Page 43

Chapter 42

Aria

B eeping, voices, and a trace of the familiar sound of Ewan's soft snores gradually build from an echo. Distant chatter and someone crying has me opening one of my eyes with effort, the dryness of my mouth and lips uncomfortable, the ache of my entire body making me grimace loudly.

"Aria!" I hear Gabriella call out my name, her big, brown, broken eyes on me, the little lines of red showing she hasn't slept and has been crying for far too long. "Ewan, wake up!" She looks behind her and kicks his chair, having him jump up.

Tears brim my eyes, and I allow them to fall as they both embrace me carefully, dodging the stitches bandaged up. I’m so sore , my body full of goosebumps as I realize I'm safe.

"Where's Tobias?" I ask, wincing as I try to sit up, though a shooting pain going up my side has me settling back down. "What happened?"

"Someone stabbed you. Who was it?" Gabriella asks, moving my hair out of my face. "Was it Tobias?”

My eyes flit side to side, trying to gather my memories. "Justin," I whisper, making her frown.

"Justin?"

“He...he stabbed me."

"Mother fucker," Ewan blurts, tensing his fists and standing. "I'm going to fucking kill him. How did he even get to you in the first place?"

I brace myself for Storm Gabriella, staring at my fingers. "Tobias gave me the address."

"And you went ?" she snaps at me. "Are you fucking kidding me? Tobias has killed people, drugged you, drove you into insanity, and you still went to see him? Are you actually serious right now?"

They both look so disappointed in me.

"Gabriella,” Ewan says, “she's only just woken up."

I give Ewan a tight smile as he sits down on the edge of the bed, settling his hand over mine. His tired eyes and messy hair hold my gaze.

"You're safe, and that's what matters. My mum called and said she's going to keep Jason while we're on watch," Ewan tells me, tilting his head behind him.

Officers wearing luminous yellow vests stand in the doorway, on guard, protecting us. "Everyone thought you were kidnapped, so anyone who is a witness or involved is on watch. There have been cars outside the hospital and our house," Gabriella says to me. "You've been out for two days. The doctor said there weren't any vital organs ruptured, so you're good."

My eyes widen. "The baby."

"They are sure it's fine. The wound is too far to the right to cause damage." She grins at me, and I feel my body relaxing, a deep breath releasing as I look down at my barely noticeable, swollen baby bump. I smile at Ewan as he mirrors it, squeezing my hand.

Gabriella quickly runs out to tell the nurses I'm awake, and one comes in to check me over, informing me the doctor said I need to go for a meeting with the midwives.

"I told Ewan he can go with you, if that's okay? I need to sleep; I've been awake for two days straight , waiting patiently for you to wake up," Gabriella says, yawning and rubbing her hand down her tired face.

Ewan was with me for the first scan, and we both agreed he’ll be there for the rest. Would that offer still stand when I tell him I slept with Tobias again after refusing him? I hope so. I can't bear the thought of losing him.

But it’s selfish. He needs to know.

"Only if that's okay," Ewan adds when I don't reply, leaning his elbows on the bed, his tattoos straining under his tense muscles. I spot my name on his bicep and smile, nodding at him.

We sit for the next hour, chatting and watching Still Game on the small screen in the corner of the white hospital room. I laugh a lot, which hurts. I listen to these two idiots verbally abuse each other over who my child will love the most. Gabriella tells him she will buy the kid everything they could ever want, and Ewan tuts at her, calling her a spoiled rich girl.

I don't know why I'm crying, but I am. I have these two with me, both by my side, and I love them so differently but so strongly.

“I need to tell you guys something.” I slept with Tobias. Again. And I’ve betrayed Ewan and myself and this child by doing so. “I…” Words fail.

A nurse pops her head in, telling me a porter is coming to take me to the meeting in five minutes. I sit with my head on Gabriella's shoulder, watching the rest of the episode with Ewan's hand in mine.

"Ready?" the nurse asks with a huge grin, clipboard in hand, moving aside so the elderly porter can wheel in the chair.

I nod, Ewan and the porter helping me into the wheelchair and covering me with a hospital blanket. I wave to Gabs, her head already dropping to the chair to nap.

Ewan's hand falls onto my shoulder as he nods to the officers standing guard, squeezing me, showing me support as we make our way two floors down to the meeting room. He makes small talk with the porter, talking about some sports game and how disastrous the score was.

I stay silent, listening to my pulse as I feel myself start to panic.

Ewan walks ahead to open the door for us, and I spot the stick figures of me, Jason, and Ewan tattooed on his calf, making me smile. "After you," he says with a hand gesture, smiling. They wheel me into the room, helping me up onto the chair as the midwife greets us and sits down, powering up her computer.

I'm nervous; although Gabriella said the baby wasn't harmed, I won't fully believe it until I hear those words from the midwife's mouth.

"Okay," she begins, clasping her hands. "First off, how are you feeling?" I shrug a little, giving her a tight smile. "The good thing is, the uterus wasn't punctured on impact, and when we scanned you, there were no issues. You were unconscious before, so we wanted to speak to you in person. Everything looked perfectly healthy." She pauses for a moment. “I do apologize, but in the previous scan you had, not everything was detected," she says, looking from us to the computer again. "You’re a little further along, so we were able to get a better look this time.”

Ewan and I look at each other, my heart racing, synchronized beats throbbing in our laced hands.

The doctor smiles. "You're having twins."