A Highland Wedding

The Grand Plan

Anna

I rolled over and groaned. Coming off the medication they gave me was like being hit by a freight train. The doctor said that the detox was going to be complete and utter hell. I thought it was just a turn of phrase.

Alexei was sleeping with his arm thrown over his eyes, the stubble on his face was now almost a beard. I moaned as cramps twisted up my stomach and I curled up in a ball.

“Are you ok Anna?” Alexei’s tired voice almost drowned out my groans of pain.

“I just feel like someone is twisting my insides with a sharp pitchfork.” I gasped again and curled in on myself.

“Sorry honey, do you need me to get anything for you or do anything for you?” He grabbed my shoulders and I hissed, pulling away from him it was painful to be touched.

“It isn’t you Alexei sorry.” I pushed to my feet and ran to the bathroom that was off the bedroom and fell to my knees in front of the toilet.

I didn’t have much in my stomach to vomit, but the bile kept coming and I heard Alexei pad into the bathroom and he held my hair back.

Leaning back on my heels I wanted to press my head to the cold clay tiles and cry. I wanted to die, maybe this was what death felt like.

“We need to discuss the plan; I know you don’t want me to be the bait to lure Claire out.” I felt the contents of my stomach slosh around again and I closed my eyes to get the room to stop spinning.

“It feels like I was drinking tequila shots all night and this is what happens when I don’t drink water and keep drinking.

“So you had those nights with Jer as well? I don’t know if that man has a cast iron stomach or what but he can pack away the drinks.” I laughed and winced as the pain radiated through my skull.

“Oh, please don’t make me laugh.” He scooted down onto the floor with me and wrapped his arm around me.

“Sorry, it just brought back some memories from when I was in college with him.” I snorted and groaned again in pain.

“Sounds like Jer, I don’t know what it is about him but you’re right he really can pack away the alcohol. I just hope Daniel knows what he is getting into.” I smiled again. I miss my best friend.

“He really can. Are you sure you will be Ok?” Leaning against his shoulder I let out a whimper as my pulse pounded in my ears.

“About the plan, I only suggested we bring Mack into this because she wants me out of the picture and she wants him back as well. If Mack and I pretend that we are an item or make it appear that we are trying to reconcile.” I let the words hang in the air.

“Are you sure you are ready for that Anna?” Glancing at him, I saw he was clenching his jaw and wanted to reassure him, but I couldn’t reassure him of anything. I just didn’t know myself.

“I probably never will be ready. Unfortunately, it is the only way to lure out Claire. It seemed to drag her out of the woodwork before.” I didn’t like it either but it was a necessary evil.

“There has to be another way, however, we need to act fast. If we give her too much time to come up with a plan.” He didn’t need to finish the thought; I knew what he meant. If we let Claire regroup then she was going to come back with a vengeance

Claire was dangerous in the sense that she could manipulate anyone and bend them to her will. The more people she was able to get onto her side the worse it would be for us.

Alexei helped me up and led me back into the bedroom, tucking me back into bed I closed my eyes and wiped the sweat off my forehead.

“So tell me about the grand plan, just give me the bare minimum of details.” I felt myself drifting off to sleep but he was right, he needed to know the plan.

“Mack act like we are reconciling, somehow Claire will find out, especially after posting some pictures to social media. Also with your help and Keating’s we can keep tabs on her and spread the rumors around and lure Claire out.” Yawning I curled over on my side.

“That is actually a pretty decent idea.” I slapped him and he chuckled.

“I do occasionally have them. Now go talk to Sawyer and you guys can iron out the wrinkles in the plan. I am going to go back to sleep and hope when I wake up again my headache will be gone.” I pulled the covers over my head and blocked out the light streaming through the windows.

Hearing the door click shut I thought about what Alexei said. I wasn’t ready for this, it was a necessary evil for the grand plan.