Chapter 48
CHAPTER 48
GAbrIEL
M r Paine shakes my hand.
“I look forward to doing business with you, Gabriel. I’m sorry I missed Leah. Please send her my regards,” he says.
I nod, but my mind is elsewhere. It’s amazing I’ve managed to convince him to take us on.
After saying goodbye, I watch as Amanda walks him to the elevator, before I head down to Leah’s office. Her door is open, but when I look inside, she’s still absent, her bag not in its usual place.
I turn to Rob, who sits outside her room.
“Rob, have you seen Leah?”
He looks up as if shocked to see me at his desk.
“Sorry, Gabriel, not since she left with her fiancé,” he says awkwardly as if he’s somehow dropped Leah in it.
“No problem. If you see her, can you tell her to pop in and see me?”
He vigorously nods in agreement.
Where the hell is she? She left over two and a half hours ago .
My stomach roils, and a sour taste fills my mouth. This is not like Leah.
I enter my office and drop into my chair, checking my phone for messages or a missed call. But the last message from Leah was yesterday.
The hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
What if Vince has convinced her to go back to him? Will she go? What if he doesn’t care she’s carrying another man’s child? They were together for ten years. They have history. I know Leah says they’re over, but is that her way of coping with his desertion? What if they are right now, at their old apartment, Vince sliding in and out of her body? There’s no way any man could resist her. The flowers reveal he’s finally come to his senses and wants her back.
Bile rises in the back of my throat as I think of Leah and Vince together. Of her moaning his name, the way she screams mine. Of her coming on his cock, squeezing him hard.
Shit!
Things between us were perfect before my mother’s birthday weekend. Then Elijah ruined it with his questions. Then her friend Stella, questioning her, making her doubt us. I thought after making love in my office, all this was behind us. But now? Was Leah pretending? Does she still doubt what we have? I told her I was happy. Was that not enough?
I glance at the clock. Damn, it’s the middle of the night for Mark. I pick up the phone.
“Gabriel?” Caleb’s voice comes over the line. “What’s up?”
“How do you know something’s up?” I ask.
“You never call me unless something is wrong or you need something,” he replies, and I realise it’s true.
“I’m sorry,” I say.
“Don’t be. It’s who you are, Gabe. Talk to me,” he says, surprising me .
“Leah’s gone,” I say.
There’s a pause. “What do you mean, she’s gone?”
“Her ex turned up and made her go for coffee with him.”
“Okay.” Caleb is clearly wanting more.
“Two and a half hours have passed since then,” I say.
“And you’re worried?”
I run a hand through my hair, a habit I seem to have picked up since Leah entered my life.
“Have you tried messaging her? Calling her?” he asks.
“She hasn’t messaged or called me.”
A moment of silence follows. “Gabriel, you and Leah are in a relationship. You are having a child together. I know it’s unconventional, but there’s more between you than either of you are admitting. A blind man would pick up on the chemistry that sizzles between you two.”
“Have you been reading romances again?” I ask Caleb. He’s always had a penchant for romance. It’s why I’m surprised he’s never settled down.
“Nothing wrong with a good romance,” he laughs. “You can learn a lot, but Gabe, if you’re worried, call her, send her a message.”
“What if she thinks I’m interfering? Overstepping?”
An exhale comes down the phone, and I know Caleb has sat down. “Do you love Leah?”
That was not what I was expecting.
“Er...”
“Let me put it another way. When you are with Leah, does she make you smile? Do you want to share your thoughts with her? Your worries and fears? When you touch her, does it feel safe and natural, like you’ve come home?”
I stop and listen to my brother’s words, half shocked and more impressed. When did he become insightful?
“You are not useless at romance, Gabe. It’s just you never met the right woman. You and Leah fit together. ”
“But —”
“But nothing. If she makes you feel that way, then you have to tell her. Don’t let Vince sweep in because they have history. Not that I think Leah is that na?ve. She has feelings for you. Every time she looks at you, it’s written all over her face. You just started wrong.” Caleb sighs. “What have you got to lose?”
I think about what he’s said.
“I’ll call her.”
I pick up my phone and dial Leah’s number. It rings, and I hold my breath. When it clicks to voicemail, I immediately redial.
When the same thing happens, my muscles tighten. Why wouldn’t she be answering? Unless she doesn’t want to speak to me, or face me?
“No answer,” I whisper.
There’s a pause. “There may be an explanation. Maybe her phone has died, or she’s dropped it,” Caleb says.
“Or she doesn’t want to talk to me,” I say, laying my thoughts on the line.
“I can’t see Leah doing that. She’s an upfront woman,” Caleb says.
“Is she? No one knew for two months her engagement had ended.”
“All I’m saying is, try not to read too much into it.”
There’s a knock at my door. I look up to find an ashen-looking Amanda in the doorway.
“Sorry to interrupt, Gabriel. There is a Stella Long on the phone. Apparently, Leah has been in an accident. She’s at the hospital.”
I’m on my feet before I can think. “Where?”
“St Andrew’s,” she says.
“Gabriel, I’ll meet you there,” I hear Caleb shout before the telephone goes dead .
I grab my jacket and make my way to the door.
I pick up Amanda’s phone. “Talk to me, Stella.”
“Oh, thank goodness,” a teary voice comes over the line. “Leah’s in hospital, she was in an accident... she’s unconscious. Since her phone was smashed, I came through reception.”
“I’m on my way,” I tell her. “Stay with her.”
“I’m not going anywhere. See you soon.”
I put the phone down and turn to Amanda.
“Go,” she says, her own face filled with emotion. “I’ve got everything covered.”
I race to the elevator, smashing the button over and over until it finally pings. I head to the reception. Taking my car would be pointless. I’ll never park. I grab a taxi that is dropping off and steal it from another couple.
“Sorry, an emergency. My girlfriend has been taken to hospital,” I say.
“Go,” they both say. “We hope everything is okay.”
I nod, amazed, as I never talk to strangers, but it seemed the right thing to do. Leah has that effect on me.
“Please, Lord, let nothing have happened to her or the baby,” I whisper, hoping someone is listening.
I throw money at the driver as he pulls up outside the hospital, then race inside. Caleb is waiting for me.
“Breathe,” he says, grabbing both my shoulders and giving me a shake. I’m not sure whether the motion is more for him or me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Caleb look rattled.
“Leah’s in A&E. They’re running tests.”
I step away, moving towards the entrance, but he grabs my arm and pulls me in the direction we need to go.
“Come on,” he says. “Let’s go and find your girl. ”
I allow him to lead me. My brain floods with an excess of thoughts, possibilities, and what-ifs. The journey over has taken too long. Rush hour in the city is not the time when you need to get somewhere. Not when someone you care about is in trouble.
We burst through the doors to the A&E department, heading to the reception desk, where an orderly queue is formed. I press forward, but Caleb holds me back.
“That’s not how it works. You know that,” he says.
“I don’t give a fuck,” I hiss, only to have the woman in front of me turn and glare.
“Sorry, he’s stressed. His pregnant fiancée has just been brought in,” Caleb says, holding up a placating hand.
“Oh heavens. Please go ahead of me. I hope everything’s all right.”
I leave Caleb and his charm, moving towards the desk.
“Leah Walker?” I say. “She was brought in by ambulance.”
The lady behind the counter smiles and taps on her keyboard.
“Here we go, yes, Leah Walker. Who are you?”
“He’s her fiancé and the father of her unborn child,” my brother chirps up, reappearing at my side. The woman he was talking to is now being seen by one of the nurses. A smile a mile wide on her face. Trust Caleb.
Fiancé? I look at my brother but choose not to contradict him. If I have my way, that’s precisely what I’ll be, if Leah pulls through this and will have me. This past half an hour is not one I want to repeat. If it’s shown me anything. I can’t lose her, I won’t.
“I’ll get someone to come and take you through. Please give me your name and take a seat.”
“Gabriel Frazer.”
The nurse shoots the pair of us another wider smile. “Of course, Mr Frazer. ”
I turn and look at the overcrowded waiting room and grimace. The room is full of people with varying degrees of illness or injury. One man is sitting pressing a towel to his head, dried blood smeared down his face. Another is clutching his arm to his chest. That’s naming only two. The room is packed with people waiting to be seen.
The seal on the inside door whooshes, and a male in scrubs comes through. He walks up to Caleb and me. “Are you Mr Frazer?” he says to Caleb.
“That’s me,” I say, finally finding my voice.
The guy smiles warmly. “I’m Dr Hanson. If you’d like to follow me, I’ll take you through to Ms Walker. Her friend Stella told us you were on your way.”
Caleb and I follow him through the doors.
“How is she?” I ask.
“Leah’s fine. She received a nasty bang to the head and lost consciousness for a few moments. She is currently having a CT scan to check if there’s any damage, but initial tests show this is precautionary. It looks like she might have sprained her ankle in the fall. We’re sending her down for an x-ray to be sure. Unfortunately, the cyclist who hit her was travelling at speed.”
“What about the baby?”
Dr Hanson turns and smiles. “Baby appears to be unharmed. Tests have shown a strong heartbeat. I would, however, suggest Ms Walker take it easy for the next week. Baby is still very young.”
“She won’t be moving off the sofa, you have our word.” Caleb chirps up, making me smile. The doctor looks between us and smiles back.
We’re led into a side room. Stella sits in a chair, her eyes red from crying. She jumps up when she sees us, throwing herself into my arms, her tears restarting.
My arms instinctively wrap around her. She’s Leah’s best friend, the dynamo who stood up for the woman I’m very much in love with.
“Sorry,” she says when she finally pulls away. “When they called... and then...” She chokes on her words.
I lead her back to her seat and sit her down. Caleb grabs a plastic cup of water and crouches down in front of her.
“Here,” he says, wrapping her hands around the cup. “Drink.”
Stella nods, taking a sip.
“Leah is down having a scan,” she says finally. “She’s all bruised, and they want to check her ankle.” Stella flinches at the thought.
“Do they know what happened? She went out for coffee with Vince and never returned,” I ask.
Stella shakes her head. “Apparently, according to witnesses, the traffic was at a standstill. Leah stepped out, not seeing the courier bike travelling down the inside. She was thrown into a stationary car, hitting her head.”
I pace the room, exhaustion taking hold. I pinch the bridge of my nose.
“She’s going to be fine,” Caleb says, handing me a coffee.
I hadn’t even noticed he’d left.
“What’s taking so long?”
Caleb raises an eyebrow. “This is a hospital. There are queues.”
Dr Hanson takes that moment to pop his head into the room. “Leah will be back up shortly.”
“Thank you, doctor,” Caleb says, gripping my forearm. His voice is surprisingly shaky.
“Yes, thank you,” I mumble, my head in a spin, full of the what-ifs that follow an accident. I could have lost Leah and our child today.
My heart is racing. I feel the cup taken out of my hand, and Caleb grabs both of my arms, shaking me .
“Gabriel, she’s fine. She isn’t Dad. She’s coming back to you.”
Only my brother understands.
The door opens wider and an orderly wheels Leah in. She’s sat up. My eyes fly to her face. A large bandage has pride of place on her forehead, a graze on her cheek. As soon as her bed is in place, I’m by her side, grabbing her hand in mine, every protective instinct racing to the surface.
“Hey,” she says, giving me a weak smile.
“Hey, you,” I say, drawing her grazed knuckles to my lips. “You gave me quite a scare.”
Caleb moves a chair behind me and urges me to sit.
“Hey, beautiful,” he says over my shoulder.
Leah looks up and smiles at him. “Caleb,” she says. “What are you doing here?”
I turn to look up at him, and he raises an eyebrow at her. “Where else would I be? You’re family. I was also on the phone when Gabriel took the call from Stella. There’s no way I was waiting for a phone call to let me know how you were. And with you out of action, someone has to look after him,” he says, nodding at me.
Leah smiles, squeezing my hand.
As she goes to move, her face scrunches as pain radiates from somewhere. I’m on my feet before I can stop myself.
“I’m okay. My ankle is twinging, and I have the mother-of-all headaches, but I’m okay. Baby is fine, too.”
I sit back in my chair and drop my forehead to her hand.
“What happened?” I ask.
“I left Vince in the coffee shop and was walking back to the office. I wasn’t concentrating and stepped out. The poor cyclist,” she says, earning a scowl from me.
“He shouldn’t have been weaving in and out,” I say, unhappy she’s sticking up for the person who put her in the hospital .
“That’s what they do. He’s only doing his job. I’m the numpty who stepped out. Luckily, no actual harm was done,” she says, cupping my cheek.
“Vince?” I ask.
“I don’t think he saw what happened. It was away from the coffee shop. A guy was waylaying him.”
My muscles tense at her words. “What do you mean?” I ask slowly.
“He was a little upset I wasn’t tripping over myself to take him back.”
She rolls her eyes and chuckles before grimacing.
Stella steps around the other side of the bed. I freeze, wondering if she thinks Leah should take Vince back. We’ve never discussed what her friends think of our relationship.
“I hope you told him to take a hike,” she says.
“I did.” Leah smiles. “You’d have been really proud of me.”
Her hand goes to the bandage on her head, her face screwing up.
“Can I get you anything?” I ask.
“No, thank you. I just need to rest.”
“That’s exactly what I was going to order,” Dr Hanson says, appearing in the doorway. “We’re moving you up to one of the wards.” When I go to open my mouth, he holds up a hand. “Purely precautionary. You’ve had a nasty tumble with the pregnancy and a bump to your head. I want to monitor you.”
“Are there private rooms?” I say. “If there are, I’m happy to pay. Make a donation, whatever it takes.”
“Your brother has taken care of it... however, donations are always welcome, Mr Frazer,” Dr Hanson says.
I wondered where Caleb had gone.
“Leah, we will move you in the next half an hour. Visiting hours start again in the morning.” He looks across at me. “You’ll be welcome back then. ”
I go to protest, but Leah squeezes my fingers.
A pressure builds in my chest at the thought of Leah leaving my sight.
As if sensing my unease. “Hey, I’ll be fine. I promise. It’s only for one night.” She looks down at the hospital gown and grimaces. “Can you go home and grab me some fresh clothes?”
I nod, not wanting to add additional pressure to the situation.
Instead, I lean forward, placing my lips against hers.
I’m surprised when her mouth moves under mine, her hand coming up and clutching the back of my head.
I pull back and stare into her eyes.
“I’ll be back. Try to behave yourself,” I say.
“Yes, Sir,” she says, smiling.
I lean forward, close to her ear. “I like the sound of that. Don’t make me tie you to the bed.”
Leah lets out a low moan.
I drop another kiss on her open mouth and pull back.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, I’ll drop you off one of the new office phones. Stella said your old one was smashed.”
Stella steps forward, the shattered phone in her hand.
“I’ll switch out the SIM,” I say. “That way, if your parents ring, you have a phone.”
“Oh, heavens. Please tell me you haven’t called them.”
Her eyes dart between Stella’s and mine.
“Calm down,” Stella says, gripping Leah’s other hand. “No one has called them. We all wanted to see how you were doing.”
Leah’s shoulders visibly sag.
I rub my thumb over the back of her hand. “You need to tell them. I’m not having your mum yell at me for not letting them know. ”
Leah grins. “Scared of my mum?”
“Damn right,” I say, altering the next words out of my mouth. “She’s our child’s grandmother, I’d be silly not to be.”
Leah throws her head back and laughs, then grimaces.
“I think that’s enough. Leah needs to rest,” a voice comes from the doorway.
We all turn to see a woman standing with her arms folded. Stella leans forward and kisses Leah on the cheek.
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” she says before shooting me a look and leaving.
Leah smiles before gripping my hand more tightly as I move away.
“Thank you, Gabriel.”
I turn back, dropping a chaste kiss on her lips.
“I’ll see you later.”
I offer her a smile before turning and walking away. The greater the distance, the heavier my heart.
I make my way towards the exit.
Caleb has disappeared again, no doubt sorting out everything I should have done for Leah. But as twins, we’ve always had a way of knowing what the other needs.
“Gabriel.”
I turn to find Stella chasing after me.
“Stella. Are you okay? Do you need a lift?” I ask, wondering why Leah’s best friend is chasing me down.
“No, but thank you. I just—” She stumbles over her words.
“Whatever it is, talk to me,” I say, stopping in the middle of the corridor.
“I just wanted to say thank you for being here for Leah. Ever since you came into her life, she’s been happier. She’ll probably kill me for saying that, but I’ve noticed the change, and we’ve been friends for what seems like forever. Please don’t hurt her. She survived Vince. I’m not sure she’ll survive you.”
Her words knock the wind out of me.
“I promise you I have no intention of ever hurting Leah,” I admit.
I know I will do everything in my power to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Stella smiles at me. “That’s what I thought.” She pauses before adding, “When I saw you together.”
Caleb appears out of nowhere.
“You two ready to go?” he asks.
“Just heading to the Tube,” Stella says. “Thank you both for taking such good care of my girl.”
Her eyes well.
“Our girl,” Caleb says. “Come on. Mason, my driver, is picking me up. He can drop you both home.”
“The office, please. I need to collect one of the phones. My car is also there.”
“I’m fine, honestly,” Stella says.
“Stella, get in the car. You’ve had a shock. We want to see you home safe,” I say, knowing it’s what Leah would want.
She doesn’t argue as Mason pulls up at the kerb.