by J. L. Perry
“I’m not sure yet, Claire, but I will call you back if I need anything.”
“Okay. Don’t worry about the function. I’ll explain your absence.”
“Thank you, Claire,” I added, before ending the call.
Just as I was getting up to stretch my legs, the doctor came back into the cubical. “Mr. Johnston?” Before I had a chance to tell him that I wasn’t Mr. Johnston, he continued, “I think you should have a seat,” he advised. I started to panic because the concern on his face was telling me it wasn’t good news.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Your wife has an ectopic pregnancy and we need to operate straight away. One of her fallopian tubes may have ruptured and she appears to be haemorrhaging,” he replied. “It’s imperative that we stop the bleeding. We won’t know the extent of the damage until we go in, but she is losing a lot of blood and we need to stop it now.”
Did he just imply she might die? Fuck! I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me.
“I am sorry, Mr. Johnston; unfortunately, the foetus will not survive the procedure,” the doctor added. “I need to go and scrub up while your wife is being prepared for surgery. I will come and talk to you after the operation is over.”
What the doctor just said shocked me and I found myself worrying about Brooke. I hoped that she was going to be okay. I went outside to get some air and to talk to Chris.
Chris had been my father’s driver for five years until he retired, and has been with me for over ten years. During this time, he has become a good friend, as well as a trusted employee.
“Do you know what an ectopic pregnancy is?” I asked him.
He just gave me a confused look. “No.”
I decided to search “ectopic pregnancy” on my phone. The more I read up on it, the more I found myself worrying. I explained to Chris what I had seen earlier with Jake and his secretary.
“Under the circumstances,” I asked, “should I call her husband to tell him his wife is in the hospital?”
“He sounds like a real piece of work,” Chris replied, sarcastically, “but he is her husband and the father of the baby, so I guess you should.”
I called Claire and asked her to text me Jake’s phone number. His phone must have been turned off because I tried to call him a number of times and kept getting his voicemail. It wasn’t appropriate to leave a message saying your wife is in the hospital and could possibly die, so I decided to hang around and wait until Brooke came out of surgery. That way, I could ask her if she needed me to contact her family.
“Go home, Chris,” I said as I patted him on the back. “I will call when I need to be picked up.” I then went back inside to wait.
CHAPTER FOUR
Brooke
When I woke up, I was feeling very groggy. I looked at my surroundings as I tried to remember where I was, before realising I was still in the hospital.
To my surprise, “Mr. Hot Stuff” was asleep on the chair in the corner. His hair was a mess and his tuxedo was all crumpled, but he still looked as gorgeous as ever.
A few minutes later, the nurse came into the room. She smiled and said, “How are you feeling?”
“Fine, just a little tired and sore.”
“I am sorry for your loss, Mrs. Johnston,” she said kindly. “If there is anything you need, or if I can get you something for the pain, just let me know.”
“I am fine for now. Thank you,” I said with a smile. She smiled and left the room. Once she had left, the tears started falling.
I heard Mr. Cavanagh get up from the chair and walk towards the bed. I didn’t want him to see me cry so I turned my head away from him and toward the wall.
“How are you feeling, Mrs. Johnston?” he asked.
“Fine, thank you, Mr. Cavanagh,” I replied, as I tried to wipe the tears away, but they continued to fall.
“I tried to call your husband,” he said in a soft, kind voice. “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t get hold of him. His phone appears to be turned off and, under the circumstances, I felt it was inappropriate to leave a message. Is there anyone else I can call for you, Brooke?”
“There is no one else, Mr. Cavanagh,” I explained. “I will be fine. Thank you for your concern, but I am used to being on my own. I am sorry I have taken up so much of your time tonight.”
“What about your parents, a sibling, a friend?” he asked. What the hell was this guy’s problem? Didn’t he know when to just quit talking?
“My mother is dead,” I snapped. “I never knew my father; I have no siblings; all my friends live in Sydney. Thank you again for your concern but, like I said, I will be fine,” I replied, a little bit meaner than I intended.
“Would you like me to send my driver back to the function to look for your husband?”
“No,” I said with a sigh. “He is the last person I want to see.”
He grabbed hold of my hand, and I think my heart actually skipped a beat. I felt a shiver run through my whole body. His touch shouldn’t be affecting me because I was a married woman, but my body obviously didn’t understand that. Slowly, I turned my head to look at him, and was surprised to see sadness in those beautiful green eyes of his. There was definitely some kind of attraction going on here.
We just stared at each other for a few seconds before I managed to say, “Thank you for everything you did for me tonight, Mr. Cavanagh but, if you don’t mind, I would like to be alone.” I felt rude asking him to leave, but I could feel a breakdown coming on and I certainly didn’t want to do that in front of him.
“I’ll be right outside if you need me, Mrs. Johnston,” he replied with a small smile, then he turned around and left the room.
Once I heard the door close, the tears started to fall again. They were tears for the end of my marriage but, most of all, they were tears for the unborn child that I had just lost. I was shocked to think I was actually pregnant. Because of all the dancing and running I do, my period has never been regular so that’s probably why I hadn’t realised.
At least I have the comfort of knowing my baby is with my mother in heaven.
About an hour later, the nurse came back into my room to take my temperature and blood pressure. “Is there something I can get you for the pain, Mrs. Johnston?” she asked.
There was no pain. I just felt numb. “No, thank you,” I answered. “But I was wondering when I can go home?”
“The doctor should be doing his rounds soon, so you can ask him then,” she replied. “While you are waiting, would you like to take a shower?”
“Yes, that would be nice. Thank you,” I replied with a small smile.
The nurse helped me get out of bed and led me over to the bathroom. We removed the two thousand bobby pins that Pierre had put in my hair the day before. Well, maybe two thousand was a slight exaggeration, but there was an awful lot. After everything, standing under the warm water felt so good. When I got out of the shower, the nurse dried my hair for me. She advised me to take everything slow to allow my body time to heal.
Once I walked back into the room, I noticed there were two shopping bags at the end of my bed. When I looked inside the bags, I found new underwear, socks, a pair of black tights, a white tank top, and also a new pair of Nike runners.
“Where did these bags come from?” I asked the nurse.
“Your husband brought them in.” I knew she was probably referring to Mr. Cavanagh so, once I was dressed, I asked her if she could send him back in.
Logan
My god, what am I doing here? Part of me just wanted to flee this stupid fucking hospital, but the other part of me wanted to stay. When Brooke said she had nobody else in her life, it broke my heart. How could I just walk out of here and leave her all alone after going through something so traumatic.
The nurse came out of Brooke’s room and said my wife wanted to see me. I was shocked to realise I actually wished she was my wife, but I put that down to sleep deprivation.
When I walked back into the room, Brooke
took my breath away. I thought she was beautiful last night, but now she looked completely different; natural. Her hair was down, and it was long and straight and looked like silk. I found myself wondering what it would feel like to run my fingers through it. Her body was amazing, and those big brown eyes of hers were enough to make your heart melt. She also had the most beautiful lips. They looked so soft that I wanted to kiss them.
Shit, what was I thinking? She had just been through a horrific twenty-four hours, and I was checking her out?! Nobody had ever affected me like this. I ran my hands through my hair as the nerves settled in. I couldn’t believe she was making me nervous. I was usually confident around the opposite sex.
Brooke looked up at me and gave me a smile, but I could see the sadness in her eyes. I felt pretty low for what I was just thinking. As much as I wanted to pull her into my arms and make everything okay again, I knew I couldn’t because she wasn’t mine to hold.
She dropped her head down. “Do I have you to thank for my new clothes?” I found her shyness sweet.
“I had my assistant pick something up for you,” I replied. “I didn’t think you would want to put your ball gown back on when they discharged you.” I didn’t mention that the back of the dress she wore last night was covered in blood.
“That was very thoughtful of you. Thank you,” she said in a quiet voice. “Was it you that brought me to the hospital last night?”
“Yes,” I replied. “I followed you outside last night because I was concerned about you. I also saw Jake with his secretary, Brooke.” I put my hand on her shoulder. “That must have been a hard thing for you to see. Before I could say anything to you last night, you ran off, then fainted. I brought you to the hospital. I suppose you know everything after that.” Her hands were shaking so I put my hand on top of hers.
“I am sorry about your baby, Brooke,” I said softly, and a small sob escaped her. I desperately wanted to pull her into my arms, but I knew that wasn’t appropriate.
“With everything that happened tonight, it was a blessing in disguise, I suppose,” she replied in a sad voice. My heart actually hurt for her. Before I had a chance to reply, Dr. Goldstein came into the room.
Brooke
When Dr. Goldstein came back into the room, I was still trying to process what Logan had just said to me. Did I really just hear him say that it was Jake’s secretary he was kissing?
What a fucking scumbag!
That explains all the long hours he was suddenly putting in at the office. What I fool I had been. I guess I was right all along. First my father, now my husband. Lawyers really are a breed of their own.
“Would it be possible to go home today?” I asked. Since my mother had died in a hospital, I found it hard to be here. Going home was what I needed so I could sort through everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours.
“I would really like you to say in the hospital for one more day, Mrs. Johnston, just for observation.”
“I would really like to go home today if I could, Dr. Goldstein,” I pleaded. “I am really feeling a lot better.”
“Well, how about you hop up on the bed and let me examine you?” the doctor asked. “If I am happy with my findings, I will discharge you, as long as you promise me that you will get complete bed rest for the next forty-eight hours.” I gave the doctor a smile as “Mr. Hot Stuff” helped me get back onto the bed. Then he turned and left the room so the doctor could examine me.
After my examination, the doctor sent the discharge papers in for me to sign. He gave me a prescription for some pain medication, and asked me to take two tablets a day, but only if I needed them. He also gave me a letter to give to my doctor, and told me not to do any heavy lifting for two weeks. I asked him if I would still be able to have children after everything that had happened.
The doctor explained what had happened to me, before and during the operation. He said that I would definitely be able to conceive in the future. He advised me to let my body heal for a few months before I started trying to get pregnant again.
He informed me that if my husband hadn’t gotten me to the hospital as quick as he had, I could have died. I was shocked because I hadn’t realised my condition had been that serious. I wanted to tell him that Mr. Cavanagh was not my husband, but I didn’t.
I had no immediate plans of getting pregnant, but it was good to know that I could still have children. I really did love kids, and would love to become a mother one day. I thanked the doctor for everything he had done for me, grabbed my bags, and left the room.
Logan
Brooke came over to me as I sat in waiting room. I quickly rose from my seat and approached her. “You’re still here?” she asked with a smile. “I thought you had already left.”
“I wanted to make sure you were okay before I did,” I replied, returning the smile.
Surprising me, she wrapped her arms around my waist. I wasn’t expecting that. “Thank you for everything you did for me last night,” she said in a sweet voice. “The doctor said you saved my life.”
I didn’t know what to say or do, so I wrapped my arms around her, as well. “You’re welcome.”
This was the first real contact we had. I couldn’t believe how good she felt in my arms. Unfortunately, I had to break the contact before she noticed the effect she was having on me. Otherwise, I would have held her longer. This woman had been through hell in the last twenty-four hours and the last thing she needed was to feel my erection pressing up against her.
What the fuck was wrong with me, I thought, as I ran my fingers through my hair. I can’t believe one touch from her would have such an effect on me. It was something that had never happened before. Well, maybe when I was a horny teenager, it may have happened once or twice, but I was a grown man now.
Brooke put both her hands on my shoulders as she looked into my eyes. Her eyes really were beautiful. “I will never forget the kindness you have shown to me, Mr. Cavanagh,” she said, before she leaned over and kissed me gently on the cheek. With that, she picked up her bags and started to walk away.
“Brooke!” I called out. “Let me give a lift home.” I knew she wasn’t mine to hold onto, but I wasn’t ready to let her go yet.
“That’s okay,” she replied with a smile. “I will get a taxi. You have done enough for me already, Mr. Cavanagh.”
I walked over to her. “Please, call me Logan.” I handed her one of my business cards. “Call me if you ever need anything.” Smiling, she took the card and put it into one of her bags. God, I loved her smile.
“Go home and get some sleep,” she said with a wink. “You look like shit!” As Brooke walked away from me, she turned once more. “Goodbye, Mr. Cavanagh,” she said.
With that, she exited the building, flagged down a taxi, and drove away. I don’t know why, but sadness swept through my whole body.
CHAPTER FIVE
Brooke
As the taxi pulled onto my street, the nerves started to settle in. I didn’t know what I was going to say to Jake, but I knew one thing for sure…my marriage was over. Unless he tripped or something and his tongue accidently slipped into her mouth. But I knew that wasn’t what happened. I should have known better than to marry a lawyer after everything my mother had gone through all those years ago.
The taxi pulled up outside the house. I pulled some money out of my clutch purse to pay the driver. “Thank you,” I said as I got out. As I walked across the front lawn, Jake came running out of the house.
“Brooke, thank god!” he said in a relieved tone. “I was so worried about you.” I ignored him, and walked past him and into the house. When I got inside, I put my bags down and took a deep breath to try and control the anger that was rising inside me.
Jake followed me into the house and snapped, “What the fuck is going on, Brooke?!”
“You tell me, Jake!” I snapped back at him.
“Why are you angry at me?” he asked. “You are the one who left me at my work function and disappeared
for twenty-four fucking hours. So, tell me, Brooke. Where the fuck have you been?”
How dare he speak to me like that after what he has been doing behind my back?
“I saw you, Jake!” I screamed, as I turned to face him. I was surprised at the amount of anger I could see in his eyes.
“What the fuck are you talking about?!” he yelled back.
“I saw you kissing your secretary against the car last night,” I said through gritted teeth, as I held his stare. His face dropped and the entire colour drained out of it.
Yes. Not so cocky now, are you, arsehole?
“It’s not what you think, sweetheart,” he said in a much calmer voice. “Let me explain.”
“There is nothing to explain, Jake!” I screamed. “I can’t believe you would do something like this to me, to us, after everything I have sacrificed for you and your stupid career!”
He tried to grab me, but I pulled away. “Let me explain, Brooke…please. Please, baby,” he pleaded.
No fucking way!
Is that why I’ve hardly seen you for the last few months? You have been fucking your secretary, haven’t you, Jake? I can’t believe how stupid I have been,” I said under my breath. Again, he tried to grab me and pull me in for a hug. I pulled away from him and screamed, “Get your fucking hands of me! You make me sick. This marriage of ours is over!”
I was so fucking angry with him. I wanted to tell him about the baby we had lost and everything I endured last night, but now was not the time. I started to walk away from him and he grabbed my arm again.
“Let go of me, you arsehole!” I snarled. “You are hurting me.”
“You are not going fucking anywhere, Brooke!” he screamed in my face, and the evil look in his eyes actually frightened me.
“Do you want to make a bet,” I said, as I tried to free myself from his grip. Jake was over six feet tall and all muscle, so no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t free myself. He pulled me in and again tried to hug me. I looked straight up into his eyes as the anger inside me rose to the surface. I pulled my hand back and slapped his face as hard as I could.
