Charlotte gasped and clutched her stomach. A sharp jab of pain raced through her. Patrick sprang into action and draped her arm over his shoulders. He helped her hobble into the bathroom located backstage and lingered outside. She pressed her face against the wall and waited for the dizziness to pass.
When she pulled down her pants and wiped, horror crept up her back.
Why was she bleeding?
Charlotte didn’t remember crying out to Patrick. All she knew was she ended up on the floor of the bathroom, her knees drawn to her chest. Patrick’s face loomed in and out of her field of vision, his hands cool against her flushed skin. Then, a pair of uniformed paramedics in blue and black appeared.
She was hoisted onto a gurney and wheeled away.
Charlotte had her arm draped over her stomach the entire time and kept trying to remember how to breathe.
The baby is fine. It’s okay.
She squeezed her eyes shut and ignored the world around her. When she opened her eyes again, she was being wheeled through the gray hospital walls, the smell of disinfectant and sweat washing over her. Monitors beeped in the background, and the sound of squeaking shoes penetrated through the haze.
Someone shined a light in her eye, and she flinched.
She heard Addison and Mason and sat up in bed. Addison threw her arms around her while Mason clenched and unclenched his hands. Charlotte’s hands were still shaking, and bile coated her tongue. Addison and Mason exchanged worried looks and kept glancing over at her.
But she was too scared to reassure them, especially when she wasn’t even sure what was wrong.
Was it the fight with Patrick that got her worked up?
Was her body rejecting the baby?
Tears spilled down her face as she buried her face in her hands. Everything went quiet for a while as Charlotte cried. Then, she heard a familiar voice and found herself looking into her mom’s face. A sob caught in Charlotte’s throat as she threw her arms around Emily and squeezed.
Emily pulled a chair closer to the bed and took both of her hands in hers. “You have nothing to worry about, sweetheart. A little bleeding is normal. I’m sure your doctor will tell you that once she gets here.”
Charlotte’s tongue felt awkward and heavy. “I’m sorry.”
Emily’s brows furrowed together. “Sweetheart, you have nothing to apologize for. Sometimes, these things happen. Why don’t you lie down and try to think about something else?”
Charlotte held her mother’s hand in a deathlike grip. “I shouldn’t have been arguing with Patrick.”
Especially when he’d already made up his mind about her.
Aboutthem.
Why had she even bothered?
And why was she stupid enough to think she could’ve had it all?
Charlotte lifted her gaze to the ceiling and swallowed. “Is there any news about the doctor?”
“I’m sure Addison will tell us when there is. Now, why don’t I try and get your mind off of things?”
Charlotte twisted her head to stare at her mother, who, she suddenly realized, was still in a flour-coated apron and had wisps of hair escaping from her bun. “Okay.”
“So, you remember how Jack told us that Liam—Aunt Lily’s kid—was in town to meet up with the McNealys? Well, I don’t know about you, but I thought it was weird because he’s a criminal lawyer. Turns out the McNealysdoneed his services. They’re being charged with money laundering and fraud.”
Charlotte’s mouth fell open. “How?”
Emily shrugged. “I don’t know, but I heard that…”
Charlotte only half listened to the rest of the story, letting her mother’s voice wash over her as she did. The longer she listened, the calmer she felt until she was lulled into a state of half-sleep. Before she drifted off, she draped an arm over her stomach and sent up a quick prayer.
You’re going to be okay, bean. We’re going to be okay.
