AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I look over at Henry as I hug her, but his eyes are fixed on Violet as she approaches the side of the bed where Drew’s sitting.
“You didn’t have to come all this way. But thank you,” I say as Maddy perches herself on the edge of the bed.
“Mum drove us. We needed to see that you were all okay. Didn’t we, Mum?” Maddy looks over at Violet whose face has paled as she looks at my growing bump beneath the hospital gown.
She clears her throat and presses her lips together before she speaks. “We did. You have to be on the safe side. Especially with twins. My mother was a twin, and they almost lost hersister before they were both born. Of course, modern medicine is a lot more advanced these days, but…” Her gaze falls on the ultrasound images in my lap. “Are those…?”
I swallow before saying, “They are.”
Her eyes meet mine for the first time, and my breath catches. Hers are the same striking crystal blue as Drew’s. And although there’s a lot of hurt being guarded inside them, they’re also kind. They’re eyes that have seen life and understand that sometimes things can be both painful and beautiful at the same time.
I tentatively hold the images out toward her.
“Thank you.” As she takes them her soft hands brush against mine. A small smile graces her lips as she takes her time to look at each one.
“It’s too early to see from the ultrasound if they’re boys or girls,” I say, feeling a need to fill the silence as all eyes are on the two of us. “But the doctor said she can tell us, because she has the results from the blood…” The words wither in my throat, and I swallow around the aching lump in my throat.
“From the blood test. I understand,” Violet says, passing me the photos. “Thank you for letting me see these.”
She turns to Drew. “You need to look after her. She’s carrying precious cargo, you understand?”
“You can count on it,” Drew says, his voice weighted with emotion as Violet blinks quickly a few times and then gives me a small nod.
“Make sure he does, Sophie. I expect a good report next time.”
I struggle to make my voice work as emotion swells in my chest. “Okay.”
Violet looks at Maddy. “I’ll be outside when you’re ready to go home.”
She walks out, and Henry follows her, calling her name.
“Can I hide in here with you guys until they’re done?” Maddy grimaces as they leave.
“Sure,” I say as Drew lifts my hand to his lips and kisses my knuckles absentmindedly as he stares into space. “I’d like that.”
Maddy stays for another twenty minutes, talking about an article she’s writing for the magazine she works at, and I’m grateful to her for filling the silence. Because since Violet and Henry left, Drew has been lost in thought, like a dark-haired brooding statue next to me.
It’s not until after I’ve been discharged and we’re walking out to the parking lot that he finally speaks.
“I’m sorry.”
“What for?”
His jaw tenses as he leads me down a row of parked vehicles. “For that shitshow in there. I shouldn’t have let him get to me. He’s right. I’m causing you more stress because I can’t keep my fucking head straight.”
My heart falls in my chest. “You’re not causing me any stress. I can’t believe how well you’re dealing with all this.” I stop walking so he has to stop and look at me. “Drew, you don’t need to be strong for me all the time. We said we’d always communicate, remember? It’s okay if some days your head isn’t straight. Because mine definitely isn’t either. And Henry is—”
“A selfish asshole? Yeah, I’ve had years of it. I shouldn’t even be surprised anymore at the levels he’ll stoop to. But the way he speaks to you? Like he’s a fucking king?” He sucks air in through his clenched teeth. “I’d rather be nailed to a cross by my nut-sack than have him treat you like that.” He gathers both of my hands inside his. “You’re in control, Sophie. We’ll do this your way. I called him today because I was trying to be thebigger man. But if you want, then I can be the pettiest bastard that walked the earth instead.”
“You are the bigger man, Drew.”
His lips twitch, and I roll my eyes.
“Thebetterman,” I say before rising on my toes to kiss him. “And I appreciate everything you’re doing.”
“It should be more.” He wraps his arms around me and holds me close. “I want to give you the whole damn world. All three of you.”
I kiss him in the middle of the parking lot until his hands slide lower and grip my ass.
