Page 62 of The Library on Plum Island
By the time Alex climbed into bed, it was nearly midnight. He closed his eyes as his head hit his cool pillow and drifted off to the image of Daniella laughing freely as they walked along the beach. Alex didn’t think he’d be able to fall asleep as quickly as he did, nor that he’d have the best night’s sleep he’d had in ages until his alarm went off at four-forty-five.
Alex reached out and hit it off, pulling the blanket over his head, wondering why he hadn’t reset it as he couldn’t run for another few days… Suddenly, his eyes flew open, and he pushed the blanket down.
“I’m getting married today!” Alex sat up and swung his legs off his bed, giving himself a minute to get fully awake before standing up and traipsing into the bathroom to brush his teeth.
Excitement shot through him at the thought of marrying Daniella. Even if it was a marriage of convenience, Alex was marrying the girl of his dreams. He didn’t know what the future would hold, but Alex was going to do whatever he could to help her and prove to her that he wasn’t the person she thought he was.
“But at the same time, you can’t be all creepy like Doctor Jackson,” Alex told his image in the bathroom mirror. His conscience twinged with a flash of guilt as he rinsed his mouth and toothbrush, and he leaned on the sink. “What am I doing?” Doubt spread through him. “I’m no better than Doctor douche bag.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Am I manipulating Daniella into a relationship with me?”
His heart raced as he opened his eyes, and the reality of marrying Daniella set in. Alex’s chest rose and fell as he felt pressure pushing on it. His mind raced as conversations with Harriet and Dawn rushed through it. They were right—Alex wasn’t thinking straight when he’d jumped feet first, wanting to be Daniella’s knight in shining armor. As he stared at himself, realization dawned on him, and Alex knew what he had to do—he had to tell Daniella the truth.
After showering and getting dressed, Alex walked onto his balcony to get a breath of fresh air. He was surprised to see Daniella sitting watching the sunrise, a mug of coffee clutched between her hands.
“Good morning.” Daniella smiled at him. “Would you like a cup of coffee? I’m using that brand-new coffee machine you have in my room.”
“Good morning,” Alex greeted her back, his heart lurching as he walked toward her. “I’d love a cup of coffee.”
“Take a seat, I’ll pour it,” Daniella was on her feet before he could stop her.
Alex sat and glanced out over the sea, which was being woken up by the sun’s golden orange rays as they stretched over the horizon. He drew in a few calming breaths as his nerves kicked in, and by the time Daniella returned with a mug of coffee for him, he’d nearly talked himself out of doing what he needed to do.
“You’re an early bird, too,” Alex commented, sipping the coffee.
“I don’t usually get a chance to just sit and appreciate the beauty of a sunrise,” Daniella told him. “This view is amazing.”
“This is my favorite time of day,” Alex admitted. “I usually go downstairs and sit on the balcony next to the dining room.”
“I bet that’s an even better place to watch the sunrise,” Daniella said.
“We can have breakfast out there soon,” Alex promised with a tight smile, taking another sip of coffee. “Daniella…” he began, but his throat went dry and felt tight. He swallowed. “I need to tell you something.”
“I need to tell you something too,” Daniella’s eyes widened, mirroring the doubt in his.
“You can start if you want to,” Alex told her.
“No…” Daniella shook her head. “You go ahead.”
Alex nodded.It’s best if I get this off my chest first.He scratched his head and glanced at the ocean, not quite sure how to start.
Alex looked at her. “I haven’t been completely honest with you.”
Daniella’s brow creased as she looked at him curiously. “About what?”
“Well, everything,” Alex blurted.
“You don’t want to go through with this?” Daniella’s frown deepened.
“Of course I want to go through with the wedding,” Alex’s voice deepened. He glanced around and whispered, “Do you think we could go for a walk and sit on the rocks?”
Daniella nodded. “I’ll get a sweater and meet you downstairs.”
Ten minutes later, they were perched on the rocks near where Emily had fallen.
“Daniella, I want you to know that I meant it when I said I wanted to help you and Emily in any way I could,” Alex assured her. “And trust me when I tell you I want to marry you. But even though this marriage is only of convenience, I don’t want to go into it with lies and secrets between us.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t want you to ever look at me or think of me the way you do about Doctor Ron Jackson.”
“Alex, I would never see you in the same light as that man.” Daniella’s voice was filled with conviction. “I never felt comfortable in Ron Jackson’s presence from the get-go. I tried to be nice to him as I was tasked with getting him integrated into the hospital.” She reached out and covered his hand with hers. “I feel safe with you, and so does Emily.” She gave him a warm smile. “Even Hicks likes you, and he’s an excellent judge of character.”
“From where I’m sitting,” Alex confessed. “I don’t feel any different from Doctor Ron Jackson right now.”
