Night of Romance

After they finished washing the dishes, Kita called the kids in so they wouldn't catch a cold. Alex came in along with the kid, holding something shiny in the palm of his hand. "Alex? What is it?" Kaia tilted her head the the side curiously. Alex looked at Kita. "My contact dried out, do you have my spare glasses here?" he asked before looking at Kaia with a grin. Kita nodded. "I'll go get them." Kaia looked at him with surprise. "You wear glasses? I've never seen you wear them before though." Alex nodded. "Yea I wear glasses. The only reason why I avoid wearing them is because they make me look dorky." He laughed lightly.

Kita came back and handed him his glasses along with some eye drops and an extra contact case. Alex smiled and took the stuff gratefully. "Thanks." He went to the bathroom, taking his other contact lens out and putting his glasses on. Kaia sat in the living room with Alice showing her how to draw a flower, cat, and butterfly.

Alex returned from the bathroom and looked at Kita. "Alright sis, it's about time we take our leave." Kita nodded and hugged him. "Okay, you two be careful on the road." She looked over at Kaia just as Kaia looked up at them. Kita gave Kaia a pointed look that seemed to urge her to tell Alex about her condition. Kaia looked down with a slight nod, indicating she understood what Kita's look meant. Alex moved away from her and held his hand out to Kaia. "Come on Kaia, let's go." He smiled, placing his in front of her to help her stand up. Taking his hand, Kaia stood up and stared at him. She had a strange sense of déjà vu when she saw Alex in his black-framed glasses. She knew that she had never seen him wearing his glasses before but he still looked familiar. She continued to stare at his face. Alex laughed with a tinge of nervousness. "Is it that bad?" Kaia blinked and shook her head before smiling warmly. "No, you just reminded me of a boy I used to know." Alex jokingly gave her a stern look. "So you're thinking of someone else when you look at me, your precious hubby?" Kaia almost snorted as she laughed and swatted his arm. "Maybe it's a good thing. Jealousy looks good on you!" She slightly stuck her tongue out at him.

Saying their goodbyes, both Alex and Kaia left the house. Little did they know that someone was hiding in the bushes. It was the reporter from the art gala who had been tailing Alex for the past few days. She snapped a few pictures of them together, finally starting to put the pieces together. The reporter smiled to herself knowing that her next piece would be worthy of the front cover.

--

Kaia sat in the passenger seat quietly thinking to herself before turning towards Alex. "Alex, why does Kita live in such a small and cramped house so far out?" Alex glanced at her, then back at the road. "Well, she fell in love with someone from her school. She stayed loyal to him, even when my parents tried to force her into a marriage. She turned them down flat, causing them both to fly into a fit of rage. They just couldn't understand the fact that my sister truly fell in love with someone who wasn't from the upper class. They ended up disowning her because she would rather stay with him than listen to my parents." Kaia frowned, thinking of her parents. "That's a terrible thing to go through. But she seems happy though." Kaia smiled softly and Alex nodded in agreement.

They both sat in silence for a while. Kaia bit her bottom lip lightly, glancing over towards the driving wheel. Should I tell him now? She turned her head and looked out the window with a small sigh. Not just yet…

Alex took a few back roads, which threw Kaia off. She looked around. "Where are we going now?" Alex smiled as he stopped and got out of the car. Kaia blinked, they were out in the middle of nowhere with the woods lying beyond the highway. Kaia reluctantly stepped out of the car. "Why do I have this unsettling feeling? Like the kind you would feel if you were in a horror movie...are you going to kill me?" she asked, eyeing him carefully while taking cautious steps towards him. Alex laughed, seeing her uneasiness. "Trust me, okay?" Kaia took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay…"

Alex took her hand and led her into a small clearing hidden in the woods. They walked past it, hiking up a hill while dodging tree limbs and overgrown roots. They finally reached the top, and the view was spectacular. From there they could see the entire city lying beneath them. The city was also illuminated in the sunset. Kaia stared in awe at the view and smiled. "It's amazing!"

Alex grinned, seeing her beautiful smile and awestruck face. He sat down on the grass. "I found this place a while back. It's my favorite spot to come and think." Kaia turned back and smiled at him. She walked over and sat down next to him. "I can see why."

As the sunset began to fade, Alex scooted closer, pulling Kaia in front of him. His strong arms wrapped around her. Kaia blushed lightly but snuggled into his hug, enjoying the warmth. "I had a great time today...thank you. Your niece and nephew are adorable and your sister was very courteous. I can tell how much your sister loves and cares about you." She gave a small laugh, her eyes shifting up to gaze at Alex's chiseled profile. He looked extremely cute with his "dorky" glasses on. She smiled to herself.

They watched the sun slowly sink down while the colorful pastel sky melted into a darker shade of blue. The previously illuminated city lit up. It was an incredible sight. Alex hugged her closer to him, trying to keep the both of them warm while rubbing her hands. "It's getting colder. It might actually snow soon." Kaia who had been entranced by Alex and the city lights slowly came back to her senses. She took a deep breath and nodded. She turned her head to look up at him and smiled softly. "Thanks again for today…" Alex smiled and leaned in, pressing his soft lips to hers. Kaia felt a sudden tingling sensation throughout her body. She pulled away from his kiss, looking down. Alex frowned and hugged her even tighter. "Don't push me away anymore...please. Yes, I'm going to buy your company, but it's for you. Your family can't control it behind your back anymore."

Kaia blinked before turning her head to look at him again. "What? R—really?" She felt unsure of herself as she studied his sad expression. He seemed to have changed his motives. She fiddled with her hands a bit as she thought to herself. It would be the perfect time to tell him that she was probably dying. She bit her bottom lip slightly, wanting to speak but stopped when she felt something wet and cold softly fall on her cheek. Both Alex and her looked up to the sky, seeing snow starting to fall. Kaia looked down. Her arms wrapped around Alex's waist tightly. Deep down she really wanted to cry and tell him, but she didn't want to worry him. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at him and smiled. "It's cold, let's go back to the car and head home." Alex nodded and stood, pulling her up with him.

They went back to the car and drove home. Alex wore a cheerful smile on his face as he thought back to how Kaia had hugged him of her own accord. Kaia couldn't help but smile a little when she saw his goofy grin. "What is it?" she asked, placing her chin in her hand and watched him. Alex's smile widened with a hint of tenderness as he glanced at her. "We kissed on the first snow…" He continued to grin. "It's said that those who kiss on the first snow are bound eternally…" Kaia blushed slightly before averting her gaze. "That's just a legend…" she said with her eyes shifting towards her lap. How am I supposed to tell him that I might not even live for much longer when he says things like that?

Once they arrived at their villa, they both hurried inside. The snow was falling heavily now. Kaia smiled and went to the couch, curling up in the blankets after throwing her winter cloak onto the top of the couch. Alex immediately started a fire to warm up the house. After the fire was lit, he walked over to the couch and sat down next to her. Kaia looked at him, taking a deep breath. The words were on the tip of her tongue. She kept trying to tell him, but something inside of her kept her from doing so.

Alex smiled seeing the complicated expression on her face. "You look like you have something to say." Kaia smiled weakly and shook her head. "I just...I just wanted to thank you again, for everything," she said, scooting over enough to give him a peck on the cheek. Alex grinned and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. "Doing those things will lead to other things." He smirked while teasing her. Kaia blushed with a smile. "I think I'm ok with that." She giggled softly. Kaia figured that she might as well enjoy her life while she could. She didn't know how much longer she had, anyway. Alex smiled and leaned in, placing his forehead on hers. His hand went up to her neck as he took in her scent.

Kaia took a deep breath, her chocolate brown eyes gazing at him as a sudden surge of desire ran through her. Alex leaned in, stealing a kiss before standing up and taking her hand. He led her to his room. Once they were inside, Alex pulled her close as his lips locked onto hers. Kaia kissed him back. Every kiss he placed on her seemed to take her breath away. She leaned into him as her hands reached up to undress him. She felt him reaching to take off her clothes as well.

They were only in their undergarments now as Alex lifted Kaia and placed her on the bed. She watched as Alex crawled over her and smiled. Kaia reached up, taking off his glasses before grabbing his neck and pulling him down into a deep kiss. Alex slid his hands into her hair, sending a spark of electricity down her spine. As their lips made contact, she sank into the warmth of the kiss with a sigh.

Alex tugged on her hair, making her arch her back. She let out a whimper as he nipped her neck.It didn't hurt but sent a wave of pleasure running through her, almost like an electric shock. They spent the night together blissfully in each other's embrace.

--

The doctor that Zac had called in to perform a check-up on Kaia was immersed in studying some of her case files. One, in particular, stood out among the rest. She remembered seeing someone with the same signs and symptoms before. She thought back to the familiar woman in Alex's office. There had been something about her that seemed off. Could it have been...? The doctor moved from her desk, walking over to her filing cabinet. She unlocked a drawer labeled 'C' and skimmed through the labels of the files. She continued to skip through most of the files before she pulled out Kaia's folder, flipping it open to the front. She looked back at the picture displayed on top of the patient sheet. Kaia… The doctor quickly went to her desk, facing the computer and pulling up patient files from the hospital she worked at. She was mainly a doctor at Northern Star Hospital but she also worked as a private doctor for a few upper-class families on the side. Of the few upper-class families, she served mainly the Crestfall's.

The doctor looked over the files. She got treated at the hospital later that day. Hmmm... The doctor jotted down a few things before calling the Crestfall household.

Kaia's father was the one that answered the phone. It was close to 9 p.m. He was at his desk looking through a few documents. "Hello?" Kaia's father answered. The doctor stared at the files that she held. "Hello, Mr. Crestfall. This is Sasha Armstrong. Are you aware of your daughter's sickness returning?" she asked, getting straight to the point. Mr. Crestfall blinked. "Yes Sasha, I am aware. We're the main shareholder of the hospital so they called me the day she strolled in there," he stated, leaning back in his leather chair. "I just wanted to let you know that Mr. Sabor called me in to give her a check-up. I didn't even know she went to the hospital until now." Mr. Crestfall stopped his expression hardening. "Sabor? Did you just say, Mr. Sabor? Why would Sabor call you to give her a check-up?" he asked, his tone filled with distaste and malice. Sasha blinked, sitting down in her chair. "They're married, so why wouldn't he call me?" Sasha said plainly, unaware of the implications of her words.

With that, Kaia's father clutched the phone in his hands and directly threw it on the wooden floor. It startled his wife who was bringing in a light snack as she entered the room. "Honey, what's wrong?" she asked, tilting her head. Kaia's father stood up and walked over, roughly grabbing his wife's wrist and angrily pointing his index finger in her face. "That damned illegitimate brat of yours! She went and got cozy with the enemy!" he growled with anger, shoving her back. Kaia's mother stumbled backward as the plate she held in her hands crashed to the ground. Her eyes reddened as she began to tear up fearfully. "Just watch, either she quits or I'll make her quit…!!!" he exclaimed, grabbing his coat and shoving her out of the way.