Chapter 3

UNEDITED

"Clair."

Clarissa's heavy eyelids were going nowhere. Tiredness on a new level. She didn't care at the moment who was around her, who was calling her, or even where she was, she just wanted to sleep. Sleep just felt so incredibly good. All she needed was a blanket.

"Clair."

Light suddenly forces its way on her pupil when someone uses their thumb to open one of her eyelids. She couldn't see who it was, because everything was so blurry, but who cares anyway? She was finally not feeling pain.

"Come on get up."

She is forced to sit up by a strong arm around her upper back. Jacob grabs the sides of her ribs unexpectedly and pulls her to stand up.
She yanks open both of her eyes and sees the handsome face of her husband. "Oh, you."

"Yeah... me." He gets fed up with her wobbly legs swings her up into his arms and sets her on the empty table.

She realized that she was still in the club, tons of people were around and there was still blasting music but she was just now hearing it. Weird.

He comes between her dangling legs and grabs both of her cheeks. He squints as he first checks for a bruise. Then he looks into her eyes to check her pupils for dilation. He feels her wrist for her blood pressure. That too was normal. "Did you take a drink from anyone?"

Her world right now was a dainty, kiddy, carefree, place. She nods.

"Okay." He gets serious. "Listen to me, it's very important that you tell me who you took a drink from."

"Hmm." Her droopy eyes could barely stay open.

"Hey." He shakes her up. "Who gave you a drink?"

"Hmm... Baylee."

He rolls his eyes and folds his arms. Although that was his reaction, on the inside he was relieved.
He rushed down thereafter he got a call from a friend saying they saw her passed out in a booth. "How much have you had to drink?"

"A lot obviously." She sways to the side and doesn't sway herself back straight.

In a snap, he puts his arm out and saves her from falling. "Come on Clair." He stresses and sits her back up.

"Is she your girlfriend?" A buff-looking man. Really buff, like he just came from the gym, but he also looked like a man who had money and power. The way he dressed said it all. An expensive thick piece of gold on his middle finger and a solid gold watch on his wrist. A tailored black suit and shiny Italian shoes. He waited between bites to speak.

Jacob not wanting to be rude by not responding shakes his head. He then turns to Clarissa. "Let's go."

"Sister?" Buff asks.

Jacob ignores him. He continues as normal. "You brought a purse?"

"I don't know." She shrugs her shoulders.


Buff observed. He watched as Jacob helped Clarissa off the table and assisted her in the direction of the door. He couldn't just let it go.
"Well, whoever she is to you, you should teach her some etiquette. Women are not supposed to behave like her."

Jacob stops and turns back. It has been a long time since he has gotten into a fight. This man was going too far. "You're pushing it."

Buff stands and puts his jacket on. He was disgusted by anything low-class or trash. He throws some crisp bills on the table and fixes his collar. "I could have taken her to bed tonight. All the men here could have. I could have probably taken her right here if I wanted."

Before he could say another word Jacob lunged toward him and connected his fist with the steel-like face of Buff.

All hell broke loose. Members of Buffs' team got a hold of Jacob immediately. They pulled him back and anchored him to the ground. Buff, with a disgusted and seething rage in his gaze. He wipes his mouth, pulls his Italian shoe back, and kicks Jacob in the abdomen. Security from the club soon broke it up quickly and kicked all involved out.
~

Outside. "Let's go." Jacob pulls her into his car, sets her in the passenger seat, and slams the door. He then gets in and then slams his door. He snaps in his seat belt and pulls the car off with a sudden jerk.

He drives for a bit before pulling into the parking lot of a late-night deli jumps out of his truck orders her a cup of coffee then brings it back to the car. "Here." He hands it to her. "Drink it." He orders.

Seeing Jacob get kicked like that, was sobering. She didn't need the coffee but took it anyway.

"I can't believe you. He goes off. "How could you be so foolish? How could you fall asleep in a place like that filled with men? You have four children at home."

"Owww." She wiggles her ears with her finger. "You're extra loud." She didn't see what happened as something serious. Maybe it was the liquor.

"Do you know what could have happened? Or you don't care?"

"Of course, I care."

He grinds on his teeth but wasn't going to say another word about it. He knew any more words were pointless. She had too much to drink. He leans his head back onto the headrest and closes his eyes.

She sips on her disposal cup and looks at his abdomen. It killed her that he was kicked like some kind of animal. "Can I see?"

"What? My stomach?" He turns his head and opens his eyes. "No...I'm fine Clair." He grabs the steering wheel and the key.

It was most likely the alcohol that did this, but she extended her hand and laid her palm where he was kicked.

Her graze, It electrified him unexpectedly. He takes her hand and sets it in her own lap then starts up the car. He drove for a bit in silence and focused angrily on the road. When he shifted his gaze onto her again she was sleeping.

He decides she is better off that way and carries her upstairs.

It was weird being back in the house, but in their old bedroom, was weirder. The room looked the same, with the same dark lighting, and old-style furniture. He hated it, he wanted to get out of there. He was reminded of so many stressful nights of just wanting and waiting for his wife to turn to him and just lay on his chest. Every night he used to get in bed and the first thing he did was reach for her until he started realizing she didn't reach for him the same. He stopped reaching for her at night, which was hard at first, but he wanted to see how long it would take before she came to him. It didn't happen, she didn't seem fazed by his change at all. She might have even slept better.

He sets her on the bed and drapes a blanket over her.
When he gazes down at her sleeping face, her beauty shines and brightens up the whole room. It was the only thing that felt bright. That internal frustration suddenly sprang within him. There it was again, after months... Just being in the house and near her he became irritated.
~~~~~



Hours later, when the sun showed up.


Baylee was in a car on her way home, when a text from her brother came in.
"Meet me at Clarissa's now."

"Shit." She mumbles. Nathan didn't want to meet up for just any reason. Something was up.

Thirty minutes later, she found her brother and sister, in the kitchen. Clarissa was sitting on a chair near the table. Her head was down and her arms folded. Seemed like she had a hangover.

"Oh good, drunk number two is here." Nathan barks.

Or maybe she was being scolded.

"Sit." He orders.

She picks the seat near her sister and drops her bottom in it. Here we go. "Where’s Sabrina and Jasmine?" She prays in silence for them to be hiding somewhere in the house. Nathan was easier to calm down when his wife and daughter were around.

"Look at this." He doesn't answer and slides his phone to her.
It was a picture of Clarissa passed out, and not in an attractive position.

Her eyebrows quirk up. "Shit."

"What the fuck is the matter with you leaving Clarissa in that condition on her own?" He yells.

"I." Baylee begins. "I thought she was going home."

"You thought? The two of you went out together, weren't you supposed to come back home together or not?"

"We were...I.." She what? She went to hit on her best friend's man. "I had a headache."

"Irresponsible. The two of you may not work at Alden Enterprises but you still represent the Alden name. I just began cleaning off the stain from your parent's mugshots, and now this. Both of you are going to do press, and both of you are going to involve yourself in Alden charity works."

"Yes sir." His big sister agrees.

The doorbell rings interrupting them. Clarissa gets up and leaves the kitchen to get it.

Please let that be Sabrina. Baylee silently begs.
She looks down at her phone. She had two missed calls from Lola. It was stressing her out. Did Conner say something?

"Who's this?" Nathan asks.

"Ask Baylee," Clarissa replies.

Baylee looks up. "Holy shit." If she had water in her mouth she would have to spit it out.

Standing behind her sister was a tall, broad, man. He had dark hair and green eyes, and from them came a gentleness. His jaw was covered in dark stubble and square-like in shape; he was fair and well-built. He wore a dark pair of jeans and a clean white shirt. "I'm Baylee's husband." He announces. "Nikolai."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hope you're enjoying 😊