Taylor rested her elbows on her desk and dropped her chin onto her hands. "I guess Cam turned Samantha away when we were all leaving, so she moved onto Owen instead."
My mouth dropped to the floor and curled into a startled smile. I did not see that coming. "She certainly didn't waste any time."
"Tell me about it. And with Owen? That's not like him at all." She shrugged a heavy shoulder. "I have yet to get Sam's side of the story. Have you talked to Sam today?"
I shook my head no. "I thought maybe you had, since she didn't show this morning. I can't say I'm terribly surprised."
"True. But she's not answering her phone. I called her yesterday to check on her. I'm honestly getting a little worried."
One of the clients stood from their chair and approached the desk, so I knew I had to keep it short. "She probably just slept through her alarm. I'm sure she's fine."
***
I DIALED ALIAH’S CELL, eager to hear some news. Before I could even breathe, Aliah snapped at me. "Why did you make me do this? This was the worst idea ever," she squawked, as a woman’s muffled scream sounded from her end of the line. "I was already pretty sure, but now I definitely know, I will never have kids!"
"Is everything okay?"
"No. Everything is so far from okay right now,” she cried. “I saw one of the babies heads coming out, Abby. Hunter's all, Oh, it's such a beautiful, natural thing. Screw that. It's the most disgusting thing I have ever seen in my life. There’s nothing natural about it. I will never get that image out of my mind. I'm seriously scarred and it's all your fault."
I smirked after hearing her horrified version of events.
"Then there's the blood. It's everywhere. And all the nurses are all smiling at Maddie, cooing to her, You're doing great, Maddie. Keep up the good work," she mocked. "Trust me when I say that she does not look great. After what I saw, I can guarantee you she will never be great ever again."
I giggled with excitement, happy to hear the progress. "You left before the babies were delivered? You have to find out what she had! I just have to know."
"Why don't you get your ass down here and see for yourself?” she demanded. “Hunter might be doing just fine, but I could use your support."
"We're already short staffed, with you and Sam off. I'll swing by after work."
"Ugh. I swear to you, I am not stepping foot into that labour room again until they’re out. No bloody babies for me, thank you very much."
When she ended the call, I couldn't help but chuckle at her lack of enthusiasm. But she was missing out on one of the most amazing experiences of Hunter's life; the birth of his first child. I was sure it marked the beginning of the end for them.
***
MADDIE BREATHED THROUGH GRITTED teeth, staring at the white wall with sheer determination. "Ahhh," she screamed, as she gave another push.
Hunter stood hunched at her side. He brushed a sweaty lock of hair from her eyes, his other had fisted beneath her back to ease the pain.
"Just one more push, honey," the nurse instructed. "You're almost there."
"Come on, Maddie. Just one more push. You can do it, baby," Hunter cheered.
Maddie pushed with all her might, screaming at the top of her lungs. "He wants out now. Please take him out!"
With that final push, out came a shoulder and a baby boy was born. Before long, Maddie felt the urge to push again. Hunter's facial expressions suggested he could feel her pain.
"Slow down little one. Just one more minute," the doctor cooed, as he flipped the second baby with the forceps.
After a little bit of coaxing, baby number two came out to meet her new parents. "It's a girl," the doctor announced, promptly handing the baby to a nurse standing by.
"A girl?" Hunter asked, stunned.
"A boy and a girl," Maddie chimed, with tear-filled eyes.
Baby number one had already been tested and was swaddled warmly in a blanket. The nurse handed the baby to his emotional father.
"Hey, buddy,” he said, staring at his healthy baby boy. “I’m your daddy.”
Words weren’t sufficient to describe the joy Maddie was feeling in that moment, as Hunter approached her with her brand new baby.
“Come and meet your mommy," Hunter said, as he reached the little bundle to Maddie and helped her position his hungry little mouth. Moments later, Hunter held his little girl, wrapped snugly in his arms, eagerly awaiting her mother's milk.
Maddie watched on with a whole heart, as Darien fed from her and their precious baby girl wiggled in Hunter's arms. After the labour mess was cleaned up, the hospital staff all filed out of the room.
"We'll give you some time alone,” a nurse said. “I think you two seem to have things under control. Just make sure that both little ones get some more of mommy's milk. If you have any trouble or need anything, just hit this button here.” The nurse wrapped an emergency button around the side of Maddie’s bed. After scribbling her name on the marker board, the nurse left the room.
Maddie started to hum, filling the silence with a sweet tune to relax the squirmy, little guy while he continued to suckle at his mother’s breast.
“So much for calling this little one Raymond.” Hunter gawked at his baby girl, choked up with emotion. "You're just a bundle of surprises aren't you?" he cooed.
"I wasn't crazy about that name anyway,” Maddie admitted. “What would you like to call her?"
"You're honestly asking me?"
"If you're going to play an equal role in our babies’ lives then it's only fair that you have a say," Maddie answered, softly.
Darien started to fidget again and so Maddie resumed humming. It calmed him instantly.
Hunter watched her, not understanding the emotions running through him. This moment was so intimate. "I've got it," he said. "It's perfect for our little angel."
"What is it?" Maddie asked, curiosity fueling her excitement.
"Do you trust me?"
"Yes,” she answered, without a doubt. “You know I do."
"Melody,” Hunter said. “Darien and Melody Wight."
Her face warmed and she smiled at him with all her teeth. "Oh, Hunter. I love it! I love you…" Her eyes grew wide and she shuddered with embarrassment. "I mean…"
"It's okay. You're emotional. I know the feeling," Hunter said, appreciating everything she had been through to birth his children.
Maddie softened and smiled again. "Why don’t we call her Melody Rae?"
"It's perfect," Hunter replied, then looked into his beautiful baby’s eyes. "What do you think, Melody Rae? Do you like it?"
Maddie smiled, consumed with happiness and overwhelmed with love for her new family. "How did you come up with that name anyway?" she asked Hunter. "Just curious."
Hunter smiled. "You were humming to Darien and I was just thinking about how beautiful your singing voice is. Then it came to me," Hunter admitted, without realizing the implications of what he had just said. He brought Melody Rae to her mother and lifted Darien back into his arms.
Maddie watched Hunter, as he took a seat in the padded chair and leaned back in it, to rock Darien to sleep.
"I think I could use a nap myself," Hunter said to Darien softly, closing his eyes for a rest. Hunter slowly rocked the chair, while Melody Rae re-acclimated herself with her mother's breast.
Maddie stared at her child with admiration, as a tear of joy dropped down her cheek. "Melody Rae," she whispered. "A perfect name for a perfect baby."
***
AFTER ARGUING WITH THE nurse for 15 minutes in the maternity ward, Edwin and I finally caught Aliah pacing at the end of the hall. She hustled down the long corridor the second she noticed us.
"It's about time!" she hollered. Her voice echoed through the quiet halls and a baby started crying in a nearby room.
The nurse let us pass. "We came as soon as we could," I said, softly. "How are they?"
"They're fine. Maddie's exhausted, but she's totally elated. Hunter's no different. It's actually pre
tty nauseating to be around it. I can only handle them in short spurts."
"Are you going to come in with us?" I asked Aliah, when I noticed her hesitation.
"I'll walk you there, but I think maybe it's time for me to run."
I flashed a serious glance at Edwin and he lifted his eyebrows in recognition of my concerns. Aliah led us to the last room on the right. Edwin knocked lightly on the door and then peeked inside.
"Hey, guys. Come on in," Hunter called, softly.
Aliah waited in the hall.
"Congrats," Edwin said, reaching his hand out for a shake.
Hunter seemed rattled as he struggled to free a hand with Darien in his arms.
"It's all good, brother,” Edwin said, withdrawing his hand. “I'll get you later."
Hunter smiled with appreciation. "Thanks."
I walked right up to Maddie's bedside. "How are you feeling?"
"A lot better than I look," she admitted, with a soft smile.
"Stop," Hunter said, catching everyone's attention. "You look absolutely radiant. Tell her she looks beautiful, Edwin."
"You look beautiful," Edwin conceded, smirking.
I leaned over the bed to take a peek at the tiny bundle of sweetness in her arms. "And who do we have here?"
"This is Melody Rae. Isn't she an angel?"
I took the baby’s little hand in between my finger and thumb. "Oh, is she ever. I thought you were having boys."
"What can I say? Things change," Hunter confessed.
"These two definitely change everything," Maddie added, sharing a gentle glance with Hunter.
Aliah stomped into the room in misery. "Okay, I've had enough of this. Will you two stop with the whole everything's changed bull shit? I don’t care if you spit out a couple of kids, it doesn’t make Hunter yours.”
Darien started to cry from Aliah’s harsh tone and Hunter’s reaction made everyone step back from him. He turned on his smile for his baby, as he gently bounced with Darien to soothe him.
"It's okay, buddy. Please don’t cry. She didn't mean to upset you," Hunter cooed, then planted a kiss on the baby’s forehead.
"Oh, I upset him?" Aliah squealed, dramatically. "I'm out of here. And maybe while I'm gone you should reconsider what’s most important to you.”
The twins that bound Maddie and Hunter together with happiness were tearing Aliah apart. She fled the room enraged and, as soon as she was gone, the calm returned. With Hunter not making any move to chase after her, I hurried into the hall and ran after Aliah myself. I found her jabbing at the elevator button, as though it might make the door open faster.
"What are you doing?" I asked, a little breathless.
"I'm getting the hell out of here. He doesn't want me here anyway. I'm just getting in the way of their little family."
"You're giving up? That's not you," I stated.
"And you think that's Hunter in there? Maddie's right. Everything has changed. Hunter's not the same person he was before…before that whore got knocked up."
"He still loves you," I reminded her.
"I don’t doubt that he does. But I can see that Maddie’s obsessed with stealing Hunter from me, and I know for a fact that Maddie told Hunter she loves him. And you know what, Abby? He didn't even tell her to back off. I overhead them when they were naming the babies. Then he tells her how beautiful her voice is. Ugh!"
"I’m sorry."
"Like I said, he's changed and I'm fine with that."
I was having a hard time believing her. "Are you really okay?"
She sighed and nearly lost it, tears welling in her eyes. "I was acting okay and I thought I was doing a damn good job of it, so don’t interrupt my performance, okay?" she croaked, trying so hard to keep it together.
I reached my arms out to her and tucked her head onto my shoulder. "Stop tormenting yourself and just let it out. You don't have to be so strong all the time.”
Aliah lifted her head, and I knew she was locking her emotions away in a vault. "I appreciate what you're trying to do here, and maybe if Hunter gave a damn about anyone other than Maddie it'd be worth a tear.”
Just then, Hunter spoke, appearing out of nowhere. "This has nothing to do with Maddie, so let’s leave her out of it. You know I love you, Ally. But these babies are my blood. They will always be my number one."
Aliah spun around, jerking out of my arms. Hunter remained a few steps away from her, retaining his emotional distance. She scowled at him, pulling her vulgar attitude back out. "And I suppose that will make Maddie always your number two. Where do I fit in?" she demanded, so loud I'm sure Maddie and Edwin heard her.
He turned his eyes to the floor and conjured up the words. "I'm sorry…"
"Stop," Aliah hollered. "Save it. That's just not gonna fly with me. I deserve better than that." Aliah was barely hanging on to her anger, with other more feminine emotions starting to weave back into her voice.
Right on cue, the elevator door opened. She stomped inside, forgetting I was even there, and instantly hit the close button. "Have a good life," she said, coldly, as the door closed between them.
Hunter stood in front of the stainless steel doors, staring straight ahead at his scattered reflection, and voiced a deep sigh. He lowered his head again and closed his eyes. When I rested my hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze, he looked up at me through guilty eyes.
"It was unintentional. I didn’t mean for her to get hurt like this,” he said, with a sigh. “Honestly though, this is the happiest day of my life and she couldn't even spit out a congratulations."
I grabbed onto Hunter's elbow and pulled him back down the hall. There was nothing I could say that would ever undo what had just happened between them. I wasn’t even sure that it was worth it for them to try and put the broken pieces back together.
“I’m going to grab a coffee,” Hunter said, just as we reached the room. “You want one?”
“No, thanks. I’m good.”
Hunter strode off and I returned to the room to give him his space. The first thing I saw when I walked in the door was Edwin standing there. Big, powerful, Eddie. And he was holding a baby. My heart lurched at the sight of him brimming with cheer, admiring Darien only a few inches from his face. I could see the love, and sense his pride from helping Maddie with the brand new baby.
"He's so precious," I said, as Edwin enveloped the tiny baby in his arms. Seeing Edwin in that moment was a dream come true, digging at my innermost desires and displaying them before me. My heart swelled in my throat.
Suddenly Edwin’s eyes grew wide and I feared that he was having a panic attack. "Uh, oh," Edwin announced, making a sour face. "I think it's your turn to hold Darien."
I gladly scooped the little guy from his arms and quickly realized why Edwin was so eager to pass him off. "I think you need your bum changed," I said, to the adorable baby boy.
I carried Darien to the bassinet and carefully laid him down on his back. Fresh diapers were stored in plain sight and I was fully prepared to change his adorable little bottom. But when Hunter stepped in and saw what I was doing, he took over territorially.
"I've got this," he said, nudging me away with one hand, his other on the baby’s tummy.
"Wow, that's a good daddy," Maddie chimed.
"Daddy. That sounds good on you," I said, as I moved out of his way.
His smile was double the size of mine.
“You’re in trouble now,” Edwin teased. “You change this one butt and you're sealing your fate, brother."
"It's not that bad," Hunter insisted. "I already changed Melody Rae once." He quickly swaddled Darian back up and joined Maddie at the other side of her bed. He protectively glanced over his babies, with love shining in his eyes, as Melody Rae slept peacefully in her mother's arms.
They looked like a cute little family, and what a pair they made. Hunter and Maddie were both entirely exhausted, all of their arms fully occupied, and yet it didn't obscure the happiness emanating from them.
; "It looks like you're going to be pretty busy from now on," I said to them.
"Nothing we can't handle together," Maddie replied, glancing up at Hunter.
There was so much love in her eyes. Hunter’s answering smile showed that he was equally as smitten. Maddie had finally gotten what she wanted.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
THE PHONE WAS RINGING off the hook, but I sure as hell wasn't going to get up to grab it. "Are you going to get it? They're obviously not giving up," I said, slamming a pillow over my head to hide from the blaring phone.
After a long sleepless night, neither I nor Edwin were in a particularly good mood to take any early morning calls, but Edwin rolled out of bed anyway. Moaning he picked up the phone.
"This better be good," he moaned, then quickly changed his tune. "Really? You're kidding."
I ripped the pillow off my face and sat up, instantly taking notice as he listened carefully and stared back at me with disbelief rampant in his features.
"Let me know if there's anything we can do. I'll let Abby know. She's right here. Okay, thanks for calling." Edwin hung up the phone and returned to the bed, sitting next to me without spitting out the news.
"You'll let me know what?" I demanded, knowing it had to be serious.
"It's Samantha."
"What does she want?" I asked, not catching his drift.
"She's dead."
An overwhelming sense of shock and alarm overcame me, as he told me what he knew.
"I guess she was in the bathtub and passed out. She slipped under the water and drowned."
"No." I gasped and covered my mouth with a trembling hand, my entire body catching the jitters.
Just the other night we were partying together and I had shared more than one backstabbing comment about her. Never did I believe that karma would actually take her out like this so suddenly.
"Apparently Taylor called Sam's mother last night, since Sam didn't show up to work yesterday. Her mother went to her apartment to check on her and found her in the bathtub."
"Oh my gosh."
"You okay?" Edwin asked, petting my arm. "You're sure you want to hear this?"
I nodded, but my stomach was already roiling like a reckless tornado.
A Twist of Fate (The Twisted Trilogy) Page 22