Chapter 109 Rosalie
ONE HUNDRED NINE
ROSALIE
We stayed and honeymooned at the cabin for two weeks. It was two weeks of pure bliss.
Evan was quiet, and I was OK with that. He enjoyed spending a lot of time alone, gazing up at the night sky. Ani and I would join him on the front porch sometimes, and he’d smile at us, but remain quiet.
We only made love in the dark and only with the three of us together.
I knew Anson didn’t want to push it and try to have me alone.
I was OK with that. I liked the three of us together.
Someday, we’d get there. They took turns loving me in our bed.
When one was inside me, the other held my hand—kissed my lips. Whispered to me how much they loved me.
It was a different dynamic than what I was used to, and I definitely didn’t hate it.
Now and then, my horsemen would creep into my head. Or Klaus. Klaus had been a permanent resident in my head lately.
I sat on the front porch, staring out at the mountains, while Ani and Evan slept in. We’d made love well into the night, and I woke feeling a little sick to my stomach.
I pushed the thought off, and made some hot chocolate before sitting outside in the rocking chair with a blanket over my legs.
My phone buzzed, and I looked at a message from Klaus.
Klaus: Hey, hummingbird. Do you have a minute for an old man?
I smiled at his text.
Rosalie: Do I know you?
Klaus: You’re still silly, huh?
Rosalie: The silliest. What’s up?
Klaus: May I call?
I hesitated for a moment before answering. Evan said I could choose. He wanted my happiness. Ani said the same thing.
Rosalie: Yes.
My phone rang a moment later, and Klaus’s deep voice met my ears.
“Hello, darling,” he murmured into the phone.
“H-Hey. How are you?”
“I’m well. How are you?”
“I-I’m good.”
“I heard you got married. Congratulations are in order.”
“Thank you,” I replied softly. “Why didn’t you tell me he was alive?”
Klaus was quiet for a moment. “I’m not a good man.”
“But you are,” I whispered. “You just do dumb things.”
He laughed sadly at that. “That is a fact. Clearly. I am sorry. Words don’t mean anything without actions, though. So, I’d like to make it up to you.”
“How?”
“By asking if I can see you.”
I bit my bottom lip. “Evan isn’t… he’s not well yet. I-I think I need time.”
“Granted,” he said immediately. “I will give you every moment you ask for. I couldn’t come now anyway, but soon. Can I text you?”
“Yes. I would like that.”
“Me too.” He was quiet for a moment. “I have been speaking to my boys.”
“Yeah? How is it?”
“Good. It’s good. Hard, but I think we’re going to be OK. I pray we are. I want to thank you for that. I thought I’d missed my shot.”
“Never,” I said. “If a door closes, you’re strong enough to break down the walls.”
He chuckled at that. “I do so love talking to you. I don’t think you realize how dark my world was before you.”
“And now?”
“I rather enjoy the light.”
I smiled at that.
“Keep those guys safe. I’ll see you all soon, OK?”
“Promise?”
“I would never break a promise to you. I’ll be in touch. Goodbye, hummingbird.”
“Bye.” I hung up and closed my eyes. It was a good talk. Short, but that’s just how Klaus was. To the point.
I wanted to give Evan, me, and Ani time to settle in. If things were going well, then we’d see about Klaus. If nothing else, I knew he’d made a great friend.
I stayed sitting for a long time before my stomach roiled with nausea. Wincing, I got up, went into the bathroom, and fell to my knees at the toilet before heaving my guts into it.
“Are you OK?” Evan rushed in and went to his knees beside me as Ani moved to my other side, felt my forehead, and then got me a glass of water.
“I-I don’t feel so hot,” I muttered, wiping my mouth. I rinsed it with the water Anson gave me before flushing the toilet.
“Let’s get her back to bed,” Anson said. He lifted me into his arms and took me to bed, where I stayed the rest of the day, feeling like complete crap.
By the evening, I could smell Anson making dinner. Evan wandered in to check on me and slid in beside me on the mattress.
“Hey, baby,” he murmured. “How are you feeling?”
“A little better.”
“Think you can eat?”
“Maybe.”
He ran his knuckles along my jaw. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
He cleared his throat. “Are you on birth control still?”
I froze at his words. I was meant to get my shot right before the wedding. I hadn’t. I had nothing.
“No,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “I-I forgot to get my shot a-after everything happened. Evan? I’m scared.”
“It’s OK,” he soothed. “Who did you sleep with before me and Anson?”
“Klaus.”
“Did he use protection?”
“Always,” I choked out.
“Who else?”
I racked my brain. There hadn’t been anyone else.
Wait.
My pulse roared in my ears.
“Cole,” I rasped. “In the club. He was angry at me. We-We had sex.”
Evan closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against mine. “I’ll send Anson into town for a test.”
“Evan… I’m scared. What if…”
“We will handle it. Whatever you decide,” he said gently. “I’ll be right back.” He kissed me sweetly before getting off the bed and leaving the room.
I lay, clutching my blanket, all sorts of wild thoughts rushing through my head.
It had to be Cole’s. I wiped my tears away, telling myself that it could just be a little flu bug or maybe my nerves since we were leaving for California in two days.
I heard the front door close and knew Anson was going to get tests.
Evan returned and held me tightly.
“What will we do?”
“We will do nothing until we know. And then, you can decide, baby. OK? Whatever you decide, we’ll be at your side.”
I cried softly as I clung to him.
“It might not be anything. Let’s just check, OK?”
I nodded, burying my face in his chest as he continued to hold me. We stayed that way for a long time before Anson returned and came into the room.
“Hey, I got some tests,” he said.
Evan helped me to sit up, and Ani steered me into the bathroom.
“Everything you need is in the bag,” he said gently. “We’ll wait out here.”
I nodded and took the bag into the bathroom. I followed the instructions to the letter and sat, crying softly as I waited for the minutes to pass by.
Finally, I swallowed hard and told myself just to check the damn sticks—all five of them.
I stared down at each test in turn, the same answer greeting me.
Feeling numb, I opened the bathroom door and stepped out. Anson and Evan had been whispering, but they stopped as I came into the room, both looking at me with equal parts of worry on their faces.
“I’m pregnant,” I whispered.
They both came to me, wrapping their arms around me as I sobbed.
“I already called a doctor,” Anson said. “We’ll go in the morning and see how far along you are, OK?”
I nodded against his chest.
“It’s going to be OK,” Evan soothed. “I promise, babe. We’re here with you.”
“What about the contract?” I asked, looking up at Anson.
“The contract is signed. Plenty of people have babies and sing, LeeLee. It’ll be a non-issue. We still have to write the songs and record them. We’ll have time.”
“And I’ll take care of our baby,” Evan murmured.
“Ours?”
“It’s ours,” he said firmly. “It doesn’t matter who the father is. That baby belongs to us.”
I hugged him fiercely, loving him even more.
“Our baby,” Ani murmured. “I like the way that sounds.”
“Me too,” Evan replied. “Me too.”
We sat in the doctor’s office the following morning. I kept throwing up and was so miserable I thought I was going to die. Fear kept sweeping through me. I’d lost blossom. I’d been this same way when it happened.
Evan didn’t say anything. He held me, clearly knowing my fears but not wanting to voice them either.
We’d already done the testing, so we were waiting for this doctor to come back in. When I asked Anson how he made this happen so fast, he shrugged and told me money talks.
The door opened, and the doctor returned.
“OK, Rosalie. You are pregnant. You are about six weeks and three days along. Give or take. Your due date will be July first. Congratulations!”
“She’s been having terrible morning sickness,” Anson said as Evan adjusted his sunglasses. He rarely took them off if we were in town. I thought he was still just as beautiful as always, but I understood his reasoning.
“She-She lost a baby before. Her morning sickness was bad then, too,” Anson continued. “We’re worried—”
“I can prescribe her something that will be fine for her to take. We can try that and see how she does. If the sickness persists, we can move on to other options. We typically see this kind of sickness lasting until the second trimester. It usually clears up. It’s rare that she’ll be sick throughout, but it’s always a possibility. There are treatments out there.”
“OK. Get the meds,” Anson confirmed. “Right, baby? You want them?”
I nodded as Evan held me.
The doctor spent a moment on her laptop before confirming that the prescription had been sent to the local pharmacy and that she had written enough to cover the first trimester. She then urged me to find a provider when we arrived in California. I said I would, and we left the office.
Evan sat in the back of Anson’s rented SUV with me, his arm around my shoulders as Anson drove.
“It’s Cole’s,” I whispered as we pulled into the pharmacy parking lot several minutes later.
Anson turned and looked at me after he parked in a spot.
“Do you want to tell him?” he asked gently. He looked to Evan, who was tense. I knew what telling him meant. He’d know Evan—Fox—was alive. Evan didn’t want them to know. He wanted to stay hidden.
“It’s OK,” Evan murmured. “Ro, if you want to tell him, I’ll be OK. I want what you want, baby. If they find out I’m alive, they’ll bitch and moan for a bit, but they’ll be fine eventually.”
I closed my eyes, hating my answer, but knowing it was the right one.
There was no way I wanted Celeste involved in my child’s life.
If I told Cole, and he was involved with her, that’s what would happen.
I couldn’t do that. I knew she was a horrible person.
Ethan hated her, and Ethan loved everyone. That was her first red flag.
I swallowed. “I’m not going to tell him. He let me go. He said he loved me, but he still left with Enzo and Celeste. I-I’m not going to tell him.”
Evan hugged me as Ani held my hand.
“If that’s what you want. We’re here for whatever,” Evan said, kissing my temple.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“There isn’t a damn thing to be sorry about. We’re going to be parents. It’s a little bit of a detour, but honestly, LeeLee, those can be the best trips. That baby will have two of the best dads in the world. I promise you that.” Ani squeezed my hand.
I smiled through my tears at him, hating myself for keeping this from Cole. I knew how much he wanted this baby.
But he let me go a long time ago. He chose Celeste and Enzo. I had to protect my baby from that life. Things were far too dangerous there right now.
Everett Church was still out there.
“Let’s go to California,” I said, wiping my eyes.
“Let’s go to California,” Anson said, his eyes bright and a gentle smile on his face.
Evan kissed my temple again. “I’m ready when you are.”
I smiled at that.
“Forward only. No looking back,” I said.
“That’s our girl.” Ani grinned at me before getting out of the car and going into the pharmacy to get my meds.
“I’m scared,” I whispered to Evan.
“Me too, but we can do this. I have faith.”
“Do you believe in fate?” I asked.
“Yes.” He brushed his lips against mine. “It’s what keeps bringing me back to you. I would never deny its existence.”
“This is going to be hard, Foxy,” I choked out.
“We’ve been through worse, Rosie. Faith, baby. Always. I’m with you the entire journey. So is Anson.”
I inhaled deeply. “Then I guess here’s to a new life.”
He smiled. “I’m ready when you are.”
I kissed him again, my heart overflowing with love to the point where I thought it would burst.
It didn’t matter how rough things got.
I had my Foxy and Ani.
“I love you,” I murmured, kissing him again.
“I love you,” he replied. “Always and forever, baby.”
Always and forever.
I really liked the sound of that.