by Kelli Walker
“Only if it’s bothering you chronically. But if your hips are giving you pain, I would like to take a look at them. Is that all right with you?” he asked.
“Do whatever you have to do,” she said.
I left the room so Joanna could strip down and put on a gown before the doctor took a look at her. He tested her reflexes and drew a bit of blood to send off for testing. I could tell Joanna was distracted. She was zoning out and seemed more tired than usual. Her voice didn’t have that distinct lilt to it I had come to be so fond of. The doctor laid her down onto the table and moved her knee to her chest, then rotated her hip joint so he could feel what was going on.
“Did any of that hurt?” the doctor asked.
“No,” Joanna said.
“Not at all?”
“Nope.”
“Then you don’t have any hip joint issues. During pregnancy, women experience what’s called ‘round ligament pain’. It’s when the muscles begin to stretch for the first time, causing sharp pains to ricochet into the hips. It feels like hip pain, but it’s not the hip causing the pain.”
“Is that normal?” I asked.
“It is. And for someone with her condition, it’s common to see it this early. At ten weeks and a child only growing in half a uterus, she’ll be stretching more than the female body should at this point. Miss Leone, I would like to do another ultrasound to see where the baby and placenta are positioned.”
Joanna was staring at the ceiling, and I wasn’t sure if she had heard the doctor.
“Miss Leone?”
“Joanna,” I said as I touched her arm. “Did you hear the doctor?”
“Hmm?” she asked.
“I want to do an ultrasound. Is that all right?” the doctor asked.
“Oh. Yeah. That’s fine,” she said.
I furrowed my brow as the doctor prepared her for the ultrasound. The gel was squirted onto her stomach and the doctor spread it over her skin, my hand gripping hers as she started staring off again.
She didn’t even turn her head to look at the screen.
“Well, good news. It’ll take one more ultrasound to be sure in about a month, but it seems like both baby and placenta are in the right side of the uterus.”
“That’s good news,“ I said. “Isn’t that good news, Joanna?”
But she was in another world and I was starting to worry.
The doctor cleaned her up and printed off pictures for us before I helped her up. I stepped out so she could get dressed, and it took her fifteen minutes to emerge. She had the pictures in her hand and her eyes were bloodshot.
She had been crying alone in that ultrasound room.
“Joanna, talk to me,” I said.
“I’m tired. That’s all.”
“No. This is more than that. I know you.”
“You know me,” she said with a snicker. “We hardly know one another.”
“And if you believe that, then I can’t get to know you any better unless you talk to me.”
I watched her sigh as doctors passed us in the hallway, giving us quizzical looks.
“I miss Lacey,” Joanna said. “And part of me wishes I was with the company and not here. And that makes me feel guilty, because now I feel like a terrible mother and this child isn’t even here yet.”
I wrapped my arms around Joanna and pulled her into my chest.
“I was getting used to the idea of living abroad and performing,” Joanna said.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I feel responsible for you going through this.”
“You are responsible,” she said as she shoved me away. “You seduced me. You took what you wanted knowing you were in trouble and now I’m locked away in some minimalistic palace pining after something I love because I had to make a choice. A choice based on your choice.”
I put my face in my hands and sighed as Joanna cleared her throat.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “That… that wasn’t fair for you.”
“But a fairly accurate account, if you boil it down.”
“I won’t unpack that statement,” she said. “When will I be able to go home?”
The question hit me like a ton of bricks.
“Where is home for you?” I asked.
She sighed and looked up at me before her eyes fell to my chest.
“North Carolina,” she said.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you think you guys had to wait here,” the doctor said. “We’ve got our labs running tests now on her blood, but we won’t have them back in for at least twenty four hours. I’ll call Miss Leone on the number in her file if anything’s abnormal. You guys are free to go.”
“Thank you,” Joanna said. “For everything.”
“Don’t feel bad for sleeping all the time,” the doctor said. “Your body is changing every single second of the day. That would take a toll on anyone. Allow yourself to rest, even if you sleep fourteen hours a day.”
“I’ll remember that,” she said with a grin.
But I could see in her eyes how badly she wanted to get out of here.
I placed my hand on the small of her back and led her out of the office. I hadn’t even thought of her home not being in the same city. North Carolina? How the fuck was I supposed to support her and protect her when she was in fucking North Carolina? Who the hell wanted to live there? How had I not yet considered the fact that maybe Joanna didn’t live in the same state I did?
My mind was racing, and there wasn’t a thing I could do to stop it.
We stepped out onto the sidewalk and Maynard drove up with the car. I opened the door for Joanna as my eyes scanned the block we were on. Every time I took us out, I was on high alert. Looking around for Slate and wondering where the fuck he was.
But today, I didn’t have to wonder.
Because he was standing right across the street.
I felt Joanna duck down beneath my arm and slide into the car. My gaze held Slate’s, a shit-eating grin crossing his cheeks. His stale gray eyes were looking back at me. Holding my gaze as I felt a tug on my arm.
“You getting in, Robert?”
“I’ll be along in a second,” I said. “Right now, I want you to get back to the apartment.”
“What are you talking about?” she asked. “What’s going on?”
I watched Slate disappear into the alleyway behind him. I dipped into the car, taking in Joanna’s wondrous eyes. Her curious, beautiful, electric eyes. Even with her guilt and her fear and her rampant emotions, she tugged at me. Called to me in a way no other woman had.
But the look in my eye must’ve given me away because she started darting her head around.
“Where is he?” she asked.
“Joanna-”
“Robert, get in the car. We’re going,” she said.
“Joanna, listen to me.”
“Stop being an idiot and get in the damn car!”
I silenced her words with a kiss, feeling her body press into me. Her hands cupped my cheeks before falling to my shirt. She was tugging on me. Doing everything she could to try and get me into the car with her.
“I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry. Just… get in the car with me, Robert. Please. I’m sorry.”
“I’ll be along in a second,” I said. “Maynard, get Joanna back safely.”
“You got it, boss,” he said.
“Robert. No. Get in the car. Don’t do this.”
“I love you,” I said.
Her eyes whipped up to mine as her lips parted in shock.
“I love you, and because I love you this will all be over soon,” I said.
Tears crested Joanna’s beautiful eyes as I took her in. Flushed cheeks and thick thighs and honey blonde hair flying around her face. Red, pouting lips that beckoned to me and a voice that soothed the deepest, darkest demons I held.
“No detours,” I said. “Straight back.”
“Robert, no!”
Then I closed the door, watched Maynard pull away from the curb, and s
tarted across the street.
Slate knew I was coming.
And this time, I was ready for him.
Joanne
“Maynard, turn this car around.”
“I can’t do that, Miss Leone.”
“We’re not leaving Robert to fend for himself,” I said.
“We’re heading back to the penthouse like instructed,” he said.
“Turn this damn car around now!”
I was looking back through the windshield and watching Robert’s form fall into the horizon. He had seen Slate. I knew he had. I could see it in his eyes when he looked down at me. Worry was gathering in the pit of my stomach as Maynard drove away, weaving to the tall black tower Robert and I had been in for almost a month.
“Maynard, please,” I said.
But this time, he stayed silent.
We pulled into the parking garage and I was hustled up to the penthouse. I strode over to the windows and pressed myself against them. I was looking out towards the horizon. Towards that imaginary line that had devoured Robert’s body. Tears filled my eyes as Maynard approached me from behind, his strong form towering over me.
Like Robert’s did.
“When will he get back?” I asked.
“He’ll be back soon.”
“Why is he doing this alone?” I asked.
“He’ll be back soon,” he said.
“Stop giving me a generic answer and tell me what the hell’s going on,“ I said.
“Take a look around you first.”
I furrowed my brow as I looked around the apartment. And I found that Maynard and I were the only two there. There were no security guards at the front door or outside of my bedroom. No one was in the kitchen or pacing around the living room floor. The only two people in the apartment were me and the head of security.
Which meant the rest of the guys must’ve been with Robert.
That thought should’ve provided some relief, but it didn’t. I didn’t know if Robert was going to come back. I didn’t know what Slate was going to do. My hands were trembling and my mind was spinning, and I needed to find things to get my mind off of what was happening.
So I started to clean.
And organize.
And make up beds.
I wiped down the kitchen counters and washed all the dirty dishes by hand. I swept the floors and cleaned up my bathroom and even cleaned down his. I cooked Maynard and I some lunch and put the leftovers in the refrigerator, then I started planning dinner as if Robert was coming back.
I had to keep hope that he was coming back.
My cell phone rang in the other room and I ran for it. I fumbled with it in my hands as I looked at the name scrolling across the screen. I never thought I would feel disappointed to hear from Lacey, but I was.
I was really hoping Robert had been the one calling me.
“Hello?”
“Hey there! How goes life with the billionaire?”
“It’s uh… going,” I said.
Maynard was standing at my doorway, his back to me and his arms crossed behind his back.
“Where are you guys now? Hawaii? The Cayman Islands checking on his bank accounts? Oh, let me guess. He’s already taken you to Italy.”
“We’re still in Chicago,” I said.
“Well that’s… uneventful. Why?” she asked.
“Remember how I told you about all of the stuff going on with Robert’s past?” I asked.
“Yeah?”
“Well, let’s just say he’s out there trying to rectify it.”
“I told you he was Rambo.”
“Lacey, this is serious. This guy could kill him.”
“How do you know? Maybe this isn’t as serious as you think it is.”
“I know because he took me, Lacey.”
The silence on the other end of the line was deafening.
“So, back up. What the fuck do you mean by ‘he took me’?”
“Remember the day of the meeting? When I went on my walk?” I asked.
“Yeah. You didn’t want to come celebrate because you weren’t feeling well.”
“I thought some fresh air would do me some good. But I was pulled into an alleyway and taken into an abandoned building by this guy.”
“Why the fuck am I just now hearing about this! I’m calling the police.”
“Don’t. I actually think the police might already know,” I said.
“And what the hell makes you think that?”
“Robert and I had another baby appointment this morning, but he didn’t get into the car with me. I think it was because he saw this guy. Slate.”
“Slate? Seriously?”
“Yeah. That’s what he says his name is. Or his nickname, anyway.”
“Does Robert have a nickname?”
“Lacey, I know humor is how you cope with stress, but this is serious.”
“Come on. What’s the nickname? If it’s Rambo, I swear I’m gonna laugh for days.”
“It’s Boulder,” I said.
“Like… Colorado?” she asked.
“Like he’s a massive boulder of muscle and when you put a gun in his hand he looks terrifying.”
Maynard started chuckling and the sound drew a grin across my cheeks.
“Lacey, I could lose him,” I said breathlessly.
“I’m going to be honest, I think you’re way in over your head. Part of me wants to fly in, kick that damn door down, and take you with me. But I can tell in your voice that you do feel safe through all this insanity.”
“I do feel safe. I just hope Robert stays safe. I need him to come back.”
“And if he’s made it this far in his life, then he will,” she said.
“How do you know?” I asked.
“Honestly, I don’t. My mind is spinning with what you’re going through and I’m upset I haven’t kept better tabs on you.”
“You don’t have to keep tabs on me.”
“I’m your best friend, and I’ve been too caught up in my own success and happiness to stop and consider what you’ve really been going through.”
“Lacey, you’re living your life. There’s nothing wrong with that. I am glad you called, though.”
“You said you think the police already know. What makes you say that?”
“Ever since all of this started, there’s been four security guards. Everywhere we go. Four of them. But right now, only one is with me.”
“So you assume the other three are with him.”
“Exactly.”
“Then maybe they’re gonna beat this asshole’s face in so the two of you can play house or whatever.”
“Or whatever. Thanks,” I said flatly.
“Can I be honest with you for a second? Really, truly honest?”
“When are you ever not?”
“Ever since I found out you were pregnant.”
“Then don’t hold back. That was almost a month ago,” I said.
“I don’t like this guy. He corners you in your dressing room and you screw around with him, then he disappears. He’s got this guy breathing down his neck, he pops up in Chicago, and suddenly you’re thrust into a world of gangsters and threats and personal bodyguards. And I get it. He’s trying to protect you. And you sound okay, so he’s obviously succeeding. But I can also hear how attached you’re getting in your voice. And I’m worried this man isn’t what he says he is. That he’s secretly some underworld criminal or something and you’re wrapped up in things that are way beyond you.”
“It’s not like that,” I said. “You don’t know him like I do.”
“But do you really know him?” she asked.
“I do,” I said. “I really do. I know he’s a man who lost his family in a house fire. A boy who was shipped off to an orphanage with no hope of ever being adopted. I know he fell into the wrong crowd because he was angry and scared and confused and alone. And I know how all of that feels. I know he did everything he could, including things he’s not proud of in order to
get away from that life and go to school. To build something his family would adore him for if they were still alive. And again, I know how all of that feels. I know he’s a strong man. A ruthless man. A crass man, at times. But I also see the care he has for me. The delicate hands he uses when he’s holding me. I know I feel safe wrapped up in him and I know, with all my heart, that I can’t raise this child without him.”
I felt tears rising in my eyes as I looked out the window of my bedroom.
“Well. Who would I be if I questioned a plea like that from my best friend?” Lacey asked. “But I still want to meet this guy. Formally. Not some quick handshake before he’s off to another room. I want to look him in his eyes and talk with him.”
“Then once whatever this all is comes to a close, we’ll make it happen. His home base is in New York City, so there’s that.”
“But yours is in North Carolina. Have you guys talked about that yet?”
I sighed as the sun slowly started to sink in the evening sky.
“Not yet. But hopefully he’ll be back soon and we can,” I said.
“I want you to take care of yourself, Joanna. You’re strong, but you’ve been through a lot in your life already. It’s not your responsibility to shoulder the world. It’s only your responsibility to be happy in it.”
“And I am happy when I’m with him,” I said.
“Then let’s hope he gets back from wherever the hell he is soon.”
“I love you, Lacey.”
“I love you too, girl. And if you need anything-- someone to talk with, someone to cry to, an alibi for murder-- you call me.”
I giggled and shook my head as Maynard peeked over his shoulder. He grinned at me before he nodded his head, then he went back to staring at the wall.
I wondered how much money they got paid to stare at the wall.
“Talk to you soon,” I said.
“You better,” Lacey said.
I hung up the phone and tossed it onto the mattress. I pulled the curtains of the window in my room back and took in the colors of the sunset. I had grown attached to Robert. To the man who was the father of my child. I didn’t want anything to happen to him. The mere idea of Slate harming him in some way, or worse, made me sick to my stomach. A tear fell down my cheek as I turned away from the beautiful sight and I made my way into the living room.