The Billionaire and I (Part Two) (5 page)

I bit my lip, tears burning in my eyes. As strong as I acted like I was, walking out of Rachel's apartment with my head held high felt like I was dying inside. And not just because I'd failed at getting a handle on the situation, but because she'd reminded me that no matter how old I got, or how many self love books I read, or how in love I was, or how special my husband made me feel, there were some wounds that never fully healed and it didn't take very much to rip off the scab and send me back to that painful time.

I eked out a smile.
Fake it til you make it!
"Thanks."

Megan flashed one of her own. "Anytime. And I'm sorry too. It was a stupid question and it probably just made you relive the awfulness." She shuddered, slowly pumping her arms. "You know that woman is awful, right? And it has nothing to do with you?"

I nodded, tugging at the back of my shirt. Rachel Laraby had something broken in her too, something that made her rationalize the way she treated people. I used to think she was just straight up cruel, and that could still be true, but I remembered the flash of something else.
You don't know what I’ve been through. Not even close.
And I didn't. And I probably never would. But she had the reins on
my
story, and that was more than I could stand.

I shut off my machine as another wave of nausea hit me, this time a slash of dizziness following, making me reach for the handlebar.

My fingers didn't work.

Before it could register that something was very off, another wave of dizziness hit me and darkness swallowed me up.

***

T
he brightness made me groan and I tried to lift my arm to shield my eyes from the light, but my body felt heavy. Too heavy. Fear choked me. Was I back in Rachel's apartment? Had I died and gone to hell?

The light dissipated and fuzzy images swam into view, sharpening as I blinked. Megan was over me, her eyes wide and horrified. A gym staff member was on my other side, looking just as spooked. I'm sure the poor guy was thinking whatever this is, it was
so
not in his job description.

I squeezed my eyes shut, my face scrunching in confusion. "What-where-"

"Don't move, Leila!"

Megan's voice sounded muffled, like she was trying to talk to me underwater. Her face looked so worried. Why was she so worried?

She tossed a look at the blustering staff member. I squinted and read his name tag. 'Steve'. With his blonde hair and blue green eyes, he didn't really look like a Steve. Maybe a Josh.

"We shouldn't move her, right?" Megan looked to her left and right, like she was trying to locate something. "I need a phone. We have to call 911!"

Josh (or was it Steve?) was up, answering the call of duty, running off to find a phone so Megan could call- "911?" I said groggily, the world spinning back into motion. I tried to sit up. Sit up? Why was I on the floor? "I was on the treadmill. What happened?"

Megan looked seconds away from having a full-on meltdown. "Leila, I don't think you should move!" Her voice was more authoritative than I'd ever heard it. It didn't remind me of a teacher scolding her students. It reminded me of Jacob. "Jacob..."

Steve was back, holding a phone to his ear. "Ye-Yes, she's awake." He nodded his head like one of those dashboard things. "O-okay. We're on the second level." He almost dropped the phone, playing a one man game of hot potato. "The ambulance, uh, is, er, on the way."

"Can I use that phone?" Megan asked quickly. "I need to call her husband."

Steve practically tossed it at her.

Megan looked down at me. Down because I was still laying on the floor, trying to figure out what happened.

"What's his number, Leila?"

I started laughing. No one knew phone numbers by heart anymore. You just tapped on your phonebook, and voila! I barely got two guffaws out before I was clutching my head. Something was throbbing. I brought my hand to the back of my head and when I pulled it away, I saw blood.

Megan saw it too. I knew she had a thing about blood, but she shook her head wildly like she was warding off the urge to throw up. I tried to lift myself up so I could show her I was okay, but the room went hazy again.

"Leila, you may have a concussion, I don't think you're supposed to move," she pleaded.

I slumped back down. I didn't move, but my eyes seemed intent on disobeying.

“Leila! You have to stay awake!”

She leaned down like she was giving me a hug. I barely felt her touch me.

My eyelids felt so heavy. The darkness didn't swallow me. This time, I swallowed it.

***

I
n the dark it was warm.

Comfortable.

Safe.

But there was something scratching at an unseen door. An itch that I couldn't help but scratch. The tickle felt like whispers on my skin. A delicate tap in my ears.

I found my face somewhere. Rubbed my lips together. The darkness turned into sparks and the tap in my ears wasn't tapping at all. It was voices.

"Cheryl, don't make me regret calling you."

"Oh, please. You think that you could keep me away? She's my baby! And it's not absurd  to see the silver lining in all this."

"You guys should really keep it down-"

"This isn't about silver linings. First, I want to make sure Leila's okay."

"I'm her mother, you think I don't want to make sure she's okay?!"

I blinked, the muscles in my face moving like molasses. I knew those voices. The light hurt, but I pushed through it and the room came into focus.

I saw Megan first, turned toward the window and biting her nails to nubs. She was still wearing her spandex black top and pink bottom, but daylight was streaming through the window. My eyes flitted to the foot of my bed and the word 'Mom' rose in my throat. She was standing there, dressed in one of her velour jumpsuits. Her dark hair hung in pristine ringlets, like she’d gotten her hair done for some special occasion. She wasn’t happy though. Her mouth was locked in a scowl, pointed at my husband. Jacob was in a wrinkled charcoal gray shirt, half untucked, hair wild and an expression on his face that told me that he was seriously struggling to keep his cool.

My lips made an O when I tried to form the words, but the 'what' got caught somewhere and came out as a wheeze instead. Megan was still dressed for the gym, but I looked down and saw I was in a white, checkered hospital gown. Panic rippled across me when I saw the IV sticking out of my arm.

"What the hell is going on here!" It came out significantly quieter than my intended shout, but it was loud enough to be heard.

Every head snapped in my direction.

Jacob rushed to me first, relief flooding his face. "Oh baby, you're awake! Thank God. Cheryl, call the nurse."

My mother hustled to the other side of the bed, her perfume filling my nostrils. She reached out and pressed the back of her hand against my forehead. "You want to be in charge, you call the nurse." The bite in her voice disappeared as she grinned down at me. "Oh Leila. We have the most wonderful news-"

"I love you to death Mrs. Montgomery, but if you finish that sentence I may have to tackle you." Megan appeared at the foot of the bed with a look that told me she was seriously considering assaulting my mother.

Jacob was glaring at my mother like if Megan didn't do it, he would.

I brought my free hand to my head, all of it too much to take.

"See!" my mother huffed. "You all are overwhelming her. I think-"

"
I
think that you and Megan need to step out in the hall so I can speak to my wife." Jacob's voice was low and dangerous. Even my mother was rendered speechless for a moment. Just a moment, because that stubborn look returned to her face.

Megan stepped in, mouthing 'sorry' as she gently guided my mother toward the door. "We're going to grab a coffee. Do you want anything Jacob?"

He shook his head, taking my hand. "I have all I need right here."

The door clicked shut after Megan hustled out of the room, dragging my mother behind her like an anchor.

"But I want to-"

Even though I still had no idea what was going on, I instantly felt more calm and relaxed when it was just he and I.

He brought my hand to his lips, pressing a kiss against my knuckles. "You scared the hell out of me."

I gazed up at him, my heart swelling, aching for him. With all that had happened, I knew that seeing me in the hospital brought up all kinds of raw and not so distant memories. "I still don't know what happened."

He let go of my hand, but his touch didn't leave me, his fingertips skimming my cheek. "What do you remember?"

I glanced at the opposite corner, frowning as I tried to jog my memory. "I went to the gym with Megan. You'd left for the office and I needed to sweat and forget my awful morning. We were on the treadmill and I felt sick and dizzy-" I snatched my hand to my mouth, switching my eyes back to Jacob. "Oh my God, I think I fainted!" There was a dull ache in the back of my head and I reached behind to touch it. This time there was no blood, but I felt gauze and it was tender. "I must have hit my head when I fell." The pieces dropped into place. "I was on the floor and Megan was trying to get help. Trying to call you." I was overwhelmed and tears sprang to my eyes. "Then I woke up here."

He wiped away my tears and I saw tears of his own, his pools of blue churning. "You've been in and out of consciousness since last night. They're still running some tests to nail down what happened."

Jacob bit his lip and my heart balled into a fist.

Jacob never bit his lip.

He was never visibly nervous, but I saw the bullets exploding at his temple.

He tugged at his tie, clearing his throat. "They do a lot of standard tests in these situations. To rule out certain things. And make sure their method of treatment is effective and safe."

I pulled myself up a few inches, my fear shooting through the roof. "Don't give me the doctor speak. You're freaking me out, babe. What's going on?"

He rushed a hand through his hair, looking up at the ceiling like he was frustrated with himself. "I'm sorry, I probably sound vague and confusing and this isn't how I wanted this conversation to go at all."

Now
I
bit my lip. "What conversation?"

He smiled at me. The happiest smile I'd seen since he said ‘I do’ on our wedding day. "A happy conversation. Filled with some really good news."

I must not have looked very convinced because he leaned down and kissed me.
Really
kissed me, like he wanted me to feel just how happy he was. And I did.

When he pulled back, my eyes were still closed, still savoring.

"Leila," he whispered, his voice like the sweetest caress. "You're pregnant."

~

T
hank you for taking the time to read The Billionaire and I: Part Two. Please consider leaving a review.
xoxo, A.C.

~

T
he Billionaire And I Release Schedule:

The Billionaire and I: Part One—September 11, 2015

The Billionaire and I: Part Two—  September 18, 2015

The Billionaire and I: Part Three—September 25, 2015

A
va Claire is a sucker for Alpha males and happily ever afters. When not putting pen to paper or glued to her e-reader, Ava likes road tripping, karaoke, vintage fashion, and fantasizing about her favorite book boyfriends.

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