Alliance

Gift

~Chapter Twenty Eight~

After having gone back to the bakery and picking up his car she headed home with a big grin on her face. She silently went up the stairs and closed the door behind her leaning her head against the door. Pulling out of her coat a shimmer of bright red wrapping paper caught her eye, and she rushed over to the bed. There before her lay a small present the size of a ring box, she felt something in her stir as she looked down to it and gently picked it up.

"To Victoria, from Alex," she read. A big grin spread across her face as she quickly unwrapped the present. Pair of sparkly ruby red diamond earrings glisten as she gasped in amazement at their beauty.

"Wow," she whispered lightly running her fingers over the tear drop shaped earrings.

She pulled them out of the box and put them on starring into the mirror with a huge smile. This had been the best birthday she had ever had, and the best day of her life. A sigh escaped her as she closed her eyes for a moment and remembered the way Alex had kissed her.

Her body then reminded her of sleep and she went about the room removing her clothes to get a nice warm shower. Once under the covers after feeling well refreshed she snuggled into her pillow with a smile crossing her face. Maybe being engaged to Alex wouldn't be bad at all; maybe she might even consider staying just like that.

The next day Victoria entered the bakery feeling so much better about Alex and her. Their relationship was about to start and she was more than willing now more than ever to make their engagement work.

"Good morning Victoria," Kim said. Vicky froze as she entered the bakery to find Kim sitting on top of the kitchen table. Just then the office phone rang. And Vicky darted her eyes towards the phone then back to Kim.

"Aren't you going to answer it?" she asked hopping off the table.

Vicky timidly made her way into the office and picked up the phone to answer.

"Hello?"

"Victoria, thank God," Mrs. Jewels sighed into the phone.

"Is there something wrong?" Victoria asked.

"No nothing at all, I just feel like such a klutz for not telling you about a small family picnic we are having at our place tomorrow. I'm sorry it's such short notice but I do hope to see you and Alexander there."

"Without a doubt we'll be there," was all she could reply.

After a few more exchanged words she finally hung up and turned to find Kim leaning against the open archway.

"So it looks like everything is working out after all," Kim said looking down to her nails as if inspecting them.

"Is there something you needed?" Victoria asked avoiding the question.

"Just thought I'd drop by to see how things were going," she sighed leaning away from the archway.

"Bull, that's not all you came for," Vicky snapped. She was surprised by her sudden reaction and quickly looked down to her feet.

Kim entered the office, closed the door and sat down on the comfy chair putting her feet on the desk and crossing her fingers in front of her.

"He was mine before he was yours," she whispered. Kim seemed lost in a trance looking off into space.

"I'm going to ask you to leave," Victoria replied wrapping a hand around Kim's arm.

"Get you cold, clammy, hands of death, off me," she snapped under her breath. She quickly tugged her arm away and rose from the chair pinning Victoria against the door. She almost screamed out in pain as the door knob digged deep into the lower back part of her .

"You and Alex need to break it off sooner or later, he told me everything, and I know for certain he is not in love with you, he told me himself before he took me into his room and made love to me," she hissed pressing her forearm against Victoria's neck.

"Kim," Victoria choked out.

"Last night I was in his apartment, on his bed, giving him the best night of his life."

Victoria exploded in anger as Kim's lie sunk in and with everything she had pushed Kim backwards making her land hard on her behind.

"Liar!" Victoria snapped back.

Kim threw her head back in laughter amused by the sudden snap that Vicky suddenly had.

"Finally you pull out of the coward closet and push back," she replied rising off the floor.

"Get out! NOW!" she exclaimed.

"Believe that Alex is in love with you all you want, he's only in on it for the money. The sad sappy story he told you about his grandmother is pure lies, he took baking classes to gain your trust and slowly take over the bakery."

"When will you stop tormenting me Kim," she asked.

"Later on he will lavish you with gifts, I'm betting those earrings where from him," she went on not listening to her question.

"Stop," Victoria whispered feeling her ears burn. She covered them and walked out of the office without another word and quickly climbed into her car. The engine ignited and she pulled back to reverse only to have Kim hop in with her.

"All prove it to you, right at this moment he is still knocked out on all the beer we had."

"I don't believe a word of it," she muttered.

"I may have been a bitch to you before but this time I'm telling you the truth. Drive, I'll prove to you that I'm right." Kim replied pulling the seat belt on.

Victoria feared the worst and closed her eyes tight before backing up the car and driving off.

Once outside of the apartment she wished for the seat to swallow her completely. Kim was more than likely lying, but how could she have known about Alex sharing his grandmother's story with her?

"You coming?" Kim said hopping off the car.

Vicky took a deep breath and pulled out of her seat belt and slowly opened the car door letting out a sharp breath. With trembling legs she walked up to his door and flinched when Kim pulled out a spare key from her back pocket.

"How else would I have gotten this," she teased jingling the key in front of her.

She took the spare from under the rug, she thought. Victoria quickly looked down to her feet only to find that Alex didn't have a welcome mat on the front door. The lock clicked open and Kim walked in taking Victoria from the arm and pushing her towards his bedroom door.

Fear gripped her and panic began to build inside of her as they neared his room, and her breath stopped once Kim pulled open the door.

There on the bed lay Alex completely nude with only the white sheets to cover from his waist down. A few beer cans laid on the floor crumpled next to him.

"Told you," Kim whispered.

Victoria's eyes watered and she finally found her feet and stumbled backwards running out of the apartment. Her heart smashed into a million pieces as she blindly descended the cement stairs and pulled into her car. She drove off in the direction of nowhere wanting to forget everything that had just taken place.

"How could you?" She said, as endless tears slipped from her eyes.

She drove on forever and finally came to a stop outside an ice cream parlor. Taking a seat on the outside picnic table she took her phone out and dialed Alexander's number.

When it sent her straight to voice mail she gathered her wits and spoke.

"I want you to know that I know the truth now. You can consider yourself a free man. I hope you find what you are looking for. I'm sorry that I couldn't change you Alex. I just want you to know that what I felt for you was real and pure, it took a lot of guts to say what I did. Goodbye." She said.

Pressing the end button she wiped her tears away and stood to order an ice cream cone. It would take forever to to forget but she knew she could do it.

"Hello stranger, everything alright?"