“What’s happening?!” I want to shake her, scream at her, force her to tell me what’s going on. More shouting is happening beyond the door in the lobby.
“It’s your sister,” she says. “It’s the baby—something’s wrong.”
34
Adrian
I pace back and forth in the interrogation room from the time Stella rushes off to the time it opens again. Ulster appears with a coffee and a sandwich.
“Thought you might be hungry.”
“Thanks. What’s going on? Do I need to stay here? I should be with her.”
Ulster grimaces. “We have to keep you here, Mr. Maguire.”
“Call me Adrian,” I sigh. “Can I at least call her?”
He nods, motioning to the door. I follow him to a desk in the corner. He picks up the phone and dials zero, and then hands it to me. I stare at it blankly.
“I don’t know her number,” I say. Ulster’s eyebrows arch and I frown. “What! It’s programmed into my phone, is that so surprising?”
He glances at Dawkins, who sighs and then walks towards the opposite end of the room. In a few minutes, Dawkins returns with my phone. I nod. “Thanks.”
I sink down into a desk chair and find Stella’s number. She answers right away, breathless.
“Adrian,” she pants.
“What’s going on? Is Ashley okay? Where are you?”
“I’m at the hospital. She’s just gone into surgery for an emergency C-section. Her placenta abrupted—separated from the wall of her uterus. There was blood—” she takes a sharp breath. “They don’t know why. They said maybe it was distress…”
She trails off and I exhale.
“I’m so sorry, Stella. This is my fault. She shouldn’t have been here. I shouldn’t have—”
“Stop.” She sniffs and I hear her gathering her strength. “I can’t leave the hospital. I’m so sorry Adrian, but I just can’t.”
“I know. Stay. I’ll be fine.” I don’t know if I will be fine, but I don’t know what else to say. I’m here, on my own, facing federal charges, and the one person that actually believes in me can’t be here. I’m so incredibly alone, but maybe that’s the way it should be. I need to face this by myself. I need to make amends.
“Don’t say anything to the police until either me or another lawyer is there. I’ll call Martin and see if he can come. I’m serious—don’t start talking to them until you have someone in there with you.”
I nod. “Okay.”
“I’m sorry, Adrian. I’m not choosing her over you right now. I want to be there for you, but—”
“Stella, stay with your sister. I’d be right there with you if I could. You’re not choosing anyone, you’re exactly where you should be.”
“Okay,” she whispers. “Thanks.”
I exhale as I hang up, and then hand my phone back to Dawkins. He arches an eyebrow in question.
“Emergency C-section,” I explain. “She’s calling another lawyer to represent me.”
The two men sigh and nod, and then lead me back to the interrogation room. I follow Stella’s orders and I don’t talk to them until her partner, Martin, walks in. He shakes my hand firmly and then sits down.
“I’m Martin,” he says to me. “Stella called.”
“Thanks for coming.”
He waves a hand. “She didn’t have much information for me, so you’re going to have to fill me in. The agents will be back in here in a few minutes, so tell me as much as possible.”
In as few words as I can, I tell him about the deal with Hansen Constructions, the USB that Ashley has, and the proposal to cooperate from the FBI. Martin nods, jotting down notes and listening attentively.
“This is the deal?” He points to a file on the table.
I nod. “They said once it’s signed and I cooperate fully with them, they’ll drop all charges against me.”
Martin opens the file and starts reading the document. He’s nodding, and then frowning, and then nodding again. I hold my breath.
He’s smart and capable, but I still wish he were Stella. He’s probably more qualified in these cases than she is—she’s a contract lawyer, after all, but having her by my side was a lot more calming than having him here.
But Stella is exactly where she needs to be, at the hospital with her sister. This is something I need to face on my own.
Martin nods to me. “Okay. You ready?” He pushes a pen towards me, motioning to the file on the table. I sign my life away.
“Let’s do it,” I sigh. “Let’s get this over with.”
Martin knocks on the investigation room door, and the two FBI Agents come back inside. Martin hands them the signed agreement, and Dawkins takes out a notepad. Ulster assumes his position in the corner of the room, and Martin sits down beside me.
Dawkins clicks on a recording device on the table. He says the date, the case number, and names everyone present in the room.
“Now,” Dawkins says, turning to me. “Let’s start at the beginning. Tell me how you met John Hansen.”
For the next four hours, the two Special Agents interrogate me. They ask me the same questions over and over, a million different ways, until I’m completely exhausted. It doesn’t feel like they’re on my side, even though I’ve agreed to help them.
They ask me about John Hansen over and over and over. They ask me about how he paid me, who approached me, every single detail that I could remember about every single encounter I’ve had with him. By the end of the interview, I’m starting to wonder if John Hansen was more than just a contractor trying to win a bigger project.
I know they’re just doing their job, but I’m worn out. My nerves are frayed and I’m worried about Stella. Martin is good—he’s professional and doesn’t back down from the agents, and I’m glad to have him beside me.
By the time the interview is over, I just want to go home and go to sleep.
Dawkins glances at Ulster and nods. Ulster clears his throat. “We’re going to need that USB key.”
“Ashley has it,” I respond. “And I’m sure it’s not exactly the most important thing on her mind right now.” I don’t even know if she’s out of surgery—or if she’s okay.
Dawkins grunts, and then tosses me my cell phone again. “Call your girlfriend. Tell her once we have that, you’ll be free to go. We may need to bring you in for more questioning, but for the moment, the information you’ve provided has been useful.”
I nod and dial Stella’s number. It rings out, so I try Liam. Nothing. I glance at the two men, and then at Martin, and I shake my head.
“No answer.”
My heart starts to hammer. If neither of them is answering, it could mean something bad happened. And if Ashley is in trouble, or if the baby didn’t make it—that blood will be on my hands. I’m the reason that Ashley was in distress. I’m the reason she was furious with Stella. I’m the reason she decided to go to the press and start this drama in the first place.
The placenta abruption would never have happened if it wasn’t for me. She was stressed out from being here, she was mad at her sister for being with me, and she was driven by rage to bring those files to the press. It’s my fault—everything that has happened is all my fault. I take a deep breath as a weight settles over my chest. Martin puts his palm on my shoulder.
“I’ll drive you to the hospital.”
“We’ll follow,” Ulster grunts.
I nod. I don’t have the energy to protest. They can have the USB key. They can dig through my files and ask me anything they want. It doesn’t seem important anymore. I’ll tell them everything, give them everything, testify against John Hansen publicly—none of it matters.
What matters is that Stella and her family are okay. When everything is said and done, she’s the only thing that matters to me. Not the mayor’s office, or the riverfront development, or my legacy… just her.
I follow the men out of the police station and into Martin’s car. He glances at me, and then turns the c
ar on.
“I’m sure everything will be fine.”
“I hope you’re right,” I say, staring listlessly out the window. “Otherwise…” I let the sentence hang unsaid. I don’t want to let my mind go there, to think about what it would mean if Ashley wasn’t okay. I take a deep breath and steel myself for what lies ahead.
35
Stella
The hospital floor will be worn out by the time I’m done pacing up and down. Liam is sitting with his elbows resting against his knees. The plastic chair looks comically small underneath his large frame. I would laugh if I weren’t so stressed.
He keeps running his fingers through his hair, over and over until it’s sticking up in all directions.
The doctors and nurses rushed Ashley into surgery as soon as they realized what was happening. Since then, we haven’t heard a word. I glance towards the clock on the wall, and then the doors where she disappeared, and then at Liam.
He looks at me, his face lined with worry. I walk towards him and sit down on the plastic chair beside his. My knee bounces up and down and I bite my nails.
“This probably happens all the time,” I say. “The doctors didn’t seem too worried.”
“No,” he answers.
We say nothing to each other for another hour.
Finally, after an eternity, a doctor pushes the waiting room door open and walks towards us. Both Liam and I stand up. The doctor’s face is drawn and her eyes are clear, but tired. She nods to me and then looks at Liam.
“Ashley is okay,” she says simply. Liam nearly collapses. He leans against me, and tears start streaking down my face. I hold him, and then glance at the doctor.
“And the baby?”
Time stops. Liam freezes against me, his whole body going rigid as we hold our breath and wait for the doctor to answer. I can’t read her face, and panic starts to coil in my stomach.
The doctor nods. “He’s in the NICU. We’ll have to keep him there until he’s grown enough and able to breathe on his own. So far, all the tests are normal but we’ll keep monitoring him. Lots of babies born at 35 weeks go on to be completely healthy.”
Liam sobs, shaking his head. His fingers dig into my arm as he tries to stand upright. “How could this happen?”
The doctor sighs. “We don’t know exactly what causes placental abruption. The important thing is that both mother and baby are okay. Ashley has just been moved back to her room—she’ll be groggy, but you can go see her.”
Liam nods, stumbling towards Ashley’s room. I nod to the doctor. “Thank you.”
Ashley is asleep when we walk in. Liam takes one side of her bed, and I sit on the other. We each hold one of her hands and stay there, unmoving. Her breathing is light and labored. Liam glances at me from across the hospital bed. His eyes are full of pain. He still has a spot of blood on his shirt from earlier, when this all started at the police station.
I reach across Ashley’s body and squeeze his hand. His lip trembles, and he looks at Ashley with tears in his eyes. I don’t know what to say, so I don’t say anything.
We stay like that for a long time.
I’m nearly asleep in my chair when someone clears their throat in the doorway. Liam lifts his head and his whole face changes. His whole face transforms as a snarl curls at his lips.
“Get out,” he spits. “What the fuck are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in jail?”
I turn around to see Adrian in the doorway. Martin stands behind him. Adrian’s shoulders are slumped, and he opens his mouth to respond, but says nothing.
He glances at me and then nods, taking a step back. I stand up when Ashley speaks from behind me.
“Wait,” she croaks. Both Liam and I jump towards her.
“Ash,” he whispers. “Ash, I’m right here.”
She lifts her hand from the bed and motions to the door. Adrian’s eyes widen and Liam and I stand frozen in place. I watch Adrian gulp and then take a hesitant step forward. No one moves as he makes his way towards the bed. Ashley has one hand intertwined with Liam’s, and the other extended towards Adrian.
When he gets to the side of the bed, she stretches her fingers towards him. Adrian glances at me, at Liam, and finally takes Ashley’s hand.
She takes a slow, raking breath.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers. She takes another breath and I put my hand on her shoulder. Adrian stands frozen. Ashley takes another breath. “I’m sorry, Adrian. I shouldn’t have done that to you.”
Adrian doesn’t respond. Instead, his face crumples and he drops to his knees. He bursts into tears, leaning his forehead against her hand as he sobs. Tears streak down my face and I glance at Liam, whose anger slowly dissolves as he looks at my sister.
Adrian sniffles, sobs, and finally pulls himself together. He looks up at Ashley, shaking his head.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. I deserved it all. I’m the one who’s sorry. This is all my fault. Your baby…” he trails off, eyes wide.
Ashley shakes her head. “I forgave you the minute Stella showed up in my kitchen, guns blazing in your defense.” She chuckles softly, her laugh barely louder than a breath. She glances at me and I smile through my tears.
Adrian squeezes her hand. “I don’t deserve your forgiveness. I’ve been a horrible person. It’s not until l met Stella that I realized how awful I’ve been to everyone. You, Liam, the city…” He inhales.
“Everyone deserves forgiveness,” Ashley says. She smiles. “I’m no angel, either. I shouldn’t have done what I did. I think we’re even.”
I sigh, and Ashley smiles at me. Her eyes widen and she glances around the room.
“Where’s my purse?”
“Just here, baby,” Liam says, producing her purse from a table beside her bed.
“Keys,” she croaks. Her breaths are getting slower, and her eyes are starting to close. She’s completely exhausted. Liam shuffles through her bag and finds her keychain. He hands it to her, and she thumbs through the keys one by one, until she finds a little black USB key, the size of a stick of gum.
She extends it to Adrian, who clips it off the keychain. His fingers close around it and tears shine in his eyes. He nods, and Ashley smiles.
“I need to sleep now,” she says. Liam sits down beside her bed. He meets my eyes and nods at me. He glances to his brother and a flash of anger crosses his face, and then Ashley squeezes his hand. The lines on his features disappear, and he nods to his brother as well.
When we step outside, Martin is there with the two FBI agents. They look at us expectantly. Adrian slips his hand around my waist and extends the USB key towards them. They nod, take it, and then leave without saying a word.
I turn to Martin and wrap him in a hug. “Thank you,” I whisper.
“This guy better be worth all the trouble.” He pulls away from me with a grin on his face. “I’d better get back. Glad your sister is okay.”
I watch him walk down the hallway and then turn to Adrian. His head is hanging low, and he looks up at me through his eyelashes. He’s sheepish, as if he doesn’t quite know what to say. I take a step towards him, sliding my hands over his chest.
“Is it over?”
He gulps. “I think so. Stella, I’m sorry. This is all my fault, and—”
I put my fingers to his lips and shake my head. “Adrian, you just told me it was over. That means it’s over. Ashley said it herself: everyone deserves forgiveness. You do, I do, my sister does. I don’t want to carry this with me for the next twenty years.”
“I don’t deserve you,” he whispers. “I’m not a good person.”
I hook my arms around his neck. “You protected my sister and me when you resigned as mayor. You cooperated with the FBI, and you didn’t panic when I had to leave to be with my sister. You didn’t even think about being mad at Ashley when she betrayed you, and you were respectful to Cheryl when you had to turn her down. You’re not a good person, Adrian. You’re a great person. It takes a brave person to face th
eir mistakes like you have, to take the consequences and to ask for forgiveness.”
His eyes shine and he shakes his head. “I don’t deserve you, Stella,” he whispers.
I chuckle, stroking his face with my fingers. “You do deserve me. You deserve to be happy, and you deserve to be with someone who loves you. I think I can help with both.”
His arms tighten around my waist and he leans his forehead against mine. He closes his eyes and a tear falls between us. I wipe it away and then press my lips to his.
He’s shaking, but we hold each other until we’re both steady, strong, and ready to face the world together.
“I love you, Stella,” he says to me as he kisses me again. “I love you so much it should be illegal.”
“Let’s not add to your list of crimes,” I grin. “It’s long enough as it is.”
I glance into my sister’s hospital room. Liam lifts his head up to look at us. He glances at Adrian and dips his chin down. Adrian squeezes my hand and we turn away from them. We walk out of the hospital, hand-in-hand, and we go home together, once and for all.
Epilogue
Adrian
It takes a long time for me to forgive myself for everything I did. But day by day, Stella loves me until I have no choice but to love myself.
Ashley forgives me right away, and it amazes me that she’s able to do it so easily. She doesn’t mention what happened between us, but it’s not like she’s sweeping it under the rug. It’s like once she forgives me, it’s not relevant to her life anymore so she just lets it go.
Liam holds on to his anger a little bit longer. He’s still guarded around me, but we’re starting to talk more. We might never have a normal relationship, but that’s just something I have to accept. At least he looks me in the eye now.
Ashley and Liam bring their baby home after five weeks in the NICU, and both Stella and I are there to receive them. We get them a new crib and help set up their nursery in preparation for them coming home.
Ruined: An Enemies to Lovers Romance Page 16
