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Chapter Thirty-Three

Eva

T his is such a mess. Roman just stormed out, looking completely wrecked by what Walker just said to him. I look at my brother in shock.

“Walker,” I nearly growl, “how could you be so cruel to your best friend?”

“No man who treats my sister like this was ever my friend,” he replies coldly. “You don’t know him like I do.”

“No, Walker , you don’t know him like I do.”

“Really, honey,” my mom says as she stands up from my bed, “that was embarrassing. We don’t talk like that. And to Roman of all people.”

Ugh, she is something else. The way her face lit up the moment she realized that Roman was the father. I could practically hear the bragging she knew she could do at brunch with all of her friends.

“What is with your delight in your daughter getting knocked up by one of my friends?”

I eye Walker, begging him not to engage in this conversation with our mom. It isn’t the time or place. I just want Roman back here.

He sighs. “Never mind. I don’t want to know. This isn’t about anything but Eva’s safety.” Walker walks up to me and scoots the chair right next to my bed. “What’s going on? What did the doctor say?”

“I had some kind of cyst or something rupture on my ovary. He said most of the time, rest and monitoring are enough for a recovery.”

My father joins me on the other side of the bed. “That’s good to hear,” he says softly. “You had me worried there.”

He doesn’t show much emotion. I can tell this has thrown him off-kilter. He might not be good at this stuff, but I know he loves me the only way he knows how. I’ve overheard him talking to my mother about his father. I get the sense that he used to be emotionally abused.

I never met my grandfather, but he’s not talked about much. It has allowed me to offer some grace to my father, knowing he never had a role model to mirror what a good father looks like.

“Thanks, Dad. I’m feeling much better already. Now that I know what’s going on.”

“And the baby?” Walker asks.

“My hormone levels that they tested today are where they should be. They can’t be certain until they test again tomorrow to make sure they increase.”

“That’s good news,” my mom inserts. “I’m sure the baby is okay. You just need to rest and let the doctors take care of you. Can we get you anything?”

I shake my head back and forth. “I’d really just like some time to sleep.”

“Of course.” My dad leans down and kisses my forehead. “We’ll let you get some sleep. Your mother and I just needed to make sure you were safe. We’ll go get some food and come back to check on you later.”

“Thanks. I appreciate you guys coming here so quickly.”

My mother leans over and squeezes me. “We were worried sick. Of course we came right away. You’re our baby.”

“Come on, Pamela. Let’s give our daughter time to rest.”

I smile at my dad, who winks at me. He knows how overbearing my mom can be.

Once they are gone, I turn my head and look at Walker sternly.

“Don’t give me that look,” he responds quickly. “He deserves it. He went behind my back. Anybody but you, Eva.”

“You don’t know him as well as you think you do.”

“I’m just scared for you. He’s not the type to settle down. What if he leaves you and the baby? I’d kill him.”

Jessie storms in, pointing a finger at Walker. “You, mister, have no room to talk. You’re worse than him.”

“Well, I’m not the one who knocked a girl up, am I?” he says back.

“Maybe. But if you did, I doubt you’d want someone telling you that you weren’t man enough to love your family the way they deserved.”

“That’s enough,” I cry, tears running down my face. “Nobody gets a say in this but me and Roman. Walker, I’m sorry we lied to you, but this is not for you to interfere with. Now, can you please send Roman back in here?”

Jessie looks down at the ground. “Um, I saw him walking out of the hospital earlier.”

“He left?” I whisper, not sure what to make of that.

“Fucking bastard,” Walker mumbles next to me.

My stomach drops. It doesn’t make any sense. He wouldn’t just leave because of Walker’s stupid outburst.

The sterile walls of the room begin to feel like they are closing in on me. He left?

Her words repeat in my head like some kind of cruel joke. “I saw him walking out of the hospital earlier.”

Just … gone?

After everything he said to me earlier, declaring his love for me, he just disappears? No goodbye, no explanation. No fight.

Walker’s words come rushing back.

“I want to be alone,” I choke out, anger, betrayal, loneliness all waging a war inside.

“Eva,” Walker replies, “I’m not leaving you alone.”

“I said … get … out,” I cry as I motion toward the door.

Jessie swallows, looking more nervous than I’ve ever seen her. “Come on, Walker. Just give her some space.” She looks at me. “We’ll give you time to rest, but we aren’t leaving. We’ll be in the cafeteria.”

I nod my head. She walks over to my brother and grabs his arm, pulling him to a standing position. I can’t meet his eyes. Instead, I lay my head back on the bed and close my eyes.

I don’t understand how my life got to be such a soap opera.

My eyes sting, but there are no more tears left to cry. I’m too drained to fight what feels like the inevitable. Does anybody get a happily ever after when they start out the way we did?

Still, my mind clings to a small, desperate amount of hope—the kind that hurts more than it helps.