Protect My Heart

Chapter 28

Clover

"Help! My best friend needs help!" Mason shouted, frantically carrying me through the double doors of the emergency room. "She's pregnant and fell down the stairs. Everything was fine at first, but then she started to get intense pain. Oh, God, is she going to be okay?"

He placed me on the gurney that was rolled over to us. Ignoring the discomfort in my abdomen, I reacted instinctively by gripping Mason's shirt. "Promise me. Promise me you will not call Logan. He doesn't need to know."

He paled, shaking his head. "Midget, you know I can't do that. He's its baby's father. What if something –"

"No. He'll lose his mind if he finds out what we did. Plus, he's not a part of this baby. So promise me you won't..."

Another burning ache went through my body and I got rolled away, slipping into unconsciousness. And I never got to hear Mason's answer.

I slept for quite a while, and when I awoke, I found myself in a hospital bed. Darkness consumed the world outside, the stars bright in the sky. The hospital had improved since I'd last been there. Too many times as a teenager that it hurt to think about.

I rolled over on the cheap, uncomfortable mattress, only to find Logan sitting on a chair next to the bed.

Correction: a very angry Logan.

I scolded Mason in my head, gulped when he caught me staring. He lounged in the chair, legs stretched out, arms on either side, his knuckles rubbing his jaw. His face was blank so when one looked, they'd think nothing of it. But I'd known him for years. I knew every shadow that passed his face, every emotion. I knew him. And he was blistering with agitation.

"Um... hi," I said weakly, hoisting myself up on my elbows.

I wished to press the button to have the nurse barge in when he slowly shook his head.

"Where's Mason?"

No sight of him. Traitor.

"I sent him home," he said, his features not wavering. "Elisa was getting worried, and he had to take care of the kids. There wasn't any need for him to stay."

I fiddled with the sheet. "How is our baby?"

He barked a laugh, mockingly. "So, now it's ours? It wasn't so our baby when you told Mason I wasn't needed to be contacted with. It wasn't our baby when you said I wouldn't be part of this child's life."

Damnit. Screw you, Mason. You will pay for this.

"Look, Logan..."

He raised a hand. So typical of him nowadays to do all the talking. "No. We're not going to talk about this. Get dressed, I'm taking you home."

I accepted the clothes from his hands. I was dressed in a sheer hospital gown. "Um, can you leave while I change?"

Not that I didn't want him to see me naked. I did. I really did. I desired him to strip off his clothes and join me in this bed.

"Just change. It's nothing I haven't seen before, anyway."

I wanted to protest but chose not to. I had no energy to fight with him. So I awkwardly changed out of the hospital clothes into my normal clothes while avoiding his burning graze. He gave me assistance when I got off the bed. "But how is the baby?"

Logan blew out a breath, leading me out of the room. "I signed the papers already, but the babies are okay. You need to take it easy from now on. The doctor called it the Braxton Hicks contractions, but they're common for the second trimester."