Page 26 of Until Presley (Happily Ever Alpha World)

CHAPTER

NINETEEN

PRESLEY

I t’s been four weeks since my trip to Chattanooga.

I’m frustrated, but we are making the best of it.

My parents got here last week, and so far, they haven’t tried to contact me.

They are dealing with Clara. Before my father arrived, he told me he wouldn’t speak to me until I withdrew the charges against my stepsister.

I tried to explain to him that it’s no longer in my hands but in the prosecutors.

It’s only a misdemeanor, but it’s time Clara faced the repercussions of her actions. My dad doesn’t understand that.

My advisor has asked me to finish out the term since there have been no further issues with Clara, as far as he’s concerned. I’m upset but know that I have to do this. There are only a few more weeks left of the semester.

On last night’s news, they reported another body was found near campus and is related to the other killings.

It freaks me out that they still haven’t caught the killer, and the FBI hasn’t talked to me in a while.

The worst part is I’m fairly certain the latest victim is one of my students because she’s missed class all week.

I’m hoping I’m wrong. Authorities won’t identify the victim until the next of kin has been notified.

If it’s my student, she’s from out of state.

“Baby, I’m done with my gear and getting ready to jump into my Jeep. I’ll be there in a few hours.” Ham’s voice breaks across the phone line.

He called me as soon as I walked out of Victoria’s Secret, where I bought something special for this weekend.

He’s still supporting me by coming up every chance he can, but it’s been two weeks since I’ve seen him.

He was busy with several dives and trainings.

I’ve also been sick, and I told him I didn’t want him to catch it, but he said he was coming this weekend no matter what, even if it’s to take care of me.

I wanted to make him feel special, so I decided to get myself out of the condo and go shopping.

I picked up some lingerie and another bikini for the beach when Morgan comes to visit in June.

I’m excited that my best friend will be here.

She said she needed to approve Ham in person, even though they’ve talked on the phone.

Since she’s in dive rescue with FDNY, she had a lot to talk to Ham about.

“I can’t wait for you to get here. I bought something special for this weekend,” I say.

“Oh yeah, what’s that?” He chuckles.

“Well, how about I just say baby doll?” I laugh as I enter the parking garage and move toward my car.

“Fuck, you can’t tell me that. I’m going to have a hard-on for the whole fucking drive, sprite,” he growls into the phone, and I feel my core spasm with desire.

“I can’t wait—” I stop when Clara steps out of the shadows. “What are you doing here? I have a restraining order. You can’t be close to me.” I remove the phone from my ear as Ham starts shouting, trying to figure out what’s going on.

“You need to stop what you’re doing. I can’t go to prison.” Clara is frantic as she grips my arm tight and starts shaking me.

My bags fall, and it takes everything in me to hold onto the phone. I know Ham can hear me and will get me help. He can also track my phone.

“Clara, I can’t stop it. You attacked me. You can’t do that. It’s not right.”

“I’m tired of you winning everything, even my mother. I had to stop you. I hate you.”

“I don’t have your mother, and I’m sorry you hate me. You need to let me go. Right now.” I stand up to her. I straighten my back and try to pull my arm from her grip.

“Don’t tell me what to do,” she screams and starts shaking me. My stomach revolts and my vision blurs. My heart is pounding in my chest, and my eyes start to roll back.

“Stop, please,” I beg, but I can hear the weakness in my small voice.

I feel myself falling and hear Clara yelling at me before I don’t hear anything else.

Ham

A s soon as I heard Presley say restraining order, I knew it was Clara.

I hit record on my phone and rushed back into the dive school.

I can hear my girl as she stands up for herself, but I know with her not feeling well, she’s weak.

She’s been sick to her stomach so much lately, and I’m worried about her.

“I need to get to Miami, now,” I bark at the guys, and they both turn to look at me.

“I have a friend with a helicopter,” Otto offers. “What’s going on?”

“Clara is attacking Presley.” I hold up my phone and press the speaker button so they can hear.

“Don’t tell me what to do,” Clara screams, and we can hear movement on the other end of the line.

“Stop, please,” Presley begs. Her tone tells me something isn’t right. Then the phone clatters to the ground. The call remains connected, and I’m glad, because the next thing we hear has my heart in my throat.

“Oh my God, wake up, Presley. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” I hear Clara’s voice but don’t hear my girl at all.

“Clara, what’s going on?” I yell into the phone, but she doesn’t answer me.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just get so upset that you’re so perfect, and my mother is always telling me to be more like you.

Please, Presley. I can’t go to jail.” She pauses, and then the next thing I hear makes my knees start to buckle.

“Someone call an ambulance. My sister is hurt. She won’t wake up. ”

I bellow my anger in a long, loud cry of pain.

I’m being pulled and pushed around as the phone disconnects. I call back over and over, but there’s no answer.

“Call us when you hear something.” Walker’s voice breaks through the fog of worry, and I glance down to see I’m sitting in the passenger seat of a helicopter. I don’t know how I got here, but I’m glad my friends are there for me.

“I’ll have you in Miami in about thirty-five minutes,” the pilot says. “Otto said to tell you he arranged for a car to pick you up at the landing pad.”

“I don’t know which hospital they took her to.” I turn to him, and I must startle the guy because he leans away from me.

“Don’t take it out on me, man, I’m just trying to help.”

“I’m sorry. My girl was attacked and collapsed. I need to get to her. I can’t lose her.”

“Okay.”

I try her number again, and this time someone picks up.

“She told me she broke up with you.” Her father’s voice comes across the line. It’s only been about twenty minutes since her phone dropped the call. She told me her parents were in Miami, but them being at the hospital with her shocks me at first.

“I’m her family. I should have been notified, and no, we didn’t break up. Put Presley on the phone. Now,” I bark, and he hangs up on me. I swear I’m going to punch the fucker in the face when I see him.

I use the Find My app and find out which hospital she’s at.

By the time we land, I’m going crazy. Her father turned off the phone, but I’m glad I was able to get her location beforehand. The car service drops me off at the entrance to the emergency room, and I jump out and rush inside.

“Ham Martinez for Presley Blanchard,” I tell the admissions representative, who looks on her computer.

“You can’t go back there. They won’t let us, so you can’t either.”

I swing around at the sound of his voice.

There stands her father, Sean. He’s shorter than me, his receding hairline still brown at the sides, with no gray in sight. Behind him, his wife and son stand up, but it’s the red-haired young woman next to them I advance on.

“I recorded what you said. You can’t get out of this now. If she’s really hurt, you won’t be able to hide from the justice that will find you.” I stop short of threatening to kill her.

“I don’t care anymore. I’ll take whatever punishment I deserve. I’ll plead guilty. I shouldn’t have attacked her before, but she has always been so weak and meek. She took my mother from me,” Clara cries, and I’m only taken aback for a moment.

“Your tears won’t save you. You’ve had it out for Presley for years.

It’s because of you that she was stabbed.

I’m not going to allow you around her anymore.

” I turn toward her father. “And you, you’ll be lucky if I ever allow you around her or our future children.

You’ve never been there for her, and that’s all she’s wanted. ”

“Mr. Martinez, your fiancée is waiting for you,” a nurse says, and her family gasps.

I can’t ignore the rush of emotion through my system. Presley listed me as her fiancé. As soon as the nurse opens the door to the private room, I rush to her side. She turns to look at me, and I see the tears in her eyes.

“What’s the matter, bride to be?” I smile at her, hoping it stops the tears. I hate to see my girl crying. “Come on, sprite, you know what your tears do to me.”

I lean down onto the bed and take her in my arms. She wraps around me, holding on tightly, as if she’s afraid I’m going to leave her.

“Ham, I love you so much. I’m so sorry.” Her voice is muffled against my shirt.

“I know you do, baby. But there is nothing to be sorry about. You’re safe, and I recorded everything. Clara isn’t going to bother you at all. She said she was going to plead guilty.”

“I know that. I don’t care about that right now.

I’m sorry for that.” She dislodges her arm from around my body and waves to the bedside.

I glance around, checking all the monitors attached to her.

A machine I don’t recognize has a tape running, with cords leading under the blanket to Presley’s body.

It takes a moment for everything to register.

“That’s why you stated I’m your fiancé, isn’t it? ”

“I told them I didn’t want my parents in here and that I only wanted you.

I didn’t want you to find out any other way but through me.

I’m so sorry. I know we wanted to wait, but I forgot to go get the shot again last month.

The doctor said this could happen sometimes.

” She talks really fast and has a tight grip on my shirt.

All I care about is that she is alive. “Is the baby okay?” I choke on the words. “Clara didn’t hurt it when you fell? She didn’t kick you?” My voice gets tight as I imagine everything that could have happened.

“I fainted because she was shaking me so much. They are getting a room ready upstairs so they can monitor us. They want to do an ultrasound to confirm we’re okay. But, yes, the baby is fine. I’m fine. Clara didn’t hurt me. She actually didn’t let me fall.”

“Thank God.” I reach into my pocket and pull out the ring I’ve been holding onto since it came in two weeks ago. “My fiancée needs her ring. We are getting married as soon as possible, and you are coming home, baby.”

“You’re not mad?”

“Fuck no, I’m not mad. I told you I wanted you pregnant. Are you mad?” I grip the back of her neck and pull her up in the bed toward me.

“I’m not mad. I don’t know if I really want my doctorate anymore. I only wanted it because I thought my father would pay more attention to me. But I love you and want our lives to begin.”

“Thank fuck.” I lean down and slide my lips across hers, feeling her tears roll down the side of her head into my hand. “Don’t cry, baby. We’ll make everything work out. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

When she’s moved upstairs, we finally let her family come see her.

Clara freaks out and apologizes for hurting her and almost hurting the baby.

Sean and Thea just stand there for a moment when they see the ring on her finger and realize the floor she’s on.

Thea is the first to break and walks to Presley’s side.

I remain on the other side, watching over everything.

I don’t want them to upset her again. I won’t have them hurting my family.

“Is this what you want, Presley?” Thea asks her as she takes her hand.

“This is what I want more than anything. I want a family, and I love Ham.”

“But what about all your schooling? Are you going to throw that away?” Her father spits the questions out as he walks to her side.

My body tightens, my muscles flexing, as I contemplate dragging him out of the room by the back of his neck and kicking his ass.

As if she knows what I’m thinking, Presley’s hand reaches for my side and rubs down my rib cage, trying to soothe me. To calm my anger. I lean over and kiss the top of her head.

“I can still get my doctorate. It will take me a bit longer, but I can do it. Dr. Miller has said I can lead his research team, and he’ll be happy to become my advisor. I just need to get my advisor here in Miami to allow it.”

“But this wasn’t the plan.” Her father waves his hand at her body.

“No, but surprises can be blessings, and that’s what this is. If you can’t be happy for us, then you don’t need to be a part of it.”

Sean pauses and looks at me, then at Presley, and finally at her stomach.

He shakes his head as he steps between Thea and Presley.

“You’re my daughter. I want what’s best for you, always.

I thought getting your doctorate was what you wanted.

But if this is what you want, then I’m okay with that.

I’m here for you. I love you,” Sean says the words he’s needed to say all along. “Your mother would be so proud of you.”

Again, my girl tears up, and I know she’s going to be emotional during this pregnancy. It’s going to drive me crazy over the next few months.

“I only wanted my doctorate because of you,” Presley confesses to her father. He leans over the bed and kisses her forehead.

“I’ve screwed up so much. I’m sorry. Forgive me, and let me at least give you away, even though he didn’t ask for your hand.”

I clear my throat. “In my defense, I told you months ago she was going to be mine. You didn’t understand.”

Sean and I both chuckle. Thea squeezes close to Presley and cries with her as she tells her how excited she is to be a grandma.