not leaving you, Malachi. Not now. Not ever. You’re stuck with me."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

She fell back asleep. But I stayed awake. Holding her. Memorizing the feel of her. Just in case.

Please, I thought. To God. To the universe. To whatever was listening. Please don’t take her from me. I’ll do anything. Be anything. Just let her live. Let them both live.

It wasn’t a prayer. I didn’t know how to pray. But it was as close as I’d ever come.

Please.

Two weeks later, we had a false alarm. Contractions that turned out to be nothing.

One week after that, at four in the morning, it was real.

"Malachi. It’s time."

The drive to the hospital. The endless hours of labor. Alicia in pain while I stood helpless.

"I hate you," she said during a bad contraction. "This is your fault."

"I know. I’m sorry."

But she held my hand through all of it. Trusted me to be there. To stay.

Twelve hours. Twelve hours of terror that I’d lose her. That something would go wrong. That I’d walk out of this hospital without her.

"Almost there," the doctor said. "One more centimeter."

And finally—

"It’s time to push."

Alicia looked at me with exhausted, terrified eyes. "I can’t."

"Yes you can. I’m right here."

She pushed. And screamed. And pushed again.

"One more," the doctor said. "One more big push."

Alicia bore down. Her face red. Her hand crushing mine.

And then—

A cry.

"It’s a girl."

They put her on Alicia’s chest. And Alicia was alive. Breathing. Crying. Alive.

I hadn’t lost her.

Thank God, I hadn’t lost her.

"She’s perfect," Alicia whispered.

I couldn’t speak. Could only stare at both of them. My whole world. Right there. Alive and safe.

"Do you want to hold her?" the nurse asked.

They placed her in my arms. So small. Lia.

"Hi Lia," I said. My voice breaking. "I’m your dad. And your mom just scared me half to death. But she’s okay. You’re both okay. And I’m never letting either of you go."

After the family left, after the nurses had checked everything, it was just us. Alicia. Me. Lia.

Alicia was asleep. Exhausted from labor. Lia was in my arms. Sleeping peacefully.

I pulled out my phone.

I’d never posted anything personal before. Never shared my life. Never let anyone in.

But this felt different. This felt like something worth sharing.

I took a photo. Alicia’s hand resting on mine. Both of our hands holding Lia’s tiny fingers.

Three generations. Connected.

I posted it without caption. Just the image.

Then I put my phone away and watched my daughter sleep.

Within minutes, my phone started buzzing. Notifications. Hundreds of them.

I ignored them. Didn’t care. This moment was too precious.

But later, when Alicia was feeding Lia, I glanced at the comments.

@darkwave_critic: WAIT. WHAT. WHO IS THIS. MALACHI BLACKWOOD POSTED. SOMETHING. PERSONAL.

@businessinsider: Breaking: Reclusive heir Malachi Blackwood shares mysterious photo. Identity of woman unknown.

@gossipgirl_nyc: THEORIES THREAD: Who is the mystery woman? Why now? Is this why he disappeared to Italy?

@celebrity_watch: Those hands. That ring. MALACHI BLACKWOOD IS MARRIED??? TO WHO???

@darkwave_critic: Guys. GUYS. That’s a baby. MALACHI BLACKWOOD HAS A BABY.

@societypage: Sources confirm Malachi Blackwood has been in Italy for months. No public appearances. Complete radio silence. This explains EVERYTHING.

@gossipgirl_nyc: But WHO IS SHE??? No one knows. No one has photos. This is killing me.

@businessinsider: Speculation mounting about mystery woman’s identity. Family sources remain silent.

@celebrity_watch: Plot twist: What if she’s not from our world at all? What if that’s why no one recognizes her?

@elitesociety: Blackwood family declining all comment. Maurice Blackwood: "Malachi’s personal life is his own."

@darkwave_critic: The ROMANCE of it all. He disappeared. Went to Italy. Fell in love. Had a baby. And we knew NOTHING.

@gossipgirl_nyc: Someone find out who she is. I NEED TO KNOW.

I smiled. Let them speculate. Let them wonder.

Alicia was mine. Lia was mine. Our life was ours.

And they could never touch that.

"What are you smiling about?" Alicia asked.

"The internet is losing its mind trying to figure out who you are."

"Good. Let them wonder. I like being your secret."

"You’re not a secret. You’re my wife. Almost."

"Almost wife. Current fiancée. Mother of your child."

"And the woman I fell in love with three years ago in a dark room when she was broken and crying and still the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen."

Her eyes filled with tears. "You remember that?"

"I remember everything. Every moment. Every conversation. Every time you smiled. Every time you trusted me with your pain."

"I didn’t know you felt that way. Not then."

"I did. From the very first moment. I just couldn’t tell you. Couldn’t have you. So I loved you from a distance and told myself it was enough."

"And now?"

"Now I get to love you up close. Get to marry you. Get to raise our daughter with you. Get to have everything I never thought I deserved."

Lia started fussing. Alicia adjusted her. Soothed her.

"We should probably tell people eventually," Alicia said. "About us. About her. Before they drive themselves crazy speculating."

"Let them speculate a little longer. I like having you to myself."

"Selfish."

"Always. When it comes to you? Always."

My phone buzzed again. I glanced at it.

@darkwave_critic: UPDATE: Deep dive into Malachi Blackwood’s Italy connections reveals... NOTHING. This woman is a GHOST. I’m obsessed.

I showed Alicia. She laughed.

"A ghost. I like that."

"You’re my ghost. The one who saved me from darkness."

"That’s very poetic for someone who claims not to be romantic."

"I’m romantic now. You made me romantic."

"Good. I like romantic Malachi."

Lia fell asleep again. Content. Safe. Loved.

I looked at my family. At everything I’d almost lost. Everything I’d fought for.

And I sent one more post.

Just two words: Worth everything.

The internet exploded again. But I didn’t look.

I just held my daughter. Kissed my fiancée. And thanked whoever was listening that they’d let me keep them both.

That they’d let me have this life.

This perfect, beautiful, impossible life.