Cara
My eyelids pop open and I realise Iâm in a car.
"What the hell?" Aidan is in front of me, inches from my face. "What are you doing?"
"You fainted." His rich eyes flicker back and forth between mine, to my mouth and back. "Iâm taking you to the hospital."
Fainted? How could I have? I shake my head, but it makes me woozy.
"You collapsed and then passed out. You want me to call someone for you? Family?"
"Iâm puking all day long, but Iâm fine. My midwife says itâll pass in a few more weeks. And no, I'm alone in Vegas, my family is in Seattle." I groan, feeling a headache coming.
"Oh fuck, don't tell me you're a Seattle Kraken fan" He groans and I say:
"Really? I just told you I'm pregnant with your child, throwed up, fainted, and that's what matters?"
"I'm joking, shortcake! I know you love our team better." On top of that, he fucking winks at meâ¦
"Thank you," I whisper. âIâm so sorry about all of this."
The palm of his hand taps the steering wheel repeatedly. "Letâs just get you checked out to make sure youâre okay. Then weâll talk."
"Iâm keeping the baby."
"Good, Iâm glad. Shortcake, can you stay awake for me, please?"
"I'm tired." I whisper as my eyes close and I drift off.
I wake again when his arms are beneath my knees and behind my back. "I can walk."
"Morning, letâs not risk that today."
"May I help you?" The woman behind the counter glances at us with little change in her expression. It must not be the first time sheâs seen a woman carried into the ER like a bride.
"Sheâs pregnant and has fainted twice in the last half hour and sheâs puking."
Her black eyes drift to me. "Name?"
"Cara Davis," I whisper. My throat is dry and every tiny movement of Aidanâs arm makes me feel like Iâm on a roller coaster.I meet his gaze: "Please put me down. Iâd feel better on my feet."
Thick black brows pull together before he nods.
With a few clicks of her fingers on the keyboard, I answer a handful of questions and she gestures to the chair. "Have a seat. A doctor will be with you two soon."
"Please," I say, my voice hoarse. It hurts to talk. I push my tongue to the roof of my mouth to stop what I know is about to happen.
Not here. Not in the waiting room. Not in front of him again.
"I need a bag," I moan and a kidney-shaped tub is thrust in front of me.
Aidanâs hand goes to my side and he holds me to him as I bend forward, gagging.
"Fuck." I moan, unable to help myself. This is the most miserable month of my life.
"Cara Davis?" a new, male voice says and Aidan helps me turn toward the direction of double doors that have swung open.
"Thanks," I mumble. "Iâm sorry."
His hand on my arm tenses. "Stop apologizing, will you?"
This is the worst Iâve been and Iâm barely able to move. I'm so exhausted.
____________________________________________
They do three attempts to get an IV into my arm and all that blood is doing no good on my upset stomach. Later, a nurse came in and gave me anti nausea meds along with nutrients through a second IV line. I drift in and out of sleep for hours, hearing Aidanâs occasional voice while he speaks on the phone.
Three hours later, based on my weight loss and dehydration and constant vomiting, Iâve been diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum. Itâs like morning sickness ten times worse and might last through my entire pregnancy. Karma really it's a bitch.
This new information brings me down once again. My vision turns blurry and I squeeze my eyes shut.
Behind me, Aidan sighs, as if he can see my shoulders shaking, or hear the cries Iâm trying to keep quiet. I puked in front of him and fainted in his arms, I'm pretty sure he's tired of me already.
"Shortcakeâ¦" He whispers.
I shake my head and burrow my face into my pillow. I don't even know why he calls me that stupid name after the last hours we spent together.
A chair squeaks, metal on linoleum, and soon heâs at the side of my bed, his hand on mine. His large palm runs sweeping circles around my back and it reminds me of the day Ella came to my apartment and helped me while I puked my guts out a few weeks ago.
"Everything is going to be fine, alright? You're not alone anymore Cara." His voice is firm, as if he can manifest anything he wants by a simple declaration.
"Thank you." I swipe away my tears.
A one-night stand giving me a back rub.
"I talked to Ella and Jake while you were asleep."
"Are they coming?"
"No. I told Elle you're going to spend the night with me."
"You did what?"
"To sleep."
"I know that, smartass." I roll my eyes and please, remind me to not do that after fainting and puking all day long.
"I can take care of myself just fine."
"Yes, I saw today just how good you've been taking care of yourself and our baby."
"Oh so now it's my fault that your child is making me puke every damn day and hour?"
"Don't yell at me, you're not staying alone tonight." He demands, like the God he is.
"Maybe I don't want to."
A corner of his lips lifts, turning into a smirk Iâve seen before.
"Okay." He nods.
I roll over and put my back to him. "Fine."
"I love it when you give in to me. Guess this baby is making you less feisty."
"Don't be a jerk. Oh wait, that's not possible, right Aidan?"
He chuckles, then the nurse teaches us all about eating and throwing up when you're pregnant.
"What about coffee?" Aidan asks and shocks me, knowing I love coffee.
"Well, given your condition, I would recommend no coffee. But, if you're tired and not throwing up from the smell, you can have one."
Aidan nods and thanks the nurse.
"Letâs go. Weâll get you something to drink and the medicine on our way to my place."
____________________________________________
Aidan
The urge to pull Cara into my arms and reassure her everything will be okay pulses beneath my skin, but I fight it back. The car ride to my building is relatively quiet other than the jazz music playing from my playlist and the infrequent protests Cara made early on.
I shut her down with a firm scolding. "Itâs my kid too and you might not be okay with this, but I take care of my responsibilities. Youâre staying at my place and Iâm not discussing it further."
Her pale blue eyes had gone wide and sheâd turned her head away, replying "Okay."
Its the last word she spoke.
Now, pulling into my spot at the John Ross building where Iâve recently bought a penthouse level condo, Cara makes a squeaking sound from the passenger seat.
"You live here?" And her tone isnât kind or surprised, more shocked mixed with disbelief.
"Yeah. Just because I don't drive a sports car that doesn't mean I'm poor, you know that, right?"
I wait until sheâs securely inside and the doors are closed before punching in the floor to my condo. Itâs a penthouse, but not the only one on the floor, although it is the largest.
"Come on in. Iâll show you to your room."
I hold the door open for her with my arm extended but she doesnât enter.
Her cheeks are no longer pale, but the color of strawberries, and sheâs nibbling on her bottom lip. Sheâs done that before, when she suggested she wasnât ready for our night to end.
Sheâs staring out the floor-to-ceiling windows that line this side of the condo. The view is incredible. I can stare at it for hours, and some days, I do, with nothing but a glass of scoth straight in my hand and my feet kicked up on my coffee table.
But now, all I see is her, tears slowly streaking down her cheeks, terror on her face like Iâve slapped her or sheâs remembering a nightmare.
"Look, shortcake," i say, swallowing down the part of me that still wants to be an asshole. "I get it. You didnât mean for this to happen. And I apologize for being a dick, but you have to give me some credit here. Youâve dropped an awfully large bomb in my lap today."
"I understand." She wipes tears away, rubbing her fingers to her head. "Iâm going to go to bed. Itâs late and Iâm tired."
Her voice is blank. Not angry. Not hopeful, and not disappointed.
Just blank and Iâve done this to her.
"You should eat."
"I really just want to sleep."
"Caraâ"
"Please, Aidan. Iâm tired. You can process this bomb I gave you and weâll talk tomorrow. Okay?"
Itâs not. Nothing about this is okay, but thereâs not much I can say. Sheâs been sleeping all day and her color is finally normal again, but sheâs still pale and the purple circles under her eyes seem to be darkening by the minute.
"Okay."
I open up the bag containing her prescription. "The doctor said you wonât need these tonight, but you should take it first thing in the morning. Iâll come in a bit and bring the crackers I bought back to your room."
I hand her the bottle along with bottled water from the fridge and start walking. "Your room is this way. Itâs just a guest room, and nothing special, but you have your own bathroom. Iâve got a cleaning lady who comes every week so it should be clean. I donât usually come in here."
"It's amazing, thank you."
Maybe I should sleep on the couch, just in case something happens and I'm not here.
"I donât have any clothes. Or a toothbrush."
"I'll get it. Be back in a few minutes."
I leave, not bothering to close the bedroom door. While I hurry around my condo, I head to my room and snag an extra toothbrushâstopping as a small whine comes from my room.
"Shit." I stop at Kittyâs voice and crouch down so she can sniff my fingers. âI totally forgot about you, girl." She escapes the second I let her go.
"Oh!" Caraâs shout sends me into double time and I slide around the corner of the hallway, to see her squatting, ass to heels, her arms around Kittyâs neck as she nuzzles right up to her. Looks like we have a cat lover here.
"I'm sorry, she usually hides from new people."
"It's alright, she's really loving."
"I grabbed these for you. I have to get her outside before she pees. Need anything else?"
"No. Thank you, again, for everything. Iâll see you in the morning?"
"Yeah." My throat has gone dry though. Sheâs lost and vulnerable and so damn happy to see this cat.
"Sleep well."
"Yeah, you too."
I want to kiss her and make it all better.
What a fucking dayâ¦