Dawn's Pov

"I don't believe him." Paula deadpanned, taking a sip from her cup of latte as we walked back to the office from the examination room. "He's definitely hiding something."

"I think we both overreacted." I fended, munching on my pack of chips. "He said it was just a harmless hug."

"It didn't look harmless to me." She argued, walking into her office and dropping the latte down to shrug off her lab coat, exposing the snatched red dress she wore underneath. "She was so into him I thought they were going to kiss, plus—" She hung the coat around her chair and sat. "—they were having this really deep conversation. I think it was serious, I mean she was crying. He could have broken her heart or something."

I sat and munched on more chips. "I don't know but I find all this hard to believe."

"Of course, take your husband's side." She scowled with clear annoyance in her voice.

I exhaled. "I'm not taking sides. I'm just trying to enjoy my marriage."

Last week had been like a nightmare I couldn't wake up from. Now that I'd finally woken up from it, I didn't want to go back there. I could tell David was stepping up. Today, he'd aroused me with kisses and cooked me breakfast. It didn't taste good. He was a horrible cook indeed but I was happy, genuinely happy and I didn't want to ruin that by letting nasty thoughts seep into my mind again.

"Well, did he at least tell you why he was at the hospital?"

I shrugged. "I never asked."

She shook her head and released a breath of exhaustion.

"What?" I quizzed.

"Sometimes I honestly wonder how we're related."

"Stop okay, I just didn't think it was important. He might have been there because she got injured or something."

"No, I won't." Her eyes shifted to my cell phone. "Call him right now and ask him where he is."

My eyebrows arched. Sometimes I didn't get why my sister was so invested in my relationship with David. "He's at work. Where else would he be?"

"Call him." She persisted, folding her arm over her bountiful chest.

"There's no need, he's probably busy at work."

"You're stalling because you don't believe it yourself."

"I'm not."

She looked at me curiously, gauging me. I shook my head and sighed. "If I do this will you leave me alone?"

"I just might."

"Fine." Reluctantly, I picked up my phone and dialed his number. It rang but he didn't pick up.

"See, he's probably busy, Paula."

She wasn't convinced. "Try again."

My hand hovered over the green call button the next time. Exhaling, I pressed it and watched it ring a few times.

He picked up.

"Hey." His tone was clipped, businesslike. It made goosebumps rise on my skin. "How are you?"

"Fine," I put the call on loudspeaker. "You must be busy, I'm sorry for calling."

"It's alright. Did you need anything?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to check up on you and know if you were still at the office."

"I am." When he said those words I turned to Paula. She narrowed her eyes.

"Do you miss me?" David continued.

I smiled. "If I say yes will you be home early?"

He chuckled, the sound was reviving. It made me smile. "If you agree to continue what we started last night then yes."

Paula crunched her face in disgust.

I chuckled and took the phone off the loudspeaker. "I'll be expecting you early then."

"I simply can't wait." I couldn't see him but I could tell he was grinning. It was almost as though I could feel it.

"I have to go now my love, duty calls."

"Alright, I love you."

"I love you too."

When the call ended, I turned to Paula, a grin on my face. "Satisfied?"

She scoffed. "My gut tells me he's not at work."

I rolled my eyes. "Your gut tells you crazy things all the time." I dipped my hand into my bag of chips and resumed munching. "Remember that time your gut told to you Jake Donald's would ask me out if I took off my braces? Yeah, I'm still waiting for the invitation."

"No way." She laughed. "That was different and thank God he didn't because he turned out to be a drug addict." She shook her head. "But my point is, my gut is right and I'm going to prove it to you." She got up.

My brows pushed together. "Where are you going?"

"We're going to his office."

Oh, God.

"Look, Paula, I get you're not David's biggest fan."

"I'm not his fan at all." She reminded.

"Alright, you're not his fan at all. But I am. I love him. You may not like him for his past but I believe he's changed for the better."

"Prove me wrong then," she packed up her purse and phone. "Take me to his office and if we find out he's there, I'll give it a rest."

"And if he isn't?"

"I get the chance to shoot a big fat 'I told you so.'" She discarded her latte into her trash bin and headed for the door. "Come on!"

David's Pov

"Who was that?" Alex asked the second I got off the phone with Dawn. "Was that aunty Stella?"

"No." I walked back to him and sat at the edge of the bed. "It was my wife."

"Is she coming to see me?"

I smiled bitterly. "She will, soon. She's been busy."

"Do you think she'll like me?"

I leaned forward and caressed his cheeks, noting his color had started to return and he was no longer pale. "She will."

My mother and Doctor Anthony walked in after that. They were having some kind of conversation but stopped when they reached the bed.

"How's my little fighter doing?" Anthony asked, looking over his vitals.

"I feel better." His response was weak. I could tell he was sleepy.

"That's right, champ, you'll keep feeling better until you leave this place." He held his fist up to him and Alex gave him a fist bump before lowering his hand back
down onto the bed.

I smiled.

"David, If you don't mind, I'd like to have a word with you."

My mother and I exchanged looks. She nodded.

"Sure." I gave Alex a quick kiss on his shiny bald head before following Anthony out of the ward and down the hall to his office.

"I'd like to tell you that Alex has been responding well to his chemotherapy treatment." He began with a smile gracing his features as he sat. "If he keeps fighting this way, success is assured at the end of the journey."

I smiled and sat. "That is rejuvenating to hear."

"Of course it is." He opened his notepad and pushed his glasses up. "I'd like us to take a look at a few things that must be put in place before the surgery.

"Alright."

"Now that you have been matched and the surgery is set to take place in the next coming month, there are a few things you must abstain from. Things like drugs and alcohol and the likes. It's a good idea to keep your blood streams as sterile as possible."

When I nodded, he continued.

"I'd advise taking multivitamins that do not contain iron or herbs. Due to the numerous red blood cell, you will be transmitting, additional iron supplementation is unnecessary. Your body does not eliminate iron."

He pushed up his glasses and flipped through his notepad.

"Also, avoid any sudden injury that may lead to infections. Within the next few weeks, you are expected to practice self-maintenance and put away anything that might hinder this procedure because your son's life as we know depends on you." He closed his notepad. "I have everything sketched out for you in the brochure including your food diet. You can pick it up at the nurse's desk along with your therapy schedule."

I nodded in understanding. "Thank you, Doctor Anthony."

"It's what I do." He smiled. "On your way out please visit the clerk and have the insurance papers signed."

When I returned to Alex's room, he was already asleep with my mother by his side, patting his hand.

She stopped when she saw me and got up. "What did he say?"

I walked closer to her. "Nothing much, just things I need to do and abstain from before the surgery."

Her brows furrowed. "David, are you sure you're ready for this?"

I exhaled. I had to be. I had no choice. "Yes, I am."

"What about Dawn? You've held back for too long already."

"I plan to tell her before the surgery. I'm looking for the perfect time to tie up loose ends."

"And when do you think that will be because I don't feel comfortable hiding this from her."

"Me neither."

"David." She touched my arm. "The more you stall the more it becomes harder."

"I know, I just..." I took a deep breath. The conflict between my heart and my mind was ripping me apart. It was cowardly but I couldn't bring myself to do it. When things had been going south with us, I could not bring myself to do it. Now that things were going well between us, I'd lost the nerve.

"All you have to do is be honest and I know she'll certainly understand." Mother urged, rubbing my arm. "She's a sweet girl."

"And she's curious too. She'll ask questions; questions I'm not ready to answer."

"You have to take things one step at a time. If Dawn loves you she'll understand."

I sighed. "Thanks, mother, I'm so glad you're here with me."

She narrowed her eyes. "Yeah well fix things with your wife so you'll have her as your companion, not me."

I smiled. "I will."

Dawn's Pov

"This is such a stupid idea." I admonished as we walked into the company building. "What if he sees us and realizes what we're doing?"

"What if he isn't even there?" Paula shot, putting her shades on. "Michael used to lie all the time about being in the office and busy with work. In truth, he was with his old haggard mistress in some fancy restaurant eating baby ribs and duck."

"With all due respect, David is not your ex-husband."

"I know, he might be worse." She left me behind and walked towards the elevator.

I sashayed behind her, not wanting to believe her conspiracy theories but her words somehow got to me and it had me thinking. What if he really wasn't here?

What if he was lying to me?

When did he start lying and keeping secrets from me?

We took the elevator up to his floor which was reserved and empty apart from the mahogany desk close to his office that housed his elegantly dressed secretary.

"Welcome Mrs. Agent," she stood and greeted me with a smile when I walked by.

"Hi," I learned over her desk. "Is my husband in, I would like to see him."

She looked at me for a moment before replying. "I'm sorry but Mr. Argent hasn't stepped into work today."

My stomach dropped. What the hell did he mean but that?

"Did he perhaps tell you anything?" Paula asked in my stead.

The secretary looked between the two of us. "I don't know if I should be telling you this but he hasn't been around often."

Paula turned to look at me.
My chest felt tight. It was hard to breathe. I took in deep inhales but it hurt when I breathed.

He lied to me...