Wilted

by Mia Michelle

  For a few more minutes, I play with her hair, lost in thought. Suddenly her face moves and she opens her eyes. Turning her head away, she goes into another long, vicious coughing spell.

  “Hey, there. How’s my favorite bitch feeling?”

  She can’t help but laugh at my words, but then begins another coughing episode. Immediately, I feel guilty for joking with her.

  “How does she look like she’s feeling?”

  “She looks like fucking hell, but that isn’t anything I can’t fix.” I say, winking at her.

  “I don’t care how I look, Kylie, so put away the makeover ideas. I’m hopeless.”

  “What if you have a hot visitor or a doctor walk in? Do you really want them to see you like this? Better yet, do I want them to see you like this?” I tease.

  “I must be pretty sick. I even imagined Lucas was here. That tells you how high my fever must have gotten.”

  Shit! How do I respond to this?

  “Um… nope. Actually, that isn’t your fever. He is here.”

  “What? Why?” she says, trying to sit up in the bed. Overtaken by weakness, she crashes back against her pillow.

  “He said he’s out here on business, but I suspect he just wants to see you. You’ve been hiding away for long enough, you know? It’s time.”

  “Kylie, you know I can’t. I’m not ready.”

  “Look here, hussy, I—”

  The door opens behind me and I hear a man clear his voice.

  “Ms. Rose? I’m Dr. Wilson.” The white-haired doctor smiles.

  “It seems you gave everyone quite the scare.” Shuffling the file in his hand, he hesitates. “Do we need to wait on your husband?”

  Skylar’s eyes almost pop out of her head as she looks to me in astonishment.

  “No, he isn’t my husband. He’s just a friend from out of town.”

  “Well, first of all, Ms. Rose, you’re extremely dehydrated and we’re pushing fluids in you to help remedy that.” Dr. Wilson nods and continues. “I’m afraid that your scans also indicate that you have a rather nasty case of pneumonia so we’ll be adding some antibiotics to your IV.” Pulling off his glasses, he brings the tip of the earpiece to his mouth and begins chewing on it as if in deep thought. “I’m afraid this fever of yours is what concerns me the most, right now. We need to keep it below 100 degrees, if at all possible, considering your condition.”

  “What do you mean condition, doctor? I think having pneumonia is a good reason to run a temperature,” I add, looking back at Skylar.

  “Ms. Rose, your blood work indicates that you’re pregnant.”

  Pregnant? Did he seriously just say that? Holy fucking shit!

  “What?” she whispers in disbelief, but I’m right here, grabbing her hand and squeezing it to let her know I’m here. She lays her head back against her pillow and turns to look away from us. I know my best friend all too well. She’s trying to hide her tears. I see a shadow in the doorway and turn to see Lucas standing there with fear and hurt all over his face.

  “Lucas,” Skylar says softly, but he doesn’t respond. Instead, he turns and walks out the door.

  Fucking bastard.

  “LUCAS!” she screams, letting go of my hand and pushing up on the bed. “LUCAS, NO!”

  “Honey, you’re going to have to calm down.” Dr. Wilson tries to quiet her.

  “I’ll go look for him. Calm down, okay?” I reassure her.

  I’m so fucking pissed that I storm out of the room and run down the hall in search for him. He’s nowhere to be found. I check a few places and even walk outside, thinking that maybe he just needed some fresh air. I try calling him, but it’s no use. It goes straight to voice mail

  “Listen here, you motherfucker, I know you love her. You can’t just walk out on her now. She needs you. Get your ass back here!” I scream into the phone.

  Skylar is still visibly upset when I return to the room. Her eyes look around, hoping to see Lucas.

  A lady pushing some sort of cart comes in the door behind me. When I see the ultrasound equipment, I’m shocked.

  Is this really happening? Is my best friend really going to have a baby?

  I’ve seen Skylar scared before, but nothing like this. She grabs my hand and holds it for dear life as the technician raises her hospital gown and asks her to spread her legs open for the ultrasound wand. The thing looks like a fucking dildo and there she is putting a damn condom on it.

  Um… what the hell is going on? OMG! She is seriously gonna stick that thing up her! Shit!

  “There it is. Can you see it?” the technician asks as she points to the image on the screen.

  “I see it! Look!” I shout. Within seconds, we gasp together. A thumping sound comes through the machine in perfect time with a little, flickering speck on the screen. I’m so amazed I can’t speak. This tiny little dot is an actual live baby, with an actual beating heart. I just can’t believe my eyes.

  Skylar can’t stop staring at the screen. Her hand trembles just as much as her lip. Tears fill her beautiful eyes. This may be a shock, but it is a beautiful moment to witness. I just wish it were under happier circumstances for her.

  Before she leaves the room, the technician prints out a long strip of pictures for her to have. Skylar clings to them, laying them against her chest. It’s as if she is too afraid to let them go, for fear this is all unreal. I know it sure feels that way to me. Unfolding them again, she traces the image with her fingertips. No one has spoken. It’s just so unbelievable. I move beside her and surprise her by taking her hand in mine.

  “You know we’ve got this, right? I’ll help you, Sky. You aren’t alone. We don’t need them.”

  “I know, Kyles. I’ve just got a lot of thinking to do. Twenty-four hours ago, I thought I had my life better planned, but I just got thrown the biggest damn curve ball in history.”

  “You are keeping this baby, aren’t you?” I know my friend better. I shouldn’t have ever doubted she wouldn’t. I regret asking the question as soon as it comes out of my mouth.

  “Of course, I’m keeping this baby! I don’t know what in the hell I’m going to do, but there is no way I am getting rid of it!”

  “I thought you were on birth control.” I say. I’m one to talk after missing so many of my pills and having my own pregnancy scare, but Skylar is responsible. She’s been on the pill for years. I can’t believe she’d ever miss one. This must mean Sebastian has mega power sperm.

  “I never packed my bag with my medicine. I was going to start a new pack once my period came, but it never did.” She bursts into tears. “Oh, Kylie, what am I going to do? I can’t tell him. I don’t want him to know that the baby is his.”

  “Then don’t tell him.” Lucas’ voice startles us. He stands just inside the door with a huge bouquet of flowers in his hand.

  He need not think I won’t beat his ass over bailing earlier. Anger surges through me and I charge towards him. No way am I letting him upset her right now.

  “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “I’m here to talk to Skylar.”

  “Get the fuck out of here! She doesn’t need you. How could you fucking leave her in the middle of all of this? I thought you loved her! You’re such a fucking prick!”

  “I’m sorry, Skylar. Please, I was just in shock. I should have never left you.”

  “Damn straight you should have never left! Now get out!” I scream.

  Lucas meets my glare but refuses to back down.

  “Give us a minute, Kylie,” Skylar says weakly.

  What the hell? Is she really serious right now? Her pleading eyes pull at my heart. Damn it!

  “Fine! But I’m fucking standing outside the door. You get her upset and you’ll need an emergency room when I get done with you!” I yell before opening the door and leaving.

  I’m so angry when I walk out that I hit the wall across from me. I walk back to the door, trying to listen to their conversation, but it’s pointless. The door is so thick
all I can hear is low mumbling. Rest assured, once this prick comes out, he’s mine.

  I don’t know what she is going to do. Honestly, I don’t think it’s right to keep this from Sebastian. No matter what went down between the two of them, he is the father. He has the right to know about this baby. All I can hope is that Skylar gets her head clear and thinks this all through rationally. Everything is going to change now. I will support and help her any way she needs, and she knows that. I want her to be happy, and right now, I know she isn’t. Throwing a baby into the mix of the confusion doesn’t help matters.

  The moment the door opens, I’m ready. From the look on his face, he’s ready to butt heads with me, too. With his hands raised in a surrender motion, he makes his way closer to me. Psh, he won’t get off that easy. I’ve got plenty to say to this fucker and I don’t care who hears it. Shoving my finger into his chest, I unleash my anger on him.

  Even though her cough’s better, she still looks horrible. The morning sickness thing is really kicking her ass. The poor thing can’t seem to catch a break. I bet, between having pneumonia and this, she’s over lost fifteen pounds. Lucas has taken really good care of her since he and I had our little chat. I’m still not Team Lucas, but I will always be Team BFF, so Skylar is going to be whom I cheer for any day.

  I still don’t agree with her keeping Sebastian in the dark about this baby. It’s wrong in every possible way and I’m afraid it’s going to blow up in her face. The girl is making one train wreck mistake after another, and honestly, I don’t know how much longer I can sit back and watch it happen. Right now, I don’t want to upset her by bringing anything up, but when she gets stronger, I plan on pushing her to face things. She can try to fool herself all she wants, but she’s still head over heels in love with Sebastian. She’s not going to be able to change her heart by pretending to build a life with Lucas. The only reason I haven’t said anything to her before now is that I know she’d turn the tables on me. And she’d be right to. It’s true. I’m still madly in love Nikolas Thorne. And, deep down, I know I always will be.

  NIKOLAS

  Rolling my eyes, I listen to this insane plan that my cousin has come up with. Even I know that when a girl tells you to leave her alone, she means it. Why can’t he see that, too? Maybe it’s because, unlike me, he won’t give up on love. Perhaps a small part of me hates him for that.

  “I think you're a fucking idiot, Sebastian. She’s not gonna want to see you,” I warn.

  “I can’t keep waiting for her to decide when the time is right, Nik. Every day that I have to wait is torture.”

  “I’m telling you, dude, she’s going to hate you for showing up unannounced on her doorstep. She told you to give her space. Remember?”

  “She already hates me, Nik. There’s no way that I can keep on like this. I need to see her.”

  “What the hell did you do to mess things up in the first place? I mean, I never understood why the two of you broke up to begin with. One day I’m getting an elaborate wedding invitation hand delivered to me, and the next, you two are Splitsville. You can’t fool me, Cuz. I saw how much the two of you were in love with one another. That doesn’t just go away over something small.”

  Taking a deep breath, he sighs. Even from over the phone, I can feel his regret and sadness.

  “Everything that happened between the two of us had been all my fault. It’s not just something you can fix with an I’m sorry. It takes time to earn forgiveness, but I will do whatever it takes to make it right.”

  “Did you fucking cheat on her?” It’s the only thing that makes sense, because I know he wouldn’t hit her.

  “Fuck no, I didn’t cheat on her! Are you insane? I could never ever do that to her! Besides, have you forgotten how fucking hot she is? Why the hell would I ever want to cheat on that? I love her, man, with every breath in me. I always will. Besides dipshit, you’re one to talk. What the hell did you do to fuck things up with Kylie?”

  “Mind your own damn business!” I snap a little harsher than I intend. There’s absolutely no way I’m getting into all of that with him. Besides, I’m too ashamed of what I’ve said and done to ruin things with her in the first place. Call me a coward, but I can’t bear to hear the truth, even from my own lips.

  “Well, wish me luck. I’m on my way now to a meeting where she’ll be.”

  Seriously? He’s a determined bastard, I’ll give him that much.

  “Good luck and let me know what happens. Text me pictures of your injuries once she beats you half to death with her stilettos.”

  “Fuck you!”

  “Aww, how sweet of you Cuz, but you know I’m not into men. Don’t worry, I still love you though.”

  “Ugh, Later.”

  “Later.”

  When I hang up the phone, I find myself becoming more and more jealous of Sebastian being in LA. It’s where I should be right now, instead of almost fourteen hundred miles away in Texas. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to get the woman he loves back. Even though he knows this may all explode in his face, he’s still willing to take a chance and fight for her. My chicken-shit ass should be willing to do the same for Kylie. Pride’s always been my worst enemy when it came to owning up to my mistakes. The more time that goes by, the worse my life seems to become. Every single day, I ache for her. Every single day, I regret losing the best thing that has ever happened to me.

  With so much going on with the reconstruction of my new restaurant in Dallas, I’ve been swamped at work. The restaurant concept is actually a brilliant marketing idea of Kylie’s. The last time we were here in Dallas, we’d found this really cool old building in the downtown area. She bounced up and down when she saw that it was for sale. Instantly, I hesitated because I knew it would take a ton of renovations, but she was right. It’s the absolute perfect location for a restaurant. Secretly, I bought the place, wanting to surprise her the weekend we’d broken up. After losing her, I’ve done nothing but think about this place. It just feels like it belongs to us. Throwing my attention into the project has somehow made me feel closer to her. Now that it’s finished, I’m both scared and sad. It isn’t the same, opening this place without her. Honestly, I don’t know if I can.

  Typically I always have my phone on me, but I’m in such a hurry to meet with the inspector that I leave my phone at the hotel by accident. We still have several issues to fix in order to be able to meet certain building codes, so the meeting lasts all damn day.

  When I finally get back to the hotel, it’s really late. I’m beyond beat and all I want to do is crash. The flashing light on my phone indicates I’ve got messages waiting for me. Fuck! The last damn thing I want to do is go through a bazillion messages on the damn thing. As I pick it up to toss it across the bed, I notice Sebastian’s name as the last person who’d called. Scrolling down, I see he’s called at least twenty times.

  Laughing to myself, I guess he’s either calling to tell me how badly things have gone or how good they’ve turned out. Even though I love to prove him wrong, for his sake, I’m hoping it’s good news. I really want things to work between the two of them.

  Throwing off my shirt, I call him back. When Skylar answers, I smile. The sly son of a bitch has done it. He’s won her back.

  “Nik?” Her voice shakes and I know right away that something isn’t right.

  “Skylar, what’s wrong?”

  “It’s... there’s been an accident. He walked out into traffic. I... I tried to stop him, but it was like he was in some sort of trance.”

  “Calm down, Skylar, and tell me what happened? Is Sebastian all right?”

  “A car hit him, Nik, and now he won’t wake up. I can’t get anyone here to tell me anything. Oh god! He can’t die… I need him. We need him.”

  We? Why is she including me in on this?

  “Where are you? What hospital?”

  “We’re at Keck.”

  “Hang tight, Skylar. He loves you more than anything, so trust me, he’s not going anywhe
re. I’m in Dallas, but I’ll be on the first flight out. Call me when you get any updates.”

  “I will. Please hurry, Nik!”

  Throwing on my shirt again, I grab my keys and head out the door. Other than losing Kylie, I don’t think I’ve ever been so terrified in all of my life. Sebastian’s all the family I have, or at least all that I claim anymore. We love each other just like brothers. In my eyes, he’s always been invincible, a powerful force to reckon with. He can’t die. Swallowing the fear, I know I can’t fall apart right now. When I get there, I’ll have to be strong and confident for Skylar. Calling the airport, I have my pilot ready the plane for LA. I’m not really a spiritual man, but I find myself drawn to pray.

  Please God. Let him make it. Please.

  KYLIE

  When I see an upset Lucas coming back down the hallway, I know it isn’t the right time to talk to him about anything. From the looks of things, his conversation with Skylar had been an intense one. After walking into the hospital and finding Skylar pleading for Sebastian to live, I imagine he is pretty upset. So instead of pushing him to tell me anything, I leave him and go downstairs to check on Skylar. If I know my best friend at all, she’s blaming herself for everything. I’m pretty sure she’s a basket case right about now. Opening the door of the busy cafeteria, I spot her sitting in the corner. She’s leaning over the table with her head braced on her hands. From the shaking of her shoulders, I know she’s crying.

  “Hey babe. You all right?” I ask, sitting beside her and putting my arm around her. Her head drops and her body grows tense. This poor girl has been through so much. I can’t even imagine myself in her shoes.

  “I ruin everything.”

  “No, you don’t, Skylar. I already told you, we’ll figure all of this out.”

  “I told him, Kylie. I told him that I love Sebastian and how sorry I am for hurting him again.”

  “And? What did he say?”