Back to the Top (Ross Records) (3)

by J. L. Paul

  He handed a bottle to me just as my head began to spin again. The bottle slipped between my fingers as everything went black and I crumpled to the floor.

  Nineteen

  A light glowed through the murky water as I struggled to swim upward, desperate to break the surface. Warbled voices penetrated my ears, the volume growing as I grew closer to the surface. Finally, my eyes opened and my senses were immediately assaulted with tangy disinfectant, annoying beeping, and scratchy sheets.

  I was in a hospital. Wonderful.

  “Iz? Are you okay?”

  Jake’s pale face appeared in my vision, his brows drawn, lines around his mouth.

  “Fine,” I mumbled, sitting up. “Why am I here? What happened?”

  “You passed out,” Jake said, lowering the rail to sit on the bed beside me. “Scared me, sure, but you scared the shit out of Doc. He said he didn’t think you were feeling all that great on the ride over but he didn’t think much of it at the time.”

  “It’s not his fault,” I said as Jake helped me to scoot further up the bed. “What’s going on? What’s wrong with me?”

  A tiny smile toyed with Jake’s lips. “Well, nothing serious. Doctor says you’re dehydrated and probably exhausted.”

  “I am tired,” I said. “But not enough to have to go to the hospital.”

  Jake took my hand, leaning over to kiss my cheek. “I missed you.”

  “I missed you, too,” I said. “Now, is that all? Can I get out of here?”

  Before Jake could answer, the doctor came into the room, carrying a laptop. He set it on a counter, folded his arms over his chest, and smiled.

  “Miss Ames, glad to see you’re awake. How are you feeling?”

  “Okay,” I said. “My mouth is so dry.”

  “I’ll have the nurse bring you something in a few minutes,” he said. “Has Mr. Johnson explained everything to you?”

  “No,” Jake said, making my heart still.

  “What is it?” I asked, squeezing Jake’s hand.

  “You’re dehydrated and suffering from exhaustion,” he said. “Also, you’re pregnant. I’d say about six weeks.”

  My mouth opened but no words came out. Pregnant? My mind fought the idea, my head running wild circles.

  “Wait,” I said. “Pregnant?”

  Jake squeezed my hand this time. “Yes.”

  “But…oh,” I said. “I haven’t had a period for awhile. It thought it was stress…”

  “Well,” the doctor continued, “everything seems fine, but I’ve called OB and they’ll be down with a portable ultrasound. The OB will check you over and give you more information. If you have no questions, I’ll leave you two to talk.”

  I shook my head, biting my lip. The doctor shook Jake’s hand, ruffled my hair like I was a child, and left, taking the laptop with him.

  “Iz, you don’t look happy,” Jake said.

  “I just wasn’t expecting this,” I said. “I mean, I always thought we’d be married before we had kids and even then, not right away.”

  He kissed my cheek, concern lurking in his eyes. “Yeah, me, too. But obviously life has decided to play its own way and not ours.”

  “I guess,” I said, fighting tears. I didn’t want to break down in front of him. He was concerned for me, it wasn’t hard to tell, but there was excitement in his eyes, too.

  “Hey,” he said, lowering his voice. “It’ll be okay. We’ll figure it out. Don’t worry.”

  Sure, it would work out, it had to, but not how I’d wanted it. This wasn’t how I’d wanted things to be. I was supposed to have a degree, be married to Jake, and then start a family.

  Running his fingers through my tangly hair, Jake kissed my cheek. “Just relax, okay? Let the doctor check you out and then I’ll take you to the condo and you can rest. We’ll work out all the details later.”

  “Okay,” I said, forcing a smile. Leaning back into the pillows, I closed my eyes, waiting for the obstetrician to come in, hoping it wouldn’t take long. I wanted to get out of there and go somewhere where I could privately contemplate this new twist in my life.

  It didn’t take long for the OB to come down, do an ultrasound, and give me an exam. She was an outgoing woman, eager to answer any questions and ready with a list of obstetricians back in Chicago. When she finally released me, assuring us that everything was fine, I quickly dressed. Carrying a prescription for prenatal vitamins, the doctor once again warned me to take it easy, drink plenty of water, and get some rest.

  To my utter embarrassment, hospital policy stated that I had to leave the building, via wheelchair. Jake walked beside me as a nurse wheeled me to the doors. Feeling totally humiliated, I wasn’t the least bit prepared for the circus of press waiting in the parking lot.

  “Damn,” Jake muttered as he whipped out his cell phone.

  “Why don’t you pull the car up here,” the nurse suggested, shielding me from view with her body. “We can wait here. The press isn’t allowed to come any closer.”

  Nodding, phone still pressed to his ear, Jake jogged through the doors, ignoring the shouts and questions being hurled his way.

  “I don’t see how you can stand it,” the nurse said, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “It’s not easy,” I mumbled, clutching the arms of the chair, hoping Jake would hurry. Even though two sets of sliding doors stood between me and the parking lot, I still felt as if I was on display, like the reptiles in the large tanks in a zoo.

  Finally, a dark SUV pulled up to the doors – the same SUV that picked me up from the airport. Jake jumped out and hurried around to open the passenger door. Pushing me through the doors, the nurse quickly delivered me to Jake, her eyes darting left and right, just waiting for a reporter to step on forbidden territory.

  “Thanks,” Jake said to the nurse.

  “Take it easy, Isabella,” she said as she turned back to the hospital, pushing the empty chair.

  As Jake helped me into Doc’s SUV, relief flooded my body. It didn’t last long as I rested my cheek on the window, watching the beautiful scenery flash by as Jake carefully drove me to the condo he used when in town.

  “I can’t wait to read about what’s wrong with me in the tabloids,” I muttered.

  Jake snorted. “Doc was supposed to release a statement saying that you were taken to the hospital due to exhaustion and dehydration. That’s all.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” I said. “The tabloids will make something up.”

  “Let them. We know that truth and those that matter will know the truth, too. I haven’t told anybody about the baby, yet,” Jake said. “I thought we could tell them together.”

  I managed to keep from moaning aloud, but I couldn’t control the turn of my stomach. Everyone would have to know. They’d find out sooner or later, anyway, I supposed, and it was probably best if Jake and I told them. But I hadn’t even dealt with it yet – I didn’t want all sorts of congratulations and celebrations.

  I caught Jake glancing my way and forced another smile. When he gave me a wink, I could tell he was fighting excitement – for my sake.

  “You can tell the guys, Jake,” I said, releasing a small sigh. “But make sure they know to keep it quiet. I’d like to tell my parents before they hear it on some tabloid show or something.”

  He took my hand. “Of course, angel. No problem.”

  With one last, wane smile, I turned back to the window, biting my lip as I tried to figure out what I’d tell my mom and dad.

  When we pulled up in front of the condo, Jake helped me out of the truck (totally unnecessary) and led me inside. As soon as we stepped through the door, Nick was on his feet, rushing forward to take my hand.

  “Are you okay, Iz? You scared the shit out of us.”

  “I’m fine,” I said, giving his hand a squeeze before sitting in a nearby chair. “Everything is fine.”

  “We’re having a kid,” Jake said, no longer able to keep it inside.

  I endured the hugs and ki
sses, cheeks aching from my fake smile. Jake brought me a bottle of water, beaming like a little boy who’d just received a new bike for Christmas. I let the celebration continue around me for a few minutes before quietly excusing myself, claiming I needed to lie down for a bit.

  Jake showed me to his bedroom where the guys had piled my bags. I climbed into the bed, closing my eyes as soon as my head hit the pillow. Jake sat next to me, smoothing my hair off my forehead.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  “Yeah,” I said. “Just a little overwhelmed.”

  “I’m sure,” he said. “Listen, Iz, I don’t want you to worry about any of this. I know you and I know you’re wishing we were already married. I remember in high school how you told me that you used to want to wait until you were married before having sex.”

  I smiled at the memory, recalling it vividly in my mind. Yes, at one time, I’d thought that I would save myself until marriage. But when Jake and I got together, I didn’t want to wait anymore. He did, however, make me wait until I was out of high school.

  “I know,” I said, snuggling into the pillows. Jake crawled onto the bed next to me, draping an arm over my waist. “Jake, it’s fine, really. I just need a little time to get used to the idea.”

  He placed a kiss on my forehead. “How about if we get married?”

  The smile I gave him was genuine.

  “I’m serious,” he said, causing my eyes to open. “I’ve been meaning to ask you, but I wanted it to be better than this.”

  His earnest face and the hope shimmering in his eyes tugged at my emotions. My heart swelled before turning flips in my chest.

  “I want to marry you,” I whispered, causing a huge grin to break out on his face. “Whenever you want.”

  He kissed me, softly at first, but passion ignited. Just as I reached for his shirt, meaning to pull it over his head, he stopped me.

  “Angel, you were just released from the hospital for exhaustion,” he said in a husky voice, chest heaving. “We can’t do this right now.”

  Groaning, I butted my head against his chest. “Then maybe you shouldn’t be here this close, kissing me that way.”

  “You’re right,” he said as he eased out from underneath me. Kissing my check, he climbed off the bed. “You should rest for a little while.”

  “Okay,” I said as he slipped out the door. I settled into the pillows, soft smile on my lips. My heart flipped again. I was engaged. I was going to have a baby. Rolling to my back, I stared at the ceiling. My life had changed so much in such a short time.

  I closed my eyes again, so very tired still, but unable to escape into slumber. My mind was too busy processing what would happen next and how my family would take the news. I vowed to call my parents after I took a short nap. Maybe with a fresh mind, I’d be able to figure out how to tell them.

  ***

  The next morning, I drove with Jake to the video location, feeling a bit better. The phone call to my parents had been difficult – especially telling my father that his little girl was about to have a child out of wedlock. But, in the end, they were thrilled.

  As I sat in a chair, watching Chad direct the video, my thoughts drifted out of the warehouse and to the future. I’d agreed to marry Jake, but nothing had been set in stone. I supposed we’d discuss it after the video was finished, maybe set a date. Unwed women had babies every day – it was nothing new – but I didn’t want to be one of them.

  “You ready to go?” Jake asked me hours later. “We’re done. Now it’s all up to editing.”

  “Good,” I said, rising from my chair. “Now what?’

  Laughing, he wrapped his arms around me. “We’re going home. Rob says he wants to shoot the next one in Chicago.”

  Back at the condo, the guys ordered food and we ate around the coffee table in the living room, most of the talk centering on the video. I was more tired than ever, even though I sat most of the day. After cleaning up the dinner mess, I went up to Jake’s room to make sure he was properly packed since our flight was leaving early the next morning.

  “You don’t have to do that, you know,” Jake said, standing in the doorway. “I can do it.”

  “I don’t mind,” I said as I folded his shirts and placed them in the suitcase. “If I leave it up to you, you’ll ball them all up and shove them inside. Nothing would fit and you’d have to go out and buy another bag.”

  Grinning, he strolled into the room and sank to the bed. “How are you feeling?”

  “Fine,” I said. “Tired, though.”

  “Well, the doctor said you’d be tired – she said it would last all throughout the first semester.”

  I nodded. “Great. And it’s trimester, not semester.”

  “Yeah, that. When we get home, we’ll get your vitamins and make you an appointment with a doctor,” he continued. “We’ll see what to do to help out with the tiredness.”

  I shrugged as I placed the last of his shirts in the suitcase and zipped it shut. “I’m going to take a quick shower and then go to bed. How about you?”

  “Is that an invitation?” he asked, lifting a lazy brow.

  Rolling my eyes, I collected clean pajamas and headed out of the room.

  Standing in the shower, I let the warm water fall down my body, chasing away the tension. Closing my eyes, I bent my neck under the stream.

  I really wanted to talk to Jake about everything but was trying to bide my time and wait until we got home. Not that I minded having the entire band share the condo, nor was I worried about them knowing we were discussing wedding plans, it was just that I wanted to talk it over with Jake alone. It was such an intimate, private thing that needed to be between the two of us for now.

  Groaning, I turned around to wet my hair. Adding shampoo, I scrubbed my hair, wishing that the shampoo would wash away my thoughts for a bit, too, so I could relax and hopefully sleep.

  Freshly washed and shampooed, I stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my body. I leaned into the mirror, looking to see if I was radiant or any of the other words I’d heard used to describe pregnant women. But I couldn’t see any differences, except maybe my face was a little pale. There was nothing glowing or shining or anything else and I wondered if there ever would be.

  With a sigh, I dressed and rubbed the towel over my hair. I left the bathroom and nearly ran into Jake in the hall.

  “Jake, what are you doing standing right outside the door?” I asked, hand over my heart.

  “Waiting for you,” he said.

  “I’m fine,” I said with a slight groan. “I’m not going to faint or anything in the shower.”

  Wrapping his arms around me, he grinned. “I wasn’t waiting for that. I was waiting for you to get out so I could get in and I didn’t want to barge in on you. It’s been a rough couple of days and I figured you’d want a little privacy.”

  Standing on my toes, I pressed a kiss to his lips. “I’m fine, but thank you.”

  “I’ll be right out,” he said, dropping one last kiss to the top of my head before stepping around me and into the bathroom.

  I stood there for a moment after the door closed, biting my lip. I could easily slip into the room, sit on the counter, and talk to him.

  Shaking my head, I went into his bedroom instead. I’d go with my earlier plan and wait until we got home.

  ***

  The next morning, tempers flared as the grumpy band members lugged their bags to the rental van, whining about the early hour. I tried to remind them that they could sleep on the plane but only received dirty looks for my efforts.

  Just as I walked out the door, happy to be headed for home, Jake’s phone rang. Tension immediately flew to my shoulders, imagining Brad’s voice on the other line. Even though everyone had already managed to get new cell numbers, I still cringed every time a phone rang.

  “Are you kidding? Already?” Jake roared, causing Nick to glance over his shoulder as he climbed into the van. Jake paused as he listened to his caller.
“If you have it, bring it to the airport.”

  He ended his call, jamming his phone into his pocked. He flashed a weak smile before ushering me into the van.

  “What was that about?” I asked as I buckled my seatbelt.

  Running his hands through his hair, he kissed my cheek. “It seems as if we’re tabloid fodder again. Doc found out about it and grabbed one. He’s going to bring it to the airport.”

  “Great,” I said, wondering if this circus would ever end.

  Twenty

  The flight to Chicago was less than relaxing. Doc had indeed brought along a tabloid, but it wasn’t The Star Gazer this time. Instead, it was some little known local rag that had run a story about me being hospitalized, speculating all sorts of things about what was wrong with me now.

  “Well, we knew they’d start with the pregnancy rumors,” Jake said after we read the article. He passed the paper to Nick.

  “Sure,” I grumbled, sipping the orange juice the flight attendant had brought me. “I figured they’d start that, too, but I wasn’t expecting all the other things. I mean, since when does exhaustion and dehydration mean that I’m dying from a rare blood disease one only gets by swimming in remote watering holes in the Congo?”

  Ronnie, seated behind us, snorted. “Man, I wish Carly wouldn’t have flown back so early. She’d get a kick out of this.”

  I rolled my eyes as Jake took my hand.

  “He’s right,” Jake said. “It’s so outrageous that it’s funny. And at least it’s a local magazine and not a national one.”

  “It won’t take long for the national magazines to pick up the story, though,” Matt added. “I mean, I’m sure they were all parked outside the hospital and if they weren’t, they’ll take this article and embellish it to fit their own needs.”

  I slumped in my seat, closing my eyes. “Yay.”

  “Screw ‘em, Iz,” Jake said. “Everyone who matters knows the truth.”

  Of course he was right, and of course I should have thicker skin by now – it wasn’t like I hadn’t been through this before. Turning my head, I managed a smile.