Adaline (The Wallflower Series Book 3) (20 page)

“Sure,” Adaline still found herself saying, however. It was laced with uncertainty, but her aunt didn’t seem to care.

After a pretty eventful welcome, they eventually did make it into the upstairs sitting room where Dean sat being cared for by his nurses. When he heard their footsteps, he lifted his head and looked their direction.

“Adaline?”

She gasped in surprise. “Uncle? You got your eyesight back?”

He laughed with a shake of his head. “No, not completely just yet. I recognized the smell of your shampoo. You’ve been obsessed with that brand ever since you moved here with us. You said it reminded you of your mother and how she smelled.” There was a smile of reminiscence on his face as he recalled the memory.

Adaline went to him and took his hand into her own. “I brought someone with me today.”

Dominic loomed over them both. He didn’t expect the flutters of nerves he now felt in his stomach as he considered why he came to see her uncle in the first place. He had never been in such a situation before despite having many relationships under his belt. Every time he opened his mouth, Dominic realized he didn’t even really know how to start. When his gaze caught Adaline’s, who looked up at him in anticipation, he shook his head.

“Would you mind giving us a moment, Adaline?”

She hesitated at first, but when she eventually left and they were alone, Dominic took a seat across from her uncle. “Hello, Mr. Lang. It’s me, Dominic. Nikolai Vikhrov’s son.”

“I know who you are. What the hell are you doing with my daughter?”

Noticing the way he placed emphasis on the word daughter, Dominic knew that he had to approach Dean as if he truly were Adaline’s father. He could respect the aspects of their relationship and how close they were. In fact, Adaline had often spoken about how this man in front of him was one of the only reasons she felt like a Lang. Because he never allowed her to think otherwise. It was why he found it so important to inform Dean about their newfound romance. To be sure, he was not seeking permission of any kind. Adaline was her own woman and had chosen to be with him. But it was worth at least talking to her uncle to convey his intentions.

“Well, I’d hope that was obvious, sir. Adaline and I have started seeing one another. I came here because I wanted to let you know respectfully that it’s serious.”

Dean frowned at the news. “Aren’t you the same one who was dating Carla? What the hell are you doing with Adaline? If this is some sick joke to you because Carla is now married, I don’t care who your father is, I’ll kick your ass even without my sight.”

Dominic expected that response and could tell that Dean was serious. He didn’t even flinch as he threatened him. “Well, I guess I don’t have a good track record with you, but to be fair, that was over a decade ago. And I’m definitely not interested in Carla. However, Adaline and I have been friends for a long time. I know this feels sudden, but it actually isn’t. This is something that has been building up between the two of us for years! I’m not entering into this relationship lightly, and the only reason I’ve come to you is because of how important you are to Adaline. Within this family, you are the one person who made her feel normal and accepted. And your blessing would mean a lot to her and, as a result, to me as well.”

He waited in anticipation of what the older man would say. There was silence between the two of them for a moment as Dean took in all that was said.

Finally, he replied, “If Adaline wants to be with you, I have no objection to that. She has a good head on her shoulders and has always been cautious of allowing others to truly see her for who she is unless she trusted them. She obviously trusts you. However, I know that your father would not approve of your relationship. So I hope you are prepared for his objection and that you are willing to protect Adaline from his views.”

Curious, Dominic asked, “How is it that you are friends with him given your family? My father is not the easiest to get along with, and on top of all that, he olds very prejudiced views. And you are married to a black woman.”

Dean nodded his understanding, “It’s not for me to judge how a man runs his family and his personal beliefs. I have no control over that. As long as he is respectful to my wife and family, we are good. But, whoever he may be, I’m warning you to protect my daughter. In the public eye he may say one thing, but behind closed doors where it is just family, who knows what may be expressed. Are you prepared to be her defender?”

Though Dominic wanted to immediately respond that he would never allow his father to insult Adaline, he soon realized that Dean was speaking more than as a father, but as a man who had experienced the same thing himself. It came as no surprise given his and Victoria’s age and the racial climate at the time.

“I would never allow him to speak ill of her, Mr. Lang. She means more to me than anything else.”

“Please, call me Dean.”

“Oh, I know what it is! Blowjob!”

The formerly rowdy room quieted considerably at the guess. And Adaline couldn’t help her burst of laughter. Holding onto Dominic’s arm as everyone’s eyes rested upon them, the two began to laugh together at his outcry. Tears began to form in the corner of her eyes as she gasped for breath.

“These two are ridiculous,” Dmitri provided with a roll of his eyes. It was what everyone else was thinking as the new couple continued in their glee.

“I think it’s cute,” Sasha said however. Holding onto her belly, she smiled at the two across from her. Adaline sat sitting beside Dominic’s taller frame. They had been sitting closely together the entire game night. It had been Teagan’s idea to celebrate Sasha’s last few nights before becoming a mom to a newborn. So now, along with Carter, the six friends sat in the living room of her loft playing a classic game of charades. And, unfortunately, Teagan had done the mistake of kneeling on the floor with her head back and mouth open. To be sure, it wasn’t the worst possible guess, but it was typical of Dominic to be the one to state the inappropriate.

Teagan frowned their way while Carter yelled, “Time’s up!”

“It was Romeo declaring his love, asshole.”

Pretending to take offense, Dominic grasped his heart, “How could I possibly have guessed that Tea! You’re a horrible actress. I need a new partner!” He looked toward Carter with a raised brow.

Carter raised his hand in innocence. “Don’t look over here. I knew how bad she would be at this game. Why do you think I chose Sasha as my partner?”

They ignored Dmitri’s grumbling.

“Dude, that’s so messed up. You need to warn people about your girl before she makes empty promises of winning.”

Teagan hit him on the shoulder while she went back to her seat beside Carter. “Don’t blame me because your mind is in the gutter.”

“Yes, just blame me,” Adaline supplied.

At her response, Dominic looked at her in surprise with his mouth open. Finally recovering from the shock and finding his voice, he whispered to her, “Damn, why are you so perfect for me?” Quickly, he placed a light kiss on her cheek.

“This is getting sickening.” It was Dmitri’s familiar deep-voiced complaint throughout the night.

“Oh, stop being such a party-pooper, Dmitri!” Sasha chastised as she stood up. It was her turn, so she pulled a card from the box excitedly. She knew her husband wasn’t so much upset but constantly on edge. Her due date was coming up, and he had been completely opposed to them attending this get-together. Instead, wanting her to focus on relaxing, but she felt herself beginning to go stir-crazy in their home. As long as she wasn’t told to be on bed-rest, there was no reason she couldn’t still have fun, right?

“Oh! I got this…” But just as she reached out her hands to act out the word, her face turned into a grimace at the sudden pain in her lower abdomen. Immediately, Dmitri stood up and went to her side.

“What’s wrong, baby?”

Sasha took in a deep breath and then exhaled. She felt the pressure beginning to recede and so was able to eventually straighten her posture and say clearly, “I’ll be fine, Let’s get back to the game.”

Dmitri narrowed his eyes at her. This was what he was afraid of. Despite their multiple conversations, her anxiety about finally becoming a mother had not waned. And so, now, she preferred denying the upcoming due date to placate her fears of how life will change once the baby arrives. At first, this severely worried him, but he would catch her sometimes talking to their child. He knew without a doubt that she would be a wonderful mother. She just needed to stop doubting herself. It reminded him of what their relationship used to be like, when she was constantly plagued by insecurities of her self-worth. They had seemed to just re-emerge in a new direction.

“Sasha,” he warned in his typical low, rough voice. “You have been grimacing consistently for the past twenty-four hours. Don’t think I won’t carry your ass to the hospital, because I will. If Alexei is ready to come out, he’s coming whether we’re ready or not.”

Teagan gasped and fanned her eyes as if she was going to break out into tears. “You chose a name already? Oh my god, that’s so beautiful!”

The glance Dmitri sent her way clearly indicated that this was not the time.

“Stop with the threats, Dmitri and sit down. It’s my turn!” She stomped her left foot melodramatically, growing increasingly frustrated.

They could all tell that no amount of logical convincing would dissuade Sasha from her focus on the game. It was too silly to believe that Sasha was so devoted to the game’s completion. Her fear of going into labor and need to distract herself from its eventual occurrence was more believable. So, Teagan and Adaline exchanged glances. If Dmitri was unable to persuade her, maybe they could. But the key to overcoming a pregnant woman’s stubbornness was to make her think it was her idea in the first place.

“Okay, Sasha. Go on, we’re waiting,” Adaline supplied with a warning glance Dmitri’s way.

Hesitant and growing increasingly more concerned for his wife, Dmitri returned to his seat, but his eyes were glued to Sasha. He watched for any signs of her discomfort, ready to come to her rescue.

Sasha grinned and began to act out her word. Though their guesses were half-hearted, Dominic on the other hand was able to supply the most exuberance, seeming to remain blissfully ignorant of the seriousness of the situation.  She continually shook her head at his outbursts. In contrast, Sasha’s partner, Carter remained as stoic and watchful as Dmitri, concern etching his dark features.

When several minutes had passed, they could all tell from Sasha’s wrinkled brow that another contraction was on its way. Leaping into actions in case she needed the support, Dmitri stood and grabbed her arm to keep her standing safely. Instead of gasps, Sasha released a short scream and gritted her teeth.

“Sasha, what do you want to do?” Teagan asked.

They put the decision in her hands even while Dmitri forcefully held his tongue. He was so ready to just lift her into his arms and drive her to the hospital. And if she didn’t come to her senses, he would stay true to his threat from before.

Sasha’s gaze fell on them all, but no words left her mouth. They were waiting in anticipation of the right answer. And while Sasha remained gasping for breath in Dmitri’s arms, she found herself unable to say the words. “I-I don’t want to go,” she said instead.

Adaline and Teagan approached her slowly with their hands out to comfort her in any way possible.

“Sasha…we’ll all be there for you. You won’t be alone. You can do this,” Adaline told her clearly.

The small woman turned to her husband, looking up at him expectantly. “You’re angry with me aren’t you?”

“Of course not, baby. I’m worried. You don’t think I’m freaked out as well? You and Alexei are the most important people in my world. But anytime I feel myself getting nervous, I just think about how excited I am to finally hold him in my arms. We’re going to be a family, honey. Isn’t that worth more than your nerves?”

“I can’t wait to hold him too.” Sasha groaned as she felt another tightening of her uterine muscle. She tried to breathe through it as she confessed, “That’s good though. Because when I went to the bathroom…” she looked up at him apologetically, “there was blood. I think it was my mucus plug.”

“You’re WHAT?” Carter and Dominic looked at each other in horror as they asked simultaneously.

“Oh, shut up you two. It just means that she is in labor,” Teagan chastised.

Dmitri held back his automatic response at the news. He wanted to yell at her for not telling him but knew it wouldn’t solve anything. They needed to get to the hospital. Now.

“Come on, baby. It’s time.” He slowly led her to the door of the loft.

They all watched the couple leave, gathering their own things to meet them at the hospital. As they drove in the car, Dominic looked over at Adaline in the front seat with a grin.

“I’m pretty upset that we never got to finish the game. I know I was so close to figuring it out.”

“Dominic, don’t be a dick. You were never going to win. Dmitri and I were points ahead of you.”

Appalled, he accused,  “You cheated. I saw the clues you gave him. You taught him some words in sing language, didn’t you? I can’t believe this! My own woman consorting with the enemy. I can’t trust anyone in this world.”

She laughed at his exaggerated response. “You’re so silly. I’m only yours. Just like you’re mine, right?” Adaline reached out to take his right hand, placing it in her lap.

“Always,” Dominic replied, looking at her intensely. The familiar fire had leapt into his eyes as they slowly glided over her form. “And when we finally get back, I’ll show you just how much.”

When they finally reached the waiting room of the hospital, they were surprised to find not just Carter and Teagan but Slade and Dina as well. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise to her to see one of Sasha’s closest friends also waiting in anticipation of the new baby. But, Adaline did find herself on edge by her appearance. They had never spoken of Dominic’s past relationship. Adaline had told herself that she believed in him. She believed that he no longer had feelings for Dina, no matter their history together. And Dominic took the same risk regarding her and Murphy.

After her and Dominic had officially started dating in Dover, Adaline had informed Murphy of the change in her feelings as she had promised Dominic. And as if to officially set in all the guilt she felt for leading him along, Murphy hadn’t yelled or cursed at her once. In fact, he had seemed more than understanding.

“I have had feelings for you for a long time, Adaline. But it just never seemed as if they were returned, even when we were finally together,” Murphy had signed to her.

“I never meant to make you feel like that, Murphy. I honestly thought that I was ready to move on. I came here to begin a new life and to finally feel that I could be my own person. You gave me that opportunity when you asked me out. But now…I realized that I may have said yes actually for the wrong reasons. You’re such a great guy and you deserve someone who really wants to be with you. Not someone who is trying to escape the way they feel for someone else.”

Murphy looked at her as she expressed her honest reasons for wanting to be with him. “I hope you are happy with him,” he eventually replied. “Because he was definitely not the most likeable person when I met him.”

Remembering when and how they had met, Adaline couldn’t have possibly come to Dominic’s defense in that moment. “Yes, his behavior that day was…not the most welcoming to say the least. But he really is a good person.”

Murphy said nothing to that. Instead, he asked, “So where does this leave us?”

“Is it too cliché for me to want us to remain friends?”

At that, Adaline could already tell what his answer was going to be. “I don’t think I can do that, Adaline. I think it may be best for us to go our separate ways.”

They knew it would be difficult, considering their relationship to Lucille, but Adaline could only respect his decision. She could understand why he thought it best they no longer be friends. In a way, she had not only betrayed his trust as a significant other, but as a friend as well. Even through all her honesty and sincerity, she had hurt and humiliated him. Adaline never spoke of her indiscretions to him, but the guilt would be something she’d hold onto forever.

But Dominic hadn’t cared. The moment she told him of her official breakup with Murphy, he had tried to relinquish her guilt. According to him, it was something neither of them had full control of. The moment he entered a room, Adaline would feel her body respond intensely. Her heart would race and she could only subsume to the need to be close to him. To feel his touch and his kisses. She had never wanted anyone more, and Dominic told her he felt the same way.

So, she hoped as they approached Dina that their desire and newfound feelings for one another would override their history with one another. The last time Dina had made an appearance at Sasha’s baby shower, Adaline had been surprised to see how unaffected Dominic had been. It had made her doubt her distrust of him. If only slightly.

As if he was privy to her private thoughts, Dominic took her hand into his while they approached the four others.

“How is she?” Dominic immediately asked.

“I think it’ll actually be a long wait. She’s not completely dilated yet,” Teagan informed them.

With the urgency gone, they could no longer ignore properly greeting the newcomers. With a forced smile, Dominic turned to Dina and Slade.

They each exchanged formal hellos.

“This is Adaline. She’s Teagan’s roommate,” he introduced her. There was no need to verbally announce their relationship. It was clear for all to see in the way they held hands, and the way their eyes lingered on one another.

“Oh, I remember seeing you at the baby shower. I’m sorry I never got to officially meet you. I’m Dina. And this is Slade. He works with Dmitri at the firm.”

Adaline gave her a sweet smile. She had never doubted that Dina was a nice, young woman. Sasha wouldn’t be friends with anyone less. But Dina’s warm greeting also appeased her concerns about the remnants of feelings she may still have for Dominic. And he for her. But when they greeted each other, there was not the same level of heat she felt every time Dominic’s gaze landed on her. She truly felt like his, now more than ever.