Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
ALICE
I t's been a few weeks, and there are still no signs of Declan and Chloe. The whole thing has me unsettled. I don’t know where those two disappeared off to. A part of me feels like it’s no coincidence they vanished at the same time, but there’s no way they know each other. Until those two are no longer a threat, I’ll stay within the clubhouse's gates.
For the past few days, I’ve been too sick to leave. I’m throwing up every morning even though I’ve only been eating soup. If this goes on for another day, I’ll go see Doc.
Things between Red and I have been perfect. I never thought that after Declan, I would fall in love again and so soon. But here I am. That man has taken my heart and locked it away in a vault.
I don’t regret it though. Meeting Red has been the greatest thing to ever happen to me. He’s attentive and protective. The way he loves me is what women dream of experiencing one day.
I just wish my father was here to see it.
Red had taken me to visit my father's grave not too long ago. I hadn’t been in a while before I came here. When I did visit him, I would have to sneak away to do so. Declan felt my father was a traitor and I shouldn’t miss someone who was trying to rip us apart.
Every day, I’m grateful for Cara and Sara intervening in that parking lot.
It changed my life.
A knock on my bedroom breaks my thoughts. I look up and see Will approaching my bed with a bag. He places it down on the bed and takes a seat next to me.
“Girl, you still in this bed?” he asks, walking into my room.
“Unfortunately, yes, but how was your day?”
Puffing out a deep breath, he rolls his eyes. “You’re not going to believe this. So today, Angel was in a daddy-day mood, and Viper told me to bring her to his office at the clubhouse since he was finishing up some paperwork.”
I nod, sitting up and waiting for him to finish.
“So, I get there, and as I’m leaving, tell me why I catch Tech leaving his room with a woman he clearly had fucked.”
I gasp as Will's eyes fill with unshed tears. He shakes his head, refusing to let them fall, but the hurt is all over his face. I know this has left him heartbroken. The first man he dated who was in the closet did something similar, and that’s why he vowed never to date men who weren’t out. It's not that he minded if a man was bisexual, but it’s the lying part.
“He’s been blowing my phone up with texts all day, talking about he was drunk out of his mind, and the guys were talking crap because he hadn’t been hooking up with any of the ladies lately.” He gives a humorless laugh and sighs. “As if that makes it completely okay. It doesn’t matter, though, because I’m done. He can fuck whoever the hell he wants, but it’ll never be me again.”
Rubbing his back, I lay my head on his shoulder. “Are you sure? Love doesn’t just turn off.”
“I have to be done. Loving him hurts too much. He’s not ready, and that’s fine, but I refuse to be his secret while he fucks women just to prove to his brothers he’s straight. Enough about me, though. How are you feeling?” he asks and smooths down my hair.
I have been in this bed for the past few days because I’ve been so sick. I haven’t even been to work. I’ve been so nauseous that even fresh air makes me gag.
“I’m feeling a little better, but it's been like that every day. I wake up puking my brains out, and by the time I go to sleep, I’m feeling better just to do the same thing the next day. I think I’m going to go see Doc. This has got to be some kind of bug or something.”
Will tilts his head to the side and sighs. “I don’t think this is a stomach bug, Alice.”
“Well, what else can it be?”
He bucks his eyes at me as if it's obvious. “I think you’re pregnant.”
“Will, I can't be pregnant. It’s impossible.”
“Look, I know you said you went to a doctor who told you were infertile, but you also said that man was a friend of Declan’s. I wouldn’t trust that. And let me ask you this, do you and Red use condoms? When was your last period?”
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. I never thought to second-guess when Frank told me I was infertile. I mean, he is a doctor. Why would he lie about something like that?
“Mmhm, exactly,” Will sasses as he watches the wheels spinning inside of my mind. “Boo, I’m a nanny. Trust me. I know all the signs of pregnant women, and I strongly believe there’s a little baby in there.”
He reaches into the bag and pulls out a pregnancy test. “It won't hurt to take it. At least you’ll know where to go from here once you do.”
Grabbing the box, I go into the bathroom and take the test. While I wait for the results, my heart pounds. I have so many mixed emotions about this. I had come to peace about being infertile a long time ago.
If I am pregnant, I know I want to keep it, but what will I tell Red. The only reason we’ve never used a condom is because he believes I can't get pregnant. Not to mention, we haven’t been together long. Bringing a baby into our relationship could change everything.
This is just a hot mess.
The timer goes off, and I pick up the stick. The word pregnant is there in big, bold letters.
Oh my God.
My eyes fill with tears as I stare at the test in disbelief.
I always wanted to be a mother, and the fact that I was told that would never happen crushed me. I step out of the bathroom and Will is still sitting there with a knowing look.
“Was I right, or was I right?”
I choke out a laugh, and the tears spill over. “I’m going to be a mom, Will,” I croak out.
He gets up and wraps his around me, holding me. I silently cry happy tears. Even though this happened at an unfortunate time, I wouldn’t take this back even if I could.
My thoughts drift off to Declan and Frank, and I become furious. Either something changed, causing me to be able to have a baby, or I was lied to. Knowing Declan, I’m guessing it’s the latter. But I need to know why I was lied to. That doesn’t make a bit of sense.
“Are you going to tell Red when he gets home?” Will pulls back, wiping the tears from my face.
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” he repeats with a frown.
Sighing, I walk over to the bed and plop down. “Red believes I can't have children just like I did. The first time we had sex, he wanted to use a condom, and I told him it wasn’t necessary because I couldn’t get pregnant. I don’t know how he’s going to feel about this.”
Will takes a seat next to me and wraps his arm around me.
“I don’t know how he will feel about this, Alice, but you have to tell him. He deserves to know. But just know that if he turns his back on you for some reason, I’ll be behind you every step of the way.”
“I hear you, but for now, I think I’m going to keep this to myself until this drama dies down. Once it does, I’ll tell Red.”
“You’ll tell me what?” Red asks, walking through the door.
Uh-oh.