Hollywood's Bleeding - Post Malone

Keep Her Safe

"Well, that's where Lacy comes into this whole plan. I trained her and she sometimes fills in for me when I go on holiday. She is sweet and soft-spoken...like you and she is very efficient. You can have her on a trial period and if you like her you can keep her. She can be trusted, I will vouch for her," Rod says. "Oh, ok..." Ophelia responds letting her words trail off as her phone starts ringing - it's Jim. Ophelia can feel the hairs on the back of her neck rise, it feels like the start of a shit storm. Her first thought is to find Austin so she gets up and marches off to the patio. Austin is leaning on the patio railing smoking a cigarette and laughing at something Oliver is saying to him. Austin looks like he should be a leader of an underground gang, like a cloud of black smoke should follow his always heavy-set face but here he is laughing at the top of his lungs, with a contagious smile and sparkling eyes. He makes her garden even seem brighter and greener. Both men snap their heads toward her as she opens the patio door. Austin crushes his cigarette and waves his hand around to disperse the smoke as if it was offending him by hanging around. "What is it, baby?" he asks as she walks toward him. She holds out her phone when it starts ringing again and Austin's face goes dark when he sees who it is. "Leave us, Oliver," he says as he takes Ophelia's phone. "What do you want to do, baby?" he asks.

Anxiety runs through Ophelia's body in waves and she is finding it hard to get her thoughts to stop racing. She knows why he is phoning. "He must have seen the media release. It does not paint him in the best light and now I feel bad. He was my husband for five years and I put him through hell with the misscarages. He must feel so betrayed by me now. I wish that I had never let that media release go out. I want to take all this back and just make things right with him," the words tumble out of Ophelia's mouth without her thinking. She hates the idea of hurting anyone. Now Austin must also be mad at her, he must think she is playing games with him. She is really not it's just her mind is so messed up. She braces herself, ready for the onslaught of nasty words from Austin. But that never happens instead he wraps his arms around her and pulls her in tight. "I know fucking nothing about marriage but he could have prevented all this if he had just respected you. As far as the loss of your babies...I am pretty sure that he was not the only one that felt that pain...you lost too, baby," he says softly into the top of her head. He spins her around so she is facing her garden while he stands behind her. Then he slowly slips his arms around her waist and rests his hands on her still-flat belly. Jim never did that. "I don't know what will happen with this little one, but whatever it is you won't be alone...I promise," he says softly.

Ophelia may have been weary of Austin when she first met him but she had liked him. Right now though she not only likes him but she respects him. He is a good man, there is no doubt in her mind. They may not be soul mates or have experienced that once in a lifetime love at first sight people are always searching for. She is not even sure what she feels for Austin, if she had to describe it, it would be respect and a united friendship...a safe harbor from the storm her life has become. "What do I do now? What do I say to him?" I need you to tell me what to do," she says. Austin turns her around to face him again. "I won't tell you what to do. You know what to do...you are just a little scared right now," he says. Ophelia lets herself breathe for a second as she tries to gather her thoughts. "I...I...I want to not talk to him right now. He can wait until I am ready to talk to him. Is...is that ok? Can I do that?" she asks, unsure. Austin grins at her and nods his head. "Yes, that is ok," he says. Her phone rings in Austin's pocket again. "He is not going to stop ringing," she says. Austin shrugs and fishes the phone out of his pocket. "Then we block his number," he says and taps around on her phone. Her phone stays silent after that. They look at each other for a moment then Austin lifts his hand and runs two fingers over her belly.

"How do the doctor appointments work when you are knocked up?" he asks. Ophelia tries to stop her laugh at his words, she can't though. "I have been already, he confirmed my pregnancy," she says. "How many are in there? Most people just have one at a time, right?" he asks his face frowning in concentration. Ophelia laughs again. "Only one," she says. "Do you know what type of baby is in here?" he asks, running his fingers over her belly again. "You mean what gender?" she asks and Austin nods. He is not looking at her, rather, his eyes are trained onto her belly as if the baby is going to suddenly reveal itself. "No. The baby is only just starting to form its heart. Right now it's just a tiny mass of cells. It has no gender," she explains.