Page 13 of From Angel to Rogue (Four Foxes #6)

KATY

“You sure?” I frowned at a grinning Lan who was adamant that he come to the venue on his bike. He looked gorgeous as hell on his bike, wearing a pure black leather jacket, his brown eyes shining under the bright daylight like liquid gold.

“Yes,” he replied, still grinning. “And yes, I’ll be careful.”

“Fine,” I mumbled, leaning in to kiss him. “You better make it there in one piece, or I’m haunting you forever.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He tugged me for a deeper kiss that left me breathless. “See you,” he called out as I walked over to the van parked on the curb, where the rest of the boys waited for me.

We had our full day booked for the Rolling Stones piece, a big moment in the guy’s career, and maybe even a special day for Lan because I was telling him tonight.

I settled in beside my twin while Emmie and Mikey took the seat opposite us.

My heart was in my throat when Lan sped off the driveway and I prayed to God to keep him safe. Soon, our van started following his path, although he was nowhere in sight.

We all sat quietly the entire ride, so unlike how we used to be. My brother had his eyes closed and head thrown back in his seat. Mikey’s sharp eyes were trained solely on Emmie, who looked like a ghost, sipping bourbon straight from the flask as his dead eyes stared at the window.

Emmie was a dead man living ever since Evy betrayed him and left him all alone. He loved her like she was the stars to his sky, and now that sky was starless, shrouded in shadows. Lifeless.

It pained me to see my best friend like this. Nothing ever shook Emmie and to see a strong boy like him crumble was heartbreaking. I did try to talk sense into Evy, but the more she lost her way, the more angry she made me for ruining our family.

But even then, I missed her.

So I couldn’t imagine just how much Emmie missed her.

She was the other half of his soul… but then he was hers too.

My thoughts get interrupted when we reached the venue, which was a sprawling mansion with a fancy garden designed by a famous landscaper, where most of the photo shoot would take place. It was big enough to fit ten of my homes from back in Bellevue, but it was beautiful.

“Katy, so good to see you, sweetie.” Adam, the lead journalist, greeted me with a hug.

“Likewise, Adam,” I said. “So excited for today.”

“Meet the team.” Adam gestured to the three people lingering behind him. “Our lovely Yolanda will be our photographer, Nora is the set assistant, and we have Gia and her team on hair and makeup.”

“Nice to meet all of you.” I shook their hands, making small talk, which I was well-versed in.

Lan still wasn’t here. Knowing him, he took the longest possible route wanting to spend more time riding than be here posing in different angles and be asked countless questions.

But still, he would be here any minute because I was here.

Ten minutes after the boys get sullenly summoned to hair and makeup, Lan walks in like he owns the place. He probably could with the amount of money he had to his name.

Everyone on set had already been gawking at the boys, but now that Lan was here, all their attention turned to him. He hardly spared them a glance while his eyes searched for mine in the room.

And when they met mine, they lit up, and he was by me in an instant.

“You’re late,” I chided. “You left before us—”

My words get crushed when he slams his lips to mine, kissing me like we were alone in our bedroom and were just about to get naked under the sheets.

“Lan.” I blushed, pushing him away. “Everyone’s watching.”

“So?” He raised a brow, smirking.

I shook my head, still feeling the burn on my cheeks as I pushed him toward hair and makeup, which he groaned and complained about.

My legs hurt because I’d been running around the set all morning, making sure everything was going perfectly, while I caught up on some emails and phone calls.

The boys were outside on the yard being photographed because Yolanda didn’t want to waste “sunlight” capturing the beauty of the boys’ sharp angles.

Whatever that meant.

But she was kinda right because Lan looked hot, more than hot. He was sexy, wearing long black slacks and just an open blazer that showed off his inked skin and washboard abs while the sunlight lit up all his ridiculously beautiful features.

I sighed, darting my eyes away. You need to work, Katy, remember.

I wanted nothing to disturb me from what I had planned tonight. I wanted the night just to myself and Lan, no phone calls. So I was working extra hard to get everything tied up before I left.

A slight throb blossomed on my forehead and just as I was about to press my fingers to ease the ache, a sharp cramp went through my lower belly. It stopped and I heaved a breath of relief as I continued my work. But only a minute later, another wave hit. This time in full force.

A gasp slipped past my lips.

The pain was similar to when I got my period, only more intense. But I couldn’t really be having my period now, right?

No, I shouldn’t be.

I dropped my iPad on a nearby table and dashed to the first bathroom I found, my heart splitting into an unrecognizable rhythm as I pulled my shorts and panties down.

Red.

Blood.

Everywhere.

Is that…is that my b…

No, no , no.

Pain clouded my vision as I grabbed a tissue and tried to get it away…get it away from me… to make it stop, but it wouldn’t.

The white of the tissue was stained with thick bloody clots, so thick and red…

That can’t be… that can’t be my…

Nausea choked me as my trembling fingers disposed it.

I couldn’t look at it anymore.

My cramps rolled off in painful waves, sending sharp aches to my spine that almost doubled me over.

I didn’t even think as I dashed out and pulled a long jacket from one of the wardrobe rails and ran out of that house. I hopped into one of the waiting cars and didn’t think, didn’t breathe till it dropped me off at the first emergency room in sight.

For the next thirty minutes, I sat in a narrow plastic chair, ignoring the calls that kept coming through my phone.

I couldn’t be bothered with it.

All I wanted was for my baby to be okay.

Please be okay. I curled my hands protectively around my waist.

Just be okay.

I’ll take good care of you, I swear.

“Ms. Evans?”

“That’s me,” I blurted, leaping to my feet. The motion made another painful cramp drag my entire lower belly like a ton of boulders.

She gave me a small smile. “The doctor will see you now.”

“Thanks,” I mumbled, following her.

Soon, I was lying on a thin bed while the doctor scanned my stomach.

“When was your last period?” She frowned.

“I don’t remember,” I said quietly. “Maybe two or three months ago.”

“And when did you find out you were pregnant?”

“Umm, yesterday.” I licked my dry lips as I watched her set the wand aside and flash me a sad smile.

“You were never pregnant, Katy,” she informed softly. “You are just having your period. Since your cycle is irregular, you must be experiencing more pain than usual.”

“That…that can’t be true,” I said in a voice I didn’t recognize. “I checked it twice. Both tests showed I was pregnant.”

“Sometimes, false positives are possible, or maybe the tests were expired. But your scan and blood work suggest you were never pregnant.”

“No… no, Doctor.” I shook my head frantically. “Please, check again. Please, please.”

Her eyes shined with pity, but she nodded, continuing the same motion while my heart sank by the second. And the look on her face was the culmination of the truth.

I wasn’t pregnant.

I was never pregnant.

My soft hope, an innocent hope, deflated like a bothersome tree in the middle of the road.

Suddenly, I felt more stupid and dumb than I’d ever felt in my entire life.

Thanking the doctor, I left the hospital feeling worse than what I did when I entered earlier.

A sudden low vibration in my hand drew my eyes to my ringing phone.

“Hello?”

“Katy, where the fuck are you?” Lan’s distressed voice reached my ears. “I’ve been trying to call you for hours.”

“L...Lan, I’m back at the house.” The lie slipped easily. “I actually got my p…period, and it made a mess of my clothes.”

I heard him let out an exhale. “Fucking hell, K. You okay now? I’ll be there in ten.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m fine. It’s just my period, Lan,” I reassured, mustering a steady tone. “The shoot is more important. We won’t have time for a re-shoot and the issue comes out this fall.”

For a long moment, he didn’t say a word.

“Lan?”

“Yes, I’m here. Fine, I’ll see you later tonight.”

“Okay.”

I lay unblinking, covered in thick sheets, feeling sorry for my stupid self when Lan came into our room later that night. I quickly shut my eyes and turned to the side, pretending to sleep as I slowed my breathing.

“Angel?” Lan’s soft voice called out, but I didn’t answer.

I just didn’t feel like talking to anyone. Even him.

I could feel him standing there, staring at me. Like I’d done last night, it lasted about a minute before I heard a rustle followed by the bathroom door closing softly.

I tried not to show any reaction when I felt his heat hover over me five minutes later, the tip of his rough calloused finger stroking my cheek tenderly.

“Beautiful,” I heard him whisper.

And my heart ached.

It didn’t ease when he wrapped his arms around me and held me to his chest like I was his most precious thing in the world. But it did seem to flare in some of my lost hope.

I didn’t lose anything today.

It was only a false alarm.

A false hope.

I was young and healthy. Lan was young and healthy. And we still had so much time in our future.

Just because I wasn’t pregnant now didn’t mean I couldn’t be.

Maybe I should throw away my birth control patches and try for real this time.

Because even if it was only momentary, last night was the happiest I’d felt in a while.

And I wanted that feeling back.

More than anything in the world.