“She hung up,” I say with a sigh, tossing my phone to the side. Mitch purses his lips. “I’m sure it’s fine, the police were on their way over there. Did it go straight to voicemail?” “Nah, it rang a couple times and then she hung up.” I glance at Mitch and see him nod. He tries to keep his face straight but I know he’s thinking exactly the same thing as me: That’s not a good sign. Either she can’t talk, or Greg has her phone. If he saw my name flash on the screen it might have made him angry. “What if he has her phone,” I say slowly. “It might set him off to see me calling. If he has he, and he’s mad…” I stare at the dark screen of my phone. My chest suddenly feels hollow at the thought that I’m endangering Harper just by calling her. “Don’t think like that. The police have been gone an hour. They’re with her, they have to be. Maybe one of them hung up the phone. Maybe she can’t talk because they’re interviewing her. There could be a thousand things going on. Don’t panic.” I nod, but I can’t look at him. He could give me a thousand logical explanations but I can’t stop thinking of Greg’s face when it was inches from mine. His eyes were two black circles with white showing all around. There was no life in them, no emotion except rage. Rage directed at me. If that rage were to be aimed at Harper… “He told me to stay away. If he sees my name on her phone he knows I’m not listening.” “Zach, stop. This isn’t you. You’re not like this. Don’t panic. Are you in pain? Do you need more meds? Is it time for more morphine?” I grin and finally meet Mitch’s eye. “Always trying to get me fucked up, hey?” “What else are friends for? Give me some of that IV if you’re not enjoying it.” I chuckle and the movement sends pain radiating through my chest. I wince, bringing a hand up to my bandage. “At least you’ll end up with a gnarly scar,” Mitch says, motioning to my chest. “The ladies love scars.” “I’m not interested in what the ladies love,” I reply. I close my eyes and can almost feel Harper’s fingers trail over and back across my chest. I love the way she brushes her fingertips ever so gently on my skin. It makes me feel like there’s nowhere else in the world I’d rather be than right beside her. Right now, there isn’t. I try to shift my weight and groan. Even lifting my torso up away from the bed is exhausting. “Will you stop fucking moving?! Zach, you’ve been stabbed! You just had major surgery.” Mitch puts his hand on my shoulder. I look over at him and see the concern in his eyes. “Jesus Christ, Zach. Come on.” I nod and lay back, resigning myself to the fact that I’m going to have to let the police do their job. Mitch sees me settle down and sits back in his chair. I sigh and close my eyes, trying to imagine Harper’s eyes when she’s laughing. They sparkle like two emeralds. “So how did this all happen, you and Harper?” I open my eyes and see Mitch staring at me curiously. His voice is casual but his eyes betray his intense curiosity. I shrug, and then wince as the pain shoots through my arm. “It just kind of… happened. I don’t know. I’d never really spoken to her and then we started spending time together at work on the Latif file and Mitch,” I pause and glance at him. “She’s fucking amazing. She’s so smart and driven and people love her! She has the most amazing eyes and she’s funny, you know? Like really funny. The things she says are just constantly surprising me.” Mitch grins. “You’ve got it bad. It’s over. You’re done.” I blow the air out of my nostrils. “I know.” “And the kid… was that planned?” “No.” I grimace. “I reacted badly. I didn’t mean to.” “You said that.” Mitch leans forward. “Listen, it’ll work out. She’ll understand. Right now you just need to focus on resting. At the end of the day you got stabbed on your way to her place. That’s got to count for something, right? Like, sure, you acted like a dick when you found out but then you almost died! She can’t hate you forever!” I can’t help but laugh even though I know it’ll send flames of pain through my side. Mitch grins. “Yeah, it’s got to count for something.” “Let’s get you some more painkillers,” Mitch says as he grabs the call button next to the bed. “You deserve it.” “You’re an idiot,” I laugh as a nurse pops her head in the door. I lay back in bed and close my eyes. I’m glad Mitch is here, if only to distract me from the gnawing fear that I was too late, that I’ve put Harper in more danger, that I’ve ruined everything. I should have been with her. At the end of the day he’s right, I can’t even move out of this bed, let alone go after a deranged stalker. I need to trust the police. If Harper and I make it out of this then I can explain myself. I can be a dad and I can be with Harper. I glance at my phone and feel another kind of pain in my chest when the blank screen stares back at me. I resist the urge to dial her number again. Chapter 43 – Harper
The second the car stops it’s a flurry of frantic activity. “Stay here,” Officer Benson commands. “But!” “Stay. Here.” He tells me. He motions for me to put my foot back inside the car and then closes the door. He jogs up the few steps to the apartment block and I watch in frustration from my seat in the police cruiser. I crack the door open to see if I can hear anything, and then step out of the car. There’s a few police officers at the door and they motion at me to stop. I hold up my arms and motion to the car, leaning against it. I’m not moving, I’m just going to go crazy if I have to sit in the car! They seem to understand and turn back towards the door. I can hear the static of their radios buzzing with unintelligible voices. I wish I could hear. I scan the building. Rosie lives in an old brick building, kind of like mine. The alleyways that surround it are narrow and dark, and I know she has a fire escape just like mine. I frown. Greg never used my front door, always choosing the fire escape. Suddenly I’m standing up like a bolt and jogging towards the officers. “He’ll use the fire escape.” “Ma’am, please go back to the car. Back up. Ma’am” “He’ll use the fire escape! We need to cover the back!” They’re not listening. One of them is grabbing my arm and guiding me towards Benson’s cruiser. I yank my arm away and take off running towards the alley. Their shouts are drowned out by the pounding of my heart in my ears. I can only hear my breath, my heartbeat, and the sound of my footsteps on the pavement. I think someone is following me and shouting but I can’t be sure. I dive down the alley and sprint to the end. The fire escapes are all on the far side. In a few steps I’ve reached the corner of the building. I skid around the corner, almost losing my balance as my eyes scan up the building. I hear him before I see him. The steel staircases are clanging as he sprints down them. I glance up further and see two police officers who are at least three storeys higher than him. They’ll never catch him. I scan the alleyway and see a dumpster a few feet away from me. I crouch down behind it, praying Greg won’t look down and see me before he’s on the ground. If he goes the other direction I’ll never get to him. The last staircase is facing me, so I’m hoping he just takes off running straight ahead. Time seems to slow down. All day today each second seemed to rush by but now it seems like an eternity since I’ve been crouched behind this smelly dumpster. I can hear Greg’s footsteps. Clang, clang, clang. He’s practically sprinting down the stairs. I can hear his breath now, ragged and laboured as he moves closer and closer. Finally I hear the crunch of gravel under his feet. My body is like a coiled spring. I can feel every atom in my body vibrating with anticipation as each footstep brings Greg Chesney closer to my hiding spot. One, Two, Three! I didn’t know it was possible for me to spring forward that quickly. The instant Greg’s sprinting form passes by me I’m on his heels, rushing at him. I realise when he turns his head towards me that I’m screaming like a deranged banshee. The wordless scream rips through my raw vocal chords as I hurl myself towards him. Our bodies crash together and I wrap my arms around him. We fall to the ground and my arm stays pinned underneath him. We land with a thud and the air gets knocked out of me. He’s kicking, I’m kicking, we’re flailing on the ground. My arms are around him like a vice. There’s no thought, no intention, just pure animal instinct. I hear myself screaming and screaming and screaming. Arms and legs appear around us. I’m torn off him and he’s tackled to the ground again. He’s handc
uffed, I’m being sat down, there’s screaming, movement, questions, noise. My chest is heaving and finally I can focus my eyes. Officer Benson is leaning down, nose to nose with me. “What the fuck were you thinking! Didn’t I tell you to stay put?!” “Rosie.” I’m panting, I can’t speak. The anger in his eyes softens ever so slightly. “Paramedics are on the way. We need to get her to hospital.” I spring up to my feet and feel his strong arms hold me back. “Calm down, fuck!” He shouts. “Guys!” Two more sets of arms wrap themselves around me and I stop moving. “The paramedics are on the way, I said! There’s nothing you can do. Come on.” He nods his head and the two men lead me out front. We turn the corner just as the ambulance skids to a stop. I resist the urge to rush forward, instead waiting in tortuously long wait until I see the stretcher come down the stairs. I push my way into the ambulance behind her. The paramedics look at me curiously but nod to the officers, who let me go. “Rosie!” “Harps,” she pants. There’s red blood seeping through the bandages the paramedics have wrapped around her stomach. “Hey.” “Shh,” I say as the tears well up. I find her hand and give it a squeeze. She squeezes back weakly, and her eyes flutter closed. “Ok, Rosie, I need you to stay with us. Stay with us, ok?” The paramedic keeps talking, keeps Rosie awake as the ambulance starts speeding down the road. I hold her hand and ignore the tears as they keep streaming down my cheeks. “Come on, Rosie,” I whisper. She squeezes my hand ever so gently and I let the tears flow down. “Come on, Rosie.” Chapter 44 – Zach
My body is screaming as I lift myself off the bed. Pain is radiating from my chest through my side and down my arm. Mitch holds me steady and guides me to the wheelchair. “This is stupid, Zach. I can go get her! You should be in bed.” “I need to see her.” There’s no hesitation in my voice, and it leaves no room for argument. Mitch sighs audibly but helps me up. I blow the air out of my nostrils as soon as I’m settled in the chair. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath as the pain in my chest dulls slightly. “You alright?” “Yeah, I’m fine,” I respond with a grimace. I’m not fine, but I have to see her. The police told me that Harper was ok, she was here with Rosie. I didn’t understand anything they said after that, something about surgery, critical condition, arrests. All I know is that Harper is in this hospital, waiting on Rosie to get out of surgery and I need to be with her. I already messed up once by not being with her when she needed me, I’m not going to let that happen again. Mitch throws a blanket over my legs and tucks it in beside me. “You’re going to make a great mother someday, you know that Mitch?” “Shut up, Zach,” he replies with a grin. “You ready?” “Let’s go.” Mitch moves behind me and starts pushing the wheelchair. A second later, the front wheel crashes into the corner of he bed and my body lunches forward. I grunt as the impact sends another wave of nauseating pain through my chest. “Fuck!” “Oops! Sorry buddy!” “Be careful! I just got stabbed for fuck’s sake.” I glance behind me and Mitch is looking at the doorway. I hear her before I see her. “You two are like the Stooges,” she says. I can hear the smile in her voice. “Where are you going in your state anyways?” She’s gorgeous. Harper is standing in the doorway looking radiant. Her hair is pulled back in a low bun and her eyes look tired and drawn but they’re shining bright, just like I’ve been imagining this whole time. “Harper,” I breathe. The seconds tick by until Mitch clears his throat. “I’ll be just outside if you need me.” He squeezes my shoulder as he walks by and we exchange a glance. I dip my chin down and he does the same. Thanks, I tell him with my eyes. The door closes softly behind him and then Harper and I are alone. “I was just coming to find you,” I say to fill the silence. “In your state?! You fool.” She’s smiling and I feel the corners of my lips curl upwards. “Maybe I am a fool. I had to see you, to make sure you were OK. Harper, I…” my voice catches in my throat. “I just want to say I’m so-“ “Stop.” She holds up a hand and comes closer. Taking a seat in the chair next to the bed, she reaches forward and places her hand over mine. The second her skin touches mine, a healing warmth fills me. My throat feels like it’s completely closed up. “How’s your chest? They told me you were stabbed.” “It’s fine,” I lie. “How about you, are you OK? How’s the baby?” Harper’s eyes shine bright for a second before she answers. “I’m fine. The baby is fine as well, they gave me a full checkup when I came in. I was lucky. Rosie is in bad shape. She’s stable now, they’re saying she’ll make a full recovery. It’s all my fault, for both of you! You never would have gotten hurt if you hadn’t been seeing me. Greg attacked her with a knife and -“ Her voice catches and the tears fall down her cheeks. I grab her hand in mine and give it a squeeze. I notice the red marks on her wrists and brush them lightly. “What’s this?” I whisper. Harper pulls her hand away and pulls her sleeve down before brushing her tears away. “Nothing.” “Harper..” We stare at each other in silence until I clear my throat. “None of this is your fault, you hear me? No one could have predicted it.” I don’t know what to say. I don’t know where to start or how to explain how I feel. How can I put it into words? How can I tell her that she means the world to me and that I’d let myself get stabbed a million times if it meant she and our baby were safe and healthy. How can I tell her that the past couple days have been torture, not only because of Greg Chesney but because I wasn’t with her, because I let her down? I turn the wheelchair towards her and put both my hands on her knees. Finally I build up the courage to say the only thing that even comes close to describing how I feel. It comes out as a barely audible whisper as I force myself to look into her shining eyes. “I love you.” Harper says nothing, but the tears start streaming down her cheeks again. My heart starts thumping and I reach up to brush them away. “It’s true, Harper. I love you. I’m sorry I was an ass. I want to be with you and I want to have this baby.” I can’t say anything else because Harper’s lips are on mine. She flies into my arms and my chest explodes, but the pain is like background noise. The only thing that matters is Harper’s kiss, her touch, her body. I tangle my fingers into her hair and pull her in. This kiss is more than just a kiss. It’s the end of everything that’s been going on between us since that doctor’s appointment. It’s everything I’ve been too scared to say, everything I’ve been too scared to feel. Harper wraps her arms around my neck and sits down on my lap. I wrap my arms around her and pull her in closer, breathing in deeply to inhale her scent. I pull my head back. “I was so worried about you. It was killing me to be stuck here.” “I didn’t think of you at all,” she replies with a grin before leaning over and kissing me softly. She pulls her lips away and rests her forehead against mine. “I thought of you constantly ever since you dropped me off. Zach,” she hesitates and then takes a deep breath. “I love you too.” It might have taken a few minutes for her to say it back to me but it doesn’t matter. As soon as the words leave my lips I feel like I’m floating. The pain leaves my body and I run my fingers along her jaw to pull her in for another kiss. Nothing else matters. Nothing matters except Harper and our child. I slide my hand down and place it over her stomach. She interlaces her fingers over mine and pulls her head back, smiling at me. We both look down at our hands and then back at each other’s eyes. Her green eyes look like the emeralds I’ve been picturing all day. There’s nothing in them except relief, happiness, and love. Chapter 45 – Harper
Knocked Up by the CEO: A Secret Baby Holiday Office Romance Page 13