Total pages in book: 214
Estimated words: 199879 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 999(@200wpm)___ 800(@250wpm)___ 666(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 199879 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 999(@200wpm)___ 800(@250wpm)___ 666(@300wpm)
“Shh, Ashtyn, calm down,” a familiar voice growls.
My body instantly goes limp, and he releases my mouth. I sob as he sits me in a chair and kneels in front of me. “What the fuck is going on?” He places his hands on my shaking thighs and rubs them over my jeans.
“I’m…pregnant,” I cry, knowing I can trust him.
“Shit.” He sighs, running his hand through his hair. “Does Saint know?”
I shake my head, tears spilling from my eyes, and I run my hand under my runny nose.
“I’ll call him.” He stands and removes his cell from his pocket, and I slap it out of his hand. “Ash—”
“No, You can’t,” I cry out, and he grabs my trembling shoulders.
“It’s okay,” he assures me softly.
He’s so wrong. “No.” I shake my head quickly. “He cheated.”
His brows pull together. “What? No. He’d never—”
“He cheated.” I gasp, trying to breathe, but my throat is closing. “You…can’t.”
“Ashtyn,”
“Tell him.” I grip his T-shirt and bury my face into it. He wraps his arms around me, and I begin to sob, repeating that he cheated, hoping he’ll understand what I mean because I can’t form a fucking sentence right now.
“Ashtyn…I can’t keep this from him.” Haidyn rubs my back.
I pull away and wrap my arms around myself, bowing my head. “If you do this, it’ll get him in trouble.” I lift my watery eyes to his, hoping I can get through to him.
He frowns. “Saint loves you, Ashtyn. He would do anything…”
“I know.” Sniff. “That’s the problem.”
His eyes search mine before he lets out a long breath and runs a hand down his face. “What do you want me to do?”
“I need a doctor.” I have to know. What if Laura somehow made the test have a positive result? I don’t put that past her to try and scare me. I need more tests done. Blood work? Ultrasound? Something that can confirm it other than her.
“I’ll call Devin…”
“No.” I shake my head. “Someone else. Someone…not here.” Devin is devoted to the Spade brothers, not me. I need someone on my side.
“Gavin.” He nods to himself, pulling out his cell. “I’ll call Gavin.”
I rock back and forth as he steps away, giving me his back, and I close my eyes, trying to stop the tears. I’m shaking, having a hard time catching my breath.
“He can see you now,” he says, getting my attention.
Licking my wet lips, I taste my tears and whisper, “How?”
“I’ll take you. No one will even know we left. But Ashtyn…” He pins me with a stare. “Who all knows about this?”
I give him a quick rundown of what was supposed to have been my therapy session, and he curses. “We’ll have to come up with a story. When we get back, you’ll have to go back and see her. You need to confide in her. Let her think she’s helping you, okay?”
I nod, hating that thought but knowing he’s not wrong.
“I mean it, baby girl.” He kneels back down in front of me, taking my shaking hands in his. “I’m going to help you, but it won’t be easy.”
Things changed after I saw Gavin. I knew right then and there when I saw the baby on the monitor that I had to stop thinking about me and Saint. But like everything else in my life, it just wasn’t meant to be.
My lips tremble as I look up at Haidyn. I can only imagine what he’s going through after that day as well. I’ve wanted to say it for a long time, but that would have required me to return, which I never planned on doing. “I’m sorry….”
“Don’t fucking apologize!” he yells in my face, making me whimper. Closing my eyes, I try to turn my head away from him, but he’s got a death grip on me. “Look at me,” he commands.
I pry my watery eyes open and meet his and take in a shaky breath. My hands dig into his bloody T-shirt, trying to push him away, but he’s got his large body pressed into mine.
“Accept your punishment, Ashtyn. We all had to.” He steps back, yanks me from the wall, and shoves me toward the door. “Get the fuck out of here before I make you skin what’s left of him.”
I don’t have to be told twice. I run out of the room, through the plastic doorway as “NUMB” by Ryan Oakes blares from the room I just vacated.
I look over my shoulder, making sure he’s not chasing me down, my hair slapping me in the face. I’m gasping for breath, my heart in my throat. I look back to see where I’m going just in time to see I need to turn a corner.
I run toward the opposite end of the hall, needing to get the fuck out of here and back to my room. Coming up to the elevator, I pound on the button and rush in when the door opens. I continue to hit the button on the inside for the floor that my room is on.