Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 113130 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 377(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113130 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 566(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 377(@300wpm)
“Yes.” I smile, handing it to him and putting my gown down. “Also, I can’t believe you did that.”
“Did what?” He doesn’t take his eyes off of the picture.
“Did what?” I gasp. “You know he’s a doctor, right?” I ask him and he rolls his eyes.
“He didn’t need to see that part of you.” He shakes his head and I literally have no words for him.
“You should go home and get some rest,” I tell him and he glares at me. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I’m not fucking going anywhere,” he hisses to me, and I hold up my hands.
“Excuse me.” The nurse comes in. “I’m really sorry, but I have someone at the desk asking for Ariella.” She tries not to laugh. “I’m pretty sure he’s about to pull his hair out of his head.”
“Oh my God,” Jaxon says, “that must be my father.” He gets up to his feet.
“Your father!” I shriek. “You told your father?”
“Well, you were passing out and shit, Ari,” he defends himself. “I was scared out of my fucking mind.”
“So you called your father?” I question, pretty sure my blood pressure is spiking. “Are you out of your mind?”
“Does this mean I don’t let him in?” the nurse asks me.
“Is he with another man?” I ask the nurse. “Say about a head shorter than him with blondish hair.”
“No.” She shakes her head. “He came in alone.”
“Then I guess we should let him back here,” I reason. “At least he didn’t call my father.”
“How do you know?” Jaxon asks me.
“Well, for one”—I look around—“everyone looks calm and no one is wondering why they are getting calls from all over the place from different people.” I hold up my finger. “My father would have called Evan, who would have called Max, who then would have called Matthew.” He puts his hands on his hips. “Who then would have called, I don’t even know who, maybe the president of the hospital if they have one.”
“Fair point.” He smirks. “So I’ll go get my dad.”
“I thought we were waiting to tell our parents.”
“Well, the next time you are fainting on me after throwing up for five days, I’ll rethink my decision,” he retorts, starting to storm out of the room.
“He’s very dramatic.” I look over at the nurse and he stops mid-storm.
“You guys are a cute couple.”
“We’re not a couple,” I correct her and now Jaxon is full-on staring at me, his eyes like daggers.
“No, we’re just friends,” he snarls.
“You were the one who said it.” I point to him and he shakes his head.
“Oh no, Ariella.” He looks at the nurse. “That was all her. And then she got sick. Maybe the baby didn’t like that answer.”
“Don’t you have to go and get your father?” I snap and then I gasp. “Oh my God!” I shriek, putting my hand to my stomach as the blood drains from his face. “He’s going to know we had sex.”
“Oh my,” the nurse says.
“Oh my God.” I put my hand to my forehead. “How can I look him in the face?” I close my eyes. “They’re going to know we had sex,” I groan and put my head back. “I don’t think I can face him.” A shadow comes over my face and I open my eyes.
“Are you done freaking out?”
“Absolutely,” I say, “not.” Which makes him laugh.
“It’ll be fine,” he soothes softly. “It’ll be okay.”
“Yeah, it’s not you who slept with his son,” I mumble and his eyebrows rise. “Go get him. He’s probably freaking out.”
“Okay, baby,” he says and kisses me before he walks out of the room.
“He likes you,” the nurse notes.
“It’s probably because he left his DNA inside of me,” I try to make a joke about it, but my heart gets tighter as she just shakes her head and walks out.
It feels like forever before Jaxon walks in with Manning behind him. The nurses at the station all watch with their mouths hanging open. “Here she is.”
I take a deep inhale. “Hi.” I hold up my hand, and he comes over to the bed.
“Ariella,” he says, his voice cracking, “how are you doing?” He holds my face. “You look pale.”
“She looks better now,” Jaxon reports. “She was translucent when I brought her in.”
“Jaxon,” Manning hisses at him, “that’s not making her feel better.”
“Yeah, Jaxon, that’s not making me feel better.” I raise my eyebrows at him and he rolls his eyes.
“Want to see something cool?” He walks over to his father with his phone in his hand. “Listen to this,” he says and then the sound of the baby’s heartbeat comes out of his phone. “That’s the baby.” His face is filled with awe. “In there.” He points at me.
Manning smiles at him and slaps his shoulder. “My baby is having a baby”—he turns to look at me—“and with Ariella.”