T-Bone - L. Wilder Page 0,80
sure of yourself.”
“That’s because I am.” She gave me a warm smile. “You aren’t the first patient I’ve had who’s kept her pregnancy a secret. It actually happens more than you might think, and every time, things have a way of working out. I have no doubt that the same will hold true for you.”
“I certainly hope you’re right.”
“I am. You’ll see.” She gave me a light pat on the leg, then said, “I’m going to go check in with the doctor and see how much longer it’ll be.”
“Okay. Thanks, Jessica.”
Once she’d walked out of the room, I ran my hand over my round belly and my chest tightened when I thought about my son being in distress. I had no idea what that meant. I just knew it couldn’t be good, especially since they were doing a C-section. I knew it was too soon. He was a month early, and there was a chance his lungs wouldn’t be fully developed. There was a time when I wasn’t sure I even wanted a baby, but now I couldn’t bear the thought of losing him. My eyes filled with tears as I whispered, “Hey there, little guy. I need you to listen to me. I want you to be strong and hold on for your momma. You hear me? I love you and I can’t wait to hold you in my arms.”
My abdomen tightened with another contraction, taking my breath away. They were coming closer and closer, so I knew it wouldn’t be long before they took me to surgery. The pain had just started to subside when there was a light tap on the door followed by the sound of footsteps entering the room. When I glanced up, I found Beckett and Clay standing at the foot of my bed. Neither of them spoke. They just stood there looking like they’d seen a ghost. It had been almost eight months since I’d seen Beckett, and he looked just as good, if not better, than I remembered. I’d often wondered if my feelings for him had changed, but as I lay there gazing at him, I realized I loved him just as much as I had when we were still together.
The tension in the room kept growing until finally Clay cleared his throat and asked, “So, are you going to tell me what the hell is going on with all this?”
“I know you’re angry with me, but—”
“Angry doesn’t begin to describe what I’m feeling right now, Alyssa.” He motioned his hand towards my belly. “You’re about to have a fucking kid, and this is the first I’ve heard of it.”
“I was going to tell you, but...”
“Does Mom know?”
“Yes, she was there when I found out, but she wasn’t thrilled with the news.”
“So, you tell Mom, but you decided to keep the news from me?”
“Can we please not do this right now?” Another contraction hit, causing me to wince in agony. I took a few deep breaths, and when the pain started to subside, I muttered, “Something’s wrong with the baby, and they’re gonna have to take him early.”
“What do you mean by ‘something’s wrong’?”
“I don’t know. His heart rate isn’t as strong as it should be.” I glanced over at Beckett. He hadn’t said a word. Instead, he just stood there staring at me in utter shock. I couldn’t blame him. If I was in his shoes, I would be furious with me. “I’m so sorry, Beckett. I’m sorry about everything. I should’ve told you. I just didn’t know how.”
“I just don’t understand.” His voice was filled with hurt as he asked, “I thought we had a good thing. I thought I was good to you ... that I made you happy. What did I do so bad that you’d keep my own kid from me?”
“You were good to me. You both were.” Another contraction rippled through me as I groaned, “I was there that night. I followed you…I saw everything.”
“You were where?” Clay pushed.
“In ... uh ... Frayser.” I stammered. “On Jackson Street.”
Clay’s eyes widened in horror when he realized what I was talking about. Before he could say anything more, Jessica and two other nurses came charging into the room. “All right, Ms. Hanson. It’s time to get you down to surgery.”
Like three little bees, they buzzed around the room, unplugging devices and lifting me over to the hospital bed that they’d use to transport me down for surgery. Once they had everything together, Jessica looked over to Beckett