Page 18

Seventeen

Favorite Name

“ L ex? Lex?”

Alexa moaned and pulled the covers over her head. Why couldn’t they—whoever the intruder was—let her sleep peacefully?

“Lex, wake up!”

“Leave me be!” she grunted.

“Are you feeling alright?” It was Cassie, and her voice hinted at her concern. “You have about nine missed calls from your co-worker Perry, as well as six from your boss.”

What? But her brain was too sleep-addled to ponder the information or let it sink in.

“He called me when you didn’t respond,” her sister continued, resting a hand on Alexa’s shoulder. “So I called you three times, but you didn’t answer my calls either. I was worried and raced home as soon as I could. Are you unwell?”

When Alexa still refused to respond, Cassie added, “Oh, and your boss said he’s suspending you for the rest of the week.”

Good for him, she thought.

“Alexa, can you hear me?” Cassie raised her voice and gave her a forceful push, which somehow chased the fog away from Alexa’s mind. She sat upright with a jolt and turned to face her sister, who had an amused smile on her face.

“Cass.” She sighed in relief. “Did you—did you say something about Boaz suspending me, or was I dreaming it?”

“ Great . I was talking to my unconscious sister.” Cassie rolled her eyes. She was in a good mood today. But then again, she had been this way since her first date with John.

“So, I’m suspended? For how long?”

“The rest of the week,” Cassie told her solemnly. “But what if I told you it was a joke?”

Alexa deadpanned. “ Not funny, Cass.”

Her sister laughed. “At least it woke you up. But hey, it’s true about the missed calls and Boaz calling me. Thankfully, he hasn’t suspended you yet, but you’re surely going to hear an earful from him tomorrow until your ears ring. What happened anyway? If you were unwell, you could’ve at least let the man know.”

Alexa ran her hands through her messy hair, sighing. “I was having a terrible headache. So, I went to bed, hoping it would go away if I lay down for a bit. I didn’t intend to sleep away—what time is it?”

Cassie deadpanned. “You mean, what day is it?”

“Seriously?” Alexa nearly exclaimed in disbelief.

Cassie’s serious expression cracked and she burst out laughing. “Gotcha. It’s just seven thirty in the evening—you should’ve seen the look on your face.”

“Not funny, Cass.” She scowled and gave her sister a hard shove. Cassie only laughed harder. Alexa felt her ire melt away.

When was the last time she’d seen her sister joke around, pull pranks, and laugh like… this? Definitely not when she was with Brandon. John had brought out the best of her; even parts Alexa wasn’t familiar with. And that was saying something because Alexa knew her sister like the back of her hand.

Usually, at this point, she would be displeased. Alexa never took kindly to anyone claiming to know her sister better than she did. But right now, she only felt happy for her. Happy that her sister had finally found happiness—her one true love.

The one thing Alexa had no hope or courage of finding herself.

“What?” Cassie asked, catching Alexa watching her with a smile.

Alexa shook her head with faux solemnity. “Just thinking that John is such a bad influence on you. He has even rubbed off some of his sense of humor on you. I’m concerned.”

Cassie let out a hearty laugh. She was contagious. “I assure you, little sister, I’m perfectly fine.”

“Ugh, that was a joke, silly!” She swatted at her sister’s arm. “Goodness, the joke-dictator I rubbed off on you has worn out. Too much time around John. Tsk, tsk .”

Cassie shoved her playfully and Alexa landed back on her bed, still laughing.

“That’s enough joking. How’s your head?”

Swallowing her original response—that Cassie was the one who started the teasing in the first place—Alexa said, “I feel better, I think. A little dizzy, but I’m fine.”

“Some food will help.” Cassie stood. “I’m gonna take a shower. Stay here until I return. We’ll work on dinner together.”

Alexa flopped an arm over her forehead and muttered, “As you wish, Your Majesty.”

Cassie turned to leave, but not before delivering a tickle to Alexa’s side, making her squeal and defend herself. She watched her sister leave the room before deeming it safe to close her eyes again.

Her sister would never be unhappy again. She had John. They were a match made in heaven, and one day, they would get married. Cassie would move out and have a family of her own.

And Alexa would still be here, perhaps a dog mom by then, but she would never be happy like her sister.

She forced herself out of bed a few minutes later and walked to the closet for a change of clothes. She opened it and stared. What a mess. But she didn’t have it in her to arrange it today. It would have to wait until tomorrow.

After changing into a t-shirt and shorts, she saw the screen of her phone lit on the nightstand. She walked toward it and saw her mom’s caller ID. The phone was on silent. No wonder she didn’t hear when Perry and her boss had called.

She swiped the answer button. “Mom! I was planning to call you before bed. How are you feeling?”

“I’m good, honey,” her mom assured. But there was something off about her tone, unlike that morning. “I’m sorry you had to leave when Jude came.”

“Yeah, me too.” Alexa tried to keep her tone polite. “I wish I could’ve stayed a little longer. When is your discharge? Did the doctor say anything? Maybe I can come by tomorrow too.”

There was no way on earth she was ever going to visit her mother in Jude’s house. Ever.

“I’m discharging tomorrow. You can visit me at the news station when I go back to work the day after tomorrow if you like.” Her mother knew that was what she would prefer, too.

“How about this? I’ll visit you another day in case you have a lot to catch up on at work. We won’t get much time together otherwise.”

“Perfect, darling.” She could sense the smile in her mother’s voice. “It makes me so happy you want us to spend real time together.”

“Of course, Mom. I look forward to it.”

“Me too. There is something I’ve got to tell you, and I would prefer to discuss it in person.”

“Oh?” Alexa was intrigued.

“Yeah. Do you think you can bring Cassie as well?” Her mother sounded hesitant. “Did you tell her I was in the hospital?”

Alexa slapped her forehead. “Aw, Mom, I’m so sorry! I didn’t get to tell her! But I will soon. I got this bad headache after I returned from the hospital and I slept like a baby. My phone was on silent. There were tons of missed calls from my boss, my coworker, and Cassie because I missed my shift. I woke up just a few minutes ago, and that’s only because Cassie woke me up with a dumb prank. Otherwise, I would’ve slept till the next morning.” She finished with a laugh.

Silence stretched from the other end of the line.

“Mom?”

“Alexa, are you feeling alright?” her mom asked abruptly, a hint of panic in her voice.

Alexa groaned inwardly. She shouldn’t have told her mother that and worried her over a silly headache. “Of course, Mom. It was just a normal headache. I’m fine now.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

After a beat of terse silence, her mother asked, “Do you… do you remember what we were talking about before Jude interrupted?” She sounded anxious. Hesitant.

“Uh… We talked about your health, then I dozed off, and when I woke up, Dr. Knight was there, and we were talking with him—at least, I was. Right after he left, Jude turned up. Then I left.” Her eyebrows flew up in bafflement. “Why?”

“N-no, Alexa—we were talking about Tristan .” Her mother’s voice cracked a little. “Please tell me you remember it. Please.”

Was her mother alright?

“Tristan? Tristan who?”

Alexa could feel her mother’s shock as she spoke next. “Tristan, your ex-boyfriend. Tristan, Dr. Knight’s son—the current owner of your former car.”

“I didn’t know Dr. Knight’s son’s name was Tristan,” Alexa said, baffled by her mother’s behavior. “Wait. What did you mean by my ex-boyfriend ?”

“Your ex, honey, Tristan,” her mother said hesitantly.

Alexa was utterly confused now. She chuckled nervously. “Mom, I have no ex named Tristan. You might’ve got it all mixed up. I haven’t dated anyone before or after Jude—don’t take it for how it sounds though. I think staying single is better for me.”

There was a long beat of silence as Alexa let her mother absorb that information.

“So, there was never a Tristan?”

“Nope. Never met one with that name either.”

“You don’t even know Tristan Knight?”

“Dr. Knight’s son? No. Why?”

“Nothing,” her mother said abruptly. “It’s nothing. I—I think I’m not feeling well. You’re right. I’m mixing things up.” She seemed to try to make it sound like a joke, but her voice wavered.

“Mom?” Alexa called softly. “Are you alright? Do you want me to come over there now?”

“No, no, no. I don’t want you to drive at night.” She cleared her throat. “I’m fine, alright? Tom would be here any moment. I won’t be alone. Just keep me in your prayers.”

Prayers? That was new, coming from her mom. But Alexa refrained from commenting.

“Okay.” Alexa took a deep breath. “But call me if you need anything. Anything at all, do you hear me?”

“Yes, honey.” Her mom’s voice wavered again. “I love you tons.”

“Love you too, Mom.”

Alexa exhaled, hanging up. Where did her mother get the idea of her having an ex-boyfriend other than Jude? And she had to have a name for him, too.

Tristan. One of Alexa’s favorite male names.

She shook her head with an amused smile and forgot about it in the next second.