Page 43 of Dark Truth

“I don’t know, she wasn’t with me when the explosions started. She was with her friend.”

Roxie. I’d forgotten about Roxie. I wasn’t about to leave Emily’s side, however. “Trent, can you get somebody to find out about Roxie? I know she’s your sister, man, but I just can’t leave her.”

“You bet. I’ll step outside for a minute.”

“Okay, I need to check others while we get some tests done on her. Oh, and the baby appears to be fine right now, sir.”

“Good.” I felt relief flood through me, but then noticed he’d said, ‘for now’. She wasn’t totally out of the woods in that department then.

Hours later the stream of victims had slowed, and people had either been treated or sent home, or admitted like Emily had. She had woken up, to our relief, but she’d soon fallen asleep again. There wasn’t much they could give her for the pain. Her body was covered in painful bruises that would be deep purple before it was over, and she’d needed stitches in her head, but there were no fractures, as the doctor had feared, and little Caroline/Charlie was doing just fine.

“Dylan? The baby?” she asked when she woke up, her eyes full of tears. “How’s the baby?”

“It’s fine, Emily. You just rest, darling. All is well.” The beautiful eyes I loved more than any others in the world closed and slept again in seconds.

I faced her mom and dad, both in the room with us.

“It might not be the right time for this, but I want to ask her as soon as she wakes up. May I have your permission to marry your daughter?”

“Well, now, you’re Emily’s first boyfriend I think…” Her father started, but his younger bride hushed him up quickly, on the other side of her bed.

“Hush now, honey. This is what Emily needs, what she wants, and you’d be a fool to deny her that. In fact, here … I want you to use my engagement ring, please. She always loved to play with it when she was a little girl, and it’s only right she has it now.”

I looked down at the chunk of diamond she handed me and blinked. It was far from a cheap diamond and would have been gaudy if it hadn’t been so beautiful. A little bit like Emily’s mom, I guessed. The woman had on a bright blue sheath dress, and her hair and makeup were impeccable, even at this time of night.

I nodded and ducked my face away. At least they hadn’t mentioned the fact that I’d had Emily at a sex club masquerading as a strip club. They were grownups, and so were we, so nobody mentioned it.

Jessi came in with Roxie a little while later. She’d spent hours looking for Emily and when Jessi found her, she’d been inconsolable, or so Jessi told me later. “Emily?”

Her voice shook as she came in, and I moved away to let her stand next to Emily. “Baby, oh please wake up and tell me you’re okay.”

“I’m fine, Roxie. Did you bring me ginger ale?” Emily said, sleepily, and I laughed.

“Girl, I’ve spent hours looking for you! You’d better wake up and tell me you’re okay, properly!” Roxie’s tears fell on the pale skin of Emily’s hand, clenched in her own.

“What?” Emily opened her eyes and looked up at us all. “What’s going on? Why are you all in my bedroom?”

“Because you’re in the hospital, darling, not the bed at home.” I stood closer, next to Roxie, and looked down at her. “If you wouldn’t mind, would you give me the honor of marrying me?”

Everybody in the room, except for Emily and I, laughed at my outburst. I didn’t care if they thought it was funny or not. All I could see was her surprise and the happiness in her eyes when she said yes.

Emily

“My God, Emily. It’s gorgeous,” Roxie breathed the words as I turned around, my wedding dress on full display.

“Thank you.” I looked at the long sheath I now had on and beamed. It was sexy, but innocent, perfect for me. It fit me perfectly.

“I can’t believe this,” Mom said, and I turned to her to see tears in her eyes.

“Mom? Why are you crying?”

“Because my little girl is getting married, silly; why else would I be crying? You’re beautiful baby.” She held Caroline, my daughter in her arms, a far cry from the woman I’d grown up with. After my trip to the hospital both of my parents had suddenly decided that they needed to be in my life far more.

They’d helped me while I was pregnant and were always on hand to act as grandparents to my sweet little three-month-old daughter.

“Why did you wait so long to get married?” Jessi asked, and I turned to her.

“I wanted Caroline here, and then, I needed to lose the baby weight. It didn’t matter to Dylan, but I knew we’d have to look at those pictures forever, so I waited.” Dylan would have married me before we even left the hospital that night, but I’d wanted to have Caroline in the pictures; I wanted her to be part of the whole thing. She was a product of what led to our wedding, after all.