Eyes Wide Open (Healing Hearts #2)

by Renee Dyer

  “Why hasn’t the doctor come in yet?” Dee’s voice, so sullen and lost, reaches me through the fog of misery and memories.

  I grab one of her hands to comfort her and because I need her to stop rubbing her stomach. “I’m sure he’ll be here soon. What are they saying so far? What happened?”

  “They started me on an IV because the nurse said I was a bit dehydrated.” I look at the stand next to the bed and for the first time since I entered the room, a soft galloping sound registers in my ears. I may have never heard that sound from my twins, but I’ve heard it with Dee before and I know exactly what it is. Hearing her baby’s heartbeat causes a mixture of happiness and sadness because I never got that. The burden of losing the twins and carrying the secret of their loss is crushing me in this room that they very well could have slept in had they survived. This is the hospital where I was going to deliver. I should have sent Alahna to take care of Dee.

  I don’t know if I’ve healed enough to be the friend she needs.

  “Is that what’s causing all of this?” I ask, my voice breaking from the emotions I’m trying to fight off.

  Tears start falling harder down her cheeks and I squeeze her hand, fear clutching me. What else did they tell her before I got here? “I think I’m losing the baby, Adri. I’ve been dehydrated before and it wasn’t like this. The pain is horrible.”

  “Shh. Try to stay calm, Dee. Maybe you ate something that made you sick.” I know it sounds ridiculous, but I’m scared for her and I don’t know what to say.

  She snorts at me and a small smile forms on her pretty face. Even with tears falling down her cheeks and red blotches all over, she’s still one of the prettiest women I’ve ever seen. She has a radiance that can’t be produced with make-up.

  “I wish it was that simple. But, I saw those damn paparazzi taking pictures of my kids as I was putting them on the bus and I lost it. I started screaming at them. That’s when it happened. I felt something tear or pop.” Her eyes go wide and I feel my blood start boiling. If she loses this baby, I may end up in jail for killing one of those motherfuckers. “The pain was so intense, I almost fell to my knees right there, but I wouldn’t give those bastards the satisfaction of getting the pictures. So, I held it in until I got in the house. I somehow managed to feed Konner and Kaleb even though if felt like someone was gutting me, but the pain kept getting worse. I’m only grateful I’ve been having them stay in the house while I get Kale and Korey on the bus because they didn’t have to see me acting like a crazy person freaking out on those assholes. But, they were taking pictures of my kids, Adri.”

  “I’m so sorry, Dee. This is all my fault. I’ll make this better, I promise.” I don’t know how, but I will make this better for her, my friends, and all my neighbors who have been hounded by these parasites.

  “Oh, Adri,” she says through a strained voice. “You didn’t do this. You’re as much a victim as the rest of us.” I want to believe her, but watching her clench her stomach in pain and worrying that she may lose her baby has me feeling a guilt that goes beyond anything I’ve felt before. How will Kale and the boys feel if her child doesn’t survive? How will I look at all of them if she leaves here with that loss? I know firsthand what that loss does to you.

  The doctor walks in before we can talk anymore and I’m relieved by that. I don’t want or deserve Dee’s comfort. The paparazzi are here because of my relationship with Tucker and the fallout is her lying in this hospital bed, with a doctor, whose name I didn’t catch because I can’t get out of my own head, examining her. Dee’s telling him about what happened and I feel guilt and anger wrapping around me as the words fall from her lips. This is all so wrong. He tells her the heartbeat sounds strong, but he’s going to have an ultrasound done to check things out. I watch her nod, trying to appear strong, but I see the fear in her eyes. I want to throw up, but I need to stay strong.

  I need to fix this. I need to stop this from happening to my friends going forward.

  Just like that, I know what I need to do. A plan pops into my head. I don’t know if it will work, but I have to try. There’s nothing I won’t do when it comes to protecting those I love.

  I sit beside Dee, holding her hand as Dr. No Name performs the ultrasound. He put the goop on her belly and is rolling the stick around. I’m amazed when her baby pops up on the screen. I can’t stop the small gasp that falls from my lips at seeing this tiny life appear before me. “Dee, how beautiful.” I’m choked up and I don’t know what else to say. She looks at me and she’s beaming. The doctor hasn’t said anything yet, but seeing the baby moving and hearing the heartbeat has a way of taking some of the stress away.

  “Mrs. Bryan,” the doctor starts, “the baby looks perfect. When you got here, you were dehydrated so we want to keep you for a few hours on the IV. The pain is because of this.” He points to the screen and Dee and I both turn to look, but I’m not sure what he’s trying to show us. “This spot here, looks like you’ve torn a muscle. It’s called abdominal muscle strain. You’ll need to rest a lot over the next few weeks. Ice the area for fifteen to twenty minutes, four times a day, for the next week and you can take acetaminophen while the pain is unbearable. Being pregnant, I prefer to not prescribe you anything stronger than that. Do you have any questions?”

  “I’m not losing my baby?” Dee asks, surprise all over her face.

  “No, you’re not,” he says, a caring smile on his face. “Is there anything else I can help you with?” Dee shakes her head no. I can see her emotions are out of control. Tears fill her eyes as the doctor walks from the room.

  “I’m not losing my baby, Adri,” she whispers at me as the tears start to fall. I pull her into my arms and let her cry. My plan needs to work. I can’t keep letting my friends go through this.

  I stay with Dee for a couple hours until Kale gets there. We can hear him running down the halls, calling out her name. It should be obvious which room she’s in with Zack and Devon standing guard outside the door, but in his frantic need to get to her he must not be thinking. He slams through the door and the fear in his eyes slams into me. My heart falls into my feet and guilt overcomes me again. My friends are suffering because of me. It’s all I can think as he rushes her. He has her in his arms before she can assure him that she’s alright. Tears are falling down his face as he’s telling her he was so worried and he’s sorry he didn’t get here sooner.

  I feel like an intruder and say my goodbyes. I have somewhere I need to be and something I need to do anyway. In the hallway, I ask Zack and Devon if one of them will stay and escort Dee and Kale home. Zack takes the job, which I’m grateful for. Devon may be easier to talk into what I have planned.

  On the way back, I have him stop at a fast food place and buy us both dinner. I figure it’s the least I can for what he did for Dee today. Besides, I’m starving. I didn’t realize how much until I was out of that room and able to breathe for a minute. I want to ask him how they can just stand there for so long without eating, but I think some things are off limits. Instead, I thank him again for today. Again, he blushes and I realize I really like Devon. He’s not such a hardass after all. I decide now is the time to fill him in on what I plan to do. He won’t like it, but I need him there to make sure things don’t get out of control.

  We pull onto my road and we have to go slow. The paparazzi have formed a massive hoard, trying to snap my picture as we drive in. Being that we’re in my Trailblazer and that the windows aren’t tinted, they have a clear shot of me. I stick to the plan I set forth, smile, and wave. I see the surprise on several of their faces. Good. I want them off their game.

  Devon pulls into the garage and turns to look at me. His hazel eyes, very similar to my own, stare at me intently. I take the time to really look at him, which I never have before. He truly is a good looking guy. Maybe I didn’t notice because the buzzed hair look isn’t my thing, but his black hair makes his eyes pop out. Not as much as Tucker’s do, but it’s still a stunning contrast. His lips aren�
��t as full as Tucker’s either, but they’re close and he has perfect teeth when he does smile. I got to see that today.

  “Are you sure you want to do this now? We could wait till the others get back.”

  “I’m sure, Devon. Thank you for helping me.”

  “I think you would do this with or without me. I’d rather be here.” I give him a shy smile. He’s right. I was doing this regardless of whether the guys were on board or not. If I had to sneak out of my own house to get this done, I would have. He nods at me that he understands. “Let’s do this.”

  With Devon beside me, we walk to the end of my street, to the belly of the beast. My palms are sweaty and I start to shake as we get closer to the last people on earth that I ever want to spend time with. I hear the excitement build with each step closer I get. The snapping of cameras going off is deafening to me. It’s a sound I normally love, but right now, it’s making my stomach turn. I want to turn around and run back to my house, but I continue walking into enemy territory with my head held high. I refuse to let them see how nervous they make me. I’m thankful that I still have my work clothes on for some weird reason. It makes me feel more on level with them.

  It’s funny because my work outfit only consists of khaki slacks with a lightweight, teal scoop neck sweater, and a scarf of varying colors thrown around my neck. But to me, having this on in place of a pair of sweats makes me feel better equipped to face these monsters. I want them to see me as successful, confident, and my work clothes make me feel that way. I may not feel that way inside, but they won’t know that.

  I stop a few feet away from them and listen as they start randomly firing questions at me.

  “Why are you coming to talk to us now?”

  “What are you and Tucker?”

  “What was the situation at your friend’s house earlier today?”

  I listen to all of it, trying to think of how best to start this. It’s not until Dee’s house is brought up that I jump into action. I raise my hand, motioning for them to please be silent and I find it comical that like children in a classroom, they all listen. Fucking parasites. I look around at all of them and can picture them foaming at the mouth, just waiting to hear what juicy details they’ll get from me. I detest these people. I open my mouth and have to close it before I say something that will mess up what I came down here to do. I take a few deep breaths and start again.

  “Please hold off your questions for a few minutes. I promise I will answer them, but I need you to hear me first.” I see how some of them snicker and I want to jump on them and beat their heads into the ground. They have made my life and the lives of those around me a living hell and they mock me for coming out here to speak to them. I breathe again before I lose my nerve. “Today, my good friend almost lost her baby due to the aggravation caused to her by some of you photographing her children.” I watch as they look around at each other. Some look upset by this while others look proud of themselves. I can feel my anger rushing to the forefront and I know if these people continue this behavior, I will lose my shit on them. “I’ve come here tonight to speak to you as one person begging another person to please stop this before someone does get hurt. Before the damage is irreparable.”

  I see faces of people who look to me like they could care less what I’m saying and I’m afraid I’ve lost this fight, but there is one man who looks interested. I see him smile at me and it spurs me on. “I spent the day with my friend, holding her hand, thinking I would do anything if she were okay. Well, this is my anything. You want a story. I’m your story. If you promise to go away, I’ll tell you my story. You can ask what you want to know and I’ll answer. As long as it’s not offensive,” I add. “I will not bash or tell you things that can hurt someone, but I will answer your questions honestly. I also will not tell you things that are not mine to tell. If you want my story, then I will give it, but you have to promise to go away. My neighbors and friends need their lives back. I will only make this offer this one time, right now. Take it or leave it. I’m going to go sit on the stone wall in my front yard. If you accept, you have twenty minutes to meet me there. If you don’t, then I won’t see you.”

  I turn around with Devon beside me and walk back to my house. There are questions fired at my back, but I don’t answer any of them. I don’t know if any of them will show up or if they think I’m insane, but it’s a gamble I had to take.

  I walk up to my stone wall, sit down, and look back. My eyes go wide as I see a mass of people walking up my road. I guess it didn’t take them long to make their decision. I don’t know if it’s all of them, but there are a lot of them. I’ll take as many as will listen and hope they stick to their word about leaving.

  Chapter Twenty Eight

  Tucker

  Aw Christ, Adriana, what the hell are you thinking? I’ve been a mess since Devon texted my phone and Yvette brought it to me. She knew I’d want to see the message right away. I told the crew I had to make a call and walked off the set. Judging by the looks I was getting, I’m sure they all thought it was about Grams. I texted Devon as soon as I got outside, but got no answer. I keep rereading the message from him feeling my anger building and trying to breathe before the red haze takes control.

  Adriana thinks I’m going to bathroom. Had 2 msg u. She’s going 2 talk 2 paparazzi. Dee in hospital. Can’t talk her out of it.

  What the hell does he mean Dee’s in the hospital? What happened to her? Were the paparazzi responsible? Is that why Adriana is approaching them? I need answers and I’m not getting them. I keep staring at my phone, trying to will it to buzz. Dammit, Devon. Why aren’t you answering me?

  I pace for a few minutes, waiting for him to answer my texts and then try to call him. It goes to voicemail and I feel myself getting angrier. He had better pray he’s with her. I call Jake and he tells me he’s still with Alahna at the studio. He informs me what’s going on with Dee and that Zack is on his way back now. Adriana asked him to stay behind and escort Dee and Kale home. I want to scream that they are Adriana’s security team, but under the circumstances, I understand why things were handled this way.

  I ask him if he knows about Adriana talking to the paparazzi and his surprised, “What?” tells me he had no idea. She singled Devon out as the weak link. He and I will be having a talk and I think I’ll be sending a new guard to replace him. I can’t believe he went along with her plan. He can’t talk her out of it. She’s hardly over five feet. He could have blocked her from leaving the house.

  I hang up with Jake and call Zack. He is as furious as I am and he should be. He’s the lead guard and handpicked the guys for this job. He guaranteed me that none of them would be swayed by Adriana’s sweet temperament. Obviously, he was wrong. If I find out he has eyes for my girl, there is going to be hell to pay. She’s walking into the lion’s den and he’s letting her. If he thinks going along with this bullshit plan is a way to impress her so he can weasel his way into her good graces then he and I are going to have an even bigger problem.

  “Everything okay, Tuck?” I look up to see Eddie’s concerned face. “Is it Grams?”

  I shake my head no and I see anger cross his face. He’s not a fan of Adriana after how she left me hanging for months. I don’t blame him. He watched me fall apart. He’s the only one who saw how bad I got. He was here trying to get me back on track. Christ, I almost took a swing at him several times. Still, he remained my friend. I’m sure he sees me looking pissed, knows it’s about her, and wants to tell me to let her fucking go already. But, he stays silent.

  “Her friend, the one who’s pregnant, is in the hospital. It has something to do with the paparazzi and now Adriana is talking to them. I don’t know what about because her guard isn’t answering my texts or calls.” I show him the text I got and what I sent to Devon.

  “Oh shit. Did you try calling her?”

  Again, I shake my head no. “I didn’t know what to say. Do I tell her that her guard ratted her out on top of the day she’s had? She’s been th
rough so much already.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me, Tuck? She doesn’t deal with these assholes on a daily basis like you do. You should have called her and told her to stay the fuck away. How could you let her walk straight into a minefield? You know what they’re like. They’re going to eat her alive. No offense, man, but that’s going to be on you.”

  “On me? Who’s to say she would have answered her phone when I called?” I can’t believe Eddie is going off on me right now. I need him to understand how upset I am and be here for me. Not lecture me on what he thinks I should have done.

  “Don’t give me your ‘what if’ bullshit, Tuck. You pussied out and now she’s dealing with something that is out of her league. She’s a photographer from some tiny town in an even tinier state. I’m not even a fan of hers and I feel bad for the spot she’s in. Call your agent and let him know what’s going on. You better be ready for any backlash that may be coming. Can’t believe you didn’t call her.”

  He walks off without giving me a chance to say anything. I stand there for a second thinking about everything he said and I realize he’s right. I was a coward. I was more worried about hurting her feelings than doing the right thing. Now, her feelings could end up more hurt than if I had just made a call to her telling her I thought talking to the paparazzi is a bad idea.

  Son of a bitch.

  I dial my agent and give him the scoop. He assures me he’s on it and hangs up. It does little to help with the sick feeling in my gut, but there’s nothing I can do until I hear from my guards later tonight. So, I walk back into the set with my acting face on. I pretend all is right in my world and go back to doing my job.

  But inside, there’s an animal tearing at me to get out and inflict damage on anyone who may be harming my Adriana in any way.