Aftermath

Lily’s POV

I woke up to beeping sounds I could not make out. My eyes felt too heavy to open all at once, but I forced them apart slowly and looked around. Strange faces I had never seen moved to and fro at every corner of the room. The air smelled of antiseptic and medicine. That smell gave me a small clue about where I was.

My fingers felt like they had been on a long vacation and had not yet come back. I moved them, one by one, then used both hands to push myself up.

“How did I get here?” I asked the pretty woman who was busy with different bottles and containers on the table by my bed.

She startled and turned toward me. “You are awake!” she said softly, as if she had not expected me to be up so soon.

I raised an eyebrow and waited for her to explain.

“You were rushed in by your boyfriend,” she said.

My mouth made a disgusted shape. “My boyfriend?” I asked. My brows tightened.

“Yes. Damian Cole,” she answered with a small smile.

Oh. Damian. I tried to force the memory to fit. Damian was my deceased sister’s fiancé who had suddenly resurfaced especially when I needed a family. How could I have forgotten that I had a boyfriend who was him?

“Right. My boyfriend,” I said quickly, trying not to show how awkward I felt.

“Where did he go?” I asked without waiting for more.

She tucked her hair behind her ear, still smiling. For fuck’s sake, what was so worth smiling for?

“He left not long ago,” she said. “He said he had some things to handle.”

I nodded and pushed the sheets away from my legs. “Thank you for everything,” I said, giving her a quick look while I reached for my shoes. “But I need to go now.” I spoke with a tight urgency. The memory of why I had passed out flashed back to me.

That wristwatch Damian had. It was my father’s most prized thing. I knew because his initials were on it. It was worth more than a thousand dollars. My father wanted to give it to Damian if Damian had arrived that night. But after the plane crash, he could not make it, and whoever killed him had taken the watch. That was why it confused me to see Damian wearing it. How had he gotten it?

I finally found my shoes and slid my feet into them like I was trying to move at the speed of light. I tried to run, but my foot caught on something and I almost fell forward onto the floor.

The pretty nurse, I guessed she was a nurse… rushed to me and caught me before I hit the ground. “You need to be careful, ma’am!” she said, her voice getting a little louder.

I felt a flash of anger. Nobody talked to me like that. She did not know who I was. But then I let it slide. I had too much going on inside my head to start a fight.

I pulled my hands free and tried to walk away.

She would not let me. She took hold of my arm and guided me back onto the bed. “Ma’am, you can’t leave like that. You need to take your medication and take your test results with you.”

“What results and what medication?” I frowned. “I passed out from work stress. All I need is rest and maybe some painkillers. That is all. I don’t need these things.” I pointed to the pile of bottles on the table.

“These medicines are for your health,” she said. Her smile was steady. “And for your child. You are two weeks pregnant.”

My jaw dropped.

Me? Pregnant? Two weeks? I felt like I was hearing a joke. Was I supposed to be the next Virgin Mary? I had had sex recently, yes, but still…

Adrian and I had slept together only once, three weeks ago. And Damian and I had been intimate a few nights ago. How could I already be pregnant?

“You have it wrong,” I said, voice shaking with fear. “No. I am not pregnant.”

“Yes, you are,” she said calmly and handed me a small folded paper. “Congratulations.”

I snatched the paper and read it. Her words were true. I squeezed the paper in my hand and felt panic rise. “Shut the fuck up!” I yelled. “Shut up before I wipe that smile off your face!”

She flinched when I raised my voice. Her hand slid across the table in a quick movement toward the phone. I guessed she was trying to call someone… security or the doctor.

“Does Damian know about this?” I asked.

She shook her head, her lips trembling. “No.”

I said, cold and low, “Good. Keep it that way or else…”

She nodded like a frightened child and returned her hand to the phone.

I grabbed the medicines and ran out of the room. I did not stop until the hospital building was out of sight. When I felt safer, I pulled out my phone and called Charles.

“Hello, ma’am,” his voice came through.

“Come pick me up, Charles,” I said. “I am walking down Olive Street, a few miles from Chevron Hospital.” I ended the call before he could answer.

Charles arrived within thirty minutes. He opened the car door for me and helped me in. He watched me as he drove, eyes flicking from me to the road. I could tell he wanted to ask if I was okay.

“I am fine,” I said before he could speak. He did not look convinced, but he pretended he believed me.

How could I be fine? I had made the biggest mistake of my life and I did not even know who the baby’s father was. I had done the math in my head, but nothing added up. Could the father be Adrian? I liked Adrian, yes. But I had chosen to date Damian to help myself move on from the idea of falling for my parents’ killers. If the baby belonged to Adrian, what would that make me? Could I accept being with him while I waited for the truth?

And what if the baby was Damian’s? I was only hanging onto him by a thin thread. People would not judge me too harshly if I learned to love him and show it because I only looked like Lily Nolan now and nothing like Kath. But if anyone found out I had not mourned my sister properly and had slept with her fiancé, how would they see me? I kept thinking about my family. How disappointed they would be.

I hated that my feelings had interfered with my thirst for revenge. I had wanted justice for my parents, not this mess.

Suddenly, a dark thought slid through my mind. I felt it clear: end this now… stop everything.

Without thinking, I opened my car door and jumped out while Charles was still driving.