Alpha Billionaire Series
Valentine’s Day Proposal Chapter 24

WILLOW

"Please," I whimpered, holding the airsick bag to my face. My tear-streaked face would need a good wash and a fresh layer of makeup when we landed. I had thrown up at least three times, and Charles simpered like he was to blame.

He held my hair back as I filled yet another bag with vomit. Nina flicked through a magazine like nothing was happening, though she was upset enough earlier when Charles started dumping his opponent's propaganda on me. There was no way in hell I'd ever have an abortion. Why would anyone make up something like that about me?

"Alright, try to calm down a little." Charles spoke softly to me. It was the first time I'd seen him be intimate at all, other than in a post-s*x haze of drunken emotion. I could tell he felt badly for telling me the news, what his opponent was telling the media about me. It wasn't his fault, though I did blame him partially for dragging me into this circus to begin with.

When I felt better, I straightened, handing the bag of my stomach contents to Charles who pushed them off onto Nina. She acted disgusted by the thing and immediately carried it to the back of the plane. The flight would carry us to a rally upstate where we would have to face off with Mathers in person, defending my honor and putting Charles in a better position to win in a few weeks when the voting took place.

"I'm sorry people are saying these things about you, but I want you to know no matter what happened, I'm here to support you." He sat next to me on the seat of the private jet. Peter sat across the cabin with his head down. There wasn't any place to have privacy and I couldn't very well tell Charles I'd had an ovarian cyst rupture in front of all these people. I was a private person. They didn't deserve that level of intimacy with me. With our current arrangement, I'd even have a difficult time telling Charles about that day. "I don't feel so good." My stomach twisted again. There was nothing left to throw up, but I kept dry heaving.

The sickness happened suddenly, whether brought on by the flight or the emotion of it all. Regardless, I had my own issues to talk to Charles about and this wasn't the time or the place-for many reasons. I knew that given the smear tactics Mathers had in motion, telling Charles I was pregnant would magically solve everything. They'd spin it by forcing me to out my privacy with how the cyst had claimed one of my ovaries, and then they'd tout my pregnancy as a miracle of modern medicine and sell my private life on the front pages of every tabloid in the greater DC area and all of Maryland.

I knew it would solidify the election for him, but I couldn't do that-sell my soul to the media for the power of a US senate seat. Not when Charles clearly thought this was just some arrangement.

"I think I'm going to throw up again."

Charles handed me another airsick bag just as Nina returned. I closed my eyes, clutching the bag to my face, and felt the seat next to me jostle. When I opened my eyes, Charles and Nina were standing at the back of the cabin, a little too close to each other. She stood in a very suggestive manner, his eyes peering down at her. I couldn't tell for certain if his eyes were on her face or the way her tits bulged out of her top, but it didn't matter anyway. He didn't belong to me.

I watched her facial expression, and her lips move. I couldn't tell what she said, but he smiled and then a smirk crossed his face. It made tears come to my eyes. I was so fucking emotional about everything. I wanted to call Mel and vent, but even she would just lecture me. What I needed was someone to wrap their arms around me and tell me I wasn't stupid for loving him even though he was using me as his political pawn.

He returned to my side, Nina in tow, and sat down. She wasn't any more compassionate than she had been previously, but she did have a bottle of water in her hand. I took it and sipped, letting Charles hold the airsick bag as I did so.

"Nina called a doctor to meet us on the tarmac. He'll check you out on the plane before we disembark, okay?"

I nodded, not sure how to tell him I didn't need a doctor. "Thank you."

"Thank her. She thought of it." He smiled at her. "She takes really good care of us."

He didn't see it because he turned to look at me again, but she glowered at me. I could tell she wanted to take really good care of him, but I was in her way. That only made me cry harder, which brought another round of vomit; this time the water came up. When we landed, Charles told me he would handle the meet and greet alone, giving the doc time to look me over. He offered to leave Nina with me for support, but I urged him to take her. I loathed the idea of them going out there alone, but I needed to speak frankly with the doctor, and I didn't want her around.

I waited only moments from the time they all left until the elderly man walked in, carrying a small black bag like doctors in movies had. His balding head and twinkling eyes reminded me of the image of Santa portrayed in department stores this time of year. "I hear there's a young lady who's not doing so well." His chipper smile and excellent bedside manner put me at ease.

"I'm actually not sick." I grimaced as he pressed his hand to my forehead, then polled the stethoscope from his neck.

"Well for as much vomiting as was reported, I think I'll be the judge." He winked and opened his bag, pulling out a blood pressure cuff. I waited patiently as he took my pressure, then smiled at him.

"Doctor...?"

"White."

"Dr. White, I'm not sick. I'm pregnant. I just haven't told Charles yet."

His movements slowed and a look of recognition crossed his face. He nodded, putting his tools away. "How long have you known? Are you getting care?"

"I've only known a few weeks, and I haven't had time or privacy to set up an appointment. I really don't want to tell him right now. It will be a distraction from the campaign. I sort of hoped to tell him on election night when he wins." That wasn't at all true. I wasn't sure how or when I'd ever tell him. The doctor clicked his tongue. "Well, it will become quite obvious if you're throwing up so much. This is the first real episode you've had, I take it?" He pulled out a notepad and a pen and started scribbling on it.

"Not entirely. I've felt sick several days, but I just sucked on a peppermint, and it eased my stomach. This time I think it was compounded by the flight, that's all." The flight and the way politics just destroyed my will to stay interested in this arrangement. Why did people have to be so horrible to each other?

"Alright. Well, I'm prescribing some anti-nausea medicine to you. It's called Diclegis. You take this once per day and it should do the trick." He handed me the top sheet of his notepad and smiled. "Congratulations, Mrs. Perish. What an exciting time in your life." "Please don't tell Charles. I want to tell him myself." I stood with him walking with my prescription in hand to the door of the plane.

"Of course not. If you need anything, my number is on the prescription. Don't hesitate to ask." I followed him down the steps of the plane onto the tarmac and Peter was there to meet us. "She's just got a 24-hour bug. I suspect she'll want to rest and hydrate today but she'll be good tomorrow." The doctor shook Peter's hand and he eyed me suspiciously but said nothing.

If I could make it through the day without choking Nina for flirting with my husband, it would be a good day. And when we got home, I could fill this prescription secretly with Mel's help. Until then, I just needed to stay calm and not get emotionally worked up. And I needed a breath mint.