Then I heard dry heaving noises.
“What did he do?” Conleigh asked, sounding much closer.
I sat back down in my chair, feeling my heart rate start to return to normal—or as normal as it was ever going to get at this point—and wished the phone would show her face already.
I heard Pru give Conleigh a muffled explanation and hearing it from her perspective was enough to set my anger on fire once again.
“Pru, honey,” Conleigh murmured. “I think you must’ve called Hoax or something during that altercation because he knew something was wrong with you.”
More retching noises, and then the phone was finally no longer black.
I saw Pru’s face in the next instant, and had I been in the vicinity of Kelley, I would’ve killed him. Straight up killed him.
Seeing the tears on Pru’s face, as well as her pale, clammy skin, had me seeing red.
“Are you okay, baby?” I asked.
She burst into tears once again.
The men started to return, one by one, and my stomach sank farther and farther as she continued to cry.
It wasn’t until Treat got back, and Carl gave him an explanation as to what the hell was going on, that I said I had to go.
“Pru, honey,” I said softly, not caring in the least that the men were listening to my every word. “I have to go back to work.”
She hastily wiped away the tears, and her spine stiffened. “I’m okay.”
We both knew that was a lie.
Hell, I would’ve done anything to have her in my arms and to tell her that it’d be okay. That I’d rip that man apart with my bare hands.
But we both knew that I couldn’t. First of all, I wasn’t there, and furthermore, Kelley probably wouldn’t get more than a slap on the wrist.
That wouldn’t stop me from raising hell, though.
No, fucking sir.
“Thank you for the memes,” I told her, knowing it’d get a smile out of her.
Her face cleared even more, and if I couldn’t see the bloodshot eyes, I might’ve believed that she was never hurt in the first place.
Almost.
“Love you,” she whispered.
Then she was gone, hitting end on our video chat, and breaking my heart in the process.
I put the phone down on the table and buried my face in my hands.
Carl was still explaining as I finally got my shit together and allowed myself to think about where the last five minutes had taken me.
One thing was for certain.
I may not fucking be there, but I knew someone that was.
***
Pru
I made it to the front door, shift finally over, and wished with everything I had that Hoax was there to walk with me to my car.
Or Mr. M.
God, I missed Mr. M.
I’d seen his wife two days ago at the supermarket buying her groceries, and my heart had broken all over again for her.
Shoulders slumped more than normal, and my stomach still not back up to par after the events from earlier in the day, I made my way outside, phone in one hand, and keys in the other.
I made it four steps outside before I saw them.
Motorcycles.
Everywhere.
At first, it was my dad that caught my attention.
Then it was Bayou, followed by my uncle James.
And since my mother was still in her meeting, three hours later, I knew that they were here for me.
Hoax had called in the cavalry, making sure that they’d be here so I wouldn’t be alone.
I felt tears gathering once again and pulled my phone up to send a message to Hoax telling him how much I loved him before walking toward them.
Bayou was the first person that I passed, and without much thought to what I was doing, I threw myself into his arms.
He stiffened for all of a half a second, then wrapped those big arms around me.
“You okay?” he asked.
I nodded against his cut. “I’m okay.”
“Good,” he rumbled.
When I finally let him go a few seconds later, he looked relieved. Not because he was no longer touching me, though, but because he believed me.
I was okay.
Now. Thanks to Hoax.
He may not be here physically, but he still took care of me nonetheless.
Chapter 16
You can’t catch a pregnancy. You can catch shit, though.
-Text from Piper to Pru
Pru
Eight weeks later
There was no denying it anymore.
None.
“You’re pregnant,” Piper declared, staring at me with shock written all over her face.
I was pregnant.
There was no doubt about it any longer.
Although I’d been denying it for quite some time, I wasn’t a complete dumbass.
Sure, I’d gone out of my way to avoid thinking about the elephant in the room—or the baby in my belly—but it was getting to the point where I had to think about it.
My pants no longer fit. My mother and father were giving me looks that clearly said they wanted an explanation. My little sister was flat out pointing out that I was pregnant around every turn, jokingly at first, and seriously now.
I’d already had to go up a pants size in my scrubs, and had to switch over to the ones that were loose on the top instead of hugging my every curve.
I hated those, but honestly, I wasn’t ready to answer any questions just yet.
The longer I could keep this a secret, the better.
I just wanted Hoax to be the first to know, and I wanted him to find out in person.
He assured me that they were only there for about two more months. Surely, I could keep it a secret from everyone at work, as well as his motorcycle club that had simply forced their way into my life—not that I didn’t like them being there for me.
“I mean, I know that Phoebe was telling me that you were, but Jesus. You really are. You can tell.” She shook her head. “When are you going to tell him?”
Piper was currently in uniform, staring at me like I had an alien attached to my chest, and not a baby belly.
I’d answered her call while I’d been in the shower, so excited to hear from her that I’d hit the button that answered, and accidentally turned on Facetime—apparently, I was good at calling people and showing them my secrets. Because I most certainly wouldn’t have chosen for Hoax to know that Kelley had done what he’d done. I would’ve kept that secret until he’d come home, because I really hated that he felt guilty for being there and not here when I needed him.
“I’m going to tell him when the time is right,” I told her, shrugging. “I was going to wait until he came home, but then I got a call from him today. He said that he might be there a little longer than expected because of something happening that shouldn’t. I don’t know. I’m not sure what to do.”
“Make a doctor appointment,” she suggested.
I nodded. “I did. It’s in three weeks. I had no idea how hard it was to get into an obstetrician. That was their earliest appointment. And I made that three weeks ago.”
Piper shook her head. “You could come up here, and I could work you into our schedule.”
I snorted. “Yes, I’ll just get right on that. Germany’s how far away? Twenty-hour flight?”
Piper shrugged. “I’ll let you know in two weeks.”
I blinked. “What?”
Piper’s grin grew. “I have leave. I’m coming home for two weeks.”
I hadn’t seen my sister in a very long time. Much longer than I was used to.
“What?” I screeched.
“Two weeks,” she repeated. “My leave was approved today. Which was why I was calling. Can you pick me up at the airport?”
My grin was so wide that I couldn’t contain myself. “Yes!”
That was about the time that the shampoo that I still hadn’t washed out of my hair started to fall into my eyes.
I stepped back in the shower, put the phone on the shower caddy, and rinsed the soap out of my eyes.
“Yes, yes, fuck me!”
We both froze.
“Let me guess, you’re watching porn now in the birds’ presence?” Piper asked, mirth sparkling in her eyes.
I slicked my hair back and glanced over at the bird that was sitting on the toilet seat. I’d tried to shoo him out before I’d taken my shower, but he’d refused to leave.
“What did he do?” Conleigh asked, sounding much closer.
I sat back down in my chair, feeling my heart rate start to return to normal—or as normal as it was ever going to get at this point—and wished the phone would show her face already.
I heard Pru give Conleigh a muffled explanation and hearing it from her perspective was enough to set my anger on fire once again.
“Pru, honey,” Conleigh murmured. “I think you must’ve called Hoax or something during that altercation because he knew something was wrong with you.”
More retching noises, and then the phone was finally no longer black.
I saw Pru’s face in the next instant, and had I been in the vicinity of Kelley, I would’ve killed him. Straight up killed him.
Seeing the tears on Pru’s face, as well as her pale, clammy skin, had me seeing red.
“Are you okay, baby?” I asked.
She burst into tears once again.
The men started to return, one by one, and my stomach sank farther and farther as she continued to cry.
It wasn’t until Treat got back, and Carl gave him an explanation as to what the hell was going on, that I said I had to go.
“Pru, honey,” I said softly, not caring in the least that the men were listening to my every word. “I have to go back to work.”
She hastily wiped away the tears, and her spine stiffened. “I’m okay.”
We both knew that was a lie.
Hell, I would’ve done anything to have her in my arms and to tell her that it’d be okay. That I’d rip that man apart with my bare hands.
But we both knew that I couldn’t. First of all, I wasn’t there, and furthermore, Kelley probably wouldn’t get more than a slap on the wrist.
That wouldn’t stop me from raising hell, though.
No, fucking sir.
“Thank you for the memes,” I told her, knowing it’d get a smile out of her.
Her face cleared even more, and if I couldn’t see the bloodshot eyes, I might’ve believed that she was never hurt in the first place.
Almost.
“Love you,” she whispered.
Then she was gone, hitting end on our video chat, and breaking my heart in the process.
I put the phone down on the table and buried my face in my hands.
Carl was still explaining as I finally got my shit together and allowed myself to think about where the last five minutes had taken me.
One thing was for certain.
I may not fucking be there, but I knew someone that was.
***
Pru
I made it to the front door, shift finally over, and wished with everything I had that Hoax was there to walk with me to my car.
Or Mr. M.
God, I missed Mr. M.
I’d seen his wife two days ago at the supermarket buying her groceries, and my heart had broken all over again for her.
Shoulders slumped more than normal, and my stomach still not back up to par after the events from earlier in the day, I made my way outside, phone in one hand, and keys in the other.
I made it four steps outside before I saw them.
Motorcycles.
Everywhere.
At first, it was my dad that caught my attention.
Then it was Bayou, followed by my uncle James.
And since my mother was still in her meeting, three hours later, I knew that they were here for me.
Hoax had called in the cavalry, making sure that they’d be here so I wouldn’t be alone.
I felt tears gathering once again and pulled my phone up to send a message to Hoax telling him how much I loved him before walking toward them.
Bayou was the first person that I passed, and without much thought to what I was doing, I threw myself into his arms.
He stiffened for all of a half a second, then wrapped those big arms around me.
“You okay?” he asked.
I nodded against his cut. “I’m okay.”
“Good,” he rumbled.
When I finally let him go a few seconds later, he looked relieved. Not because he was no longer touching me, though, but because he believed me.
I was okay.
Now. Thanks to Hoax.
He may not be here physically, but he still took care of me nonetheless.
Chapter 16
You can’t catch a pregnancy. You can catch shit, though.
-Text from Piper to Pru
Pru
Eight weeks later
There was no denying it anymore.
None.
“You’re pregnant,” Piper declared, staring at me with shock written all over her face.
I was pregnant.
There was no doubt about it any longer.
Although I’d been denying it for quite some time, I wasn’t a complete dumbass.
Sure, I’d gone out of my way to avoid thinking about the elephant in the room—or the baby in my belly—but it was getting to the point where I had to think about it.
My pants no longer fit. My mother and father were giving me looks that clearly said they wanted an explanation. My little sister was flat out pointing out that I was pregnant around every turn, jokingly at first, and seriously now.
I’d already had to go up a pants size in my scrubs, and had to switch over to the ones that were loose on the top instead of hugging my every curve.
I hated those, but honestly, I wasn’t ready to answer any questions just yet.
The longer I could keep this a secret, the better.
I just wanted Hoax to be the first to know, and I wanted him to find out in person.
He assured me that they were only there for about two more months. Surely, I could keep it a secret from everyone at work, as well as his motorcycle club that had simply forced their way into my life—not that I didn’t like them being there for me.
“I mean, I know that Phoebe was telling me that you were, but Jesus. You really are. You can tell.” She shook her head. “When are you going to tell him?”
Piper was currently in uniform, staring at me like I had an alien attached to my chest, and not a baby belly.
I’d answered her call while I’d been in the shower, so excited to hear from her that I’d hit the button that answered, and accidentally turned on Facetime—apparently, I was good at calling people and showing them my secrets. Because I most certainly wouldn’t have chosen for Hoax to know that Kelley had done what he’d done. I would’ve kept that secret until he’d come home, because I really hated that he felt guilty for being there and not here when I needed him.
“I’m going to tell him when the time is right,” I told her, shrugging. “I was going to wait until he came home, but then I got a call from him today. He said that he might be there a little longer than expected because of something happening that shouldn’t. I don’t know. I’m not sure what to do.”
“Make a doctor appointment,” she suggested.
I nodded. “I did. It’s in three weeks. I had no idea how hard it was to get into an obstetrician. That was their earliest appointment. And I made that three weeks ago.”
Piper shook her head. “You could come up here, and I could work you into our schedule.”
I snorted. “Yes, I’ll just get right on that. Germany’s how far away? Twenty-hour flight?”
Piper shrugged. “I’ll let you know in two weeks.”
I blinked. “What?”
Piper’s grin grew. “I have leave. I’m coming home for two weeks.”
I hadn’t seen my sister in a very long time. Much longer than I was used to.
“What?” I screeched.
“Two weeks,” she repeated. “My leave was approved today. Which was why I was calling. Can you pick me up at the airport?”
My grin was so wide that I couldn’t contain myself. “Yes!”
That was about the time that the shampoo that I still hadn’t washed out of my hair started to fall into my eyes.
I stepped back in the shower, put the phone on the shower caddy, and rinsed the soap out of my eyes.
“Yes, yes, fuck me!”
We both froze.
“Let me guess, you’re watching porn now in the birds’ presence?” Piper asked, mirth sparkling in her eyes.
I slicked my hair back and glanced over at the bird that was sitting on the toilet seat. I’d tried to shoo him out before I’d taken my shower, but he’d refused to leave.
