CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

GWEN POV

I opened my eyes slowly. Everything was blurry at first. The room was white and smelled like medicine. I saw April sitting in a chair near the window. She was looking at a magazine, but she wasn't turning the pages.

Then, it all hit me. The blood. The pain. The terrifying fear of losing my baby. And Nolan. He had been there. He knew the truth now.

"Hey," April said. She stood up and walked to my bed. Her voice was soft, but her eyes looked tired. "How are you feeling?"

"Am I okay?" I whispered. My throat felt dry. "Is the baby...?"

"The baby is fine, Gwen. You’re both fine," April said. She reached out and touched my hand. "The doctors want to watch you for a little bit, but they say everything looks good."

I let out a long breath. I felt like I could finally breathe again. But when I looked at April, she wasn't smiling. She looked serious.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" she asked.

I didn't want to lie anymore. It was too late for that. "Did your dad tell you everything?"

"He thinks he’s the father," April said. She sat on the edge of the bed. "I was shocked. I mean, my best friend and my dad? It feels crazy. I didn't think you were the type of person to just... hook up with people."

"I’m not," I said quickly.

"I know," she sighed. "But my dad wouldn't lie about this. He’s a lot of things, but he isn't a liar."

"April, I didn't know who he was at first," I tried to explain.

She held up her hand to stop me. "He told me. I can understand the first time. You met a handsome stranger, and you didn't know his name. Fine. But what about the cabin? You knew who he was then. That’s the part that hurts."

"I'm so sorry," I said. Tears started to sting my eyes. "I don't even know why I did it. I was stressed with school. I felt like I was always being the 'good girl.' When I met him, it was like I could be someone else for a night. And then at the cabin... we kept fighting, but the spark was still there. I couldn't help it."

April looked away for a moment. "And you weren't going to tell me?"

"We both agreed to keep it a secret," I admitted. "We thought we would go back to our normal lives and never talk about it again. But then I found out I was pregnant. That's why I had to leave."

April’s face turned red. "So you were going to hide my own brother or sister from me? You were going to keep the baby away from my father?"

"April, your father was mean to me!" I said, my voice getting louder. "The last time we spoke, he told me to stay away from him forever. He made it clear he didn't want me around."

"He told me about that, too," April said with a sigh. "He feels terrible about it. He’s been a jerk, Gwen. I know that. But he’s a good dad to me. He has money. He can make sure you and the baby have everything you need. Your dad is worried about paying for the ambulance bill right now. My dad can fix that."

"I tried to tell him!" I argued. "I went to his office. His secretary was horrible to me. She told me he wasn't there, but I saw you go inside right after. I knew he was hiding from me. So I gave up."

"And then he showed up at your house," April added.

"Yes. And he was cruel again," I said. "He said things I can't forget."

April shook her head and gave a sad laugh. "My dad hasn't cared about a woman since he divorced my mom. But with you... it’s different. I think he’s in love with you because he can’t control the bond between you two, Gwen."

I stared at her unsure of what that meant. "He doesn't act like it."

"He acts like a jerk because he's scared," April said. "He feels like he’s losing control when he’s around you. He doesn't know how to handle his feelings, so he gets angry. It’s not right, but that’s how he is."

I stayed quiet. Even if Nolan loved me, I didn't know if I could trust him. He had so much power. If we fought, he could use his money to take my baby away. I couldn't tell April that. She loved him too much to understand.

"Let’s not talk about this anymore," April said, patting my arm. "You need to rest so you can go home. Your dad went to get the car. In the meantime, my dad is paying for everything. The room, the doctors, and any medicine you need later."

"I don't want his money," I said, feeling my face get hot.

"It’s not just about you anymore," April said firmly. "You’re carrying his child. He has a responsibility to take care of both of you. Just let him do this, Gwen."

I leaned back against the pillows. I felt trapped. I was safe, and the baby was safe, but my life was never going to be simple again.