Page 46 of Marrying a Billionaire
His mother turned around with her eyes wide. “I did not. Sure, I wanted the engagement publicized, but not this.”
Reed stacked the bottles in his arm and moved to head back upstairs. “Is everything a show for you? Don’t you care about what this might do to Lillian? To me?” If anything happened to her, he would never forgive his mother. He cared too much for Lillian to let her suffer.
His mom reached out and rested her hand on his arm. “What are you talking about? Of course I want what’s best for you. Why else do you think I arranged this? It’s not every mother’s dream to marry her son off to a woman she barely knows.”
Reed hesitated and turned to look at his mom. She had a point. Neither of them wanted the situation that they were in right now. He needed to remember that.
Sensing his understanding, his mom reached out and pulled him into a hug. “I love you, Reed. We’re family. We always have each other’s best interest in mind.”
He sighed and nodded, wrapping his mom in a side huge. “You’re right. And, honestly, Lillian feels more like family then Hannah ever did. She needs me. I have to be there for her.”
His mom nodded into his shoulder. “Then go, take care of her. If you need me to, I’ll cancel the wedding. It’s more important to make sure she’s okay.”
Reed leaned down and kissed his mom on the head. “Thanks, ma.” Pulling away, he made his way to the stairs. “I’ll let you know,” he said as he disappeared at the top.
Chapter Seventeen
Something wasn’t right. It wasn’t right at all.
A sharp pain in her lower back had started small and intermittent. But it was building to the point that when it happened, it took her breath away. Memories of going into labor months ago flashed back to her. It was happening again. She could feel it.
Tamara leaned into to whisper, “What’s going on?”
Lillian shot her a pained expression. One that said she was hurting in more ways than physical. Thankfully, Tamara understood.
“Do you want to go to the hospital?”
Lillian swallowed. She didn’t want to. Bad things happened when she went there. She walked in pregnant with a baby and came out alone. But this pain was starting to radiate down her legs and she knew something was wrong. So she bit her lip and nodded.
Tamara went into nurse mode. She stood and made her way over to Cassie where they talked in hushed tones.
Reed appeared in the doorway with a worried expression. He had half a dozen bottles of water tucked into his arms. When he saw her, his brow creased. She must have looked like a mess from his reaction.
He walked right by Lillian and Cassie and dumped the water onto a chair next to the bed. Then he approached, hesitantly at first but then reached down and grabbed her hand. He sat on the bed and met her gaze.
“Are you okay?” he asked, sweeping his gaze over her.
She nodded then winced another sharp pain squeezed her stomach. She clamped her eyes shut and breathed through it. When the pain passed, she glanced up at him.
“What’s happening? How can I help?” He reached out and rested his hand on her cheek.
“Reed?” Tamara asked.
He turned.
“We need to take her to the hospital.”
Reed sputtered as he stood. Lillian stared at Tamara who had her eyes wide. There was no way she wanted Reed to know about the baby. Not now. Not when she was about to lose it.
“Hospital? Why?” He turned to look at Lillian.
She shot him a comforting smile. “It’s just a precaution. I’m sure I’m fine.” When she moved her gaze to meet Tamara, Tamara pursed her lips and leaned toward her. Lillian knew she wanted her to tell Reed, but she couldn’t. So she steeled her expression, hoping that her best friend read it and knew what it meant.
Thankfully, she sighed and turned to Reed. “I should take her.”
“I’m going,” he said as he started to pace.
“No. It’s okay. Tamara can take me. I don’t want to inconvenience you.”
