He cursed two different elevators for their lost sense of urgency, and almost barreled over three different patients in wheelchairs. He came to the east wing entrance, only to find the double doors locked. He shook them angrily before he started beating on one, yelling to anyone on the other side who might hear him. A speaker directly to his right beeped, and a soft voice spoke. “How may I help you?”
“I’m here to see Leila Blakely.”
Another beep followed, and the doors stirred to life, both opening as if granting him entrance into some special, restricted haven. He immediately found the information desk and the owner of the voice on the intercom. “What room is she in?”
“Three twenty-two, but you can’t go in yet,” she insisted, standing. “The doctor is still with her.”
“The hell I can’t,” he hissed, whirling around to find the room. He located the door and pushed, but was met with resistance. Stepping out from behind it was a lady. She was older, her brown hair graying. “Hello,” she greeted, seeming surprised to find him there. “May I help you?”
“I’m here to see Leila,” he said shakily.
She nodded. “I understand. I’m Dr. Anderson. You’re Austin, correct?”
She wouldn’t be smiling if she was actually sick, right?
“Yes,” he told her hesitantly. “Is she okay?”
“For now.” She tucked her clipboard under her arm and led him down the hallway. “Her condition is quite serious. She needs to be more careful. I put her in the CHIPS trial study because I truly believe she is an excellent candidate. However, the medication can’t help if she continues to trigger episodes with increased stress. She is to be on complete bed rest for the foreseeable future.”
“Condition? What condition?”
“Preeclampsia. She assured me her brother understood the seriousness of the situation when I admitted her into my study group.”
“Remind me,” he urged.
“If we can’t keep her blood pressure down, it may mean early delivery, and even then I can’t guarantee the safety of her or the baby.”
“B-b-b—what?”
“The child won’t survive if she delivers this soon.”
“Deliver.” He was going to puke…or pass out. Maybe both. “As in, deliver a baby.”
“Yes. Your sister is only fourteen weeks along.”
“Fourteen weeks.” His brain moved sluggishly. “You’re telling me Leila is fourteen weeks pregnant. With a baby.”
“Yes,” Dr. Anderson said, looking at him oddly. “She told me at her appointment last week that you knew about her condition.”
His limbs went numb, and he skidded down the wall to the floor.
“Are you going to be okay?” she asked, concern crowding her face as she bent down to look at him. “You’re starting to turn a little pale.”
“Leila’s pregnant. Fourteen weeks,” he said, more to himself than Dr. Anderson. Despite millions of images and thoughts running rapidly through his mind, he was able to deduce what that meant.
Leila had only ever been with him, and he had a sneaking suspicion it was probably fourteen weeks ago.
“Dr. Anderson,” the receptionist announced from the down the all, “there seems to be more family on their way up to see Miss Blakely. More brothers.”
He looked up in time to see Austin and Drew barreling through the double doors with the same reckless determination in their eyes. “Where is she?” Austin demanded. “Why the hell is she in the labor and delivery ward?”
“I’m sorry,” Dr. Anderson told him, looking around, confused. “Who are you, exactly?”
“I’m Austin Blakely. I’m Leila’s brother.”
The doctor shot Henrik a glare, to which he merely nodded. “He’s telling the truth,” he admitted. “I’m—”
The father?
Before he could figure out what he was supposed to say, Austin demanded information again. “Why did you bring her to labor and delivery for blood pressure issues?”
“Preeclampsia is a serious condition,” Dr. Anderson said curtly.
“Wait a second,” Drew intervened. “Leila doesn’t have preeclampsia. Don’t you have to be pregnant to have preeclampsia? She told Austin she was having problems with her blood pressure.”
“Because she’s pregnant,” Dr. Anderson explained, running a tired hand down her face. “She assured me that you knew about the study.”
“She told me she was in a trial for a new kind of medicine for her blood pressure,” Austin admitted. “Are you sure we’re talking about the same Leila? I mean, my Leila broke up with her boyfriend—”
“Three months ago?” Dr. Anderson finished for him.
And he could see the same realization wash over Austin’s face that had knocked him off his feet. Except Austin drew the wrong conclusion. “Deroty is going to get the ass beating of a lifetime when I catch up to him.”
“Okay, wait,” Drew began to reason. “Let’s say you’re right, and our Leila is pregnant. How is she? How is the baby? Can we see her?”
“She is okay for now. She’s in a room, resting. Like I was telling—” she pointed down at Henrik, scowling “—whoever this is. She is going to have to be more careful. I’m placing her on bed rest, but I’m going to keep her here for a few days for monitoring to make sure her levels even back out.”
“Don’t worry,” Drew assured her. “We will make sure she doesn’t lift a finger for anything from now on.”
“You can go see her, but only one of you can stay the night. In one hour, I will kick two of you out.”
“Got it,” Austin said as he turned to head down the hallway.
Henrik remained seated on the floor, trying to collect his thoughts. Dr. Anderson bent down to look at him again. She turned her head sideways, studying him for a long moment. “You’re turning green now,” she observed with a hint of amusement.
He raised his eyes to glare at her. She bent down on her knees and sighed, smiling at him. “You’re actually Henrik, aren’t you?”
He knew he looked surprised. “She told you?”
Again, Dr. Anderson smiled. “I’m her doctor. I didn’t exactly give her much choice in the matter. I needed to know about the father for medical reasons, especially after her first scare.”
“What do you mean?”
“This isn’t the first time she’s been in the hospital. She passed out once before and woke up not knowing much of anything. So, scared, she went to her doctor in New Jersey. She didn’t even know she was pregnant until they diagnosed her. It’s rare for preeclampsia to present itself before twenty weeks, so her doctor recommended her to me. She fit all the requirements for my study on medication during pregnancy to devaluate blood pressure levels in women diagnosed with preeclampsia. I suggested she not stay by herself in case of an emergency.”
His head fell back against the wall. “That’s why she came here.”
“She told me her brother knew, but apparently she’s been vague on the details with him.”
“Apparently.”
She’d been vague on the details with everyone.
“Look at me,” she instructed, her voice turning stern. “If you’re going in there to cause a scene about her not telling you, I will kick you out. Stress triggers her condition, and you saw her tonight. Keeping her calm and relaxed could mean the difference between life and death for her and the baby.”
“I’m not going to make a scene,” he promised.
“You’re positive?”
“I love her.”
It was the first time he said the words out loud, and he had to admit he liked how it sounded.
Dr. Anderson smirked. “I’m more concerned about the giant brother who apparently thinks some guy named Derek is the father.”
Henrik rubbed a tired hand through his hair. “No worries. That giant brother is my best friend, and he has no clue about us. Trust me, I’m keeping my mouth shut.”
“All right,” she conceded, standing. “Go on in. She
’s been asking for you.”
Chapter 25
HENRIK’S PROMISE
Henrik stood outside the door, his hand shaking as he touched the handle. He willed himself to open it, and then stepped inside. Leila lay in bed, surrounded by monitors that beeped and pumped. The entire scene made Henrik sick to his stomach. Leila wasn’t supposed to be here, helpless against the powers of her own body. It brought back too many thoughts of his mother. The never-ending nightmare of her dying alone.
His stomach clenched at the thought, his throat tightening as he cursed himself for not trying harder. He should have been there for her. He should have held her hand, fussed at the nurses for no reason at all, and told her how much he loved her until the very last moment. It was too late, though. He couldn’t bring her back, or deny her wish and just show up to force her to allow him to take care of her.
All he could hope for now was redemption. He could make sure Leila wasn’t alone, that she knew how he felt. She lay in the bed, a small, worn smile quirking the corners of her lips as she looked at Drew and Austin.
They hovered over her like two mother hens. Drew straightened her pillow, and Austin checked the monitor for any signs of distress. She still looked pale, and very weak. It was a much more severe version of the night she’d shown up at his apartment. He should have known then, and he’d never forgive himself for such an obvious oversight.
Her eyes looked past Drew and found him. Her smile vanished, replaced with desperation and fear. He knew what she thought, the scenarios that flooded her mind. All of them were horrible, resulting in what was the only logical conclusion. He would leave, abandon her when she needed him most, because that was what he did to the people who cared about him. He could never blame her for such thoughts, especially after admitting his past.
“I can’t believe you’re having a baby,” Drew gushed, squeezing her hand, not even recognizing the terrified look on her face. “I definitely can’t believe you didn’t tell me! You let me drag you out for hockey games, when we should have been at home, letting me fatten you up.”
She turned back to Drew and tried to smile at her best friend, but she barely managed to lift her lips.
“And that’s exactly what is going to happen from now on,” Austin instructed, sitting back down at her side. “We’re going to take care of you.”
Then she asked the question Henrik was sure she’d been waiting to ask since she showed up. “All of you?”
Both Austin and Drew turned to look at him. Before he could even open his mouth to respond, Austin stepped forward and pointed to the door. “You. Outside. Now.”
“Austin, no,” Leila tried, but he turned to her, bending down to kiss the top of her head.
“I just want five minutes with him first,” he whispered, and then turned his cold eyes back to Henrik. “Let’s go.”
Henrik looked at Leila, locking his eyes with hers, his expression confident. “I will be right back. Don’t worry.”
He followed Austin into the hallway, where he found him already running his hands haphazardly through his hair. “Look, Henrik. I realize this changes everything.”
He stood quietly, not knowing where Austin would take the conversation.
“I don’t expect you to raise Derek’s child, or to continue whatever thing you two have had going on here lately. She should have told you up front, and there will be a time when I take up for you and tell her that. Tonight isn’t that night. I swear—if you say something to upset her, and she gets sick again, I will never forgive you.”
He stood there, gaping. Of course Austin didn’t think the baby belonged to him. It was only natural for them to think it was Derek’s.
A good friend obeyed the man code.
He should tell him. He should finally be honest with his best friend. He deserved it. However, he recalled Austin’s words too clearly. Tonight wasn’t the night. He promised Dr. Anderson he wouldn’t cause a scene, and he was determined to keep his promise. The most important thing right now was Leila.
“I love her, Austin. You know that. Hell, you’ve always known that.”
Austin’s lips stretched tight before placing a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. “I know this sucks.”
“No,” he argued. “She’s alive. You didn’t see her lying there, barely breathing. You didn’t hold her in your arms, wondering if maybe it would be the last time. Leila is alive, and so is that child. That is the only thing that matters, and that, Austin, is by far the best fucking news I’ve ever heard in my life.”
Austin pulled him in for a hug, attempting to squeeze the life out of him. “Leila may never love you, but by God, I sure as hell do.”
“I know.” He could only hope he still felt that way once he was free to make his final confession.
The door opened behind them, revealing Drew, who also wore a weak smile. “Leila wants Austin and me to go home and get her things since she’s going to be here a couple days, which, of course, is Leila’s code for she wants to talk to you alone.”
Henrik looked back at his best friend. “You don’t have to worry about me, all right? I would never let anything happen to her.”
Austin nodded. “I trust you.”
Again, he felt it, just like the night Leila had spoken the words. Even after all the shitty things he’d done, his family still believed in him. It was amazing how three simple words could have so much significance.
He said his goodbyes to Austin and Drew, and stepped back in the room. Leila sat up in the bed, a nurse at her side drawing blood. He rushed over and took her hand just as she stuck her. Leila winced. “Well, your nose doesn’t look any more broken than it did the last time I saw you. I’m assuming you lied to them?”
He smiled, leaning over to kiss her cheek. “I thought it was something we might want to tell them together.”
The nurse removed the needle and started cleaning up. Leila still looked at him, though, her eyes flashing with light. “Together?”
“Yes, Leila. Never doubt that.”
He held on to her for dear life. After everything he’d experienced in the last twenty-four hours, he was more certain than ever that he could never truly be happy without her in his life. “I will always be here for you.”
She looked down at her hands, seemingly ashamed. “I was afraid you’d be angry,” she admitted. “I mean, I should have mentioned to you that night that I wasn’t on any kind of birth control.”
“Maybe,” he smiled, running his hand across her cheek, “but I should have asked. It doesn’t matter now.”
“We’re going to be parents.” Her features were straight. Serious. “You’re going to be a father.”
He laughed. It was a little bit hysterical. “Not going to lie, but you’re probably going to have to say that a couple hundred more times before it actually sinks in.”
“This is major, Henrik. This baby, it’s going to change our lives forever. Are you sure you’re ready for that?”
He gripped his hand in her hair, willing her to hear the confidence he felt. “Will the thought that I’m actually going to be a father always sound shocking to me? Probably. Will I be horrible at it? Most likely. But Leila, I promise you, I will never regret you or—” he paused looking down at her stomach and then back over at the monitor “—do you know yet? Are you far enough along?”
She gave a slight nod, smiling from ear to ear. “It’s early, but they think it’s a girl. I found out right before you came in.”
“A girl? I’m going to have a daughter.” He shook his head at the thought. “Fucking serves me right.”
“Yeah,” she said, laughing. “That’s what I thought too.”
He continued to laugh as he leaned over and pulled her mouth to his. Perfect. The Leila kind of perfect. “I love you. I’ve never meant something so much in my fucking life.”
He felt her smile against his lips, her reassuring hand gripped tight around his shirt. “I love you too.”
Chapter 26
HE
NRIK AND LEILA’S REVEAL
Leila
Four days later, Leila finally made it home. She’d barely been settled in for twenty-four hours, and she already wanted to string Drew up by his ears. Technically, she was on bed rest until her next doctor’s appointment that afternoon. Drew wouldn’t allow her to set a foot on the floor. He made her breakfast—burnt and black— and lunch in bed, all while badgering her with questions about Derek, and more importantly, the details of conception.
She could fake a lot of things, but the details of conception wasn’t one of them.
Needless to say, by the time Henrik arrived after lunch, he was a welcome sight. She motioned for him to shut the door as soon as he walked through it. “Lock it,” she instructed.
“What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong? Your brother is what’s wrong.” She raked her hands through her hair, trying to calm her nerves. “We’ve got to tell them, Henrik. I can’t ward off his questions about Derek forever. He wants me to get a lawyer. He’s micromanaging my every move.”
Henrik held back a laugh. “He’s a Rylander. You should know by now that micromanaging other people’s lives is what we do best.”
“We are telling them,” she said gruffly. “Today.”
He sat down on the bed next to her. “We can if that’s what you want. I’m not happy about missing your doctor’s appointment today anyway, and this way, I won’t have to fight Drew to take you next time.”
“I know they will probably be upset, but we can tell them after my appointment, and I’ll have a new picture of the baby to show off. It will distract them.”
“It will distract Drew, but Austin is doubtful.”
“So, it’s settled,” she said, gushing out her relief. “We can meet for dinner after your practice?”
He nodded, touching his black and blue nose gently. “It just started healing too.”
Leila grabbed his wrist, noticing a piece of gauze taped around it. “What happened to you?”
“Oh. That.” He suddenly grinned nervously. “That’s nothing.”
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