28.

Xander

It was past seven in the evening when I wake up and Nikki was still sleeping next to me, I kissed the side of her head and sighed. After my nightmare, the nurses sent a psychiatrist to my room to evaluate me, and the doctor said to me that there is a high likelihood that I could be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. I wasn't surprised, but I accepted it and opted for counselling. The memories of the shooting were still clear in my head, all I wanted to do was to protect Nikki and I did, and I don't regret it.

Nikki shifts in beside me, knocking me with her shoulder on my wound, I howl in pain, and she immediately wakes up.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," she says, and she gets off the bed, "Do you need a nurse?"

I shake my head, "No, baby, it's okay."

"I'm sorry," she cries, "I should have been more careful."

"Inam, calm down," I say with a laugh, "I'm okay, modern medicine is there for a reason."

She sighs, "Okay, and don't call me Inam, I hate that name."

I laughed, "It got you to calm down, didn't it?"

She rolls her eyes, "Shut up."

I laugh, "How are you, baby?"

She looks at me and her face tells me everything. She was tired, worried, and she had bags under her eyes.

"I've missed you. We had Jo-Anne's funeral and there was drama, her family hates me. Damien might have his bodyguard license revoked, but I'm doing everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen, and Aiden's first court appearance is in a few days."

I felt bad, she's been dealing with all of this on her own.

"They don't want to believe that she and Aiden where working together. They think that Aiden is the good guy and I'm just the whore that wants to ruin his life."

"That's bullshit baby."

She chuckles lightly, "If Charles hadn't went of like an alarm, I would have been a mess, locked up in a room somewhere."

I smile, "Thank God for Charles."

She laughs, "You have amazing parents. Charles and Damien have been so good to me."

I felt bad for leaving her alone to deal with all the drama that I have caused, "I'm sorry you had to deal with all of that on your own."

She pulls the seat next to me and sits down, she takes my hand and kisses it, "It's okay, you're awake and the doctors say that you can go home tomorrow. I just can't wait to have you in my bed."

"Your bed?"

She nods, "Yeah, everyone moved into my house after the shooting. Charles and Damien didn't want to leave me alone, and neither did our mothers, so I welcomed them."

"Charles," I chuckle, "He just likes your cooking."

She giggles, "Who doesn't?"

"I missed that smile."

She hides her face behind our still intertwined fingers and giggles, "Stop. For someone who's hurt, you sure do know how to flirt."

There is a knock on the door, and it opens slightly, Nikki's mother peeks into the room, and she smiles. She opens the door a little wider and there is another woman behind her.

"You're awake," the other woman says as he rushes to my side, "My baby boy, I was so worried about you."

The last memory of the shooting comes to my mind.

"Mom?"

The woman sobs, shaking her head, "Yes."

I couldn't believe my eyes; she was alive and beautiful, too. Her blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

"I hope you don't mind her being here, Xander," Nikki's mom says.

"Of course, not, ma'am. I appreciate you bringing her here and being there for her, Nikki, too." I reply, "I know it hasn't been easy, but I cannot thank you enough."

Nikki's mom puts her hand on my leg, "You're my son-in-law and here we look after our own. Let me go and wait outside."

I thank her once again, and she leaves the room, leaving me, my mother and Nikki alone.

"I thought I'd never see you again Xander," she says tearfully, "The first chance I got after so many years, and you almost died. I wasn't going to be able to forgive myself." she cries.

I took her hand, "It's okay, I'm here now."

She sniffs, "Oh, I'm such a mess, I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about Ms. Tiaz, you're emotional, it's understandable," Nikki says, wiping a tear from her eye. Nikki hands her a pack of tissues, and she pulls one out and wipes her tears and nose.

"I am so sorry; I wasn't there for you, Xander. After your father cheated on me, I left, and he barred me from seeing you. I didn't know what to do, I was pregnant and alone so, -

"You were pregnant?"

That bastard!

She nods, "I was two months pregnant with your sister, your father's daughter, Jessica."

I have a sibling, a sister. I always wondered what it would be like to have a sister.

"But let's not dwell in the past, I am here now, and I am not going anywhere," she says firmly, "Your father has done enough, taken enough from us and I thank God that he kept you for me."

She kept talking but everything just went over my head and I couldn't believe he lied; my father lied. He told me that she cheated, that she abandoned me, that she didn't want me.

I felt a tear trickling down my cheek, my mother was here in front of me. She gives me a side hug and I place my head on her chest, a wave of emotion overtakes me, and I just start to cry.