Page 239 of Show Me

For one horrible second, panic claws higher into my chest. Then Emily straightens, her shoulders relax, and some of the tension in Xavier’s body eases with hers.

“That’s reassuring,” she says.

My throat tightens. “Reassuring? But I basically swallowed two.”

“I know.” Her voice softens. “Two doses of this medication usually aren’t considered dangerous early in pregnancy.”

Usually…. Emily must see the panic flash across my face because her hand squeezes my shoulder.

“I’m not worried about what you’re describing,” she says. “But we’ll get you checked out, okay?”

The tightness in my chest snaps all at once. Relief crashes into me so hard it almost hurts. I bury my face against Xavier’s chest and sob. Not quiet tears. Not controlled crying. My whole body shakes with it.

Fear. Shock. Adrenaline crashing all at once. Xavier’s arms squeeze around me. Not trying to fix it, just holding on while I fall apart.

Chapter One Hundred Thirty

Ruby

The hospital room smells like antiseptic and stale coffee. Machines hum beside the bed. The monitor beside me blinks steady green numbers that the nurse already assured me are normal.

‘Everything looks fine.’ The doctor said that twice. Emily said it three times. Bella repeated it before stepping out to find coffee.

Everything looks fine.

But my body still feels tight with fear. My hand rests low against my stomach.

The doctor said stress could affect things. But it’s early. Which means there’s nothing they can do except wait and see.

The thought knots painfully in my chest. What if something happens later? What if…. Stop. I close my eyes. The baby is okay. Right now, that has to be enough.

Across the room, Xavier sits in the chair near the wall. Elbows braced against his knees. Hands clasped together so tightly his knuckles look pale.

He hasn’t stopped moving since we got here. His thumbs rubbing together. Leg bouncing once in a while. Jaw tightening every few seconds like he’s holding himself together by force.

I watch him for a long moment. Not the wrinkles on his shirt. Not the dark circles under his eyes. Just him. Lindsey was in my home. She almost killed me. Us.

And Xavier hadn’t wanted to label what we were to each other…. hadn’t said a word about hooking up with her in the past before I overheard their conversation.

If he had, would I have put two and two together and realized who was after me rather than blaming myself?

“She was in the gym,” I say.

His head lifts. “What?”

“At the desk. Talking to me. Asking questions.” I swallow hard. “Watching.”

Xavier drags a hand down his face. Pain flashes openly across it now.

“She knew me,” I whisper. “And I didn’t even know she mattered.”

That one lands hard. I see it in the way his shoulders tense. “Ruby–”

“All this time…” My voice shakes now. “I thought someone was after me because I rejected someone.” I stare down at my hand resting against my stomach. “But it was because she thought we were together.”

Xavier exhales. Like the air hurts coming out. “I didn’t know what she was capable of.”

“I know.” And I do know. That’s the horrible part. He didn’t ask for this either. But that doesn’t change what happened. Doesn’t erase the notes. The fear. The holes in my kitchen. The scratches on my arms. The bruises on my body.