by Sandi Lynn
“No. But if I continue, I’m afraid I’ll say something I’ll regret.”
“I don’t think it’s possible for you to regret anything you say or do,” she said as she got up from her chair.
“That’s where you’re wrong. There is something I regret.”
Our eyes stayed locked on each other’s for what seemed like eternity.
“Point taken, Mr. Thorne.”
She left my office, and I slammed my fist down on my desk.
Chapter 27
Jenna
I walked out of his office and Laurel gave me a sympathetic look.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“Thanks, but don’t be. You know how he is.”
Tears filled my eyes as I headed to my office. Grabbing my purse and some personal things I had in my desk, I left the building. Once I made it around the corner, I placed my hands on the side of a building, leaned over and tried to catch my breath as the tears steadily streamed down my face. When I stood up, a severe form of dizziness engulfed me. Everything became blurry and then went dark.
I slowly opened my eyes as I could feel the hard cement under me.
“What—”
“Don’t move, miss. An ambulance is on its way,” a younger man said as he held something against my forehead.
“What happened?”
“I think you fainted.”
“What are you doing?”
I could hear the ambulance in the background.
“You have a pretty bad cut on your forehead. When I called 9-1-1, they told me to keep pressure on it.”
The ambulance pulled up and two paramedics were quickly by my side.
“How many weeks pregnant are you?” one of the paramedics asked.
“Almost twenty-six weeks.”
“Her blood pressure is really low. We need to get her on fluids immediately,” the other paramedic said.
“You have one nasty cut there.” The paramedic named Henry smiled as he carefully touched my forehead.
Damn, he was cute.
“Is there anyone I can call for you?” The nice man who was with me when I woke up asked. “Your husband perhaps?”
“No. I don’t have a husband or a boyfriend. There’s no one to call.”
“OH MY GOD, Jenna!” Lindsey exclaimed.
“Ma’am, you need to step back, please,” Henry said to her.
“I’m fine, Lindsey.”
“What can I do?” she grabbed hold of my hand.
“Ma’am you need to step back.”
“Nothing, and don’t you dare tell Lucas either. I mean it!”
“Jenna—”
“I mean it!” I voiced loudly as they loaded me into the ambulance.
Lucas
I tried to concentrate on work, but I couldn’t. Jenna had me so mad and wound up all I could do was sit and stare out the damn window.
“Mr. Thorne?”
“Didn’t I tell you that I didn’t want to be disturbed?” I shouted at Laurel.
“I know but there’s been an accident.”
I quickly turned my chair around and stared at her.
“What do you mean? What happened?”
“Lindsey was just on her way to lunch, and she saw an ambulance around the corner. It’s Jenna, sir.”
“What about, Jenna?” I voiced sternly as I jumped up from my chair and grabbed my suit coat.
“She was lying on the cement and she has a really bad cut on her forehead. The paramedics are taking her to the ER.”
“Which one?” I asked in a panic.
“I don’t know. I’m sorry.”
I ran down the hall and into Lindsey’s office.
“What happened to Jenna?”
“All I know is she was lying on the cement and her forehead had a huge gash and it was pouring blood and the paramedic was trying to stop it and the other was giving her fluids,” she spoke at a rapid pace.
“Lindsey, BREATHE!” I shouted as I gripped her shoulders. “Which hospital did they take her to?”
“I would assume Mount Sinai. If she asks, I didn’t tell you,” she shouted as I walked out the door. Stopping, I turned around and looked back at her.
“What do you mean?”
“She made me promise not to tell you. She begged me.”
“Of course she did.” I shook my head.
Jenna
I laid in the hospital bed and watched my baby’s heart rate on the fetal monitor while Matt, the nice man who called 9-1-1 held my hand, and the doctor began to stitch my head.
“You are such a nice person. Thank you for your help.”
“You’re welcome.” He smiled.
Suddenly, standing in the doorway was Lucas. Shit. Shit. Shit.
“Oh my God. Are you okay?” he asked. “Excuse me? Who are you, and why are you holding her hand?” he asked Matt in an authoritative tone.
Matt let go and stepped away.
“Apologize to him now!” I demanded. “He was the one who found me and called 9-1-1. He hasn’t left my side.”
“Jenna, you need to stay still,” the doctor said.
“I’m sorry, man.” Lucas extended his hand to him. “I didn’t know. Thank you for being there for her. I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome. And you are who?”
“He’s the baby daddy and nothing more.”
“Jenna, unless you want a funky looking scar on your head, you have to keep your head still.”
“Sorry, doctor.”
Matt said his goodbyes and Lucas took hold of my hand. As much as I wanted to jerk it away, I couldn’t or else the doctor would have yelled at me.
“What happened?” Lucas asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Okay. All set,” the doctor spoke. “I’ll let Dr. Glacier know I’m finished, and he’ll be in soon. No stress!” He pointed at me as he looked at both of us.
“I’m going to kill Lindsey,” I said.
“She didn’t tell me. She kept her promise to you.”
“Then how did you find out?”
“She told Laurel, and Laurel told me. And you can’t be mad at Lindsey because you told her not to tell me. Which I can’t even believe.”
“Oh, hello,” Dr. Glacier said as he walked in and extended his hand to Lucas. “You are?”
“The baby’s father.”
“Ah. Okay. Jenna, your blood pressure was dangerously low when the paramedics got to you. All of your other tests came back normal so I don’t think there’s an underlying condition that would have caused it to drop. Now, being pregnant, and in the trimester you’re in right now, it is common for a person’s blood pressure to take a dip. But yours took a dive. Have you been under a great deal of stress lately?”
I looked at Lucas and narrowed my eye at him.
“Maybe.”
“Alright. Well, stress isn’t good for you or the baby. And neither is low blood pressure. The baby’s heart rate is good, but you did take a nasty fall and you cut your head open. So, I’m admitting you for the rest of today and overnight just to monitor you and the baby. We want to make sure that your blood pressure stays up, the baby continues to do well, and there’s no concussion.”
“Okay, Dr. Glacier.”
“Once we get you upstairs, we’ll do another ultrasound just to be safe. They’ll be in to take you up in a few minutes.”
“Thank you, doctor,” Lucas said.
“You’re welcome. By the way, no more stress. Got it?” He pointed at us before walking out of the room.
“Is that the baby’s heartbeat I hear?” He smiled as he softly stroked my head.
“Yes.” I turned away from him.
“I’m sorry, Jenna. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t, Lucas. You can see I’m fine, so go back to the office.”
“Nah. You’re not getting rid of me that easy. I’m staying here whether you like it or not.”
“No. I don’t want you to stay out of obligation.”
“Your father is flying in tomorrow.”
“Actually, he’s flying in tonight and he’ll be in the office tomorrow. It’s probably best I’m not there anyway.”
Chapter 28
Lucas
The feeling I felt when I walked in and saw that man holding Jenna’s hand was something I’d never felt before. It was a type of rage that was different than what I usually experienced. My first instinct was to rip him away from her and knock him to the ground. Good thing I didn’t. I was grateful to him for helping Jenna and staying with her so she wasn’t alone. He was more of a man than I had been.
Seeing Jenna lying in that bed with the cut on her head and hooked up to machines frightened me. The fear of losing her had finally hit me and it rattled me to my core. They took her up to the OB unit so they could monitor her and the baby. The hospital called her OB/GYN doctor, and she was going to come check on Jenna later in the evening.
“Hi, Jenna.” A middle-aged woman with long brown hair walked into the room. “I’m Melissa, and I’ll be taking care of you for the rest of the afternoon and evening,” she spoke as she wrote her name on the whiteboard that hung on the wall. “And you are?” She glanced at me.
“Lucas. I’m the baby’s father.”
“Nice to meet you, Lucas. I’m going to take your vitals, Jenna. When was the last time you ate?”
“I had breakfast this morning.”
“Well, that’s not gonna do. We need to get some food in your belly for you and the baby. There’s a menu right over there. Find something that sounds good, pick up the phone and place your order. If you want my honest opinion, I’d have this handsome man here go get you something. The food here sucks.”
“I can do that,” I said.
“Vitals look good, and your blood pressure is almost normal.” Melissa smiled. “If you need anything, just push this button right here.”
As soon as Melissa walked out, I pulled my phone from my pocket.
“What do you feel like? I can have it here in a flash.”
“Thai sounds good.”
“Thai it is. There’s a Thai place right down the street. What do you want so I can call it in?”
“Pad Thai with chicken. Make sure it’s mild. Order a couple spring rolls too.”
After I placed the order, I set my phone down and placed my hand on hers.
“They said about fifteen minutes.”
“Okay. If you don’t mind, I’m just going to close my eyes until the food gets here.”
“Not at all.” I kissed her forehead.
I sat in the chair and watched her as she closed her eyes, while the steady sounds of our baby’s heartbeat galloped in the background. She was almost seven months pregnant and today was the first time I’d heard it. The fact that this was the first time hit me like a ton of bricks. What kind of father was I?
My phone started to buzz and when I picked it up, I saw it was my father calling. Stepping out into the hallway, I answered it.
“Hello, Dad.”
“Son. I just landed, and I made reservations for us at Daniel for seven o’clock.”
“I’m sorry but I can’t tonight. Jenna is in the hospital, and I need to stay with her.”
“What happened?”
“She fainted on the street and cut her head. They’re keeping her overnight to monitor her and the baby.”
“She’s in good hands there. You don’t need to stay.”
I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath.
“I do need to stay, and I am. Whether you like it or not. Dinner will have to wait for another night. And I won’t be in the office tomorrow either. I know you can’t understand because you don’t care about anyone besides yourself. I love her, Dad, and she’s my number one priority right not. Not you, not the company, just her and my child. And if you can’t grasp that, I’m sorry. You were wrong all these years. For once, I let myself feel and I let myself think, and guess what? Everything is falling into place, not going to hell.”
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.
“It seems a lot has changed since our last conversation. We’re going to have to discuss that, son.”
“Yes, and we will. I have to go.”
I ended the call just as I saw the delivery guy walking down the hall with our food.
“Is that order for Thorne?” I asked.
“Yep.”
“Thank you.” I pulled some cash from my wallet for a tip and handed it to him.
“Thank you, sir. Have a nice night.”
“Same to you.” I gave him a smile.
I walked into the room and saw Jenna’s eyes were open.
“Just in time. The food just got here.”
“Did I hear you talking to someone out in the hallway?”
“Just my father. He already landed.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Everything is fine.” I leaned over and kissed her forehead.
Taking the food from the bag, I set it on her tray and pulled it closer to her while I sat in the chair and we both ate. When we were finished, I had her make me a list of what she needed me to bring her from her apartment.
“I’ll be back in a flash.” I smiled as I gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Are you going to be okay while I’m gone?”
“I’ll be fine. In fact, I might just sleep for a little bit.”
“Good idea. I’ll be back soon.”
When I arrived at the building, I took the elevator up to her apartment. Sliding the key in the door, I opened it and flipped on the lights. I gasped because nothing had prepared me for what I saw.
Chapter 29
Jenna
I wanted to sleep, but as soon as I’d doze off, a scream woke me up. The screams of a woman in labor. The thought terrified me as it was, and now that I was hearing it from someone else, I was freaked out.
“Here’s some more water for you,” Melissa said as she set the cup on my tray.
“I take it someone’s in labor?”
“Yeah. I’m sorry, honey. Try not to listen or let it bother you. Everyone is different. Your labor might be nothing at all. By the way, that man of yours is very sexy.” She grinned.
“He is, but he’s not my man. We’re just friends who are having a baby.”
She narrowed her eye at me. “Okay. Keep telling yourselves that.” She smirked. “You should listen to this podcast we’ve all been listening to. I was the nurse to this patient last week and she was listening to it. It’s called—”
“Let me guess. Baby Drama?”
“Yes! You’ve heard—oh my God. Wait. Jenna Larson. J. Elle. You’re J. Elle?!” Her eyes widened.
“Shh.” I brought my finger up to my lips.
“Girl. You’re like a celebrity around here! And he’s the ‘friend with benefits?’”
“Yeah.” I bit down on my bottom lip.
Suddenly her phone rang and when she looked at it, she had to leave. “We’ll talk more about this later.” She grinned as she walked out.
I couldn’t believe it was taking Lucas so long to get back. I only needed a couple things and I told him exactly where they were. Another thirty minutes had passed, and he finally walked in the room carrying a large glass vase filled with pink and red roses.
“These are for you.” He smiled as he set them down.
“They’re beautiful. You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to. The red roses are for you and the pink are for our daughter.”
He went to kiss my forehead and I stopped him with my hand and pointed to my lips.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“I’m positive.” I smiled.
He softly brushed his lips against mine.
“Thank you. I love them.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll just set your things over here.”
“I
was getting worried. What took you so long?”
“There was just a small problem.”
“What problem?” I narrowed my eye at him.
“Listen, Jenna. When you get out of here tomorrow, you’re going to stay with me in the penthouse.”
“Why?”
“Two reasons. The first reason is so I can keep an eye on you, and the second reason is there’s a huge hole in the living room ceiling in the apartment and you can’t stay there.”
“WHAT!” I shouted.
“Calm down.” I placed my hands on her shoulders. “Apparently, the hot water tank in the apartment above you broke, and the guy has been out of town the last month, so no one knew. The water has been sitting there for—well, we don’t know how long. But it’s been long enough to damage the ceiling and create a huge hole and mess.” He sighed.
“Oh my God, Lucas. My things.”
“Nothing personal of yours was damaged. The couch, the coffee table and the floor took the brunt of it, but who cares about those things. They can be replaced. I’m just thankful that you weren’t in the apartment when it happened. I’m taking care of everything, so I don’t want you to worry.”
“How long until it’s livable?” I asked.
“The landlord didn’t know, but he said he’ll keep me updated.”
“I’m so tired. This day has been awful.”
“I know and I’m sorry.” He leaned over and brushed his lips against mine.
“Good evening, you two.” Dr. Lewis smiled as she walked into the room.
“Hi, Dr. Lewis. This is Lucas Thorne, the baby’s father.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Thorne.”
“Likewise, Dr. Lewis.”
“How are you feeling, Jenna?”
“I’m feeling much better.”
“Your blood pressure is up and looking good and the baby’s heart rate is perfect. I know they did an ultrasound down in the emergency room, but I want to do one more just to be safe.”
I looked at Lucas and he gave me a warm smile as he held my hand. Dr. Lewis pulled up my gown, squirted some gel on my belly and moved the transducer back and forth over it.
“You weren’t here for the last ultrasound, were you?” she asked Lucas.
