Chapter 42
“You shouldn’t even be here!”I hear his voice first and my skin pricks. I turn round and see him walking towards me from her room.
“I”m her husband,” I storm towards Titus, meeting his strides. I am in no mood. I am super pissed off that there is a chance I have caused her to be here, my pig-headed behavior and giving in so easily definitely has not helped.
“Don”t play that card Keaton, you”ve been married all of five seconds.”
“And what?! You harp on like you had the most perfect relationship. You fell in love with a girl that wasn”t yours to love, you got her pregnant whilst she was engaged to someone else then fucking married her so do not preach to me about relationships when yours is far from fucking perfect.” I am raging. Snorting hot air from my nostrils like I am an angry bull.
“You”re getting on my last nerve.”
“Back at you my man,” I shake my head from side to side as I stare down the long and quiet hallway and can”t help the small laugh that passes my lips.
“What”s funny?”
“You,” I turn to look at him and my lip turns up in a snarl because I am not lying.
He steps up towards me, and I’m not going to lie, he scares the shit out of me but I”m not going to let him know that. He towers over me. I”m not short. Probably around 6’3-6’4, 6’5 at a push on my tiptoes but he is an easy 6’7 and he would pummel my ass into the ground without hesitation.
“Why”s that?” his voice is low and gruff.
“You know nothing,” and I know Arizona is going to hate me for what is about to come out my mouth, but do you know what, I am past caring.
“Care to elaborate?”
“Ari hasn”t worked in this hospital since the beginning of the year, she didn”t pass her exam so instead of facing the embarrassment of having to do her first year all over again, she quit.”
He says nothing, confusion laces his stupid face and I have no idea why, but I actually feel a little sorry for the guy.
“She works in a strip club; I had no idea until one night I popped in and saw her. I promised to keep her secret, but I can”t do it anymore. You need to pull your head out of your ass for a while and actually focus on your daughter. She thinks you don”t love her, she thinks she has been kicked to the sidewalk. She may not show it, but she is hurt inside. And yes, she is pregnant and they”re mine.”
I wasn”t about to tell him that there was a chance that they weren”t. It would break me and him in the process.
“She failed?” and he just blinks at me as if in complete disbelief and I nod.
The tension that was once an angry flame was now slowly fizzling out into nothing more than cooling embers.
We”re not alone long when I hear the heavy footsteps barreling down the hallway. Lifting my head, I see Killian, Nate, Kaleb, Reese and Connie. Amora leading them to us. All dressed to the nines and here we are hanging out in the hallway of a hospital.
“Titus, Keaton...” Kaleb breathes, and he doesn”t know which one of us to talk to. I give him a soft, discreet knowing nod and he turns his attention towards Titus.
“We came as soon as we heard, is she okay? What happened?” he asks, and I step back when I see Nate staring at me.
“Threatened miscarriage...” he squeezes out and I hear a few shocked gasps, but four of them are fake.
“Man, I”m so sorry,” and I know Kaleb is doing this because he has to, “we didn”t even know she was pregnant, who is the dad?”
And I swallow. Palms sweaty. Heart racing in my chest, skipping beats.
“My best friend,” his eyes burn into mine and I shrink. Not sure why. Something just felt off with the way the words fell from his lips. Betrayal maybe?
All eyes are on me.
And I look at every single one of them.
“Fuck,” Nate shakes his head from side to side, “bet you wish she stayed with me now,” he chuckles trying to lighten the mood and I hear a sigh from Titus.
“Not the right time Nate,” Kaleb places a hand on Nate”s shoulder and gives it a gentle squeeze.
“I mean, he’s not wrong,” Titus snipes and my blood boils.
“Fuck off.” I shouldn”t have said it, but I was in no mood.
Titus is on me, hands grabbing my jacket and shoving me against the wall with force and winding me, his angry eyes bounce back and forth between mine and I can”t read him at all. It”s as if I don”t know him anymore.
“Keep going,” Titus urges me and fuck knows why he done it, because I will do just as he asks. He liked to goad me.
“That”s enough,” Kaleb pulls Titus off me, shoving him back and away as he tries to run for me again. “Put your fucking pride aside for one moment. This is about Arizona, not you two dumb fucks.” He seethes, head turning towards me then back to Titus. “I don”t give two shits, knock ten ton out of each other once you”re outside, but you don”t do it here, do you understand me?”
And my eyes are on the floor, looking at my dress shoes. Should have given them a polish. They look scruffy.
“Keaton?” Kaleb barks and I lift my eyes to look at him.
“Yeah, sure,” and I see Titus nod.
I know this is far from over.
“Titus,” Amora whispers and I don”t miss the look of disgust she passes me as she walks past and locks her arms round Titus”s frame.
He lowers his lips to the top of her head, planting a soft kiss in her fiery red hair.
“Are you okay?” Killian asks me and I give a small, twisted smile.
“I will be,” I nod, grateful that at least one of them asked me.
I know me and Titus need to sit down and speak, hash all this out but right now, like Kaleb said, we need to focus on getting Arizona better and home.
Reese and Connie have disappeared, and I give Killian a puzzled look which only gets me a tap on the side of his nose.
My heart aches when I turn to look into Arizona”s room. It”s her birthday and she is here. And even worse, she could have lost the babies.
My blood runs cold, freezing over at the thought.
Titus leads Amora into the room, and as much as I want to follow, I don”t. I turn and walk away.
I”m not alone long, Kaleb and Nate are by my side, but not without adding their piece in.
“What the fuck were you thinking?” Nate growls at me.
“I wasn”t.”