Total pages in book: 180
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
“Well, all the vomiting is probably the reason for that,” she said dryly.
“Vomiting?” Slade asked in alarm.
“I assume that’s from morning sickness,” Quaid said, his gaze narrowed as if he was thinking.
“Yeah.”
“Oh, my poor Princess,” Spencer said. “We need to find something to help that. Is it every morning?”
“Yeah, well, not while I’ve been here. They gave me something for the nausea because they didn’t want me vomiting with cracked ribs.”
“Plural,” Slade got out between clenched teeth.
“What?” She gave him a startled look.
“He means do you have multiple cracked ribs?” Quaid asked. “Not just one?”
“Yes. Multiple.” She let out a yawn. It was a deliberate move although she did feel exhausted. The fake-yawn turned into a real one. Complete with heavy eyelids.
Yeah.
She needed a nap.
“We should go,” Quaid said. “Let you rest. But your time of eating old bread is gone.”
“I like bread,” she muttered.
“Which is fine,” Spencer reassured her. “But it’s probably not enough to keep you and the baby healthy is it?”
She had to admit that she’d had those thoughts herself.
“So you were saving the money until when the baby came?” Spencer suddenly asked her. “The cash that Rock gave you.”
She eyed him, then nodded. “Yes. But I can give it back.”
Although she really could use it now that she likely didn’t have a job.
You’ll make do.
Like you always do.
“No,” Rock said sharply. Then he turned and walked out.
She gaped after him. “Was it . . . did I do something?”
Where was her calm and collected Rock? The one who always had his shit together? She wasn’t used to him being volatile.
“No, Boo. This is just something he’s working through,” Slade told her.
“Like we all are,” Quaid added.
They said goodbye to her again and then Spencer followed them both out.
Without saying goodbye to her at all.
Rude.
18
Indie frowned at the door, then sighed as her bladder gave a protest.
Shoot.
She needed to pee and she knew she couldn’t do it by herself.
So annoying.
She’d have to call the nurse. However, before she could grab hold of the buzzer, Spencer walked back through the door.
He must have realized that he hadn’t said goodbye.
She waited, but he didn’t say anything.
All he did was sit in the same chair and bring out his phone, tapping on it. “What do you feel like for dinner?”
Um. What?
“Dinner?” she repeated. Had she heard him wrong?
She must have, right? Why would he be sitting there asking her about dinner?
“Yeah, Princess. What would you like? You said the drugs they’re giving you are helping you keep stuff down. So whatever you like. The food here probably tastes like crap. I wonder if we should move you to a private hospital. Did they give you any indication of how long you’d need to be here?”
She gaped at him in silence until he finally glanced up at her. “Indie? You all right?”
“Why are you here?” she whispered hoarsely.
She just didn’t understand.
What was going on here?
Spencer studied her for a long moment before leaning forward and wrapping his hand around hers. She snatched it back. She wasn’t sure if it was out of surprise or fear or because it was Spencer.
It wasn’t like these guys had a right to touch her anymore. Spencer closed his eyes, his face pinching in pain.
Shit.
“Sorry,” she whispered.
His eyes shot open and he glared at her. “No. Don’t say sorry to me. You don’t ever have to say sorry to me.”
“Spencer—” she started to say, but he interrupted her.
“No. I mean it. I owe . . . I owe you so much. I should have listened to you. This is my fault. Our fault. But we won’t make that mistake again. You’re ours to look after and we’re finally going to ensure that we do that.”
“I’m not yours, Spencer. Or theirs.”
He held her gaze with his. “Maybe not yet. But you will be. We just have to prove ourselves.”
“Spencer . . . you don’t have to do anything. And I don’t understand why you’re still here.”
“Did you really think we were going to leave you alone once we found out what happened?”
“Oh.” She should have guessed that they were worried about Billy returning.
“I doubt Billy will be back.” At least not while she was in hospital with lots of witnesses around.
Spencer shot her a stern look. “Oh, we’ll make sure of that. But that’s not the only reason I’m here. I’m here to take care of you and the baby.”
“The baby?” For some reason, she hadn’t thought they’d be interested in her baby.
“You’re going to need somewhere to go after you’re discharged, right?” he said. “You can’t go back to where you were living now that Billy found you. So you’ll come home with us and we will look after you.”
Oh, yes please.
Wait.
Nooo. Nope.
“I’m not going home with you.” Her head started thumping as she glared at him.