Fall To Pieces: Broken #2 (The Broken Series)

by Walsh, Chloe

  Damn, I needed to take my girl shopping.

  No fucking way, was the mother of my child, going to wear clothes too small for her. Of course she’d freak, if I suggested it. I’d have to thread carefully. These pregnancy hormones were a crazy, unknown, terrifying bitch.

  “Are you nervous?” I whispered nudging her softly.

  She looked up from the magazine I knew she was pretending to read. She’d been staring at the same page for the past twenty minutes. She looked at me, chewing on her lip, she nodded slowly.

  I rested my hand on her knee.

  I felt her stiffen, but I didn’t move it and slowly, she relaxed.

  A burly looking, redheaded nurse stood with a folder in her hand, as her eyes swept across the crowded waiting room.

  “Delia Bennett?”

  Lee raised her hand timidly and started to stand.

  I stood with her and walked towards the nurse.

  The nurse introduced herself as Nurse Swallow-I nearly pissed myself at that at-and instructed us to follow her down a clean, clinical corridor, to the last door on the right.

  “You can make yourself comfortable on the bed, sweetie. This will be an external ultrasound, so no need to remove anything this time,” the nurse instructed, when Lee began to pull her jeans down her hips.

  Her fingers froze, her face blushed scarlet.

  So fucking adorable.

  “I’ll be back in a jiffy with the doctor.”

  The nurse left, leaving Lee and me alone.

  “That was so embarrassing,” Lee said, laughing quietly as she readjusted her jeans, and climbed onto the bed.

  “Nah, I’m sure there’s not much that could embarrass Nurse Swallow.” I laughed again at her name, and Lee joined me.

  “What do you think her brothers and sisters names are?” I asked. “Crow and Swan?”

  Lee snorted. “Swallow isn’t so bad. Her parents could have named her Thrush.”

  I had to bend over, I laughed so hard.

  “Well, princess, I hope you don’t have any weird animal fetishes, because we are not naming our child after a bird.”

  Lee chuckled, wiping a tear from her eye. “Agreed.”

  “Out of curiosity, what did she mean by doing an external ultrasound?”

  Lee leaned back, getting comfortable. She folded her arms behind her head and sighed. “I’ve had to have a few done, internally.”

  I gaped at her. “Internally how, where?”

  Call me a fool, but I didn’t get it.

  Lee pointed down to her crotch, and I blushed.

  I fucking blushed and nearly lost my breakfast.

  Jesus Christ, how the hell did that work? Did they put a camera inside of her, or something?

  I spotted a dildo-shaped, microphone thing, and a pack of condoms on the tray of the machine next to the bed, and cringed.

  Ugh, Got it.

  I felt like cupping my balls in sympathy.

  No wonder she hated me, she had doctors sticking god knows what, inside of her, because of me and my reproducing dick.

  The door opened and a white haired middle aged doctor strolled into the room. A middle aged male doctor.

  I wasn’t too sure I was cool with this. Didn’t they have any female doctors?

  His smile was friendly, and he had honest eyes, but still, I didn’t like it. Not one fucking bit.

  The doctor smiled broadly as he came to stand at the other side of Lee. “Lee. How have you been? Settling back into routine?”

  The way he called her ‘Lee’ made me think he knew her.

  Lee smiled, shaking the doctor’s hand. “Hello Dr. Ashcroft, I’m doing well, thank you. I’m getting there.”

  The good doctor nodded and raised his head.

  His eyes met mine, and I suddenly felt like I was the one being examined.

  Lee cleared her throat. “This is Kyle Carter. He’s my…He is the father.” She turned to me. “Kyle, Dr. Ashcroft was one of the doctors’ who operated on me.”

  I quickly understood the sudden scrutiny and cold appraisal. He knew.

  Dr. Ashcroft held his out hand towards me. “Hello, Mr. Carter, glad to finally meet you.” I could hear the snide undertone of his comment ‘Finally.’

  Stretching my hand over Lee’s head, I shook his hand. “Good to meet you, too, doc. I’m sure we’ll meet many more times in the future, considering you’re taking care of my family.”

  I glanced briefly at Lee who was frowning at me. She didn’t like me calling her mine.

  Well tough. She was going to have to get used to it, because she was never going to be anyone else’s, that was for fucking sure.

  The doc’s eyes widened slightly, in what looked like mutual respect.

  “That’s good to hear,” he said, before turning towards the ultrasound machine.

  He pulled on some gloves, gelled up Lee’s belly, and-with what I could only describe as a similar shaped device to one of Cam’s huge razors, the one with the soapy shit on it- began probing her swollen belly.

  Lee lifted her top up further as the doc placed extra paper towels around her lower stomach.

  “I thought they had a sonographer for this?” I asked, in irritation, when his hand slipped under the waistband of her jeans. “Or a female nurse.”

  Dr. Ashcroft chuckled. “Yes, but Lee’s case is quite complicated and I prefer to monitor her, myself.”

  I forced my gaze to the machine.

  Everything was kind of black and fuzzy. He fiddled with a few buttons on the machine, moving the wand around until, holy shit, I could see it.

  I could actually see it.

  “Is that…”

  I began to ask, but Lee interrupted me.

  “Does everything look okay?”

  Her tone was anxious and I grabbed her hand closest to me and squeezed. She squeezed back just as tightly.

  “Yes, perfect. I’m measuring the size of the baby at the moment…”

  His voice trailed off as he concentrated on the screen.

  Shit, was that good?

  I looked down at Lee and she smiled nervously at me. I could feel tears burning the backs of my eyes.

  This was incredible.

  A baby, a real live baby, with hands, feet, a head and a body wiggled on the screen in front of me.

  After three long and terrifying minutes, the doctor placed the wand back on the trolley.

  Handing Lee some more paper towels to clean the gunk off, he smiled at us. “Everything looks good. Perfect size for twenty-nine weeks, and the sex of the baby is still clear. As a pregnancy progresses, it can become quite difficult to tell. Would you like to know?”

  I said, “Yes,” at the same time Lee said, “No.”

  We both looked at each other and started to back track.

  “We can find out, if that’s what you’d like?” she suggested.

  I shook my head. “No, you’re the one doing all the work. We’ll do this your way.”

  I was stupefied as Dr. Ashcroft handed Lee a picture of the baby. My baby.

  She passed it to me, and I stared at it reverently.

  My heart was beating at a hundred miles per hour, and I’d never felt more for Lee, than I did in that moment. I swear, in that moment, I worshiped her.

  After a brief lecture-not one word of which I heard-Dr. Ashcroft asked us if we had any questions.

  I’d about a million, but again, Lee beat me to the cusp. “How soon can I go back to work?”

  I glared at her and then at the doctor who was frowning. “Well, physically you’re fit to work. But given your special circumstances, I would prefer you to steer clear of stressful environments and of course, no heavy lifting.”

  I butted in before Lee had a chance to speak. “So a loud and busy hotel environment, wouldn’t be a good idea? Like, housekeeping and waitressing?”

  I hoped like hell he would agree with me. Maybe then, Lee and I could put that argument to rest.

  “Most definitely not,” the doctor
confirmed. “During a normal pregnancy I would say, no problem, but due to Lee’s ectopic miscarriage and removal of her fallopian tube, I would strongly discourage her from working in that sort of environment.”

  Relaxing, I looked down, met Lee’s narrowed eyed glare and grinned. Sorry, baby, doctor’s orders.

  The doctor continued, oblivious to Lee’s dark mood.

  “Lee, it would be more prudent for you, to find a quieter, less stressful and strenuous job for the remainder of your pregnancy, if it is your intention to work.”

  “Don’t worry, doc,” I interrupted, ecstatic, and smiling broadly. “Lee won’t need to work. I’ve got her covered.”

  *****

  Lee

  That Jackass.

  He loved this.

  Kyle nodded in agreement with Dr. Ashcroft as they talked over how it would be ‘prudent’ for me to not return to work.

  What rubbish.

  If it wasn’t for the fact that Dr. Ashcroft had once saved my life, I would be seriously pissed.

  I grudgingly nodded at my cues and thanked him before we left.

  Walking back to the car, Kyle kept trying to talk to me, but right now, I wanted some damn peace and quiet.

  I wouldn’t be so mad, if it wasn’t for the fact that Kyle was reveling in victory, having gotten his own way, again.

  “So, am I supposed to guess what I’ve done this time, or should I just know?” he muttered as we pulled out of the hospital car lot.

  I looked over at his face and groaned internally.

  It would be so much easier stay pissy at him if he was ugly.

  “I want to work, Kyle. That was bull. I felt cornered in there.”

  Kyle took a deep breath and I figured that he was counting to ten in his head. I did too, and reached seven before he spoke. “You’re not going back to work. Get it out of your head.”

  I huffed and turned sideways to face him. “You are such an ass.”

  He laughed, which made me angrier.

  “Call me what you like, princess,” he chuckled. “But you’re not getting your way on this.”

  Folding my arms over my chest, I tucked a leg up on my seat.

  “I never get my way,” I growled. “And don’t tempt me.”

  At the end of the street Kyle took a right turn instead of a left.

  “Where are we going?” I asked. “The house is back that way.”

  Not even looking at me, Kyle indicated again, and drove into the mall parking lot, as he spoke, “We are going to go get you some decent clothes.”

  Pulling into a parking spot, he killed the engine and opened his door.

  Climbing out, he rounded the car and opened my door. “As hot as you look in those skin-tight jeans, we need to get you some…”

  “Don’t you dare say bigger,” I threatened, climbing out after him.

  Kyle stared wide eyed and innocent as he took my hand and led me towards the entrance. “I was going to say comfy; something more comfortable.”

  Sure he was.

  *****

  Kyle

  Shopping with Lee turned out to be far less painful than I had anticipated.

  As unassuming as she was, Lee was still a woman, and from my experience, they usually loved to shop.

  But the discount sweats and plain shirts Lee chose, showed just how different she was.

  I’d told her money was no object, but from the pained expression on her face, I’d let her be when she chose to shop in the discount rails.

  I’d forced her to buy some jeans and dresses, too, and she’d all but forcibly removed me from the lingerie section when she was picking out bras and panties.

  “Thank you for today and for the clothes, Kyle. I’ll pay you back,” Lee said when we got home.

  No way in hell, was she paying me back, but rather than cause another argument and ruin the best day I’d had in months, I wisely changed the subject.

  “Thank you, for including me today.”

  She smiled at me as I turned my key in the lock and opened the front door for her.

  The minute we stepped inside, Cam’s raised voice was bellowing from the living room.

  “I guess she’s back,” she mumbled nervously.

  I frowned, and nudged Lee into the kitchen.

  I was going to kill them. I hadn’t uttered a single vowel to Cam since she went bat shit on Lee the other night, but I hadn’t forgotten, and I definitely hadn’t forgiven her.

  The doc had said Lee needed to be in a stress free environment, and Cam and Derek going fucking nuclear in the front room, was setting off red flags in my head.

  I felt bad for Derek, but Lee was my priority. They could take their shit elsewhere.

  “Sit down, baby, I’ll be right back,” I muttered.

  Dropping our shopping bags on the table, I walked over to the door but Lee grabbed my arm, and tugged me back.

  “Don’t, Kyle. Let them be. It’s none of our business. Stay here with me.”

  I looked at her nervous expression and channeled a level of calm, I hadn’t realized I had.

  Lee smiled and lowered herself into one of the kitchen chairs.

  “Here,” I said, rooting around in one of my shopping bags until my hands found the small rectangular cardboard box.

  “What’s this?” Lee asked surprised, taking the package from me, and opening it.

  Her face snapped up. “You got me a phone?” She shook her head in confusion. “Why? I mean thank you, I mean, when did you get this?”

  “You need a phone, princess. I got it when you were getting your, uh, boobs measured.” I grabbed us two sodas from the fridge. “It’s all set up and ready to go, unlimited minutes and texts, so have at it.”

  “I’ve never had a phone before,” Lee muttered, staring nervously at the slim, white, plastic in her hands. “I don’t want to break it.”

  “You won’t break it, baby,” I laughed.

  Sitting down beside her, I took the phone from her hands and powered it up. “You’ve used Cam’s i-phone before. I got you the same one as her.”

  I stored my cell, and work numbers into her contacts list, and handed it back to her.

  “Thank you, Kyle,” she whispered, shaking her head. “It’s amazing.”

  She fiddled around with her phone for a few minutes before jumping up.

  “Oh, I nearly forgot, wait here,” she muttered rushing out of the room.

  A few minutes later she returned holding a rectangular box in her small fingers.

  “I got this for you months ago, before…”

  Her voice trailed off as she shoved the package into my hands. “Happy belated birthday.”

  Kissing my cheek awkwardly, she came and sat beside me.

  “What is it?” I asked, staring down at the fancy wrapping paper and bow.

  “It’s nothing special,” she mumbled, blushing. “Just something I’d been putting together for you. I almost forgot I had it. I had intended to give it to you on your birthday, but…”

  We’d been fighting…

  Tearing open the box, I looked inside, and gaped.

  “When did you do this, princess?” I asked in awe as I took the book out of the box.

  Her face reddened. “When we were together, before the…Um, it’s really not a big deal.”

  I shook my head, at a loss for words.

  Opening the first page of the brown, leather book, I was bombarded with emotions, as memory after memory of our life together, unfolded on the pages.

  The movie stub, from that god awful chick flick we went to see, was glued to a page, along with the feather from my Peter Pan hat and a Halloween candy wrapper.

  There was a Kings of Leon C.D taped to another page, along with two photo’s; one of us dressed as Peter Pan and Tinkerbelle on Halloween, and another one of us with our arms wrapped around each other, grinning, as we stood in front of that ugly-ass tree, last year.

  I remembered Cam taking the photo of us at Christmas; she’d been snap-hap
py with her phone when she got home from the club, the night Lee and I had put up the tree.

  But I hadn’t realized I’d been snapped me in those tights…

  “It’s a memory book,” Lee explained quickly. “I thought…maybe it’s silly. You hate it, here; I’ll just take it…”

  I held her wrist when she tried to take the book.

  “No,” I said, my voice hoarse. “I love it. Thank you.”

  “Oh,” she sighed blushing. “That’s good, I mean, you’re welcome.”

  “Lee, baby, it’s just me. You can relax.”

  I hated that she was so skittish. I wanted her to be comfortable.

  I could have sworn I heard Lee mutter, “Can I?” but I wasn’t certain, so I got up and made some coffee.

  “So, how are you feeling, after today?” I asked placing a cup of decaf in front of her. “You tired?”

  Resting her elbows on the table; she curled her fingers around her cup, and sighed heavily. “Okay I guess. Physically, I feel fine. Emotionally, I’m a wreck.”

  I’d been waiting for Lee to talk to me; to open up. Now she was, and I hadn’t a fucking clue, what to say.

  She continued quickly. “I am happy you came with me today, Kyle. It felt right, like I’m not completely alone. I mean, I know I’m not, but it was nice to have you with me. It fitted, you know?”

  Sitting down, I nodded and pulled one of her hands into mine.

  “Yeah, I really do. I liked it too, Lee. It felt good to me.”

  I paused for a second; racking my brain for something to say that would fit the situation, yet, not entirely freak her out. “You were amazing today, princess.”

  She snorted, and shook her head at me. “Oh yeah, it’s such an amazing thing, to lie on the flat of my back.”

  I chose to ignore the sexual innuendos, that raced through my brain.

  “You were,” I said. “Seeing the baby on that screen, knowing that my son or daughter is growing inside of you as we speak, that is definitely an amazing thing. You are incredible.”

  She had a pained look on her face and I feared I’d said something stupid and fucked it up again, but what she said next, took the air right out of my lungs.