Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
CJ
Beep. Beep. Beep.
God, I hate that incessant noise. It’s giving me a headache.
Wait, my head already hurts something fierce.
Where is that noise coming from?
Opening my eyes, I groan at the realization I’m once again in the hospital. Panic starts to set in when everything starts to flood back to me. What happened? How did I get here?
Glancing around the room, I find Axe slumped in a chair next to me, his head in an awkward position.
The door opens and Axe sits up quickly and looks around groggily. I glance to the door to see Dagger coming in with Hammer and Gunner.
“Hey, what are y’all doing here?” Axe asks gruffly and looks to me, sees I’m awake, and is out of his seat in less time it takes me to take a breath. “You’re awake. How you feeling, Sunbeam?”
“Hey,” I croak, my mouth is dry.
“Seems we came at a good time,” Dagger grunts. “Brought you some food.” Holding up a bag of food. The smell of it causes my stomach to churn and I feel the need to throw up.
“You okay, baby?” Axe asks, eyes focused on me, his hand splaying across my stomach gently.
“Water,” I murmur quietly, needing something to drink.
Axe jumps into motion quickly and holds the straw up to my mouth. I take a few long sips of water before finishing. He replaces it on the table next to the bed and looks at his brothers. “Can y’all give us a minute?” he asks cautiously.
Oh no. He doesn’t want to be with me anymore.
“Yeah, we’ll be right outside,” Hammer mutters, looks at me, and gives me a small smile. “Glad to see you’re awake.”
“Thanks,” I whisper quietly.
The heart monitor starts beeping faster to match my heart rate.
“Sunbeam,” Axe murmurs as the door closes behind the men who just walked back out after only entering a moment beforehand.
“You’re breaking up with me, aren’t you?” I whisper, tears spilling down my cheeks.
“What? No, baby, I love you. I could never leave you,” he utters, lifting a hand to cup the side of my face.
“I wouldn’t blame you if you did. I’m hideous after what Carlow did to me. God, I’m always going to be branded by the scars they inflicted on me,” I cry.
“Citrus, you need to calm down, baby. It’s not good for you to get worked up. Not for you or our baby,” Axe says soothingly, running his thumb along my cheek.
Wait, did he just say baby?
“Axe?”
“Yeah, Sunbeam, you’re pregnant with our baby.” He smiles brightly, and I don’t know if I can believe him or not.
But just seeing that look on his face, I’ll take his word for it.
A baby.
“I love you,” I whisper.
“Love you too, Citrus, and the next time you’re in a hospital, it’ll be to have our baby, not anything else, okay?”
“Okay,” I agree, not having a problem with this suggestion.
Leaning back against the pillow, I stare into his eyes and wait for him to lean in to kiss me.
Three weeks of bed rest and I’m ready to pull my hair out. The doctor wanted me to rest as much as possible until my stitches came out. I still have the cast on my hand, but the sling and bandages are now all gone.
Axe has been keeping me company as much as possible, and instead of staying at the house, we’re at the clubhouse so the others could visit me as well. Not that I would complain about spending time with Axe, I needed interaction with other people too. People I see as family rather than strangers.
After three weeks of confinement to these four walls, I’m looking forward to spending the day outside while the club has a family BBQ followed by a party later on.
I promised Axe I wouldn’t do anything strenuous and walk around much. The doctor cleared me to at least do the minimal things. Until we know for certain that I won’t miscarry, both are dead set on me not doing anything to risk it. Not that I would anyway. I want this baby as much as Axe.
“You ready to go outside, Sunbeam?” Axe asks, coming into the room as I finish pulling my hair up into a messy bun.
Here at the clubhouse, I found I could be who I want without hiding the scars and since it’s hot outside, I’m sporting a pair of yoga capris and a razorback tank top.
I can’t wear jeans until the wounds are completely healed.
I don’t want to irritate them and cause them to take longer to heal.
“Yeah, I’m more than ready to get out of this room,” I say, giving him a wide smile.
“Then let’s get you out there,” Axe states and comes to my side, lifts me into his arms, and starts out of the room.
Axe carries me down the hall and through the main room of the clubhouse. Several of the members chuckle and shake their heads.
I’ve gotten to know most of them as they’ve all come to check on me or spend time. I also have become closer than before to Avery and Willow. Spending time with them and their children is fun.
Dagger opens the door for Axe as he gets to it.
Stepping through, I’m blinded by the sun and need to shield my face from the brightness. Axe carries me over to a picnic table where the other ol’ ladies are sitting. He straddles the bench and places me in front of him.
I glance at Avery and Willow, rolling my eyes at Axe’s movements.
“Ready?” Hammer calls out from where he’s standing at the end of the table.
“Yeah,” Axe says and releases his hold on me as he stands. Moving around, he faces me and kneels on the ground. “Citrus Jeanna, will you do me the honor of not only being my ol’ lady but also my wife?” he asks, pulling out a small box and opening it.
“Yes,” I whisper, nodding.
Sliding the ring on my finger, Axe kisses the daylights out of me.
I promise myself as Axe kisses me that I intend to devote the rest of my life to this man. The love of my life. He’s not only earned my devotion but he’s done so much more. Axe has given me a life I should have always had.
And now I get to have it with him as we start our own family.