Tarek (Lakeshore #2)

Dereck

Eureka. Those were the words I uttered when the detective sent me pictures of a heavily pregnant Miranda. I didn’t think she could become more beautiful, but I was wrong. Even in the black-and-white photo that I left on my desk, she glowed. I paid a large sum of money to have the detective follow her around, to keep her safe. Three o’clock yesterday morning he called me to say Miranda was in labor. The moments fizzled by as I made calls and preparations for her comfort. Now hours later I am pacing in the secret room of a hospital waiting to see my son.

Miranda doesn’t know I am here at Bellmar hospital. I know she will be puzzled by her private suite versus the shared room that she was expecting. She will be baffled that her bill was cleared due to “a glitch” in the hospital’s system. I feel like the light blue walls are closing in. I have a son. A son who will never know about me or carry my name. I tug at my tie, my palms become sweaty. I have never been claustrophobic before but this damn room has no windows and the door was closed. I need to get out of here. If I’m locked in, I could be here for a long while before anyone discovered me. This was a fucking dumb idea, I should just go out there and get Miranda and my son. But fucking Ilyana, made everything difficult with her trickery. The passing of time was turning out to be my biggest heart break. Every day without Miranda, a little piece of me dies.

I feel like I am spiraling. There is a heaviness in my chest, it’s not pain or fear. But it’s dark and suffocating and it’s clawing my insides wanting to escape. I am a man with so much power but yet I have no control over my own life. Why did I do this? My feet twitches with an urge to leave. I feel defeated, I don’t even know how I should get out of this. This was a stupid idiotic mistake, seeing a son that I can never have. The moment I thought about leaving the door opens and a nurse ushers a clear plastic bassinet into the room. My breath leaves me.