34. Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Four
Allie
“Allie?” Trevor’s voice cuts through the room, and my spine stiffens.
He steps toward the bed slowly, then stops a few feet away, shaking his head in disbelief before rubbing his jawline. I try to sit up, but the sheets beneath me make it harder than I expected.
I gently nudge Jax’s shoulder, and his eyes fly open.
“Is everything okay?” he asks with a husky voice.
“Jax. This is Trevor,” I say, motioning toward the man standing near the door. Trevor stands there with his arms crossed, his white T-shirt stretching slightly across his chest. “Trevor, this is Jax.”
“I think I already know who it is.” Trevor’s tone is sharp, like he’s holding something back. “We were together for eight years and in the last year of it, you never stopped talking about his band, Allie,” he adds, running a hand through his short, blond hair.
Heat floods my face, and I know it’s turning a million different shades of red. He’s making it sound like I stalked them for crying out loud. Excuse me for listening to a band I liked more than a few times.
Trevor’s gaze hardens, filled with such disdain that it almost makes me feel ashamed.
Almost.
“I got the call from the paramedics, since I’m still listed as your emergency contact,” he continues, his voice taking on an edge. “But it looks like someone else probably should be.”
His eyes lock onto mine like he’s trying to peel answers out of me, leaving me feeling guilty.
“How long has this been going on?” He gestures between Jax and me, his gaze burning with more than just curiosity.
Jax sits up in the bed, the mattress shifting under his weight, then he stands and walks over to Trevor.
He extends his hand. “Hi, Trevor. Sorry we’re, uh, meeting this way,” Jax says with an awkward chuckle.
Trevor hesitates before accepting the handshake, throwing judgmental glances back and forth between us. Then he slips his hands back into his pockets like he’s trying to keep some distance.
“Are the girls with you?” I ask, my voice tinged with hope. I try to maneuver myself into an upright position, but it’s useless. Everything hurts .
“Well, no,” he replies, his tone flat. “I wasn’t sure how you were doing, and it didn’t seem right to bring them to a hospital. I wanted to make sure you were okay before bringing them by.”
My heart sinks to the pit of my stomach. I was hoping that since he drove the four hours here, it meant they’d be with him too. But he makes a fair point—wanting to make sure I was okay first, even if it still sucks.
I glance at Jax and tilt my head slightly. “Would you mind giving us a few minutes?” I ask softly.
“Of course,” he says. His small smile is reassuring before he slips out the door, leaving Trevor and me alone.
I take a deep breath, bracing myself for the storm of questions I know he’s about to unleash.
“So?” he says, throwing his hands up like he’s had enough of this whole situation. “Is this why you went on vacation?”
He’s joking, right? Like I planned this whole thing. Casually bumping into Jax, getting him to fall in love with me… Yeah, that sounds totally realistic.
I narrow my eyes at him. “No, Trevor. Of course not. It just… happened,” I say with a shrug. “I’m sorry. I know this might be confusing, and trust me, I’m still trying to wrap my head around it all too. So I can’t imagine how you’re feeling right now.”
He doesn’t look at me though. His eyes are fixed on the floor, like he’s avoiding the conversation he started.
“I just don’t approve of it,” he finally mutters, his tone cold. “He’s in a band, Allie. You know how rock stars are. The whole ‘sex, drugs, and rock and roll’ thing. That’s not exactly suitable for someone like—”
He cuts himself off, pressing his lips together like he’s regretting what he was about to say.
“Someone like what? Like a single mom?” I snap, unable to hold it in.
“I’m just looking out for you and the girls,” he says, rolling his head to the side and finally locking eyes with mine. “Apparently, someone needs to.”
I scoff, my frustration bubbling up.
“Why are you even here, Trevor? You’re clearly pissed and saying stuff you don’t mean.”
“I came because they wouldn’t tell me much over the phone, and I had to make sure the mother of my kids was okay,” he replies with a bite.
“Well, I’m fine,” I say with a shrug. “Are the girls with my mom? Are they nearby so I can at least see them?”
Trevor rubs his face, letting out a slow, frustrated sigh. “They’re in town, but your mom wasn’t in any shape to watch them,” he says, pulling his phone out of his back pocket.
I shake my head, confused. “If they’re not with my mom, then who are the girls with?” I ask, my brows pulling together.
Trevor flips his phone around in his hands, his face hard to read. “I couldn’t bring them with me, not knowing how you were. They’re with my girlfriend at the park. And no, I didn’t leave them down there, they’re just at the park.”
My eyebrows shoot up while the realization hits me like a ton of bricks.
“Wait, hold on,” I say, trying to keep it together.
“Charlotte and Lydia are with some random woman instead of being here with Ana or Nora?” I shake my head in disbelief.
“You were just giving me crap about Jax, but now it’s cool to leave our daughters with someone they don’t even know? ”
“She’s not a stranger, Allie,” he says, frustration creeping into his voice.
“I know you haven’t met her yet, but that doesn’t make her a stranger.
” He exhales, rubbing the back of his neck.
“I was planning to talk to you about her—about the girls meeting her—once you got back. But, you know, things obviously changed.”
“Is that why you wouldn’t let me call?”
“What? Don’t be ridiculous,” he scoffs.
“It’s not ridiculous, Trevor!” I snap, my frustration rising.
“I tried to call. Every. Damn. Day. And they were always either sleeping, or outside, or whatever excuse you had. You barely let me talk to them these last few weeks!” Tears prick at my eyes, but I blink them away.
“Do you have any idea how hard that’s been? ”
His eyes shoot to mine, filled with nothing but anger. “Apparently, you did just fine.”
I stare at him, hard enough that my vision starts to narrow. My heart’s pounding, heat flooding my face. Then the alarm blares—and suddenly, I can’t breathe.
Trevor jumps up just as two nurses rush into the room, sneakers squeaking on the floor.
“Hey, Allie. It’s Nurse Abigail,” one says gently, checking the monitor. “You doing okay?”
The words get stuck in my throat, the tightness choking me. I shake my head slowly, frozen in place, panic rising fast.
I glare at Trevor, trying to speak through the pressure in my chest. “You. Call her. Right now, and make sure my babies are okay,” I demand, my voice shaking. “You call her, and you make her bring them here .”
He stands and exits fast, phone already pressed to his ear. As soon as the door clicks shut, Abigail gives me a soft look.
She leans in close, speaking low. “Allie, we’re gonna give you something to calm you down. We need to bring your heart rate down.”
It takes what feels like forever for the meds to kick in, but finally, I can catch a full breath. I sit up in bed, wincing while I do.
Then there’s a soft knock at the door.
I glance over just as it creaks open—and the sound of tiny footsteps fills the room.
My heart practically jumps out of my chest when I finally see my babies.
“Mommy!” Charlotte squeals, racing straight to my bedside.
Even with the pain slicing through my side, I sit up fast, arms wide open. She flies into them, and the second I feel her in my arms again, everything else fades away. The beeping monitors, the pain, the antibacterial smell—all of it fades.
“Hi, baby,” I whisper, hugging her tight. “I missed you both so much.”
The scent of their strawberry shampoo hits me, and my eyes sting with tears. Charlotte buries her face in my shoulder, her small arms tremble slightly as a sob bubbles in my throat.
Trevor lowers Lydia to the floor, and she makes a beeline for the bed, climbing up quickly. She rests her little head against my leg, and just like that, I lose it. Tears fall, but this time, they’re happy ones.
One month.
I haven’t seen my girls for an entire month. And now they’re here, clinging to me like they never want to let go.
I look over Charlotte’s shoulder at Trevor and mouth, “Thank you.”
He gives a small nod and steps closer, resting a hand on Charlotte’s back.
“I’ll give you a little time with them,” he says. Then he adds with a half smile, “Do you want Jax to come meet them after? Seems fair, since they’ve already met Marissa.”
“Ha ha, hilarious,” I mutter, grunting while I try to pull Lydia closer.
Trevor steps in and easily lifts her up, gently setting her on my lap. “Be gentle with Mom, okay?” he tells her with a soft smile.
I let out a slow breath, trying to ignore the pain from already overdoing it. “Yeah. Go ahead and send him in after a few minutes.”
Trevor nods and exits the room, leaving me alone with my girls.
I cup their cheeks and press a kiss to each of their foreheads. “I love you both so much,” I whisper.
They grin in unison, snuggling in close on either side of me. The past few weeks have felt impossible without them, but this? This right here is everything .
And now it’s time for all the pieces of my heart to be in the same room for the first time.