When I woke up, I felt dizzy. Blinking my eyes open, the first thing I saw was a neon light, which made me realize I was lying in a bed. "What ..."
"Oh, thank God, you're awake!" I recognized Laura's voice immediately, despite her frantic tone.
"What happened?" I murmured, my voice hoarse, wincing a little when she jumped into my arms, kind of squeezing my bones.
"You were involved in a car crash." Nick's pragmatic tone interjected, and I spotted him behind his fiancée.
"Oh." I closed my eyes, feeling a sharp headache mounting. "I was ... what about Sebastian?" I asked when Laura finally pulled back.
"He's ok," Nick said, "just a couple of broken bones," he pursed his lips, "you got the worst of it, Viv."
Painedly, I sat up on the bed, wincing at every single step. My back was hurting, either because of this accident or because this one woke up the old pain. "Where is he now?"
"He was released a couple of days later," Nick said, taking Laura in his arms when she started crying.
"Lala, I'm fine. Really."
She didn't speak, was too busy sobbing, so her fiancée answered for her as he cuddled her. "It's the pregnancy hormones," he cracked a small smile, placing a light kiss on her hair, "every emotion is multiplied in force."
I nodded, grabbing her hand. "I'm okay." I really was. I felt disoriented and confused as to what actually happened, since the last thing I remembered was Sebastian speeding down a tunnel. Sure, a lot of my bones hurt, but I was overall fine.
"You've been sleeping for a week." Laura sobbed. "A whole week!"
I blinked my eyes, marveled. But more than anything, the idea of having lost my London opportunity hit me really hard. All it took was one single accident. Even though, I couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to it than that. Sebastian knew the person following us, I'm sure. The question is, who was it? And why were they pretty much trying to make our car crash?
"Babe, why don't we get some fresh air?" Nick suggested, holding his fiancée.
"I'm fine."
"I know, but ... we've been here a long time. I'm sure Viv won't mind." He sent me a meaningful look, as if asking me to agree. She's almost 4 months pregnant, this is the phase where she needs to avoid stressful situations.
I nodded immediately as I squeezed her hand. "Your ugly-crying might scare off patients here." I stuck my tongue out to her, trying to cheer her up.
It seemed to work, because she smiled the slightest, and wiped her tears a bit. "I swear, next time you give me such a scare, I'll kill you first." Laura threatened.
I chuckled. "That would be counterproductive, wouldn't it?" I joked.
She came over to hug me one more time. "I love you so much, Viv."
My smile widened as I patted her back, as much as my sore muscles allowed me to. "I love you, too, Lala." I kissed her hair. "Go freshen up, if he sees the mess your face is right now, Nick might reconsider the wedding." I teased.
He laughed. "Oh, I've seen her in way worse conditions," he winked when she sent him a dirty look upon pulling back.
All three of us laughed, Laura still holding my hand. She gave me a doubtful look. "I'll be back soon."
"I'm not moving." I joked, but she was serious. "Hey, I'm fine, Lala, I am. Get some fresh air, it'll do you good." It warms my heart to know that I have such a dedicated and protective friend. We're basically sisters.
Laura moved to join her fiancée, but when she was by the door, she turned back to me: "The little bitch tried to come visit," she informed me, "I had his name blacklisted downstairs, guards know not to let him anywhere near you."
I frowned for a moment, confused as to who was she talking about. Then it hit me. I nodded, without a word, and they left. So, Chris was here. He saw me lying in this bed. I wonder what did he think, if he cared at all, if he blamed Sebastian for endangering me or me for being so stupid. This was actually the second time I got in an accident with a guy I was dating – although, technically Cole was one single date –, it wouldn't surprise me if Chris saw a pattern in it, to say that he was right in holding me back from dating, since my taste in men is so horrible.
In this case, I'm not entirely sure he would be wrong. Did I misread Sebastian entirely? Why would someone try to pretty much kill him? That car behind us wasn't stopping, I remember that clearly. Did they push us off the road? Were they the reason for our accident?
Or did I see wrong and Sebastian's driving was to blame? He was speeding in a tunnel, 120 mph at least, if that's not dangerous, then I don't know what is. But he can't have done it recklessly, I remember his expression, he did it because that person behind us was following us.
When I saw my phone next to the bed, I immediately grabbed it, wanting to make sure Sebastian was okay, but also to understand what actually happened. When I called, however, an automated voice informed me that the number had been disconnected. Did he change number? And why?
"So ... how are we today?" A female voice broke through my trail of thoughts. When I turned to the door, I saw a blonde woman in her 30s, wearing a nurse uniform, smiling gently at me.
"I ... apparently I just woke up?"
She nodded, coming over to me. "Yes, your friends informed us. The doctor will be here soon to check up on you."
"How ... does it look?" I wondered. "I got in a car crash a few years ago as well," I bit my lips, "is ... my back okay?"
"Well, let's see," she put her folders down, and gripped my hands, to make me sit straight, "does it hurt?" She asked. "Hold onto me if you feel pain."
I winced. "It does hurt a bit, but nothing out of the ordinary."
She nodded, making me lean against the pillows again. "Then it should be okay, but the doctor will be able to tell you more."
"Have I really slept for a week?"
"Five days, yes," she nodded. "In accidents like yours it's kind of normal." The nurse grabbed her folders again, and read something on the papers. "Ms. Dawson, are you aware that you're 4 weeks pregnant?"
My eyes widened. "What?"
She nodded. "We usually run blood tests as soon as the patient arrives, especially in your situation." She explained. "To be sure of what we're dealing with. And yours showed levels of HCG that are consistent with a 4 weeks old pregnancy."
I was shocked, to say the least. "That's ... it's not ..." I raked my mind to think of any single time, within four weeks, when Sebastian and I haven't been careful, but we always have been. We've barely been together five weeks as it is. And I didn't sleep with anyone before him.
Seeing me so stunned, the nurse put down her folders, and placed a hand over mine. "There is no need to worry, dear. Doctor will have to confirm, but based on your progression so far, the baby is fine despite the accident."
"No, it's ... it's not that, I ..." I inhaled harshly. How could it happen?
"Listen," she said, inching closer to me, "if you are a single mother, I know a place that can support you through the whole pregnancy and make sure you and the baby are safe." She glanced outside the door for a moment. "Your parents don't need to know yet, if you don't want them to." She offered me a sympathetic smile.
That made me feel even worse. "My parents are here?"
"They arrived a few hours after you got here."
"Oh, my God ..." I brought a hand to my mouth, feeling overwhelmed, "they can't ... my dad is ... are they okay? My dad suffers from arrythmia, is he ... are they ..."
"They're fine." The nurse reassured me. "They are waiting outside, we just wanted to first of all do a check-up."
"Is everything alright?" Another female voice interrupted us.
The nurse nodded, turning to the short brunette at the door. "Yes, doctor. Ms. Dawson just feels a little ... overwhelmed."
The woman in her 50s came over to me, and the nurse pulled back. "It's normal in your situation, Ms. Dawson." The doctor checked my pupils. "But rest assured, your baby is fine."
"Uh ... Dr. Moore, she ... didn't know about the pregnancy." The nurse informed her.
"Oh." She seemed a bit flustered. She pursed her lips, looking pensive. I would have worried about the doctor's concerned expression, hadn't I been too shocked to really think about it. A car crash, a pregnancy, my parents seeing me in these conditions ... it was a lot to take. And where did Sebastian disappear? He was discharged two days after the accident, then what?
Dr. Moore took a few steps back for a moment, calling the nurse, and they had a hush-hush talk for a few seconds, then the latter one, whose name I could barely read on her tag – Mona? Monica? –, came back to me. "Honey, do you recall ..." she paused, as if trying to find the words, "The circumstances of your accident were not considered ... natural."
I frowned, more and more confused. "As in?"
"As in, it wasn't a regular car crash, police have found evidence of a chase and they are incline to think your car was pushed off course."
"Okay." I mumbled, not really understanding her words.
Nurse Mona grabbed my hand, offering me a sympathetic look. "Sweetheart, did you know the man that was with you in the car or ..."
Was she implying what I thought? "Sebastian," I mentioned, "Sebastian Woodthorne. He's ... he was ..." Laura said he was okay, why were they asking me these questions now? "He's my boyfriend." I didn't miss the nurse's sigh of relief, but the doctor still looked concerned. "Is he okay?"
Nurse Mona nodded. "He was released into police custody once he was deemed fit to leave the hospital."
I frowned. "Why? The accident wasn't his fault ... I think." I thought about that person behind us. "Somebody was following us."
The nurse shook her head. "It's not about that, sweetheart."
"Huh?"
She took a deep breath, then eyes the doctor, as if asking for permission to keep talking. "Look, I don't know the details," the nurse said, "once out of here, he was no longer our problem. All we know is that he has been detained by the cops. We don't know whether he's still there or not." She thought about it for a moment. "Uh ... my sister-in-law is a federal agent, I guess I can ask her to make some calls? See if she can find out where was he taken?"
I didn't miss the doctor's dirty look to the nurse, but I nodded, grateful. "Thank you." After that, it was hard to concentrate on the check-up, on the questions Dr. Moore asked. I kept wondering where was Sebastian and how did I get pregnant if we've always been careful? I always took my birth control, I'm sure of it. And what am I supposed to do now, with a baby whose father is nowhere to be found?
✨✨
I finally managed to send my parents back to their hotel. They were exhausted, they needed some sleep. I also convinced Laura to get some rest as well. When she heard about the pregnancy, she was just as shocked, but in the end she pointed out something that worked as a silver lining for me: my baby and hers can grow up as the best of friends. That cheered me up a bit, despite everything.
Now, I was alone in my hospital room. Everyone came. Well, everyone except the two people that were supposed to. But Sebastian is God knows where, and Chris apparently has been blacklisted. I wanted to ask nurse Mona to tell the guards downstairs to let him in, but I wasn't sure I wanted to see him. I haven't heard a word from him since the fight we had, then he showed up at the hospital, Laura said.
I needed to remain alone anyway. To process everything that's happened in a matter of days. I was supposed to go to London, now that dream is gone. I thought Sebastian and I could build something, but he might be shadier than I ever realized.
What kind of circles is he involved with? Why did someone want to kill him? But what if it's not how it looks? What if he's not the bad guy here? Maybe he's in witness protection. It would kind of explain why can he afford the penthouse and everything else with a gardening job. What if he is actually a gardener and he saw something he shouldn't have at the Woods mansion? What if this was Julia Woods trying to get rid of an eye witness that might incriminate her for who knows what?
There are so many possibilities. In some, Sebastian is a hero, in others, I feel like a dumb idiot for falling into his trap. I can't tell which is true or at least more believable. The fact remains that I am now pregnant, jobless and likely single. I doubt it can get any worse.
Just as I thought that, in the dim light of the room, I spotted a silhouette lurking. I sat up immediately, but my back hurt, so I tried to reach for the button that would let me call the nurses, but a hand stopped me from it. Before I could screech, they wrapped a hand around my mouth. "Shhh, Viv, it's me."
My eyes widened. "Chris?"
He exhaled deeply, nodding. "Yeah." He slowly removed his hand from my mouth, but still held my own hand in his. "I sneaked inside when the guards went to get coffee."
"Oh."
"I know you probably don't want to see me, but-"
My eyes filled with tears as I squeezed his hand. "Hug me. Please." I begged.
He didn't need to be asked twice, Chris immediately embraced me, taking me in his arms, just as he had so many times before. For a moment, just for a moment, I needed to forget about what happened between us and bask in that marvelous feeling that are his hugs. "I missed you." Chris murmured, his voice raucous.
"I missed you, too." Maybe it was a bad idea, maybe I shouldn't let him back in, but right now Chris felt like the only thing in my life that made sense.