He's Captured My Soul (Captured Series Book 3) (14 page)

“How you feeling?” he asks sitting on the bed and yes handing me the water.

“Truthfully?” He nods. “Well then, bloody awful. What time is it?”

“ Eight thirty. You better take a couple of these before going for a shower.” He hands me some painkillers.
Hold it, why do I need to shower?

“We have a meeting to go to.” He answers my unspoken question.

“Alex, we need to cancel.”

“No, we are going.”

I open the water, take a drink first then the two tablets and another drink. But suddenly I feel sick. I run from the bed and make it into the bathroom just in time as I double up over the toilet. Alex has followed me, he keeps hold of my hair, as I quite dramatically bring up everything I ate and drank yesterday. Too much alcohol. I want Alex to move, but he won’t go. I can’t stop being sick, over . . . and over.

He continues to stay with me until it finally passes, and I have nothing left in my stomach to bring up. I stay on the floor, leaning over the toilet for another few minutes just in case. Turning, I glance at Alex, who looks worried. He helps me back to my feet and hands me my toothbrush. Oh well, if we’re going to be married, he may as well see me at my worst. I feel bloody lousy.

“Well, that will be the alcohol,” he says.

“Whatever gives you that idea?” I snap back at him. I’m really in no mood for games today.

“I suggest you go for a shower, then try and eat something before we leave.”

He switches the shower on and leaves the bathroom. Leaving me alone. Why could he not, leave me alone when I was throwing the contents of my stomach up?

The water is just perfect when I stand under it. It’s hot and steamy, and just the way I like it. But I feel a little dizzy,
again.
I quickly wash including washing my hair, which incidentally seems to be full of knots, so I can get out. I climb out the shower, wrapping a towel around my hair and putting on my bathrobe.

Alex is nowhere to be seen when I enter the bedroom. I’m glad. I could do with the peace to get ready. Getting ready seems to take ages, I have absolutely no energy. Maybe it’s not the alcohol, although given the amount I consumed, it’s hardly surprising. I finally have myself semi- respectable looking and go in search of Alex. I already know where he will be, in the kitchen.

I take the stairs, very cautiously. I hear music playing softly the closer I get to the bottom. Alex is indeed in the kitchen. I walk toward him and wrap my arms around his waist, leaning my head on his back.

“Feeling better?” he asks, turning toward me.

“A little.”

“Good, do you think you could manage some food?”

“I’ll try. No promises.”

“Okay. Go and sit down, I’ll bring it over.”

I do, because I don’t have the energy to do anything else. He puts a plate in front of me. Toast and bacon. I’m not sure, my stomach is ready for any of this, as I look at the plate. There’s fruit juice already on the table and a pot of tea.

“Where is everyone?” I ask.

“My parents are still in bed, although my mom was up earlier. And Sophie didn’t come home.”

Shit!

This can’t be good. Yet Alex seems so calm. Not what I was expecting.

“Dare I ask where she stayed?”

“You already know the answer to that question. Ethan’s. Kirsty text last night to say she dropped them both off there, in the taxi. I’ve had to smooth things over with my mom. She’s not happy about her not coming back here. And guess whose fault it is, mine.”

“She can’t blame you for what Sophie does,” I say before taking a drink of my juice. “But I’m surprised with Ethan, but not totally shocked, if I’m honest. I’ve got eyes and I saw the chemistry there is between the two of them. And from what I remember, it looked sizzling hot.”

“I’m surprise you remember anything from last night.” He smirks at me. “You had a lot to drink.”

“I did. But it might surprise you to know, I remember everything until we left the club, then nothing.”

“So you don’t remember us?”

“Alex, I would remember that. Believe me. So I can only presume, you had to carry me up all those stairs.”

“Yeah, you crashed as soon as we got in the taxi. Now less of the talking, and start eating we have places to go, people to see.”

I don’t manage to eat anything, my stomach is still churning. I do drink the fruit juice and a cup of tea, but that’s it, much to Alex’s annoyance. I do feel guilty, after he went to the trouble of making it. But I really can’t face being sick again, and if I eat it, that’s what would happen.

“If you’re not going to eat, we should think about going. I don’t want to be late for meeting Father O’Connor,” Alex says with a smug look. He’s enjoying this. Watching me in pain. A pain that has been self-inflicted. I’m never drinking again. It’s so not worth it, the day after. “Hopefully Murphy and Joan’s plane is on time and we can pick them up as well after our meeting.” I nod in agreement. It will be good to see them both.

“SO LIBBY, HOW DID YOU
and Alex get on with Father O’Connor?” my mother asks as we read the menu. I could really be doing with my bed, but I did promise everyone lunch at the hotel. So here I am with my mother, Sarah and Sophie, Kirsty had plans for the day with Jay. So it’s just the four of us.

Poor Sophie, she is much more relaxed without Alex around. Alex picked her up from Ethan’s, en route to the airport. Not much was said, I think Sophie was just as drunk as I was. Sarah had spoken with her when she arrived home. I wasn’t trying to listen to what was being said between them, but Sarah is concerned for both Sophie and Ethan. I know Sarah has a soft spot for my brother and Lucy. I hope I get a chance to speak with her later alone, although I don't want to hear any details of her night with my brother.

“Well, from Alex’s point of view, very well. Father O’Connor gave us a few dates,” I tell them.

“Are you going to tell us or do we need to guess?” Sarah asks.

“Okay, the first date is the thirtieth of January.” I don’t get to finish as my mum interrupts.

“That’s only what five weeks away? Surely that’s not the date. We can’t possibly organise a wedding in that time frame.”

“That’s Alex’s preferred option. But we have dates in March to consider as well. The fourteenth and twenty-first. I’ve already made it clear I would love a summer wedding, but Alex seems to be in a hurry. We have to get back to Father O’Connor in the next few days. I will go to my office before we leave and check the diary, that could very well be, what helps make our final decision. There isn’t an option of having the reception anywhere other than here.”

“So it looks as though you will be walking down the aisle before Connor and Emma,” Sarah states, knowing there is every chance Alex will get his own way.

“We’ll see Sarah, that is one more thing to consider. Their wedding would only be two short weeks later, and Alex wants us to go away for a honeymoon. We would have to take Connor’s wedding into consideration, as well as my commitments here at the hotel. We have a lot to discuss. And I’m with Mum, I don’t think I could pull it off, a wedding in five weeks.”

The waiter comes over and takes both our food order and drinks. Sarah and my mum order a glass of wine, while Sophie and I opt for water. Our mothers both laugh at that. There is no way I could face even a glass of wine.

“Elizabeth, if you do go with the January date, I could stay on and help,” Sarah says smiling.

“Do you not have things, to do for Connor and Emma’s wedding?” I ask her.

“No, I’ll leave that wedding to them. It gives you something to think about and I promise not to interfere, only help.”

Lunch turns out to be perfect, and I even manage to eat a little without feeling sick. Sophie loves the view from the restaurant across the loch. It’s bright today, cold and still very white with all the snow we’ve had. I would love to take her out on a tour of the loch so she could see for herself all the natural beauty, but it really isn't the weather for it. But I’m sure there will be plenty of time in the future. Karl comes out of the kitchen to say hello and make sure everything was up to the high standards I expect, with our meal. We all assure him, it was delicious.

I offer to give Sophie a tour, she jumps at the chance. We leave our mothers in the very capable hands of Karl.

Sophie seems on edge as we walk through the hotel. I need to get this over with, I don’t want Sophie to be on edge with me. It’s bad enough I’ve seen her like this with Alex. We walk in silence toward the lift after I had stopped at reception and got an empty room key.

We step in.

“Sophie, talk to me. What’s wrong?”

“I just don’t want you to think bad of me. After last night. I didn’t mean for anything to happen. It just did.” She rushes the words from her mouth. The lift stops and we get out. I take the card and open the door to one of the suites.

“Wow.” She walks toward the windows and takes in the view from here. “It’s stunning,” she adds. “I can see why you love this place. My mom has fallen in love with here too.”

“Come and sit down,” I say to her. Taking a seat on the couch, Sophie comes over and joins me. “So you and Ethan then?”

“Yes. But I don’t want to hurt anyone and that’s what Alex and my mom seem to think. They think you will get hurt and they think it’s too soon for Ethan to be sleeping with anyone.” She’s upset; I can hear it in her voice. “He wants to see me again, tonight.”

“Right first things first, whether or not this is too soon. That’s up to Ethan to decide. I was always under the impression, Ethan and Lindsay where a perfect match. But he said something the other night that makes me think a little differently. It’s not up to me. At the end of the day, what do you want? Because, it really shouldn't matter to anyone else.”

“I would like to get to know him better. Yes there is an attraction there, on both our parts. Is it just that I find him sexually attractive? I don’t know, but I would like to find out.”

“Sophie, you are both adults. It’s up to you what you both do. You don’t need my approval.”

“I know that. But I would like it and I don’t want things to be awkward between us.”

“I don’t think things could ever be awkward between us. Ethan deserves to have some fun. Not sure how others will take it.”

“We didn’t really get a chance to talk this morning, before you and Alex picked me up. But I do like him. A lot.”

“As long as you don’t expect too much from him.” I sigh. “You should be all right.”

“I’m glad my brother is marrying you,” she says, as she hugs me. I hope I’ve said the right things to her, but I will need to speak with Ethan. I don’t want him upsetting Lindsay’s parents.

“Come on lets head back to the restaurant.”

Our mothers are still where we left them, only they have Kieran for company. As I get closer to the table I look at Kieran closely. He looks as bad as I feel. Surely he wasn’t out drinking as well last night.

“Kieran, what’s wrong?” I ask.

“I thought it was just a cold,” he says in between coughing and sniffing. “But it feels so much worse, now.”

“Go home, straight to bed,” I tell him.

“But I can’t.”

“Yes you can. Now go before I change my mind,” I tell him more firmly. Well I know I’m meant to be off, but he needs to be at home more than I do. I will finish his shift. Three sets of eyes are firmly set on me. “What? I’m fine, it’s poor Kieran here who is poorly. I can arrange for Murphy to take you all home.”

I drop Alex a text, instead of interrupting his meeting with a call.

Kieran is sick. I’ve sent him home. Going to cover his shift. Can Murphy pick everyone up please x

Alex texts back almost instantly;

He had better be sick. You’re meant to be home. Yes Murphy will leave now, be there in 30mins x

Love you xx
I text back.

I’m glad I text instead of phoning, I know he would’ve tried to talk me out of it. But he is finding out that I can be just as stubborn as him.

I wait until the others leave before working. Karl is really surprised that I’m working when I enter the kitchen with a food order.

“Libby, is there any particular reason you are gracing my kitchen with your presence?” he asks.

“Oh, I just missed you, that much. I needed to see you.” I tease as I hand him a food order. He pulls at my hand.

“What’s this? Do you have news you want to share?” He holds my hand, closely inspecting the ring on my left hand.

“Yes, Alex asked and I said yes.”

“Congratulations, Libby. I’m so happy for both of you. It’s a stunning ring. I wish you all the health and happiness to wear it.” He hugs me. “Alex is one very, very lucky man. He better not forget that.”

“Thank you,” I say as I feel myself blushing.

“Is it common knowledge?”

“Not yet. I never even got a chance to tell Kieran today, with him being sick. I will call him tonight to see how he is and tell him.”

“I’m sure he will be just as thrilled as I am for you. So can we expect the wedding of the year to be held here?” Karl asks with a hint of excitement. God, if this is Karl, what will Kieran be like when I tell him.

“Yes, of course it will be held here. Where else could it possibly be? I have an amazing chef and his team at my disposal. A stunning hotel set within an amazing location. What more could I need?”