Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 135382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135382 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 677(@200wpm)___ 542(@250wpm)___ 451(@300wpm)
He stopped, leaning against the wall, his heart aching at the dull sound of her voice. She’d considered ending the pregnancy? Of course she had. Steph looked at all options and he hadn’t been there to weigh in. He’d been traipsing around Europe while she’d been alone and pregnant.
There was a click as the message changed again. This time she sounded guttural and in pain.
“Brody, I promised myself I wouldn’t do this. God, it hurts. No one can tell you how damn much this hurts. I hate you. I fucking hate you for doing this to me. I wish you were the one trying to push a baby out of the tip of your dick. I hate you.” There was a moment of heavy breathing. She’d called him while she’d been in labor? He knew why she’d done it. Against everything she’d said to him, she’d had hope. She’d tried. She’d reached out across the miles that separated them and she’d given him one last chance to be there with her.
Yes, she was saying she hated him, but he understood that. In that terrible pain, when she was alone, she’d needed him, wanted him there with her.
She groaned again. “Please call me back. I know you don’t want to have anything to do with me, but I need you. I hate this. Oh, god. I miss you. I wish you were here to hold my hand because I think I’m going to pass out. I wish I had your strength.” Another low groan. “I’m going to find Anya. It’s time. I pray it’s time because I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”
He didn’t cry, hadn’t cried in years, and yet he couldn’t stop the way his eyes watered. She’d been alone and she’d needed him and he’d looked down at the name on the screen and turned his mobile off.
She’d tried. How could he not do everything he could to make it up to her? How could he even consider leaving her side?
There was a click and one last message. “Hello, Brody. This is the last time I’m going to call. I’ve decided to keep my son. I named him Nathan in case you’re interested. He’s…” She laughed over the line. “He’s so big. He’s big and he’s beautiful and he’s mine. I’m going to make this work, so don’t worry about us. When he asks about you I’ll only tell him that he was created in love because no matter what I said at the time, I loved you very much. Sometimes I think I loved you from the minute you walked into my clinic. Thank you for my son. I hope you have a good life ahead of you, Brody Carter. Good-bye.”
It took everything he had not to hit his knees.
What had he done? He’d understood it in a logical sense, but now it truly struck him. He’d left her behind. He’d loved her and he’d let his fear rule. He’d done everything he accused her of and now he was threatening to do it again, though this time he’d said he’d take Nate. She needed someone to hold her hand and stand by her. Yes, she’d done some crazy stuff, but only because she didn’t understand how valuable she was, how precious she was to him. He’d done a crap job of letting her know.
“Brody?”
He looked up, unashamed of the tears running down his face.
She was standing there, her shirt soaked in blood, and yet she was more radiant than he’d ever seen her. She was petite and fragile, and yet she’d never once wavered when the time had come.
If he could convince her to be that way in real life, could show her how strong she was, they could move mountains together.
“I just told everyone that Li is well on the road to recovery. He’s not talking yet, but the doctors said my tracheotomy was perfectly done and he’ll suffer no ill effects.”
“Of course not. You’re the most amazing doctor I’ve ever seen.”
She moved closer, her hands coming up to touch his face. She wiped away the tears. “Brody, I’m sorry I hurt you and seeing you like this makes me want to curl up in a ball and cry, but I’m not going to do that. I’m well aware that I wrecked everything, but you should know that I’m not giving up on us. I will not. I’m going to move to London and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Her shoulders were straight, her head held high. Something had happened to the woman he loved in those moments when she’d saved her friend’s life. Something that had changed her, brushing away the insecurities that had marked her up until that moment. They would come back, the war far from over, but this battle had been won and it was a turning point. He could feel it. “All right. I can’t stop you but why do you want to live in London?”