PHOENIX SAT WITH Kenzie on her couch, watching a movie. She’d been with the human all day and was still with her even though night had fallen. Vance had called earlier to say that he needed Sawyer for something, so Vance needed Phoenix to stay with Kenzie longer.
When she’d started this assignment, she would have been upset at the overtime. But, now, she thought of Kenzie as a friend and didn’t mind hanging out with her. Phoenix never would have thought that the two of them would like each other because they were so different, but Phoenix enjoyed her company and really valued her opinion and advice. She’d even ended up pouring her heart out about Dante to Kenzie. Kenzie thought she was crazy, but Phoenix knew that Kenzie didn’t quite understand.
As she shifted her weight, Kenzie groaned in a way that put Phoenix on alert.
“What’s wrong?”
Kenzie tried to smile, but she didn’t quite succeed. “Nothing.”
“Kenzie,” Phoenix warned.
The human furrowed her brows. “I think I need to use the bathroom.” She threw back the blanket she’d had over her and stood up.
The sight before Phoenix had her heart sinking. “Kenzie, you’re bleeding.”
Kenzie paled and tried to look at her bottom. When she didn’t succeed, she ran to the bathroom. “Oh no,” she said from the other side of the door.
Phoenix rushed to the bathroom. “What do you need me to do?” she asked through the wood.
“Please, grab me some clothes.”
Phoenix found Kenzie something to wear and helped her get to the car. “Shifter infirmary?”
Kenzie looked at her like she was crazy. “No, we’re going to the hospital.”
“But your baby is a shifter.”
“Half-shifter. And I’m full human. We’re going to the hospital.”
“Got it,” Phoenix said as she took off as fast as she could without breaking the law.
“Have you been able to get ahold of Sawyer?”
Phoenix shook her head. “No, sorry, but I did send him text messages.”
Kenzie sighed. “This sucks.”
Once they reached the hospital, it was moderately busy, but they managed to get into an ER room right away.
Phoenix stepped out into the hall as the nurse and doctor came in, and she called Sawyer again. Voice mail. “Look, Sawyer, I know you’re working, but you need to get down here.” She gave him the name of the hospital. “We’re in room eighteen. Kenzie is really scared, and she needs you. Hurry.”
Phoenix stepped back into Kenzie’s room and sat by her friend. It was very difficult because she hated hospitals and anything to do with them. It was easy to ignore how uncomfortable she was when she was helping Kenzie, but now, they were just sitting there and waiting.
Someone came and took Kenzie’s blood. Then, radiology came and took her to get an ultrasound. Kenzie looked at Phoenix, and Phoenix prayed she didn’t ask the technologist if she could go with. Thankfully, Kenzie didn’t say anything.
Then, the tech said, “We’ll be back in about twenty minutes.”
The second Kenzie was gone from the room, Phoenix headed outside for fresh air. She made note of the time, so she could be there when Kenzie returned. There was an empty bench outside, and Phoenix sat and watched the cars entering the parking lot.
“Come on, Sawyer. Hurry up,” she said out loud to the universe.
Time seemed to race by with no arrival of Sawyer, and soon, the twenty minutes were up, so Phoenix headed back inside. Kenzie was already in her room when Phoenix got there.
“Hey, how did it go?”
Kenzie shrugged. “I don’t know. They couldn’t tell me anything. Did you hear from Sawyer?”
Phoenix hated that she had to tell her no.
Kenzie turned her head away but then looked back at Phoenix. The human’s lip trembled, and she said, “That’s okay. He’ll be here.”
Oh, Kenzie.
Phoenix was going to kick Sawyer’s ass when she saw him. Butthole could at least answer his texts.
The doctor walked into the room, and two seconds later, Sawyer burst through the door.
“Can I help you, sir?” the doctor asked.
“I’m here for my ma—wife.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Ms. Swanson. I thought you were unmarried.”
“This is my fiancé,” Kenzie corrected Sawyer.
Sawyer frowned. According to shifter law, the two were already mates.
“We just haven’t made it to the courthouse yet,” she said as she held out her hand to Sawyer.
Sawyer stepped around the doctor and went to Kenzie’s side.
“I’m glad to have the both of you together. Ms. Swanson, we got the ultrasound results back, and I’m sorry to tell you that you are miscarrying.” The doctor’s voice was filled with remorse, and Phoenix could tell he hated delivering this kind of news.
Sawyer fell back in the chair next to Kenzie’s bed, as if his legs could no longer hold him up, and Kenzie started crying.
Sawyer pulled his mate into his arms, and Phoenix knew it was time to leave the room.
She pulled the door closed behind her and leaned back against the wall to take deep breaths. Phoenix felt like she was going to cry as well. It wasn’t fair. On top of her failed heat, her friend Kenzie shouldn’t have to lose her baby as well.
What if Phoenix hadn’t been so jealous? She felt awful now for feeling so envious. Kenzie just wanted a happy life with her mate. Now that Phoenix knew the human better, she knew what a good person she was and that she deserved to have a family. Phoenix never wanted anyone to feel the way she felt.
Phoenix heard soothing noises coming from Kenzie’s ER room. Phoenix hadn’t managed to latch the door all the way when she pulled it closed, and the sound she heard was Kenzie soothing Sawyer.
“It’ll be okay, Sawyer. We’ll try again.”
“But we already had a baby. I want this baby.”
“I know, sweetie. Me, too.”
“We didn’t even get to meet Peanut.”
Phoenix closed her eyes, overwhelmed with sadness upon hearing that they had given their baby a nickname.
“I know,” Kenzie agreed with Sawyer.
“Baby?”
“Yeah?”
“I want you to know that I don’t blame you at all. I can see your head is going around and around. I really wanted this baby, but I don’t want you to feel bad.”
“Oh, Sawyer.” Kenzie’s voice quivered. “I needed to hear you say that.”
“Baby, of course I would never blame you. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Phoenix felt like a voyeur, listening in on their conversation, but if she closed the door now, it would be obvious.
But after their I love yous, the only sound Phoenix heard was of their almost-silent crying. She waited in the hallway for what felt like hours. She didn’t know if she should go or stay. Sawyer was there but was in no shape to be on duty.
After some time, Sawyer walked out of the room and went straight to the restroom. Phoenix was pretty sure he hadn’t even noticed her, as he was in such a catatonic state.
After Sawyer left, Phoenix knocked softly and walked in. She had no idea what to say to Kenzie, and she felt incredibly uncomfortable. But this wasn’t about her. This was about her friend.
“Hey, Kenzie. I’m so sorry.”
Kenzie wiped her cheeks and sat up. “Come here.”
Phoenix stepped closer to Kenzie until the human grabbed her hand and forced her to sit on the bed with her. “Thank you for bringing me here and for tracking down Sawyer.”
“Of course. Are you going to be okay?”
“I’m not going to die or anything. The doctor said I’ll pass…I’ll pass the baby and everything, so at least I won’t have to have surgery. He told me to go see my doctor, and we can probably try again in a few months.”
“Are you even going to?” Phoenix asked.
“Definitely. Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because of how much pain you’re in. Because of how much pain Sawyer is in.”
“Oh, Phoenix,” Kenzie said. She still held Phoenix’s hand, and she squeezed. “Sure, it might be easier to hide away and never try again. But I would rather have a miscarriage and the pain that comes with it if it means I might get to have a baby someday rather than never getting pregnant at all and avoiding the heartache. Life is full of ups and downs, good things and bad things. That’s just the way it works. If I have to take the bad things to get the good things, then bring on the crap. Because being with Sawyer is worth it. Eventually having a baby, even if it means adopting, is worth it. Having friends is worth it. Living isn’t simply not dying, Phoenix.” Kenzie reached forward, and this time, she wiped Phoenix’s cheeks. “Honey, why are you crying?”
“Because I’m not as strong as you. And I want to be.”
Kenzie smiled. “Sure you are. You’re stronger. Do you care about Dante?”
“Yes,” she answered without hesitation.
“So, if something happened to Dante tomorrow or next week or next month, wouldn’t you be happy with him for a day, a week, a month rather than live this lonely existence? Because, sure, you can try to protect your heart, but you already care about him, Phoenix. And, if you don’t go after him, you’ve lost him anyway.”
Phoenix pulled Kenzie into a hug. “You are an amazing person. I should be comforting you, not the other way around. Sawyer is an absolute fool for taking so long to see that.”
Kenzie hugged her back. “I tell him that all the time.”
Phoenix released Kenzie and sat back to see Sawyer standing in the doorway, looking shell-shocked.
“Sawyer, what’s wrong?” Kenzie asked, alarmed.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen Phoenix hug anyone.”
“Ha-ha,” Phoenix said.
Sawyer stepped into the room. “Thank you, Phoenix, for taking care of Kenzie today.”
“No problem. She’s my friend.”
Sawyer raised his brow. “Still, I thought you’d be out of here the minute you heard about Dante.”
Phoenix frowned. “Dante? What about him?”
Sawyer blew out a breath and rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh-oh.”
Her whole body went on alert. “Uh-oh what?” The first thought that came to mind was that he’d already replaced her. Phoenix looked at Kenzie, who shook her head and shrugged.
“The vamps ran into some trouble. They figured out who was behind all the trouble we’d been having.”
Phoenix jumped to her feet. “They did? Are they going after them? How did they find out?”
“It’s a long story, but that’s where I’ve been all day until I got here. The vampires behind this mess are already in the Guardians’ custody. But, Phoenix, Dante was hurt today.”
Phoenix felt like her world was tilting, and she realized that Sawyer had rushed to her, so she didn’t fall over. “Is he…” She swallowed. “Is he…”
“He’s alive, but he’s at the vampire clinic. There was an explosion, and he was thrown pretty far.”
Her head was starting to clear, and she pushed Sawyer out of the way. “I have to go.”
She finally understood exactly what Kenzie had been saying. She had wasted this whole week when she could have been with him. And, now, he might die without knowing how she felt about him.
“I can drive you,” Sawyer said.
“No, you stay with your mate. And, for God’s sake, take her to the courthouse and marry her already,” Phoenix said as she walked out of the room.
“You heard her,” Sawyer said, his voice trailing as she walked farther away. “Now, you have to marry me.”
Once out of the building, Phoenix ran for her car and sped out of the parking lot. She had to get to Dante.