Chapter 27

**Zac**

Earlier that Day

It’s Friday and the last day of classes before the start of everyone’s weekend. My eyes keeping tabs on my students as they slowly come and go throughout the day, a slight frown threatening to rise when my eyes don’t see Alyssia in class.

*That’s not like her, she’s always to class on time,* I muse. A small frown officially making its way along my face once the classroom empties and refills for the last and final time that day.

Then as if suddenly remembering her condition I move to scold myself silently. *Idiot, she’s pregnant with your child, of course she wouldn’t have come to class, I wouldn’t either if I was up all night throwing up, god I’m such a fool.*

Annoyed, I move to reign in my emotions as I move to finish with what I was doing. My body trying to make it through the last and final class of the day, my eyes occasionally glancing towards the clock on the wall, patiently waiting until I could finally escape the damn room long enough to check up on her.

5:00 pm

*FINALLY! Classes are officially done for the day. Now I can finally leave this fucking hell hole*, I silently cheer, glad that it was finally over.

Silently watching as the last of my students all begin to file out of the classroom one by one until all that was left was me as I too began to pack up and leave. The need to hurry up and get to my woman, now rising.

The need to head straight for Alyssia’s Dorm room overriding everything else with each passing second.

Alyssia.

Feeling a twinge within my chest I slowly try to ignore it. A part of me still on edge from that morning and unable to ignore it any longer.

*Please, please be okay, please,* I pray. A piece of me still worried about her and our unborn child.

When finally approaching Alyssia’s Dorm room do I move to knock on her door gently. Hoping that she was inside the room when I did. Another wave of uneasiness rising when she doesn’t automatically open the door causing me to knock again.

By the time I hit three knocks and still no answer do I move to try the door handle. Surprised that the door was actually unlocked. Taking a deep breath, I quickly decide to enter the room, my voice instantly calling out to her as I did.

“Alyssia? Are you here?”

Listening for some kind of reply, I continue to scan through each of the rooms, my ears and eyes wide open in case she should call out to me.

“Alyssia? It’s me, Zac. Are you here?”

Frowning from the lack of response do I move to check the bedroom, mentally bracing myself for whatever I might find in there only to pause. Her room completely empty as well. Her school bag sitting all nice and proper on top of her desk which indicated to me that she never left for any of her classes today.

“Odd” I murmur, now scanning over her room once more.

Ten minutes later and still no luck in finding her do I move to physically sigh. A piece of me wondering where she could have gone off to while another piece of me hoped that maybe she would have gone over to my place by chance.

“Maybe… Maybe she stepped out? Or maybe she’s over by my place?”

With that in though do I move to turn around and leave. My new focal point being to get back to my place and pray to every god I knew that my woman and child were both safe and sound and patiently waiting for my arrival.

“Please, be there, please.”

45 minutes Later

It’s about 45 minutes later when I finally manage to make it back home. Having stopped over by Annable’s just to make sure that she hadn’t gone there instead and when she wasn't I moved to head for home.

A part of me promising to text Annabel later that evening, to let her know if I found Alyssia waiting for me over at my place or not, not wanting to cause panic for her or for me when I still wasn’t completely sure that she was there or not.

*She deserves to know, there friends after all,* I move to remind myself. Scolding myself for not wanting to share my woman. But the need to protect her and my unborn child rising. Sighing, I move to finally see the building. My heart racing at all the different scenarios that now danced within my head.

Stop it… You're psyching yourself out here.

Shaking my head, I move to trample any and all thoughts that I may have had concerning Alyssia. Knowing it wouldn’t do me any good by worrying when she possibly needed me the most.

Reaching the elevators, I move to hit the button, the elevator now dinging as one of them slowly moves to open for me. My body moving to enter before hitting the button, the doors closing as they moved to take me to the top floor of the building and to where my gorgeous apartment sat waiting for my return.

Thankfully though, the moment I move to step out into the hallway of my floor do my eyes finally land on a figure just down the hallway. Now slumped against my door which causes me to worry in concern. The mass of fiery red hair familiar to me as I find myself now rushing down the hallway and to her.

“ALYSSIA!”

Upon reaching Alyssia do I move to find myself now crouching down to her level. My fingers instantly looking for a pulse only to sigh in relief. The thought of her being dead or worse hurt slowly subsiding from me once I managed to feel the light pulse beneath her sweet skin.

Oh sweet Princess. Why are you here?

Now worried that her ex, Brian might have come around and scared her, I find myself quick to open the door of my apartment. The need to get her safely inside now rising as I carefully move to lift her into my arms before carrying her inside.

My foot gently closing the door behind me as I move to lay her on top of my bed once inside my room. Everything else now fading into the background as Alyssia slowly becomes my main focus of the evening.

“Rest dear Princess. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Moving to place a soft tender kiss upon her forehead, I move to let her rest. Deciding on occupying myself with other things as I wait for her to wake up. My hand reaching for my phone as I move to text Annabel just as I promised.

*Me: Hey, Alyssia is safe. She’s over at my place.*

*Annabel: She is? Thank you. Please keep me posted or if you need to come get her.*

*Me: No need, she’s totally fine here and is more than welcome to stay here if she wishes.*

*Annabel: Are you sure?*

*Me: Yes*

Pausing in our conversation I move to smile. After admitting to Annabel just now that it was completely fine for her to stay with me I knew almost instantly that it would be for after all Alyssia wasn’t just anyone, but my woman now and forever.

*Annable: Thank you. Again. Alyssia is totally lucky to have you by her side.*

Smiling at her words I move to give her one last reply back for the night before moving to tuck my phone away for the evening. Deciding on grading papers and whatever else needed to be done as I sat there waiting for her to wake up.