Chapter 71

Even though my initial plan was to head straight to Emily’s, I couldn’t ignore the massive pain that ached in my side. Not to mention the overwhelming fear of something potentially being wrong with my baby, having taken that harsh tumble down the stairs.

No. Instead of heading to Emily’s, I directed the driver to take me directly to the hospital.

‘I need to see Dr. Harold,’ I thought frantically. ‘He needs to check if anything is wrong.’

Both my chest and head were swirling with emotions that I couldn’t even begin to fathom. On top of being utterly laced with panic and worry, I was horribly upset. Devastated. Heartbroken.

So much had happened in that brief moment before I left, I didn’t even know what to focus on. James?...Evelyn?...The fact that he still refused to talk to me about what’s been going on...The mind-bending fact that Evelyn had purposely pushed me down the stairs...Or the way that my wolf had made a fleeting appearance as a result of the trauma my body absorbed...

The terrified look on James’ face will never escape my memory. There was no doubt he was genuinely concerned for my well-being. But why did it take for something like that to happen in order for me to actually get his legitimate attention?

Now, I couldn’t even stand to look at him. The anger and emotional strain that it placed on me was enough to make me sick.

I made it to the hospital and tried to hide the pain that was scouring through my side as I approached the reception desk. Luckily, Dr. Harold must have noticed me while finishing up with a previous patient.

“Mia?” he called out. His expression was filled with concern. “You’re appointment with me isn’t for another week. What’s wrong?”

I paused for a moment and heavily contemplated what I was going to say. Yes, the truth deserved to be told; however, I wasn’t keen on turning this situation into some sort of police report.

Having just gotten out of another public spectacle, there was no way I was about to start up another one. I could only imagine the chaos that would ensue if word were to get out about Evelyn’s miraculous return.

What somewhat surprised me, amongst this entire hellish ordeal was that James hadn’t contacted anyone about Evelyn—not even her immediate family. Why? Maybe he tried to, but Evelyn argued against it...

Regardless, I wasn’t about to say anything that would shed any light on what’s been going on at the house. I shook my head and held a firm hand to my aching side. “I accidentally missed one of the steps on the staircase and fell,” I told him. “Please, I just need to know if something has happened and if things are still okay.”

Dr. Harold gave me a chastising look before hastily escorting me toward our usual examination room. “Alright, now tell me about the fall,” he insisted.

I bit the inside of my cheek and fought back the grueling memory of Evelyn viciously shoving me down with that hauntingly smug look on her face.

“Uh...Like I said, I must have missed one of the steps and fell down the rest of the way. Neither one of my ankles is sprained or broken. But a large portion of the pain is currently on my side.”

He nodded his head. “Sounds like as you went down your reflexes kicked in. Honestly, apart from your side, I’m amazed that you didn’t end up breaking or spraining your ankle. Your body was thinking of your present pregnancy and was doing anything to keep you from landing on your stomach.”

As he pulled out the monitor and the other equipment ready, I reached into my bag for my phone. I needed to text Emily. Considering I was expected to show up at her place a half hour ago, she deserved to know what was happening.

A few seconds went by before I received a message back, telling me that Emily was currently on her way. Within the hour, Emily had been brought to the examination room, wearing the same look of panic I’d been receiving all day. “I came as soon as your message came through,” Emily said breathlessly. “What the hell happened?”

I shook my head, indicating that I would fill her in on the details later. Dr. Harold wasn’t keen on Emily staying through the rest of the check-up.

“She’s my moral support at the moment,” I told him. “She stays.”

Without another word, Dr. Harold finished running through the usual tests. “Your blood pressure is slightly elevated, I’m chalking that to be from present emotions. Now, onto the fetus...I’m not seeing any internal bleeding which is good. I think your side really took a large impact from that fall.”

I noticed the shift in his tone.

“What is it that you’re not telling me?”

He shook his head in disbelief as he stared at the monitor screen. “I...I have no idea how I missed this before...”

My worry grew. Emily squeezed my hand tighter with anticipation. “What?! Is something wrong with the baby?”

“Mrs. Derek...It’s not just ‘a’ baby...My monitor is showing me that there are two in the womb, presently.”

I gaped at Dr. Harold in shock. I was stunned. Emily was practically bouncing out of her shoes as she stood next to me. The woman was bubbling with excitement.

“Are you telling me that I...I’m having t-twins?”

Dr. Harold nodded his head. “Precisely. It would appear that during your last two visits, both of the heartbeats managed to overshadow each other, giving the impression that there is one one.”

“Oh my God,” I whispered.

Once again, I felt myself cycle through an array of emotions. Of course, I was happy to hear that there was nothing currently wrong with my pregnancy. The fact that I was expecting twins was a shock I would have never seen coming. Was I happy?

I wanted to be.

Deep down, I honestly wish that James had been there with me when Dr. Harold had uncovered the news. Hell, after what happened back at the house, I wasn’t even sure how I felt toward James or what was to become of our relationship now.