Chapter 3

I didn't hear a single word she said after that. It felt like I'd been struck by lightning, my mind going completely blank.

The receptionist must have picked up on something in my silence, because she wrapped up quickly and hung up.

I sat alone on a bench in the hospital corridor, staring at nothing, until the doctor called my name several times before I finally snapped back.

"You're here by yourself today? Where's your husband?"

The doctor made small talk while doing the ultrasound. At every other appointment, Russell had always made time to be there, no matter how busy he was. It was only natural she'd notice his absence.

I swallowed the ache rising in my throat and forced a thin smile. "He's tied up with work today, so he couldn't make it."

The doctor nodded and didn't press further, but her brow creased slightly as she studied the monitor.

"You had serious trauma to your lower back before, so the pregnancy has never been the most stable. You really need to watch your stress levels and get plenty of rest; otherwise things could get dangerous.

"I've already gone over all of this with your husband. Next time, have him come with you. The hospital gets crowded, and it's not safe for you to be here alone."

I nodded and rested my hand on the small swell of my belly, my nose stinging with the threat of tears.

Three years ago, Russell got into a fight with someone at a neighboring table after he'd had too much to drink. When the guy grabbed a chair and swung it at him, I threw myself in front of it.

I ended up with two broken ribs and spent six full months in the hospital. The doctors told me back then that if I ever got pregnant, it would be much harder on my body than a normal pregnancy.

Russell knew all of this.

That was exactly why he'd been so careful ever since he found out I was pregnant, looking after me like I was made of glass, terrified that something might go wrong. But today, because of Vanessa, he'd left me behind for the first time.

I couldn't shake the feeling that something was slipping away from me, even if I couldn't put it into words.

After the appointment, the doctor noticed how packed the hallway was and personally walked me to the elevator to make sure no one bumped into me.

That was when a commotion erupted near the emergency entrance on the first floor.

I looked down and saw Vanessa lying on a gurney, one hand clamped around Russell's, tears still streaking down her face. "Russ, don't go. Please don't leave me. I'm scared."

Russell's brow was furrowed tight. He wasn't looking at her, but the twitch at the corner of his eye gave everything away.

"Vanessa, quit the theatrics. Let go. I don't have time for this."

His voice was cold, but he never once pulled his hand free.

How much strength could a drunk woman really have? If he actually wanted to leave, he would have been gone a long time ago.

A sharp pain shot through my chest, and something in my eyes dimmed.

The doctor noticed me frozen in place and followed my gaze down to the first floor. She fell silent, and when she looked back at me, there was unmistakable pity in her eyes.

I pulled my gaze away, said a quick goodbye, and walked calmly into the elevator.

In the cab, Russell's call finally came. "Holly, did you finish the checkup? How'd everything look?"

His tone was perfectly casual, as if there was nothing he needed to explain. I knew better than to ask, so I just gave him a brief rundown of the results. By the time we hung up, he hadn't said a single word about coming to get me.

I could hear the familiar noise of a busy hospital in the background. He was still there, probably still in Vanessa's room, his hand still locked in hers.

A sudden, sharp ache twisted through my chest, followed by a wave of nausea. When I got home, I ate a few dried plums to settle my stomach and collapsed on the couch, falling asleep almost immediately.

I didn't know how long I'd been out when the sound of the front door jolted me awake.

Russell saw me on the couch and came over, his face soft with concern as he scooped me up and carried me to the bedroom. "Why would you fall asleep out here? What if you caught a cold?"

The moment he leaned in, the smell of unfamiliar women's perfume hit me and sent my stomach lurching. I clamped a hand over my mouth and started dry heaving.

Russell panicked, rubbing my back and trying to help me breathe, his voice thick with guilt. "It's that bad, huh? This is my fault. I should've come home earlier to be with you."

I lifted my eyes and looked straight into his.

"You were at the hospital with her all afternoon, weren't you?"