by E. L. Todd
I returned the embrace and held onto him, my only source of comfort.
“Skye will make it through. She’s a Preston. You know how Prestons are—invincible.”
“I can’t live without her…”
“You won’t have to.” He rubbed my back. “I know she’s going to be okay.”
My tears continued to fall and soak into his t-shirt.
“I love you, man.”
I took a deep breath. “I love you too.”
“No matter what, I’m here. You got me.”
“I know.” I closed my eyes for a moment.
“I’ll get you through this like you’ve gotten me through everything.”
I pulled away. “You should be with Trinity. They’re best friends…”
“And you’re my best friend,” he said. “I’m not leaving you.”
I was more grateful than I could put into words.
“But there’s something else you should know…” He gave me a sad look.
I couldn’t take anymore. “What?”
“Clementine—she got hurt too.”
Chapter Thirteen
Ward
I sat at Clementine’s bedside as they performed the sonogram. My hand gripped hers even though she was unconscious. I wouldn’t leave her side for anything. I was here, forever and always. “Is the baby okay?” Tears burned in my eyes just thinking about it.
The doctor continued to move the probe around her stomach before he pulled it off and wiped her clean. “The baby is fine. No damage at all.”
“Oh, thank god.”
“Would you like to know the sex?” he asked as he put the machine away.
I turned to Clementine, who was still unconscious. They performed a CT Scan and determined there was no trauma to her brain or anywhere else. She did have a mark around her eye where he hit her with the gun. But she wasn’t hurt anywhere else. She passed out from the blow as well as the stress. Would it be fair for me to find out the sex of the baby when Clementine couldn’t enjoy it? “Yes. But can you do me a favor?”
“Certainly,” he said. “What?”
“Can you write it down on a piece of paper and fold it?”
“Sure.” He made the note then handed it to me. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you.” I left the folded paper on the table.
Cortland was calm but he was still stressed out.
“She’ll wake up soon,” Monnique said. “The doctor said everything fine. There’s no internal bleeding or any injuries.”
Cortland turned to me. “What are you going to do?”
“I know she’ll be scared when she wakes up,” I said. “I thought this would cheer her up. We can find out the sex of the baby together.”
“That’s a good idea,” Monnique said.
I continued to hold Clementine’s hand and stroke her knuckles. “Darling, I’m here. I know you can hear me.” I moved my hand to her small stomach and felt the bump. My baby was okay, and so was my girl.
A few minutes later, Clementine stirred. She blinked her eyes several times before she focused them. Her hand automatically moved to her eye. Then she remembered what happened. “My baby. Is he okay?” She sat up quickly, terrified.
I put my hand on her shoulder and pushed her back down. “He’s fine. He’s okay.”
She looked at me then breathed a sigh of relief. Then she gripped her stomach. “Oh, thank god.” She rubbed her hand over her bellybutton.
I added my hand to hers. “You’re okay too. No permanent damage. Just some swelling around your eye.”
She touched it again then cringed in pain. “What happened?”
I really didn’t know what happened. I’d been at Clementine’s side the entire time. My phone was still in my office so I didn’t have it on me. “There was a shooting at the company. That’s all I know.”
Fear exploded in her eyes. “Was anyone hurt?”
“I don’t know…” Skye ran to Sean’s office but I didn’t stop her. I saw Clementine and that was all I could think about. I had to take care of her. She was the most important thing in my life, and not just because she was carrying my child.
“Well, have you talked to anyone?” she asked.
“No,” I said. “I’ve been with you.”
“Well, we need to find out,” she said hysterically.
“Darling, calm down.” I put my hand on her stomach. “I’ll find out. But remain calm.”
“Do you guys know anything?” Clementine asked, turning to her parents.
“No,” Cortland said. “We came as soon as Ward called.”
“Mike came in a few minutes ago,” I said. “But he didn’t know about anyone else.” He was acting strange and it seemed like he’d just been crying but he didn’t mention anyone else. I wasn’t sure why he came all the way down here just to leave again. Maybe he was hiding something.
“God, I hope everything is okay,” Clementine said in a quiet voice.
“I’m sure everything is fine.” I leaned in and kissed her forehead. I knew we weren’t together but I felt entitled to some affection. She was the mother of my child and the love of my life. I wouldn’t hide how much I loved her—to her or anyone else.
She closed her eyes at my touch, and when she opened them her eyes lightened noticeably.
We stared at each other, sharing a moment.
My hand moved to her stomach again. “Do you want to know the sex of the baby?”
“You know?” she asked in surprise.
“No. The doctor wrote it down on this piece of paper.” I grabbed it from the table and held it in my hand. “I thought we could find out together.” I placed it in her small hand.
“Oh my god…” She felt the paper in her fingertips.
“You want to know?” I asked.
“I can’t not know when the answer is right here…” She fingered it.
“Then let’s find out—together.” I moved to her side and put my arm around her shoulders.
“You guys ready?” Clementine asked her parents.
“We’re dying to know, girl!” Monnique looked at her like she was crazy.
Clementine chuckled. “Okay. Here we go…” She unfolded the paper.
BOY.
“It’s a boy!” Clementine practically screamed.
“Yes!” Cortland said.
“I don’t care,” Monnique said. “I’ll still love that baby like my own.
Clementine turned to me, emotion in her eyes. “We’re having a baby boy.” Her eyes watered in happiness.
“I know.” I felt the emotion in my chest. “I’m so happy.”
She cupped my face then pulled me in for a kiss.
My heart stopped beating for a moment in time. Feeling her lips against mine was explosive. It was just as amazing as it used to be. My breathing hitched and my hands shook.
The kiss was short, just a peck on the lips. But it was magical.
Clementine pulled away then pressed her forehead to mine. “I can’t believe this is real.”
I looked into her face and saw the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. Even when her face was bruised she still shined by her own light. “I know. It’s wonderful.” My hand touched her stomach gently.
“I can’t wait six months, Ward,” she said with a groan.
“I can’t wait that long either. But he’ll be worth the wait.”
“Yeah, I’m sure he will.” She looked into my eyes and stared at me affectionately.
Times like this made me think we could have what we lost. Or have something stronger than before. If I just stayed the course, it would happen eventually. There’s nothing I wanted more than to make Clementine my wife. I didn’t want to marry her just to be a proper family. I wanted to marry her so I could spend my life with her—and so we could have more babies.
Cayson ran into the room, looking sweaty like he’d just run a marathon. Our beautiful moment was shattered by his appearance. “Clementine…” He was out of breath. “You’re o
kay?” He put his hands on his hips and kept breathing deeply.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” She pointed at her eye. “This is the worst damage I got. Everything is okay.”
Slade came in behind him but didn’t say anything.
Cayson bent at the waist and caught his breath. “I’m glad you’re okay. I have to go…” He started to walk out again.
“Whoa, hold on.” Cortland said. “Get back in here.”
Cayson returned. “What?” He was particularly hostile.
“Tell him, Clemy,” Cortland said with a smile.
She broke out in a grin. “We’re having a boy.”
I turned to Cayson and was surprised to see the exact same look on his face.
Slade didn’t react either.
Did they not hear us?
“My girlfriend might die,” he snapped. “I don’t have time for this bullshit.”
“What?” I blurted. “What happened to Skye?”
“You guys didn’t know…?” Slade raised an eyebrow.
“No,” Clementine blurted. “What happened?”
“I can’t do this.” Cayson walked out.
Slade stayed behind. “Skye was shot.”
Everyone gasped.
“Is she okay?” Monnique’s eyes immediately watered.
“No one knows,” Slade said. “She’s in surgery.”
“Oh my god.” Clementine covered her face.
My heart fell. “Shit…”
“We’re waiting for news,” Slade said. “I’ll let you know when something happens.”
Cortland and Monnique stood up. “No, we’re coming with you,” Cortland said. “I’m sorry, Clemy. Since you’re okay we’re going to leave.”
“That’s fine,” she said. “I wish I didn’t have to stay behind.”
I wanted to go too. But I couldn’t leave Clementine. She was my responsibility. “Please let me know when you know something.”
“Yeah,” Slade said with a nod. He turned to walk out the door.
“Slade?”
He turned back around. “What?”
“Tell Sean I’m sorry. I would be there—”
He raised his hand. “He would want you to take care of your own family first, man.” Then he walked out.
“You can go if you want,” Clementine said. “I’m just going to sit here.”
“No.” I kissed her hand. “You’re more important—you’ll always be more important.”
Her eyes softened. “I’m so scared…”
“I am too.”
“I hope she’s going to be okay.”
I couldn’t fathom any other possibility. Skye was my good friend and she didn’t deserve this. A life without her was one I couldn’t imagine. I’d gotten to know her on such a close level. She was a good person, one of the best I knew. “I hope so too.”
Chapter Fourteen
Slade
I didn’t know what to do.
How did I comfort Cayson?
I was scared to death too.
Then my fiancé was a mess.
My entire family was a mess.
I stuck by Cayson’s side because I knew he needed me more than anyone else. Trinity understood that and told me to be with him. She knew how much he needed me. I really understood how much Cayson loved Skye. I understood it better than anyone. When we were in eighth grade, he told me he was going to ask her to the school dance. And I remembered how bummed he was when she went with a guy on the football team.
But I was scared too. Skye and I weren’t extremely close, but I loved her. She was annoying sometimes but she was a great person. She was there for me whenever I needed a friend, and she made my best friend happy. She was the glue of our group, holding all of us together. Without her, we would fall apart.
Cayson sat on the floor with his back to the wall. His knees were pulled to his chest and he rested his face in his hands.
I sat beside him, being silent.
Sometimes Cayson would break down in tears. He would wail his heart out and I would comfort him the best I could. I reminded him I was there by patting him on the back and giving him encouraging words. But I wasn’t what he needed. Skye was what he needed.
“What’s taking so long?” he whispered.
“You want me to ask the nurse?”
“Please.”
I headed to the nurses station and asked the first one I saw. “What’s the status on Skye Preston?”
She gave me an annoyed look. “You guys keep asking me that every fifteen minutes. When there’s something to report, I’ll tell you.”
“So, she’s still in surgery?”
“Yes.” It was clear she was trying not to snap. “In my experience, the longer the surgery lasts for, the better.”
“Well, thank you.” I headed back to Cayson.
“What did they say?”
“Still in surgery,” I said. “And the nurse said that’s a good sign.”
He sighed and covered his face again.
I turned and looked at Trinity. She was leaning on her dad with a tissue balled up in her hand. “I’ll be right back, okay?”
“Okay.” He kept his face covered.
I headed to Trinity. “Baby, you doing okay?”
She sniffed and blew her nose. “No…”
I put my arm around her and pulled her into my shoulder instead of her father’s. “She’ll be okay, baby.”
“She’s my best friend…” She sniffed again.
“I know. She’ll come back.”
She turned her head into my shoulder and soaked my shirt with her tears. Cayson had done the same thing and my shirt was a little damp. “I can’t live without her. You know?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“How’s Cayson?” she whispered.
“Terrible,” I said. “Like you would expect.”
“I feel so bad for him.”
“I do too.”
“You should be with him.”
“I just had to check on you.” I kissed her hairline. “I know you need me too.”
“Cayson needs you more. I can’t even imagine what he’s feeling.”
I could. I already experienced it when I thought Trinity almost died. “You’ll be okay here with your dad?”
“Yeah,” she whispered.
“Okay.” I kissed her forehead. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
I left her side and returned to Cayson. He was in the exact same position.
“I hate myself.”
I turned to him. “This isn’t your fault, Cayson.”
He lowered his hands and looked straight ahead. His face was stained with tears. “I hate myself for not marrying her. I hate myself for not asking her to be my wife. I hate myself for waiting until your damn wedding is over. If she dies…she’ll never know.”
“She does know, man.”
He shook his head. “How will I know that? Time is so precious and I wasted so much of it. I’m such a fucking idiot.”
“Don’t say that.” I kept my voice low so I wouldn’t rile him up. “Skye knows exactly how much you love her. She knows exactly how you feel about her. And she’s fighting to come back to you right now. You’ve been the perfect boyfriend to her. There’s no doubt in my mind that she understands the depth of your feelings.”
He nodded. “I hope she does.”
“She does.” I rested my hand on his elbow. I hadn’t been affectionate with a guy since Trinity almost died. But I wanted Cayson to know I was there in whatever way he needed me to be.
“I wish she was my wife and we had a family.” His eyes bubbled with tears. “If she doesn’t make it, I’ll never have that.”
“She’s going to make it.”
“How do you know?”
“I just do. Trust me.”
“How do you know?” he pressed.
“Because the universe wouldn’t do that to you,” I said. “You’re meant to be together. And you will be together.”
�
��You really believe that?” he whispered.
“Of course, I do.”
That seemed to give him more courage because he didn’t cry for the next hour.
Chapter Fifteen
Sean
I was a complete mess. I didn’t speak to anyone but Scarlet. And even then, I said very little. Everyone kept their distance from me, knowing I wasn’t capable of a coherent conversation.
Scarlet was my rock even though she was just as terrified. She gave me quick kisses when I was at my lowest point, and her hands were on me, reminding me she was there. We didn’t enter Skye’s room because there was no point since she wasn’t there. Like everyone else, we sat in the hallway.
I sat on the ground with my back to the wall, just like Cayson and Slade. We were in the corner, as far away from everyone as possible. Tears permanently stained my eyes and the crying came and went. I wasn’t ashamed of my emotions. As a father, I was entitled to break down at the loss of my little girl. If anyone judged me for it they could go to hell.
“It’s been hours already…” We hadn’t gotten any news.
“Just a little longer,” Scarlet whispered. “She’ll be back soon.”
Why couldn’t soon be now?
Roland entered the hallway and called for me. “Dad!”
I’d completely forgotten about my other kid. All I thought about was Skye so I didn’t think about him. I was a shitty parent once again. “Son.” I stood up and embraced him.
He ran into my arms then rested his head on my shoulder. He and I were the same height. It caught me by surprise how much Roland had grown. To me, he was still a little boy. But now he looked like a man. Sometimes I didn’t recognize him.
“Is she going to be okay?” he asked through his tears.
As a parent, I had to be strong for my kids even if all I felt was weak. Only in front of Scarlet could I be my true self, all the good and the bad. “Ro, your sister is going to be fine. She’ll be back with us shortly.”
“The doctor told you this?” he whispered.
“No. But I know she’ll be okay.” That was a lie. I was terrified it wasn’t true.
“I can’t believe this happened…” He pulled away and blinked his eyes rapidly.
“I know,” I said. “But we’ll get through this—as a family.”