Chapter 5

• Jack sighed, " Will you eat it yourself then? " But Alex shook his head and looked at Ava.
• " Let me give it a try, Jack " Ava said and Jack handed her the tray without a word. Ava went over to Alex and sat beside him. Slowly, she fed him and he ate every bit of what she fed him.
• Ava began, " What did the doctor say about his.... his.... " She couldn't find the right words to describe what was on the tip of her tongue and she couldn't possibly called it mental state, not especially in front of his brother. Jack quite understood what she meant.
• He replied, " The doctor said it's shock and it has to do with the part of his brain that formulate words. Sure, he understands every word spoken but to voice out and reply is difficult for him. It's temporary though. He'll be back to normal very soon " He exhaled a long breath.
• Soon, Alex finished eating and Ava wiped his mouth with a napkin and made to get up but Alex drew her back, and she fell on his chest. Jack looked away quickly, with widened eyes. Ava tried to push Alex away but he was way too strong, therefore making her effort fruitless. She finally gave in and relaxed against him.
• For a minute, she forgot Jack was still with them and patted Alex on the back comfortingly. She could hear the ' thump thump ' of his heartbeat. It was not up to 24 hours that they met and she already had a soft spot for him.
• Jack coughed discreetly and without looking in their direction, said quietly, " You can help him with his clothes, Ava. I'll be downstairs " and he was gone. She withdrew from the embrace slowly and covered her face with her hands, ashamed. What would Jack think of her now?
• " You okay? " She searched his face. He didn't give any sign and she sighed.
• " I'll just help you with your clothes, okay? " She stood and immediately, her eyes connected with the picture on the wall and she frowned. That was not there the last time she came into his room or maybe she hadn't noticed. Was that his lover? She shrugged, thinking it was none of her concern. She walked over to his wardrobe, searching for a casual wear. She finally found one so she picked it out. Smiling, she turned back to him and waved the cloth in his direction.
• " You like this? " And he nodded, his face expressionless.
• " Yay! " She rejoiced.
• She walked over to him and handed him the clothes. But instead of receiving them from her, he pulled her down and Ava squealed in surprise.
• " What... what are you doing?? " She asked in a trembling voice. He leaned against her this time around and Ava let him. He seemed to be the touchy type but Jack had said otherwise. Ava heaved a sigh, she wouldn't be able to get on with her work if he kept being that way.
• " Alex? " She said softly. He whispered a 'hmmn' and she went still, shocked. She drew back from the embrace and looked at his face, eyes huge. His face gave nothing away that he said something and Ava looked confused. Did she really hear him whispered or was she hearing things?
• " Alex? " She called again, wanted to be sure she was not hearing things but to her dismay, he didn't even made the slightest sound as they looked at each other. Ava sighed again, thinking she needed to get her ears checked up.
• Later in the night, after getting settled in fully, she went into Alex's room to see if he was okay. He was sleeping peacefully. She tucked him in very well and drew the blanket up to his chin. She contemplated kissing him on the forehead and she finally gave in to her urge, and she said softly, " Good night ".
• Switching off the lights, she closed the door softly behind her and proceeded to her own room.
• ***********
• Ava woke up very early the next morning to start her work officially. She peeped into Alex's room on her way downstairs. He was still sleeping so she left him and went about her own business.
• " Good morning! " She greeted as she entered the kitchen. She was greeted with the view of waffles and cupcakes on the counter. Margaret, the cook looked up and smiled " Morning Ava. Did you sleep well? "
• " Definitely. Thanks " Ava replied, returning her smile. She went over to the counter and took one cake. She bit into it and closed her eyes to savor the taste.
• " Ohhh this is so good " she moaned. When she opened her eyes, Margaret was nowhere in sight. She felt a presence behind her and turned, thinking it was Margaret.
• " I really..... " The words refused to come out as she came face to face with Alex. He stood behind her, he was so close that they could each other's breath on their skin. It seemed Margaret had left the kitchen when Alex came in. Even though he was a little bit sick and couldn't talk, he was still the master of the mansion and his employees treated him the exact way they did when he was okay.
• Even without talking, his presence only commanded respect anywhere. Alex was in grey joggers only, and his hands were shoved in his pockets as he stared down at her. His hair was messy which meant he came down the minute he woke up. Gawd, this man looked so eatable, she thought.
• " Morning, Alex " She smiled at him brightly and stood on her toes to ruffle his hair. She saw a small smile playing on his lips and she exclaimed " Oh! You smiled! You just smiled at me! " And she laughed.
• " How are you this morning? " She didn't wait for an answer as she turned without thinking and took a cake.
• " Say ahh " she coaxed, motioning for him to open his mouth. He did and Ava put the right size into his mouth.
• " Perfect! " She exclaimed and waited for him to eat it. He chewed slowly, his eyes never left her face.