Falling Apart, Together✓

Chapter Twenty-Four

I was in my fourth month now and I felt like I had popped overnight. I had my sixteen week ultrasound today and I was meeting Ransom there.

I was getting out of my car and walking towards the office when I heard someone call my name. I turned around and immediately froze. It was Richard.

"So it's true then? You married my good-for-nothing son and he got you pregnant?" He asks. I don't make any move to answer, trying to walk away, but he grabs my arm, tightly. "You don't deserve this baby. Not after what you did to the one I put in you."

My eyes go wide with fear. "How... how..." I can't even form a coherent thought.

He laughs. "You think you can bury that so deep that no one could find it? Private investigators can dig up so much dirt when they have the right motivation."

Before he can continue, I'm ripped from his grasp and he's slammed into the wall of the building we're standing in front of. "Ransom, stop! He's not worth it." I say before gasping, grabbing my stomach.

Ransom immediately let's him go and grabs me, leading me away and towards the doctor's office.

"I hope she loses that baby! It'll be just what she deserves!" Richard yells after us.

...

I was ordered to be on bed-rest until my next appointment at least. The baby was fine but the sudden and intense spike in stress, as well as the physical side effects that it causes, worried the doctor. She assured me that everything looked alright and that our son was right where he should be, but that didn't stop me from worrying. And the doctor didn't want to take any risks.

That's right. We're having a boy. That sent a fresh-wave of tears when we found out. My dad would never get to meet his grandson. I never thought I'd be doing this without him here. Ransom tried his best to comfort me, both from his father and the lack of my mine but it was just too much for one day and as soon as he got me home, he insisted that I go upstairs and rest.

...
Ransom's POV

I had gotten Bentley upstairs and in bed, convinced she needed a nap. She tried to fight me as I helped her change into sweats and one of my t-shirts. I couldn't help but chuckle as I heard her snoring before I even left the room. I closed the door quietly before walking down the hallway and downstairs.

I had texted my mom on the way home from the doctor's, telling her to wait a bit before bringing Paris back home. She was waiting for me when I got down, Paris asleep in her arms. I took my daughter from her. "I'll go put her in her crib and I'll be right with you." I whisper. Mom nods before making herself comfortable on the couch.

I come back in after making sure that both Bentley and Paris were fast asleep. "So we ran into Richard this afternoon." I start and launch into what happened. By the end of it, Mom is furious and seething. "I can't let him near her again. I should've done something months ago but she had cut a deal with him after Archer fucked up his face. If I can provide a DNA sample, he can still go away for it. We have a couple of months before the limitations run out."

"But do you really want to put her through the stress of a trial? Especially after what happened today?" Mom asks.

"What else am I going to do Mom? I can't lose either one of them, her or our son."

"What are you prepared to do?" She asks.

"Whatever it takes."

"Good. Here's what's going to happen..."