Semua Bab The Tyrant's captive bride : Bab 71 - Bab 80

Lauren The door swings open and I step inside the fitting room, phone already up because I was supposed to sneak a quick shot of the empty room for Ryan. Instead I freeze. My finger hits the shutter before my brain even catches up.There they are. Harper backed up against the wall, belly sticking out like a basketball, and that Asian guy basically pinning her there with his arms on both sides of her head. Their faces are way too close. Like, kiss-close. My mouth drops open for real this time because holy crap I did not expect this.“Oh my god,” I blurt out, louder than I mean to. “What the actual hell is going on in here?”Harper’s head snaps toward me so fast I think she might give herself whiplash. The guy jumps back like I burned him, but not fast enough. I already got the picture. My phone is still in my hand, screen bright with the shot I just took. Perfect timing, I guess. Or the worst timing ever.I clear my throat and try to look normal even though my heart is doing cartwheel

Elias I sit here in the dim light of the bedroom watching Harper sleep, her chest rising and falling slow and steady like nothing in the world could touch her right now. My phone burns a hole in my pocket with that picture Lauren sent me last night, Harper pressed up against the wall with Yuto all over her, bellies almost touching, faces way too close for anything innocent. I stare at the screen again, zoom in on her hand on his chest, that little smile she only gives when she thinks nobody sees. I do not move. I do not smash the phone. I do not call anyone. I just put it away and let her keep sleeping because what the hell am I supposed to do, wake her up screaming? Nah. Not today.She stirs a little when the sun creeps through the curtains, blinks a few times, and rubs her eyes like a kid who stayed up too late. Her belly sticks out under the sheet now, round and obvious, and she automatically puts a hand on it like she always does. "Elias?" she mumbles, voice all thick with sleep

HarperI wake up with my heart trying to punch its way out of my chest and my belly feeling like it weighs a hundred pounds already. The bus seat is sticky under my thighs and somebody’s backpack keeps bumping my elbow every time the driver hits a pothole. School is done for the day but my brain is still stuck somewhere between last period and whatever the hell is going on with my life. Elias made breakfast this morning like some sitcom husband, then helped me shower without even trying to cop a feel, which is so not him that it makes my skin crawl. Now I’m on the bus heading back and all I can think is how fast everything flipped. One picture. One stupid picture and suddenly he’s playing nice guy while I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop and crush my toes.I rub my belly and the baby kicks back hard like he’s agreeing with me. “Yeah, you feel it too, huh?” I mutter under my breath. The lady next to me gives me a weird look but I don’t care. Let her stare. My husband might be a ref

HarperThe beeping starts first. That steady annoying hospital monitor sound going beep beep beep like it’s counting down to something bad. My eyes snap open and I’m on a bed with my legs up in those stupid stirrups and doctors all around me yelling numbers and pushing on my belly. Sweat is pouring down my face and my hair is stuck to my neck. I’m pushing so hard my whole body shakes but nothing is happening right.“Come on Harper push!” one doctor yells right in my face. “You’re almost there!”“I am pushing!” I scream back at her because what does she think I’m doing, napping? My belly feels like it’s splitting open and the pain is everywhere but I keep going, teeth clenched, groaning like an animal. “Get this baby out of me already! I want to see him! I want him to live!”Elias is beside me holding my hand too tight. His face looks blurry through all the sweat and tears. “Keep going baby, you got this.”I push again and again and again until my throat is raw from yelling. The doctor

HarperI make this huge gasping sound like I’ve been underwater for way too long and suddenly my lungs remember how to work. My eyes fly open and the room is too bright and everything feels wrong. There’s a tall guy sitting right beside the bed holding my hand gently. He looks a lot like Elias from my head but softer around the eyes and his smile is real and happy instead of scary. “You’re awake,” he says, voice cracking like he might cry any second. “Harper, you’re really awake. Doctor! Nurse! Somebody get in here she’s awake!”He jumps up fast but keeps one hand on my shoulder like he’s scared I’ll disappear. I blink at him and try to sit up but my body feels like it weighs a million pounds. “Back? Back on what? What happened to me? Where was I? I was… I was somewhere else. There was a baby and pushing and then drowning and fire and… why does my throat feel like I swallowed sandpaper?”The doctors rush in and start poking and prodding and shining lights in my eyes. They’re all talki