Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 64362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 322(@200wpm)___ 257(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)
He blew out a sigh, then nodded. “Okay. In that case, we will need to admit you at least for today and overnight until we are sure you won’t collapse if you get up and walk. The blood loss, along with dehydration and lack of nutrition have wiped you out. You’ve not been eating much, I assume, from your urine sample. Your body is showing signs of starvation.”
Another sob. This was my fault. I’d done this to our baby. I should have been eating and drinking water.
I dropped my head into my hands, covering my face as my shoulders shook.
A hand touched my back. “Here you go,” the nurse said gently.
I looked at her. She held out a tissue for me. I took it and tried to choke out a thanks, but couldn’t.
“Go ahead and order her a room,” I heard the doctor tell her while I cleaned up my tears and tried to stop crying.
This wasn’t helping anything. I was making it worse. I couldn’t afford to stay here—or at least, I didn’t think my insurance covered that.
I sucked in a breath and cleared my throat. “I can’t pay to stay overnight.”
“I can’t allow you to leave in this condition. It’s not safe. It shows you have insurance,” he added, looking down at the clipboard in his hands. “I’ll see what I need to file in order for the insurance to cover it. Don’t worry about that. Right now, you need to focus on you. Getting yourself healthy.”
He looked at me, concern etched all over his face. That didn’t help matters.
“And there is no guardian or perhaps…the father you could call?” he asked hesitantly. “I don’t want to push, but you need someone right now.”
I sniffled and dropped my gaze to my hands. “No. My guardian is dead, and the father…he…doesn’t want to see me.” Saying that aloud was a harsh slap in the face. Knowing it was easier than admitting it.
“All right. Well, we will take care of you, I promise. You’re going to be fine.”
“Thanks,” I whispered, not wanting to see the pity on his face. I continued to stare at my hands as they twisted the tissue.
I had been so scared of being a mom. Having a baby. Afraid of what would happen to my scholarship. But I’d wanted it. He or she. I would have had a piece of Rome with me in a little life. One who would love me and not leave me. One who would want me. But I had lost it. Just like I had lost him.
9
Rome
Salem’s perfect, creamy complexion paled as a myriad of emotions crossed her face. Seeing the sorrow, however, fucking terrified me. I was not going to lose her. Whatever I needed to do in order to make this something she could live with, then I’d do it. She just had to say the word.
“I see,” she said, breaking the silence that Nixie’s announcement had caused.
Everyone in the fucking club knew. Nixie had made sure they did yesterday. But no one had wanted Salem to know. They cared about her. She was fucking impossible not to love.
Salem stepped back away from my touch. She barely glanced at me before turning and walking out of the kitchen. My heart pounded so hard that I could hear it in my ears. I had to fix this. Make her smile again.
I turned back to Nixie. The rage—caused by her careless words, meant to hurt Salem—began to boil at the sight of her standing there, trying to look innocent and confused.
Bitch. She’d done it on purpose.
“I said I’d help pay for the baby. I didn’t say I’d put up with you. If you want me in that child’s life, then you’ll learn to be nice to the woman I love. She’s not going anywhere. I intend to put a ring on her finger.”
She blinked, wide-eyed, as if she were trying to make herself tear up. “I didn’t mean to.”
“Oh, yes, you did, bitch. You meant to,” Nina snapped angrily.
Nixie’s eyes narrowed as she swung them to her. “Don’t call me that.”
Nina cocked her head and looked at her with disgust. “I can call you whatever I want. And what you just did was a bitch move. Don’t fuck with me, Nixie. I’m an ole lady. You’re just a stripper who got knocked up.”
Nixie swung her gaze back to me, as if I was going to defend her.
Turning, I left the kitchen to go find Salem. I had more important things to deal with. I should have told her yesterday, but I couldn’t do it. I was going to do it today, but after going to Strokes with Brick to deal with a fight that had broken out, I’d gotten back to Nixie demanding I talk to her. Micah had gone with us to the library to discuss the pregnancy. I hadn’t wanted to be alone with her without a witness.