Chapter 38 #3
“Actually,” I trail off, peering at Dayton from the corner of my eye.
He raises an eyebrow, his feet rooted to the floor, the two of us in a silent standoff.
It’s not that I want privacy, per se; I just don’t want him to blame himself.
With a resigned huff, I continue. “I had some spotting Friday night. After intercourse. Briggs felt certain it was normal, but he thought it’d be wise for me to let you know.
” Dayton’s entire body goes taut, his beautiful blue eyes simmering with fury.
Not for me, but for himself. Which is exactly what I was trying to avoid.
“Oh!” Dr. Baker’s surprise helps to cool the rising temperature of the room, giving Dayton something to focus on.
She glances between the two of us, likely wondering who the culprit is–him or Briggs–but little does she know, there are actually two more it could be.
“Unless it was bright red in color, I don’t think it warrants a pelvic exam, considering there were no signs of anything abnormal on the ultrasound.
Your placenta looked great, so I see no cause for alarm.
I don’t want to introduce the risk of bacteria unless it’s definitively necessary.
Spotting during the third trimester is fairly common, but keep an eye on things, and if you experience any bleeding again, especially outside of intercourse, contact the office immediately.
If it’s after hours, the emergency line will forward you to the on-call nurse, so never hesitate to reach out. ” Her kind smile sets me at ease.
“It was darker in color, so no worry there,” I reply, feeling marginally better, although I never doubted Briggs’ assessment.
“Great!” Dr. Baker stands, disposing of her gloves before handing me the disc with my sonogram recording.
“I’ll see you next time, Andi.” I wave goodbye and right my clothes, keenly aware of Dayton’s presence and the cloud of regret blanketing the room.
Before either of us can speak about it, there’s a light knock at the door, and a nurse enters with an IV pole and the fluids Dr. Baker insisted I get.
My body tenses at the prospect of being stuck with a needle, but Dayton steps closer, his hand cupping the back of my head as I bury my face against his chest. The pinch of the needle being inserted makes me flinch, but I breathe through my nose, knowing this is necessary to ensure both the baby and I are healthy.
“Okay, dear. You’re all set. I’ll grab you a blanket, though, just in case you get cold,” the kind nurse tells me.
She’s back in seconds, tucking me in before excusing herself once again.
I keep my eyes closed, not wanting to see the evidence of how similar my current predicament is to the blood-letting Veritas used to put me through.
During the forty minutes it takes for the fluids to be disbursed, neither of us says a word.
When I’m finally freed of the catheter pinching my arm, a sigh of relief parts my lips.
As I slide off the table and go to leave, Dayton’s hand snaps out and halts my progress.
Almost instantly, his hold on my wrist gentles, as if I’m made of glass and he’s scared of breaking me.
When I meet his tortured blue eyes, my stomach dips.
How are men like him even real? Ones who beat themselves up over the thought of causing you pain, and yet someone like Tobias walked this same plane of existence.
“I hurt you, Butterfly?” The agony in his voice is tangible.
“No, Dayton. You’d never hurt me,” I assure him. “In case you forgot, I was a willing participant and just as eager as you were. No one’s to blame; it’s just a part of pregnancy.”
“I swear, I’d rather cut my dick off than ever bring you pain,” he expresses vehemently, his hands cradling my stomach as he drops his forehead to mine.
“Please don’t; I’m rather fond of it,” I tease. Dayton groans, pulling back slightly so he can place a tender kiss against my lips.
“Stop talking about my dick, sweetheart. I’m already half-hard, and I’d rather not have to walk out of here with the imprint of it on display.”
“I’d prefer that didn’t happen either,” I agree, the thought of another woman catching sight of him making me slightly homicidal. I really am a hypocrite. “Let’s go then.” I take his hand in mine, leading the way and covering the crotch of his pants with my body.
We quickly schedule my next appointment with the receptionist, and when I take out Briggs’ credit card to pay for the visit, Dayton swipes it from my hand and replaces it with his own.
I gape at him in shock, but he only smirks at me, then leans down and whispers, “He’s not the only one who gets to take care of you, Butterfly.
” I press my lips together to keep from causing a scene, swallowing down the urge to argue because I know his generosity comes from a place of love.
Despite the chilly temperature, the sun is shining brightly when we exit onto the sidewalk.
Dayton keeps his head on a swivel, as usual, guiding me towards the Jeep with a hand splayed across my lower back.
It’s a short drive to the Italian bistro we chose for lunch, my stomach growling the moment we step inside and the scent of garlic bread greets us.
Col and Hudson are already seated at a booth in the back, my sweet boy squealing in excitement when his eyes connect with mine.
“Hi, baby!” I pepper his cheek with kisses. As badly as I want to unbuckle him from his highchair so I can cuddle him against me, I refrain. If I take him out now, we might never get him back in. “How was therapy?” I ask, sliding across the bench seat so Dayton can take the outside.
“He did great,” Col answers, ruffling Hudson’s curls affectionately. “Apparently, a certain little boy responds very well to being rewarded with M&M’s. He said three new words today: cat, dog, and baby.” I’m practically bouncing in my seat, overjoyed that he’s doing so well.
“Bay!” Hudson repeats, doing his best to mimic the sound but missing a consonant.
“Are you excited for the baby, too, little man?” Dayton asks, his fingers grazing mine.
Col narrows his eyes at the contact, quickly averting his attention.
Hudson’s jibbering isn’t much of an answer, but we take it to mean yes.
We fall into an awkward silence, each of us browsing the menu to keep busy.
When Hudson gets antsy, Col pulls out a fruit pouch and twists the top off before handing it to him.
The waitress finally arrives and asks for our drink orders, but Dayton surprises me when he lets us know that he won’t be staying.
“I need to meet Briggs in town. The two of us have something we need to take care of,” he explains. My brows pinch in confusion, but Col voices my inner thoughts before I get the chance to, just a lot more rudely.
“Since when are you and Briggs friends?” he snorts derisively.