Tara
I slowly open my weary eyes, blinking at the harsh light that shines down on me.
“Shit,” I grumble.
“She’s awake. Nate, Tara has her eyes open.” The female voice seems to echo through the eerily quiet room.
“Where am I?” I continue to blink, but a little faster now, trying to take in my surroundings.
“You’re safe.” His voice is calm and soothing. “You’re at the hospital. Everything is going to be okay.”
Flashes of memory spark through my mind and I remember what happened.
The blood.
The gunshot to my stomach.
Fuck!
“The baby?” I cry out. “Am I… am I... still pregnant?”
I feel his hand on mine and I struggle to focus on him, my eyes sting and appear blurry. “The baby is fine. We were lucky. So goddamn lucky.” He throws his arms around me, holding me tightly. “How are you feeling?”
“Dazed. Confused, but alive. And that’s the best feeling ever.” I smile at him as his handsome face finally comes into focus. I reach my shaky hand to the side of his face, resting it there. He leans in, slowly kissing my dry lips.
“I fucking love you, Tara. But don’t ever put yourself at risk like that again.”
“He would’ve killed her, Nate. I didn’t have a choice.”
He sighs, shaking his head side to side.
“Is she okay? I mean, Brewer had beaten her pretty badly when I got there.”
“She’s fine,” Isabelle replies. “I’ve taken care of her and she’s on the mend.”
“Thank you,” I mouth to her.
My eyes slowly scan the room. Braxton, Isabelle, and Hunter all stand at the end of the bed, smiling at me like lunatics.
“Fuck, it’s good to have you back,” Brax growls as he makes his way toward me, leaning and kissing me on the head. “You gave us all a scare there, shorty.”
“I’m sorry.”
“She’s a fighter, ain’t that right,” Hunter adds and I can’t help but feel bad for him. His father, all he has known his whole life has been taken from him. “So sorry about your father.”
“Don’t be. Brax did what he had to.” He forces a smile, but I see that it’s just words. Maybe a cover for how he really feels.
“We should leave you two alone. You have a lot to talk about,” Brax says before pressing his lips against my forehead like a loving older brother would.
“We do?” I draw my brows together, look between Nate and Brax, confusion swimming in my already messed-up mind.
Nate gives me a firm nod and I feel my heart's rhythm pick up pace. What don’t I know? What’s happened now?
Nate steps back allowing Hunter and Isabelle to step beside me. Hunter gives my hand a little squeeze as Isabelle places her hands at the side of my face, pressing her soft lips against my cheek. “Love you, Tara.” Her smile is wide, so wide in fact that it spreads from ear to ear.
“Love you too, girl.”
They all wave and smile as they step out of the room, leaving just Nate standing beside me.
“Come on, please… spit it out. You’re worrying me.”
He lowers himself until he’s perched beside me on the bed. “I got this for you.” He reaches into his back pocket, producing a white envelope. I focus on it, but I still have no clue what it is.
“It’s the results, baby. I thought we could open them together.” My gaze lowers and focuses on his shaky hand holding the envelope. “But only if you’re up to it?”
I press my clenched hands down against the bed, trying to adjust myself until I’m a little more upright.
“Okay.” I let out a slow steady breath. “Let’s do this.”
He tears at the envelope, pulling out the letter. Unfolding it, he hands it to me. Taking it, I can’t seem to focus on the words typed across the page.
Until I get to the part that matters.
Probability of paternity underlined and I feel like I can’t read fast enough.
99.9998%
“This means it’s you, right?” My palms feel sweaty and I’m all flushed with emotion.
“Yes.” He throws his arms around me. “The baby is mine, Tara. I knew it. I always knew the baby was mine.”
I smile, happy tears stream down my face as Nate laughs excitedly.
All of the pain, the worry, and the memories fade into nothing knowing that this baby is our future. That we created this unborn child from love, not from hate and fear.
“Oh, God. I can’t believe I’m crying.” I laugh and Nate parts, allowing me to swipe away the tears.
“Happy tears though?”
“So happy.” I glance up to meet his eyes, mine locking with his. All of the hurt and worry has gone. No words are spoken, but everything I need is staring back at me in his gray-blue eyes.
I draw in a breath, knowing this point, right here, right now, is the start of the rest of our lives.
Nate is my life.
And so is his child.
Our child.
THE END