I glance towards Ash for a moment before nodding. “He does.”
I then bow my head slightly as I sigh softly. “He makes me happier than I’ve ever been before and it’s been killing me to push him away, but I’ve been afraid to get any closer because I don’t know when we’ll be leaving again. I figured that it would be better this way.”
He nods in understanding. “That explains why Ash has been acting so distant lately.”
After a moment of silence, Ben turns his full attention to my mother. “Do you think that we could talk alone for a few minutes?”
Mom nods and then stands along with Ben before they leave the room together.
“So, when were you two going to tell me that you did the dirty deed?” Drake questions abruptly around a mouthful of food.
Ash shrugs. “I didn’t think that you’d be too happy to find out.”
“Why would I be angry? Like Dad said, if she makes you happy then I have no reason to be angry.” Drake replies before grinning. “I am slightly jealous, but I’ll get over it.”
Another moment of silence passes before Ash looks at me in question. “Are you going to stop avoiding me now?”
“I don’t know, Ash,” I answer honestly. “What are we going to do if I have to leave?”
“We’ll figure it out.” He insists.
Before I can say another word, Mom and Benjamin walk back into the room. They sit down before Benjamin clears his throat.
“We’ve talked about this relationship between the two of you and have come to an agreement.” He states before continuing. “Ash, you will be moving to the farm along with Drake. Once Scarlett and Vivian move then you can return.”
“No. I’m not going anywhere,” Ash replies simply.
“Then I will take Scarlett and move first thing tomorrow morning.” Mom replies.
“Are you serious?” Drake blurts. “You have serious issues if you’re willing to do that just because you’re not going to get your way.”
“That’s the way it will be.” Mom replies. “Either you both go, or we do.”
I couldn’t believe it. She was pushing Ash and me apart. Then again I should have known that this is what she would do to us. Ash made me happy, and she couldn’t allow that to happen.
No doubt that she would make it nearly impossible for us even to see each other outside of the house as well.
“I’m sorry, boys, but this is the best that we could agree on.” Benjamin sighs.
Suddenly my stomach turns, and I’m forced to leave the table. I run down the hallway and then into the closest bathroom. I don’t even get the chance to shut the door before I kneel in front of the toilet.
I cry as I heave without anything coming up.
Ash rushes into the bathroom before grabbing my hair away from my face. He doesn’t say a word as he kneels beside me.
I heave over and over again until something finally comes up.
Unfortunately what comes up is blood.
“Shit, that’s not good, Scar.” Ash breathes out tensely.
I cry harder in response while clutching my aching stomach. It hurt more than it ever did before and there had been many times over the years that it had hurt.
“Dad…I need you now.” Ash suddenly yells as more blood comes up.
Within just a few moments Benjamin appears in the doorway along with my mother and Drake.
“What’s wrong?” Benjamin asks.
“She’s throwing up blood, Dad. Someone needs to call an ambulance.” Ash answers.
Drake quickly grabs his phone from his pocket. “I’ll make the call.”
Benjamin walks further into the bathroom before grabbing a rag from under the sink. He quietly soaks it with water before handing it to Ash.
No one says a word as Ash tenderly wipes my face.
“They’re coming,” Drake announces. “The ambulance should be here in a few minutes. I already called the front gate to let them know too. Terrance is going to direct them where to go.”
“Good.” Benjamin breathes out.
“I don’t know why you’re making such a fuss,” Mom states abruptly. “We could take her to the hospital to get checked out ourselves. There’s no reason to involve an ambulance.”
“Is she serious right now?” Ash questions his father. “Her daughter is throwing up blood, and she doesn’t know why we’re making such a big deal of it.”
“Just focus on Scarlett, Ash,” Benjamin replies before he stands and then grabs my mother’s arm to pull her into the hallway.
Once I stop heaving, Ash pulls me into his arms before he begins rocking me gently. Drake kneels beside us before he reaches up to push my hair behind my ear.
“Are you hurting anywhere?” He asks softly.
“My stomach hurts really badly,” I answer.
He nods. “Has this happened before?”
“My stomach has hurt before but not this bad and I’ve never thrown up blood either,” I reply honestly.
“I swear to god, Vivian, this is why we can’t and will never work. You care more about yourself than your own daughter. I can’t be in a relationship with someone who doesn’t seem to care one bit about what happens to their child.” Benjamin shouts abruptly.
“My sons will always come first, but right now I am worried about your daughter. She needs someone to worry about her because you’re not.” He adds.
“I’m worried about her too, and none of these issues came up until we moved into this house.” Mom argues before she walks back into the bathroom.
She points towards me. “Get up, Scarlett, we’re leaving, now.”
Ash tightens his grasp on me as I begin to sob.
“She’s not going anywhere but to the hospital,” Ash growls out.
Thankfully before Mom can say another word the doorbell rings and Drake rushes out to answer the door. Seconds later two paramedics rush into the room.
“What’s going on?” One of them, a woman, questions me as the other begins strapping a cuff around my arm while placing a stethoscope into his ears.
“She just started throwing up. Nothing was coming out for a while, but then blood started to come up.” Ash answers for me. “She’s complaining of stomach pain.”
“How long has this been happening?” The woman asks next.
“I’ve been throwing up for over a week, but this is the first time that there has been blood,” I answer this time.
“Is there any chance that you’re pregnant?” She questions.
“I don’t know. I took a pregnancy test this morning, but it was negative.” I answer.
She nods. “Alright, we’ll have that checked out when we get you to the hospital.”
“Should we bring in the stretcher?” She asks the man.
“I can carry her outside.” Ash states before the man can answer.
The woman looks at me in question. “Is it alright if he carries you out to the ambulance?”
I nod in response.
Without another word, Ash lifts me while I wrap my arms around his neck. He follows the paramedics out of the bathroom and through the house.
Once we’re outside, he moves towards the ambulance.
Ash stops and then waits as the paramedics pull the stretcher out of the vehicle. Seconds later he places me down gently before grabbing my hand in his.
He holds my hand until the last minute.
As the paramedics shut the doors, he watches me through the glass.
I stare back at him as the ambulance begins to drive away.
Chapter Twenty One
“Have they figured out what’s wrong with you yet?” Mom huffs out as she walks into the room where I had been for the last six hours at the hospital.
Instead of giving her an answer I ask a question of my own. “Where are Ash, Drake, and Benjamin?”
“They’re in the waiting room.” She answers before sighing. “They’re not family and do not need to be back here with you.”
“I want Ash ba
ck here with me,” I demand.
“No.” She replies simply.
Just then the doctor who had been overseeing my care walks in with a smile and a clipboard. “Alright, so we’ve ruled out a few things and have come to one conclusion based on the information that you gave us and the tests that we’ve run.”
“And…?” Mom pushes impatiently.
The doctor looks at me with a raised brow before continuing. “First of all, Scarlett, you are not pregnant. Second, you have ulcers that have ruptured in your stomach. Those are what’s causing you to vomit blood, and three, all you need is rest and to change your diet slightly.”
“The one major thing that you need to avoid though is stress.” He adds before continuing again. “From what you’ve told me I believe that stress is what caused these ulcers to form in the first place.”
“That’s a load of bull.” Mom blurts.
“I want another doctor to come in here and check my daughter.” She then demands.
“Ma’am, I am the only doctor working in the emergency room right now. If you’d like another opinion, then you’ll have to set up an appointment with your family doctor.” He replies.
Mom shakes her head. “I’ll find another doctor myself.”
With that she marches out of the room, leaving the doctor and me alone.
He sighs. “Is she always like that?”
I nod. “Yes.”
After a moment he looks at me in question. “Can I ask you a few personal questions? You don’t have to answer them if you don’t want to. I just want to make sure that you get the proper care that you deserve.”
“Ask away,” I reply.
He nods and then begins. “Has your mother ever hit you or threatened to hurt you?”
“She slapped my face a few weeks ago,” I answer honestly.
“Okay, do you have any family that you could stay with?” He questions next.
I shake my head. “I have no idea where my father is, and I haven’t been in contact with family since I was little. I don’t even know where to search for them. The only people that I have in my life that care about me are stuck in the waiting room.”
“And they are?” He presses.
“My boyfriend, Ash, his brother, Drake, and their father, Benjamin Anderson…” I reply.
He writes something down on his clipboard before returning his attention back towards me. “Would you want me to bring them back for you to see?”
“My mother won’t allow it,” I stress as tears blur my vision. “I want to see them more than anything, but she isn’t going to let them back here.”
“Is there any way that you can admit me, so I don’t have to go home right away?” I plead.
He nods. “There might be a way. Let me see what I can do.”
Without another word, he turns and then walks out of the room.
Tears stream down my face as I watch nurses walk past the door to tend to other patients. For a moment I contemplate running out to the waiting room just so I could be with someone who would hold me.
It’s all I longed for right now.
I just wanted to be held and told that things would be alright one day.
When Mom returns she rolls her eyes at me. “Would you stop it already? I think you’ve gotten enough attention today.”
“I just want to see Ash.” I whimper.
“No, and if I have my way then as soon as we get out of here we will be packing up and leaving this town far behind.” She replies.
“I don’t want to go.” I cry.
“It’s not your choice, and after the choices that you’ve made with Benjamin’s son I believe it’s for the best to get you as far away from him as possible.” Mom replies.
My heart constricts as I begin to sob uncontrollably.
“Enough, Scarlett, I will not stand here and watch you cry like a baby.” Mom snaps as she grabs my chin roughly in her hand.
Her grip tightens causing her fingernails to dig into my skin. “I said enough…”
Suddenly the doctor appears his eyes widen with shock. “I think it’s time for you to leave the room, Ma’am.”
Mom quickly pulls her hand away from my face before turning to look at the doctor with a glare. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Then you’ve given me no other choice.” The doctor replies before moving back outside the door.
“Guards, I need you down here right now.” He calls out.
Seconds later, two men in uniform walk into the room with the doctor.
“Can you please escort Mrs. Higgins from the hospital?” The doctor instructs.
“You can’t do this.” Mom bites out. “She’s my daughter.”
“I can and will, Mrs. Higgins, especially if I believe that her safety is at risk and after what I just witnessed I don’t believe that your daughter is safe in your presence.” The doctor replies.
When Mom refuses to go, the doctor speaks again. “By all means, if you stay in this room I will call the police and have you taken away that way. I will file charges on your daughter’s behalf as well.”
Thankfully she gives up and walks out with the guards following close behind.
The doctor sighs while pinching the bridge of his nose. “I can’t believe I just walked in on that.”
After a moment he moves closer. “Are you alright?”
I shake my head. “No.”
“I’m going to leave for a moment, but I’ll have one of the guards stand outside your room to keep your mother from returning.” The doctor states gently. “By law, I have to report this and contact the authorities.”
“I understand,” I whisper.
He smiles sadly. “I’m going to speak with your boyfriend and his family too. I’ll send them back as soon as I can.”
“Thank you,” I reply gratefully.
He nods and then walks back out of the room slowly.
Once he’s gone, I release a small breath of relief. A heavy weight felt as if it was being lifted off of my shoulders.
I felt as if someone was finally hearing my plea for help.
****
After what feels like forever, a woman walks into the room along with Benjamin.
The second that Benjamin notices the marks left by my mother on my chin he curses softly while taking my hand in his.
“I’m sorry that I didn’t help you sooner, Scarlett.” He whispers.
“You didn’t know,” I reply.
“I do now, and that’s what matters. I’ve talked to my lawyers so that I can get temporary guardianship of you, Scarlett.” Benjamin states. “Are you alright with that?”
I nod. “Yes. I don’t want to leave this town. I’m tired of moving from place to place.”
He smiles. “Then I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
After a moment he motions towards the woman who had come with him. “This is Sally. She is a social worker who is going to help us figure this out. I want you to tell her everything that your mother has put you through. You don’t have to be afraid to tell her anything.”
“I’m going to leave you two alone for now, but I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He adds while squeezing my hand gently.
“Thank you, Benjamin,” I reply softly.
He smiles and then releases my hand before exiting the room.
Sally shuts the door behind him before moving to sit on a chair next to the bed. She pulls a pen and clipboard from her bag before looking at me.
“Let’s start with what you know about your father.” She states.
I nod and then close my eyes for a brief moment before I begin telling my story.
****
“I think I have more than enough information to grant Benjamin temporary guardianship, but there might be a problem since your boyfriend is currently living at the house,” Sally states as she stands up. “I’m sure we can work out an arrangement that will benefit you though.”
“We talk soon.” She then states before wa
lking out of the room.
A few moments later Benjamin comes into the room with a bright smile.
“How are you feeling?” He questions.
“I feel better,” I answer.
“That’s good.” He replies before continuing. “Before Ash and Drake come in I want to speak to you for a few minutes. I know we haven’t really had much of a chance to talk to each other, but I’d like to get to know you a little bit so that you’re more comfortable with the arrangements that are going to be made.”
“Okay…” I reply.
Benjamin sits down in the seat next to the bed before speaking. “Before we get to know each other though there is something that I think I should tell you.”
He pauses for a few moments before continuing. “My lawyers found information about your father.”
“They did?” I whisper.
“Yes,” Benjamin replies before grabbing my hand in his. “He was in a car accident when you were about seven. He died.”
“No. He ran off with another woman.” I argue.
Benjamin looks at me sadly before he produces a piece of paper. He unfolds it before handing it to me.
I take it and whimper as I touch the picture of my father.
He was just the same as I remembered him.
Under his photo was an obituary. It was short and listed my mother’s name but not mine. No one else was listed, and there were no kind words or anything like you would typically see in an obituary.
“Is this real?” I breathe out as my vision blurs.
“I’m sorry, Scarlett,” Benjamin replies softly.
“Why would she lie to me all these years?” I cry. “Why would she make me believe that my father never loved me?”
“I don’t know. I wish I did, but I don’t.” Benjamin replies. “But if there is one thing I do know it’s a father’s love and I am certain that your father loved you very much.”
“He did,” I whisper. “That’s why it was so hard when she told me that he had left.”
“Daddy never would have left me without saying goodbye,” I add.
After a few moments, I wipe my tears from my cheeks before looking at Benjamin. “Is there any chance that you tracked down my family members?”
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