Ember Skies

by Nicky Crawford

  Today is homecoming. I am terrified for Austin to be back, but elated that Trent will finally be home for Harper. It has been exceptionally rough lately and I know having Trent back safe and sound, will help ease her mind just a bit.

  We spent a lot of time trying to decide who was going to pick up Trent. Harper couldn’t go because she’s on bedrest, Dalton and I couldn’t go for obvious reasons, so that left Blake. He was more than willing to pick Trent up. We all felt terrible for not being there when the buses pulled up, Harper especially, but Trent understood. He actually suggested that Blake be the one to do it.

  “Harper must be trying on every outfit she owns. She’s taking forever.”

  “Well babe, I’m sure you remember what it’s like to fit clothes over a baby bump.”

  Ugg I remember. It was awful. I had Harlee in May so I wasn’t able to just throw a dress on and call it a day, I had to wear pants and buy a ton of maternity shirts. I can’t complain too much because I was able to skip being pregnant during the hottest days of the year.

  “Ember! Dalton!”

  The sound of Harper screaming our names instantly terrified me. We burst into her room and saw Harper standing by her closet with a horrified look on her face. Blood was running down her legs and I felt the color drain from my face. She hasn’t been having contractions, nor has her water broke, so I know the blood cannot be coming from her being ready to push.

  “We have to get her to the hospital, Dalton. Call Blake and have them meet us there.” I rushed toward Harper and grabbed her hand, “Its okay, honey. Let’s go.”

  On the way to the truck, she started throwing up and complaining of back pain. We put her in the passenger seat with a small trash can and drove as fast as we could to the hospital. While Dalton called Blake and Trent, I called the hospital to let them know we would be pulling up shortly.

  “Why is this happening? Please don’t take my baby. No no no. I can’t do this. I can’t…”

  Harper began to sob. I felt so helpless. Dalton glanced in the backseat at me, wearing the same torn expression. I did my best to comfort her, but there really isn’t anything to say that would actually help. I think her placenta is detaching, which would explain the blood, back pain, and her sudden vomiting, but placental abruption is an extremely dangerous pregnancy complication, and I refuse to scare her any more than she already is by telling her that.

  I rubbed her shoulders while Dalton held her hand. He drove as fast as he could with his hazard lights on, while still driving safely.

  “We’re almost there, Harp. Just hold on honey. Trent is on his way.”

  As we pulled up to the doors of the emergency room, Trent, Blake, and a handful of hospital personnel were all waiting by the entrance. They helped Harper into the wheelchair as she grabbed Trent’s hand. They’ve been apart for eight long months and their first time seeing each other is under horrible circumstances. My heart is breaking for them.

  “I’m going with. Park the truck and text me when you get inside.”

  “Okay babe. We’ll be right in.”

  Blake jumped in the truck with Dalton as I ran inside. Harper was holding onto Trent for dear life, panic written all over both of their faces. When we made it to the room, they allowed both of us to stay with her while they did the exam and ultrasound.

  “I’m so scared. What if he doesn’t make it? Our baby. Please don’t take our baby.”

  Trent held Harper as they did the ultrasound. I stood on the other side of her, the tears streaming down Harper’s face matched mine. Trent looked at me sadly, shock written all over his face. He was terrified, and rightly so.

  The technician confirmed that she is having a placental abruption, and while her placenta hasn’t completely detached, the baby’s heartbeat is faint and she needs an emergency C-section before it gets worse.

  I gave Trent a hug while they prepped Harper for the operating room, “Thank you for everything, Em. I’ll find you as soon as he’s out.”

  “She’s tough, Trent. Everything will be alright.”

  The truth is, I was just as terrified as they were. Placental abruption is actually uncommon, and when it does happen, it can cause the baby to be stillborn or develop other complications.

  I kissed the top of Harper’s head and said a prayer with her, “I love you, Harp. I’ll be in the waiting room. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Harper wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me close to her. We cried and hugged until it was time to roll her to the operating room.

  “I love you, Ember.”

  I tried to give her the best reassuring smile I could, but my heart was shattered in a million pieces. As they rolled her out of sight, I went to find Dalton and Blake. I am so grateful that Piper asked to keep Harlee for the day. I cannot imagine how she would have handled seeing all of us panic.

  I told the guys everything that was going on and then I sent Blake home. I knew Piper was worried and he wanted to be with her.

  “I’m terrified for them, Dalton. Poor Harp has had the worst time the past month. I’ve never felt so damn helpless.”

  “I know, babe. We just have to have faith that everything will work out.”

  We held each other in the waiting room completely numb while other families excitedly waited for news of the birth of their tiny humans. I was elated for them, but I was too heartbroken to offer more than a half smile any time anyone would look our way.

  An hour had passed when Dalton’s phone rang, startling both of us.

  “Blake, hey brother.”

  “Still waiting. It’s torture.”

  “The house door? Open it.”

  “No man, open it.”

  “Are you shitting me?”

  “Fuck. Will do. Thanks.”

  I sat there listening to Dalton’s one sided conversation as his face grew from sad, to angry, to concerned, and then to pissed off. When he finally hung up, he wouldn’t even look at me.

  “Dalton?”

  When he finally turned to face me, I saw confliction; pure terrified confliction.

  “There was a note nailed to the front door.”

  What? “What? Our door? From who?” Oh. Oh no. “What did it say?”

  Dalton took my hand and placed it in his lap. He looked at the ground before looking me in the eyes, “All it says is, The war has just begun. You’re all fucked. Your name was on the front of the envelope, but it wasn’t signed.”

  I just stared at Dalton. My head is spinning in every direction possible. I knew he would be livid when he got back, but I didn’t think his first stop would be to Dalton’s house. The war has just begun. I thought the war started when he beat the hell out of me before he left for deployment or every time before that.

  “Em?”

  I offered Dalton a light smile, “We knew something would happen. I surely didn’t think he would start right away, but we will just have to take it as it comes.”

  Dalton put his arm around me and pulled me against him, as he opened his mouth to speak, the waiting room door opened and Trent walked in. We both stood quickly as he made his way toward us, tears streaming down his cheeks. I immediately began to sob, fearing the worst. Trent wrapped his arms around my neck and pulled me tightly against his stocky frame, “She’s okay, Em. They both are.”

  “You scared me half to death. I thought something horrible happened. You’re crying and…”

  Trent laughed and hugged me tighter, “I’m so sorry. I’m just so fucking happy. He wasn’t breathing at first and we were terrified, but when he let out his first cry, it was the most amazing sound in the whole world, Em. I’m a dad.” Trent stepped back and repeated what he had just said, “I’m a dad!” He was so loud and eccentric that everyone in the waiting room clapped and cheered along with him.

  Dalton and Trent bro hugged and we followed them into the room where Harper was. When we walked in, I saw my beautiful best friend beaming with joy as she cradled her sweet miracle. When she looked up and saw me, tea
rs rolled down her cheeks.

  I walked over and hugged her, then I bent down to give the baby a kiss on his adorable forehead.

  Harper smiled and put the baby in my arms as she said, “Meet Bryson Cole Bowman.”

  “Oh Harp, he is so perfect.”

  Trent kissed Harper on her forehead as they stared at each other in the most affectionate way, the love they share for each other could light up the darkest room and now they have this sweet little boy to love. All my worry, stress, and fear washed away the moment I held little Bryson in my arms.

  Dalton slowly wrapped his arms around me from behind and kissed my neck. We may have to fight a war when we get home, but right now everything is perfect. This moment, with my best friends, the love of my life, and a healthy nephew to love on, everything is just perfect.

  I handed Bryson to Dalton and just like when he told me about going to Harper’s appointment with her, my damn ovaries tingled. It is too soon for baby fever. Bad ovaries, bad!

  We stayed a little longer, taking turns cuddling the baby. When I noticed Harper was getting tired, we decided it was time to leave. “You did an amazing job, sweet girl. He is so handsome.”

  Hugging me, Harper said, “Thank you. You and Dalton both. I wouldn’t have made it without you guys.”

  Dalton kissed Harper on the cheek, we said goodbye to Trent, and left. On the way home I tried not to think about the note. I managed to put it way in the back of my mind as soon as Trent walked into the waiting room, but now that I had a moment to think, worry started to set in.

  Sensing my anguish, Dalton reached over and took my hand, “So, I saw the way you were looking at me when I was holding Bryson. Is there another baby in our future?”

  “It’s hard to resist a sexy man holding a baby, Dalton.”

  “Well, I can see that, but you didn’t answer my question.”

  “I would love to have another baby.”

  Dalton grinned and kissed the back of my hand, “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  Harper stayed in the hospital for three days. We brought all of her things back to their house and Trent took a month of leave so he would be able to be with her. I spent as much time as I could at the hospital with her those three days, but I haven’t seen her since because I have worked the past four nights.

  I haven’t heard a word from Austin. Dalton said he took leave, so he hasn’t been at work. I wish I felt relieved, but not hearing from him only increases my fear of whatever he is planning. I went to the appointment with my attorney a few days ago. I told him about the note on the door, but since there is no actual proof of who left it, there is nothing I can do.

  Dalton and Blake are spending the day on the shooting range and Piper took both the little girls to a petting zoo with a few other women from the FRG. I tried to get off work in time to go with, but I had to pick up a few extra hours. If we don’t hire a few nurses soon, I’m going to wear myself out. All of us are running ourselves ragged.

  A nap is definitely on the agenda for the day, but Sniper is staring at me with a Frisbee in this mouth so I guess I know where my priorities lie. I thought he would be sad that he has to stay at home so much now that Blake takes Chief everywhere with him, but as long as we take him with us to run errands a few times a week, he is perfectly content being a couch potato.

  “Alright, Sniper. Let me make some coffee and I’ll play fetch with you.”

  Sniper wagged his tail as he ran around the kitchen island. Yawning, I poured coffee into my mug, added way too much sugar, and walked outside with Sniper.

  I threw the Frisbee for a good hour until he laid in the grass and refused to fetch any longer. “Are you tired good boy?”

  I left him outside while I went into the kitchen to make us some bacon and eggs. He’s retired now, so he is extremely spoiled. After breakfast was done, I put half on a plate for myself, and half in a bowl for Sniper.

  After we ate, my phone rang. I realized I had left it on the kitchen counter so I walked through the slider and closed it behind me.

  “Good morning, handsome.”

  “Hi, babe. How was work?”

  “Good, but I’m beat. I played fetch with Sniper, made us breakfast, and now I think a nap is in order. Having fun on the shooting range?”

  I walked to the living room to find my purse as I listened to Dalton talk about a new gun he was testing out. As I came around the corner, I froze. The front door was wide open. The front door that I know I shut and locked when I came home.

  “Babe? Ember are you there?”

  Panic flooded my body as I looked around for an explanation, any fucking explanation besides the one I had running through my mind. I slowly backed up, planning to make a run for it when my body bumped into something. I jumped forward and spun around. The fear overtook me as I struggled to catch my breath.

  “Ember, say something. Ember?”

  I couldn’t get a word out, I was terrified. When he took a step toward me, I managed to spit out one word, one word that would allow Dalton to understand the severity of my situation, “Austin.”

  Austin yanked the phone from my hand and slammed it against the wall, crushing it into a hundred little pieces. I turned around and ran, but as I made it to the door, he pushed me hard from behind, causing me to hit my head on the door frame. He grabbed my leg and pulled me back then moved in front of me to shut the door, quickly locking both locks.

  I could hear Sniper barking at the slider, so I got up and ran. I barely made it into the kitchen before Austin grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked me backwards. I stumbled to the ground, but his grip tightened, keeping me in an upright position on my knees.

  “Don’t do this, Austin. Please don’t do this.”

  “Get up!”

  “Please just go. Just leave.”

  “I said, get the fuck up now.”

  He raised his hand and pulled me onto my feet by my hair. I could hear Sniper clawing at the glass on the slider as he growled. I wiggled and tried to get out of Austin’s hold, but he had a vice grip hold on my hair.

  “Where is your precious fucking boyfriend now? Huh? You felt brave because Bates was around to protect you, well he isn’t here now is he? He can’t have you, and if I can’t have you, I’ll make damn sure that no one ever does.”

  I looked around for something, anything that I could use to defend myself, but it was no use. Austin released his hold on my hair, put his hand around my throat, and slammed me against the wall.

  “I bet he knocked your slutty ass up, didn’t he? Is that why you’re trying to leave me? You’re pregnant!”

  “N-no. I’m not, we haven’t…”

  Before I could finish my sentence, his fist smashed into my stomach with so much fury, that it caused me to vomit. The blow took my breath away as I struggled to keep from throwing up again. My body sagged against the wall, but he tightened his grip on my neck and held me upright.

  “Who the fuck do you think you are?” He reached under my shirt and palmed my breast, “This,” he squeezed it with so much strength that I let out a strained scream, “is mine.”

  He slid his hand down my abdomen and around to my back. His hand slipped into the back of my pants as he grabbed my ass, “And this…” he dug his fingernails into my skin and roughly pressed me against his erection, “this is mine too.”

  I struggled against his hold, and he moved his hand from my neck. I bent over and sucked in a deep breath. Before I could debate my next move, he spun me around and shoved me against the wall.

  He pressed himself into my back, leaving no space between us. His hand slid into the front of my pants and he circled my clit with his finger. “Mmm, always ready for me.”

  I pushed off the wall and slammed into him as hard as I could. When he stumbled backward a few feet after letting me go, I ran for the slider.

  Austin ran behind me and grabbed a handful of my shirt, but I slipped out of his grip and backtracked around the kitchen island.

  I grab
bed a knife from the drawer and held it up, ready to use it should be come any closer.

  “Try it, Sweets, I dare you.” As I walked backward away from him, he lunged forward. When his arms came around me to tackle me like a football player, I raised my hands and plunged the knife into his shoulder. I was aiming for his head, but the force of him sacking me caused my knees to buckle and I had no control of where he was impaled.

  I fell backward against the ground as he fell on top of me, letting out a deep growl.

  He gritted his teeth as he winced in pain, “You bitch.” His weight was heavy on mine and I couldn’t slip from under him. He reached over his shoulder and pulled the knife out of his flesh and threw it across the room.

  He laughed, a deep evil laugh, and before I had time to react, his fist came in contact with my face. Blow after blow came in violent strikes as the taste of copper filled my mouth. Blood pooled around me as I coughed and attempted to spit out all the blood that was slowly running down the back of my throat.

  “What’s it going to be, Ember? Huh? Are you going to leave that asshole and come back to me?” I wondered if he would stop if I told him yes. Could I lie well enough to make him believe that I would go back to him?

  Austin held both of my hands above my head as he began to slowly grind his hardness against me. “You like that don’t you? No one can fuck you like I can.”

  He shifted his weight just enough so that he could slide my pants off. Spreading my legs apart with his knee, he circled my clit with his thumb while sliding two fingers inside me.

  “S-stop. D-don’t. P-please.” I could barely speak. Between the pain and choking on my own blood, my words and body failed me.

  His fingers began to move in and out of me at a violent pace. He lowered his mouth to my ear and whispered, “Come for me.”