Within their three months together so much had happened. So much happiness that Tate couldn’t help to think that something bad was supposed to happen. He was too happy, too in love for everything to stay the same. They only fought twice, and the first time, when Levi had texted her, really wasn’t a fight. When they fought about the baby issue, it scared him bone deep that he might lose her then. Luckily he hadn’t, but now he might. Even with all the good that had just filled him, he found himself going to a dark place.
Tate reached over and took her hand, kissing each of her fingertips before kissing her palm, wishing he had never gone to All Star week. Even though it was great for his career, he was gone through Audrey’s whole sickness, when she was there for him the whole time he was sick. He missed going to the doctor to find out she was pregnant, and then he wasn’t there when that f**ker came to hurt her. He wondered if she cried for him when Levi was beating her. If she was scared she would die. Did she know he loved her? If only he was ten minutes earlier, he might have been there to stop him before it got this bad.
Kissing the back of her hand, he looked up at her and said, “I’m sorry, Audrey, I should have been there.”
He knew that if she was awake she would yell at him that there was nothing he could do, but there was a lot. He was supposed to protect her. He was supposed to be there when she needed him and take care of her when she was sick. That was his job, and he had failed her. Shaking his head, he kissed her swollen hand again before he gently laid his head against her bed as the tears welled up in his eyes. But before they could fall, he fell asleep.
***
Fallon watched as Tate leaned against Audrey’s bed, his eyes closed, his body limp as he slept. He hadn’t moved an inch from Audrey’s bed side. An hour didn’t pass without Fallon sneaking down the hall for just for a peak of Audrey. She could tell Tate was a mess, but she didn’t know how to help him. The only person who could help was Audrey. She was the one who could help everyone. Fallon was pretty sure that everyone was losing their mind as each second passed with no good news. The only good news they had gotten was that the baby was still alive, its little heart beating away.
Now all they had to do was worry about its momma.
Fallon glanced at the clock and saw that visiting hours were coming back up. She knew that Elli and Shea would be coming to the hospital soon, as would Piper. She had talked to them earlier that morning and they said they would be there as soon as visiting hours started. She would be glad to see their happy faces, but what she wanted more was to see her sister’s happy face. Fallon moved in closer, leaning against the door, but when she did, she kicked the metal trashcan, waking Tate. He sat up quickly, reaching for Audrey as he looked around the room. When his eyes met Fallon’s she sent him an apologetic smile.
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay, come in, sit down,” he said standing up as he rubbed his eyes. She came in and sat in the chair he had occupied all night and took Audrey’s hand in hers. She looked up at her sister’s beaten face and wished Levi Moss to the fiery depths of hell. The swelling along Audrey’s right eye had gone down, but along her nose and left eye, it hadn’t. When Tate’s hand rested on Fallon’s shoulder, she smiled up at him.
“I’ll stay with her if you wanna go take a nap,” Fallon said softly but like she knew he would, he shook his head.
“No, I don’t want to leave her.”
“Tate, you need to sleep for more than five minutes.”
“I’m not leaving her, Fallon.”
Fallon eyed him for a second before saying, “You know this isn’t your fault.”
Tate looked away, taking in a deep breath, “It isn’t yours either.”
How did he know she had stayed up and blamed herself all night? She should have kept Audrey at her house until the guys came home, or when she found out about Levi’s crazy ass, gone and gotten Audrey. Then she would have found Levi there and she would have called the cops immediately. But she didn’t, she just called and called, not knowing that her suspicions were true. It killed her inside to know that she could have put a stop to everything, but she stayed home, not doing anything.
“It’s hard to believe with all the shoulda, coulda, wouldas, swarming in my head,” she said softly. His hand squeezed her shoulder as he nodded.
“I know. They are working overtime in mine.” Fallon nodded as she stroked Audrey’s hand softly. The room was silent except for the noise coming from the ventilator and Audrey’s heart monitor that informed them her heart was beating strong and steady. Everyone was quiet and Fallon actually was calm when Tate said, “Do you feel that she’ll pull through?”
Fallon nodded quickly, “Yes.”
“How do you know? How are you not scared?”
“Because Lucas said she would,” she said glancing up at Tate, “if I didn’t have him, I would be a mess and I gotta believe in something. I like knowing that she is going to pull through and we are going to raise our babies together.”
Tate’s brows came together as he held Fallon’s gaze, “You are pregnant too?”
Fallon smiled as she nodded, “Yup, and on the kids’ first birthday we’re all gonna have a bash. I just know it. I just know that my sissy isn’t going anywhere but back to me and we are going to be happy raising our children together,” she said, her eyes filling with tears before they spilled over and ran down her cheeks, “We are going to trade off so that y’all will have time to yourselves and then Lucas and I will have time for us. We will have birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgivings, and go to games together as a family. God won’t take her from me, not now. He knows I need her. He’s gonna bless us with our Happily Ever Afters, I just know it.”
Tate reached over and took her hand, kissing each of her fingertips before kissing her palm, wishing he had never gone to All Star week. Even though it was great for his career, he was gone through Audrey’s whole sickness, when she was there for him the whole time he was sick. He missed going to the doctor to find out she was pregnant, and then he wasn’t there when that f**ker came to hurt her. He wondered if she cried for him when Levi was beating her. If she was scared she would die. Did she know he loved her? If only he was ten minutes earlier, he might have been there to stop him before it got this bad.
Kissing the back of her hand, he looked up at her and said, “I’m sorry, Audrey, I should have been there.”
He knew that if she was awake she would yell at him that there was nothing he could do, but there was a lot. He was supposed to protect her. He was supposed to be there when she needed him and take care of her when she was sick. That was his job, and he had failed her. Shaking his head, he kissed her swollen hand again before he gently laid his head against her bed as the tears welled up in his eyes. But before they could fall, he fell asleep.
***
Fallon watched as Tate leaned against Audrey’s bed, his eyes closed, his body limp as he slept. He hadn’t moved an inch from Audrey’s bed side. An hour didn’t pass without Fallon sneaking down the hall for just for a peak of Audrey. She could tell Tate was a mess, but she didn’t know how to help him. The only person who could help was Audrey. She was the one who could help everyone. Fallon was pretty sure that everyone was losing their mind as each second passed with no good news. The only good news they had gotten was that the baby was still alive, its little heart beating away.
Now all they had to do was worry about its momma.
Fallon glanced at the clock and saw that visiting hours were coming back up. She knew that Elli and Shea would be coming to the hospital soon, as would Piper. She had talked to them earlier that morning and they said they would be there as soon as visiting hours started. She would be glad to see their happy faces, but what she wanted more was to see her sister’s happy face. Fallon moved in closer, leaning against the door, but when she did, she kicked the metal trashcan, waking Tate. He sat up quickly, reaching for Audrey as he looked around the room. When his eyes met Fallon’s she sent him an apologetic smile.
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay, come in, sit down,” he said standing up as he rubbed his eyes. She came in and sat in the chair he had occupied all night and took Audrey’s hand in hers. She looked up at her sister’s beaten face and wished Levi Moss to the fiery depths of hell. The swelling along Audrey’s right eye had gone down, but along her nose and left eye, it hadn’t. When Tate’s hand rested on Fallon’s shoulder, she smiled up at him.
“I’ll stay with her if you wanna go take a nap,” Fallon said softly but like she knew he would, he shook his head.
“No, I don’t want to leave her.”
“Tate, you need to sleep for more than five minutes.”
“I’m not leaving her, Fallon.”
Fallon eyed him for a second before saying, “You know this isn’t your fault.”
Tate looked away, taking in a deep breath, “It isn’t yours either.”
How did he know she had stayed up and blamed herself all night? She should have kept Audrey at her house until the guys came home, or when she found out about Levi’s crazy ass, gone and gotten Audrey. Then she would have found Levi there and she would have called the cops immediately. But she didn’t, she just called and called, not knowing that her suspicions were true. It killed her inside to know that she could have put a stop to everything, but she stayed home, not doing anything.
“It’s hard to believe with all the shoulda, coulda, wouldas, swarming in my head,” she said softly. His hand squeezed her shoulder as he nodded.
“I know. They are working overtime in mine.” Fallon nodded as she stroked Audrey’s hand softly. The room was silent except for the noise coming from the ventilator and Audrey’s heart monitor that informed them her heart was beating strong and steady. Everyone was quiet and Fallon actually was calm when Tate said, “Do you feel that she’ll pull through?”
Fallon nodded quickly, “Yes.”
“How do you know? How are you not scared?”
“Because Lucas said she would,” she said glancing up at Tate, “if I didn’t have him, I would be a mess and I gotta believe in something. I like knowing that she is going to pull through and we are going to raise our babies together.”
Tate’s brows came together as he held Fallon’s gaze, “You are pregnant too?”
Fallon smiled as she nodded, “Yup, and on the kids’ first birthday we’re all gonna have a bash. I just know it. I just know that my sissy isn’t going anywhere but back to me and we are going to be happy raising our children together,” she said, her eyes filling with tears before they spilled over and ran down her cheeks, “We are going to trade off so that y’all will have time to yourselves and then Lucas and I will have time for us. We will have birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgivings, and go to games together as a family. God won’t take her from me, not now. He knows I need her. He’s gonna bless us with our Happily Ever Afters, I just know it.”
