Ashton just nodded because he knew better than to argue because Adalyn would get upset with him. The last thing he wanted was to add more stress for her. He was genuinely excited at the thought of Adalyn being pregnant. He didn’t expect it to happen so quickly, but that didn’t bother him in the slightest.
“What happened, Ashton? Aislyn was going to find out information for me, but as you can see, she hasn’t come back yet,” Adalyn asked.
“When you came over to tell me that Silas was taking you to get food, you froze in place and began to shake and sob. It didn’t take me long to realize that it was Andrew and that is why I recognized him. I could not place where I had seen him, but it clicked at your reaction toward him. I am so sorry baby that I didn’t realize sooner. When I realized who he was, I fucking snapped and jumped over the counter. I just kept punching him over and over again. It was like I was watching myself do it, but I couldn’t make myself stop. Silas was finally able to pull me off of him, but he was unconscious at that point,” he told her.
Taking a deep breath, he didn’t know how she was going to react to this next bit of information. He didn’t want to upset her, but he also didn’t want her to find out from Aislyn.
“I had to calm Aislyn down as the ambulance came to pick Andrew up. She feels horrible and is afraid that you won’t be able to forgive her,” he told Adalyn cryptically.
“Why would she think that? I love Aislyn. She is my best friend,” Adalyn told him.
“Andrew had come in as a customer, it was just a coincidence that you were there when he did. Aislyn gave him a tattoo. Sweetheart, it was your name on his chest,” he told her swallowing hard, waiting for her to freak out.
“She couldn’t have known it was him. I don’t blame her for his stupidity. I wish he didn’t have my name on him, but that is the only part of me he will ever have. I can’t let him control my life anymore. Yes, I am scared shitless of him, but I know that you will protect me and not let him near me again. I just want to get this done and over with and go home,” she told him.
“And by home, you mean with me permanently, right?!” he told her more than asked.
“Yes, with you. Are you going to jail for beating him up?” she asked him.
“There is a possibility, but we won’t know that for a while. If he dies, then the answer is yes, I will go to jail. If he lives, but has permanent brain damage, then the chance is fifty-fifty. If he is fine after all of this with no permanent damage, that will be up to a judge,” he told her.
“How and when will we find out?” she asked concerned.
“It is just a waiting game for now, sweetheart. I don’t want you to stress about this though. You need to stay calm, until we find out if you are going to have my baby or not. For the record, I am leaning toward yes. I need a reason to get that ring on your finger sooner rather than later,” he grinned, kissing her.
“Mr. Montgomery, I am here to take you to x-ray,” said a tech as she entered the room without knocking. Adalyn watched as her gaze raked from his head down to his toes and back up again, without shame.
“I am not sure if I will ever get used to that,” Adalyn told him.
“I only want you,” he said as he leaned down to kiss her.
“Could you not eye fuck my boyfriend, and just do your job bitch!” Adalyn snapped as she looked toward the tech.
“I would not do something like that,” she hissed at Adalyn.
“At least wipe the drool from your chin, and x-ray his hand, before I change my mind about letting you x-ray him,” she snarled.
“I love you, Adalyn,” Ashton told her as he leaned down to kiss her again before following behind the now very embarrassed x-ray tech.
Adalyn sat in the quiet of the hospital room waiting for Ashton to come back.
“Ma’am, sorry to bother you, but your boyfriend is asking for you,” said a man standing in her doorway, wearing scrubs. If she had to guess she would say a nurse.
“Sure, let me just put another gown on as a robe,” she told him.
She followed behind him quietly through the hallway. She wasn’t sure what Ashton would need from her since he had just left her. Maybe he needed her to hold on to his stuff during the x-ray.
They stopped at a closed door. “Go ahead and go in,” the nurse told her.
“I wasn’t sure if you would come, Addy,” Andrew said as she entered.
“What the hell!” Adalyn yelled as she stood there in shock.
“I want you to come home with me, that way I have someone to take care of me while I heal,” Andrew demanded.
“He must have hit you hard, especially if you think that I am going anywhere with you. I want nothing to do with you, Andrew. I have told you on numerous occasions that I want nothing to do with you. I told you that while you were beating me unconscious. You have never been able to take no for an answer. I have a restraining order against you here, and I am going to let the police know you are still harassing me. I hope they throw your ass in jail and lose the fucking key,” Adalyn was getting louder with every word she spoke. By the time she had finished, she was unaware of the group of people standing near the door listening.
Adalyn turned around in time to see Aislyn wipe tears from her cheeks. Adalyn hadn’t told anyone the entire story about what had happened with Andrew, that was her shame, and she didn’t want to share it with anyone.
“Does Ashton know that you are here? And does he know about anything you just said?” Aislyn asked.
Adalyn shook her head no. “A nurse came and got me, telling me that my boyfriend needed to see me. Since Ashton went to x-ray, I thought he wanted me to hold on to his stuff while he was in there. I had no idea the nurse was going to bring me in here. I want to go back to my room though,” she told Aislyn as she began walking out of the room.
The girls came face to face with a very pissed off Ashton, being restrained in a chair by two hospital security.
“Oh fuck. I think he knows,” Aislyn said as she looked at Adalyn.
Without a word Adalyn walked toward Ashton. She ducked under the guards’ arms and crawled up into his lap without a word. She snuggled into his neck, and just cried.
“Let me go so I can touch her,” he snarled at the guards. “I won’t get out of the chair, but you need to let me touch her.”
“I would listen to him. He is not going to stay calm for long if you don’t let him touch her,” Aislyn told the guards.
“Shh, baby, I’m here,” Ashton cooed as he wrapped his arms around her. Aislyn stood next to them quietly retelling the story to him as Adalyn had told her.
Ashton stroked her hair and rubbed her back for a long time. She finally quieted down, and Ashton realized she had fallen asleep in his arms. She had tried to be so strong for him. He stood carefully and carried her through the bustling hallway back to the quiet room she had occupied. He would never forgive Andrew for what he had done to her. He knew there was more than she had told him, but he also knew she wasn’t ready to talk about it.
Laying her gently in the bed, he scooted the chair over next to the bed and sat down. He held her hand until he got the results of x-ray back.
“I am sorry to disturb you, but I wanted to let you know that your x-rays are back,” Dr. Smith said from the doorway.
“Sure, Doc. Come on in. She is just exhausted,” he told him.
“I am not sure how you managed it, but you don’t have a single broken bone in your hand. You have a serious wrist sprain, but no breaks,” Dr. Smith told him in disbelief. “I will let you know what her test results are when I get them next week. For now, go ahead and take her home so she can rest comfortably.”
Ashton didn’t have to be told twice to take his girl home.
“Wake up, baby. You need to get dressed, so we can go home,” Ashton told her gently as he rubbed her head.
“We can go home now?” she asked with a yawn.
Ashton nodded as he helped her to stand. He led her toward the bathroom that was i
n her room, carrying her clothes. He noticed her balance wasn’t the best, so he helped her steady herself.
“You don’t have to stay in here, Ashton. I can dress myself, been doing it for years,” she teased him.
“Not happening, sweetheart. I am staying to make sure you don’t fall over,” Ashton told her from his position leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest.
Adalyn rolled her eyes at his overbearing attitude, but she couldn’t blame him with everything that happened. She began taking off the gowns she had on. When she stood there in nothing but panties, Ashton was able to see exactly where the bandage was that covered her new tattoo.
“As soon as we get home, I am looking at that,” he growled, his eyes full of desire.
“I wouldn’t expect any less from you. So demanding,” she giggled as she pulled her jeans on.
“You are mine, so it’s my right,” he told her with a grin. “Now finish getting dressed so I can take you home and look at it.”
Less than an hour later, after searching for Aislyn and realizing she had already headed home, that is where they were. Adalyn was standing top-less in their bedroom watching as Ashton pulled the bandage off agonizingly slow. She felt him stiffen when he got the full view of the tattoo and heard his breath catch. There in black ink along her ribcage was the tribal symbol for strength with his name in the middle. He couldn’t believe that she had put his name on her.
“You hate it don’t you?” Adalyn asked after several minutes of silence.
“Just the opposite. I absolutely love it. My name is the last thing I expected,” he told her as he kissed her ribcage near the tattoo.
“I told you when it was finished that I felt it was appropriate. You are my strength, so it needed to be added,” she told him. “I love you.”
Eight
Six weeks had passed since that crazy day. It was crazy for so many reasons. Some good and some bad. Adalyn was determined to focus on the good though. She sat in the passenger seat of the car while Ashton drove them to the lab for the blood test. She had put this off as long as Ashton would let her, he wasn’t accepting any more excuses.
She was lost in her thoughts about the night they spent together after he saw her tattoo, or his tattoo as he lovingly called it. They had spent hours making love and forgetting about all the drama that had gone on around them. They focused on each other and nothing else.
“Baby, are you alright? We are here, and you haven’t moved,” Ashton said after trying to get her attention a few times.
“Sorry, I must have spaced out,” she told him, feeling her cheeks flush.
She climbed from the car with his help. They walked hand in hand to the lab where they would find out if she were indeed pregnant. She realized in that moment, that no matter what the results she would be ready.
They didn’t have to sit there long before she was called back to get her blood drawn. Ashton stayed in the waiting room, knowing they would not let him back there. He didn’t like it, but he would follow the rules without arguing. At least this time. He couldn’t guarantee he would for future appointments, especially if she is actually pregnant.
She wasn’t back there long before she was finished.
“I’m finished Ashton,” she told him as she walked toward him.
“Good, because I need to do something,” he told her with a smile.
Instead of walking back to his car like Adalyn thought, they walked in the opposite direction. They had only walked a couple minutes before Adalyn found them at this beautiful gazebo in front of a pond. She had no idea this was near the hospital.
They climbed the couple steps and sat down. Suddenly Ashton looked very serious and slightly nervous. She wanted to ask him what was wrong, but he dropped to one knee in front of her before the words could leave her mouth.
“Adalyn Ysabella James, I have loved you from the first time I saw you. I know that we haven’t known each other for very long, but we have the rest of our lives to learn those things. I already know the most important thing I need to know. And that is, that I can’t spend another day without knowing that you will be mine forever. I will spend the rest of my life showing you how much I love you. I know that we won’t always agree, but that is when I will be able to show you even more how much I love you. Will please make me the luckiest man in the world and spend the rest of our lives together. Will you marry me?” he said.
“Yes,” she sobbed as she shook her head at him. He slipped a simple, but very beautiful ring on her finger. It was a sterling silver band with a tear-shaped diamond, with smaller diamond chips on each side running along the band. It was perfect, she couldn’t ask for anything better.
Ashton crushed his mouth to her, stealing her breath with a kiss that made her weak in the knees. It was like he poured every feeling had into that kiss, and she could feel them all.
“I wanted to do this before the test results came back because I didn’t want you thinking for the slightest reason that was why I was doing it. I love you, Adalyn,” he told her giving her a kiss on the lips.
“How did you find out my middle name, no one knew that” she laughed.
“I may have asked Silas to look into your file that the station has. It had more information since they had to investigate Andrew,” he told her, not the slightest bit embarrassed or ashamed of his actions.
“Let’s go home, I want to show you how much I love you,” he told her pulling her to her feet.
They made it home quicker than Adalyn had expected. She was beginning to wonder if he broke every speed limit from the hospital to home. When they pulled into the driveway, there was a car that Adalyn didn’t recognize there.
As they walked in the door, they were greeted by Aislyn and Ashton’s lawyer, Jerry. Adalyn couldn’t read Aislyn’s reaction to the situation so she wasn’t sure if she should be worried or not. Only time would tell.
“What brings you here Jerry?” Ashton asked, sounding slightly annoyed. He apparently wasn’t sure about the situation either, Adalyn thought. Ashton sat on the couch, pulling her into his lap.
“I just wanted to stop by and give you an update about the situation with Officer Hayes. There is also the situation with Andrew, as well,” he told Ashton as he sat on the other end facing them both.
“Well don’t keep us in suspense, spill Jerry,” Ashton growled.
“Officer Hayes has been encouraged to take early retirement from the force. If he doesn’t then he will be fired without any benefits whatsoever. The lawsuit against you has also been dropped in regard to him. The police are not seeking anything further from you,” Jerry explained.
“Well that is good news, right?” Adalyn asked Jerry.
“Yes, it is one less problem resolved,” he told her with a small smile.
“I am not sure how you are going to take the next bit of information however,” Jerry told them. Taking a deep breath, he began. “As far as Andrew is concerned, the judge assigned to the case has been updated with all the things that has happened, before assault and even the last incident.”
“And what is going to happen?” Adalyn asked him, her voice a little shrill.
“The judge wants to read all the reports, even from before you came here, and made a decision after that. Hopefully, we will have an answer soon,” Jerry told them, trying to stress to them the importance of patience during this process.
“Jerry, you need to know that I will do anything and everything in my power to keep her safe,” Ashton told him, hoping he understood how serious he actually was.
“I am aware of the lengths you will go to for the people that you care about. I need you to be aware that as your lawyer I can’t be privy to that, but as your family friend I stand behind you completely,” Jerry told him, holding out his hand to Ashton to shake. That was Jerry, simple and to the point. He had now excused himself and quietly left without another word.
“You want some tea, sweetheart?” Ashton asked.
“Yes, thank you,�
� she told him with a smile.
Adalyn sat down and tried not to think about the results of the test. She wasn’t sure how long it would take to get the results back. The phlebotomist had told her it could be as soon as this evening or as late as the end of the week. It just depended on how busy the lab was.
Ashton sat a mug of tea in front of her and squeezed her hand, silently letting her know he understood what she was thinking about.
A gasp from Aislyn had both of them turning in her direction.
“What’s wrong Aislyn?” Adalyn asked concerned.
“Is that an engagement ring?!” she squealed, louder than necessary, causing Adalyn to cover her ears.
“Yes!” Adalyn smiled and held her hand out to her best friend, tears springing to her eyes.
Aislyn wrapped her in a tight hug and started bouncing up and down.
“I know you are excited, Ais, but you can’t shake her around,” Ashton scolded his sister with a scowl.
“I am not hurting her, chill the hell out,” Aislyn snapped.
Their bickering was interrupted by Ashton’s phone ringing.
“Hello,” he said as he answered the phone. “Yes, she is right here. Can I ask who is calling?”
Ashton handed the phone to Adalyn. “Hello, this is Adalyn.”
Adalyn was quiet for a few minutes, listening to the person on the other end of the phone.
“Thank you for calling. I will be waiting for the phone call. Have a good day,” she said before handing the phone back to Ashton.
“What did they say, babe?” Ashton asked.
“The doctor’s office will call by the end of the day to schedule me for my first prenatal appointment. They want to see me as soon as possible, due to all the stress,” she told him, still in shock.
Adalyn stood there and stared at the two most important people in her life currently. She had to hold back a fit of giggles because they both had the exact same look of shock on their faces. As the shock wore off, they both were smiling, Aislyn had tears streaming down her face. Ashton had a look of pure joy on his face, he looked like he had just won the lottery.
My Twist of Fate Page 9
