50. Enzo
ENZO
Ipaced the waiting room as Ryder spoke in a hurried whisper on the phone. I knew he was talking to Evan and the guys.
He was shaking, tears on his cheeks. He was sporting a busted lip and bruised cheek, so clearly Cole got a hold of him. Cole didn’t even need to tell me, and I would have guessed it.
“Yeah. Yeah, I will. No. Just… wait for my call. I promise. Yes,” Ryder said. He disconnected the call a moment later and hung his head.
I took the seat across from him and put my elbows on my knees as I sat forward.
“What happened?” I asked. I’d heard Cole’s side; now I wanted his.
He was quiet for a moment before he shook his head.
“We fucked up. I kissed Rosalie. Cole saw me do it. He lost it. We fought. I don’t know what happened.
She wasn’t feeling well and said she was tired.
She fell and hit her head on the cupboard when she tried to stop us.
She wasn’t feeling good today and kept throwing up. ”
I ground my teeth and tried to calm my fury at the idiocy of the entire situation.
“Are the guys coming?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he whispered. “They’re trying to get a flight. Anson is pissed. He’s sick with worry. The baby…” His voice trailed off, and he wiped at his eyes. “Fuck.”
“Cole is a good doctor. He’ll sort this.”
Ryder scoffed and shook his head, a sour look on his face.
We sat in silence for a long time before a doctor came out, whom I recognized as a guy named Gage. He and Cole did med school together and hung out from time to time. He had a nurse with him I didn’t know, so I ignored her.
“Hey, Enzo,” he greeted me.
I got to my feet, Ryder following. “How is she?”
“She’s OK. Concussion. Had to give her a few stitches.
She’s a little groggy with a headache. Dehydrated, but rightly so with the vomiting Cole said she was doing today.
It would appear she had a syncope episode.
I’m guessing baby may have put pressure on some nerves, and coupled with her dehydration, she had an episode. ”
“And the baby?”
“Ultrasound was on the way in,” he said.
“Cole asked for you to come back. You’re listed as her fiancé on her paperwork, but I know she’s married to someone else…
” He frowned. “I’m confused about the situation, I guess.
Cole said she’s his girlfriend. I would like to call her husband if she really does have one.
The news I’ve seen says she does. I guess that’s why I think it’s important for you to come back too, since she does have you listed along with a Fox Evans.
” He paused. “She’s still a little out of it, so wasn’t much help, and Cole is… Cole.”
“It’s fine. I’m the one you can talk to,” I said immediately.
He raised his brows at that. “And Cole?”
“I’m in charge,” I said evenly. I was already in the headlines. I didn’t want Cole to face the backlash as well. I didn’t give a fuck if someone said shit about me, but I’d witnessed how pissed Cole could get with the media. We didn’t need him to punch anyone again.
“I’d appreciate it if that didn’t get out,” I added. “Her and I.”
“You’re a fucking dick,” Ryder muttered, shaking his head. I ignored him.
“Of course. Cole and I are good friends. I would never,” Gage said. “Uh, but he wants you to come back. She’s a bit of a big deal, and I think she could use your help. I have security outside her door, but you know how people are. She has a lot of fans here.”
I grunted and followed him. Ryder tagged along with us. I didn’t tell him to fuck off because I knew it wouldn’t go anywhere good. I only hoped Cole had cooled off enough so we didn’t have a round two on our hands.
Ryder, Cole, and I stood around Rosalie’s hospital bed as the ultrasound technician gave Rosalie the ultrasound. Rosalie seemed a bit more lucid than she was when I’d first seen her tonight.
Ryder took her hand in his, Cole holding her other one, as I stood next to her bed. He and Cole hadn’t said a single word to one another, which I was grateful for.
There was a fuck of a lot of tension in the room, though.
Cole still had her blood all over his white dress shirt and hands. I wasn’t even sure if he realized it. He was so intent on caring for her that he seemed oblivious.
I noted she hadn’t spoken to him, and I could tell it was killing him. To be fair, she hadn’t spoken to Ryder either, so I knew she was pissed.
And to me? She’d reached for me when I’d come into the room. I didn’t know if it was because I was the only one in the room she wasn’t hating at the moment or what, but I went to her just the same and comforted her. Judging by the look on Cole’s face, he was both shocked and hopeful.
“OK, let’s take a look,” the technician, Felicity, said.
We all stared at the screen. I had no idea what I was looking at, but I noticed the change in Cole’s face immediately as an image came onto the screen.
It was the odd heartbeat that made me frown, though.
Ryder stepped forward. “Why does the heartbeat sound so weird?”
“Twins,” Cole murmured before Felicity could answer. “S-She’s having… twins. It’s… It’s two heartbeats. Rosebud.” He looked at her. “We’re having two babies.”
She blinked rapidly at that information. “What? Are you sure?”
Cole nodded, his eyes glimmering. I watched with my heart in my throat as he surged forward and crushed his lips against hers.
“Twins, baby. We’re having two.” He sniffled as he gently cradled her face.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as they both looked at the monitor.
Ryder looked from them to me. I gave him a quick smile that he returned, but inside I was dying.
I was still on the outside looking in, and I was desperate to change that. I wanted to be the man she needed. The one who fathered her children. Fuck. I wanted it more than my next breath.
“Can you tell if they’re boys or girls?” Ryder asked.
“Not yet,” Cole answered before Felicity could. She clearly knew Cole, so she continued working, smiling as she took measurements.
“We’ll have to wait a few more weeks, but it doesn’t matter. Our family is growing. Fuck, baby, I can’t believe this.” Cole kissed Rosalie’s hand fiercely and looked back at the screen. We listened as he instructed Felicity on what images he needed printed for his scrapbook.
“I think I have everything,” Felicity said. “Congratulations, Doctor Scott, and you, Bishop.”
Felicity stared at Rosalie, looking slightly starstruck.
“Thank you,” Rosalie murmured, giving her a smile.
“I know things aren’t great, and you’re unwell, but could I maybe have an autograph?” Felicity winced. “My niece and I adore your music. We just saw your Chicago show.”
“No, she needs to rest,” Cole started, but Rosalie waved him off.
“Ry? Can you…?”
Ryder sprang into action and dug something from his pocket. I watched as he opened a small notebook and pulled out a pen. He handed it to Rosalie, and she quickly wrote out autographs for both Felicity and her niece, Lena.
“Thank you so much,” Felicity gushed. “She’s going to love this!”
Felicity left a moment later, leaving us alone with Rosalie.
Cole quickly went quiet, but Rosalie cleared her throat.
“Cole?”
“Yeah?” he mumbled, looking at her. “Is this the part where we break up, and you leave me for him?” He jerked his thumb in Ryder’s direction.
My heart ached for Cole.
“What? No,” Rosalie said, releasing Ryder’s hand and reaching for Cole. He’d gotten to his feet and was pacing the room. “I love you.”
“Then why were you kissing him?” Cole asked, stopping to look at her. “Why?”
“Because… I love him.”
Cole scoffed, looked at Ryder, then shook his head.
“What? She can love you and the others, but not me?” Ryder demanded.
“What do you even have to offer her?” Cole shot back.
“Cole,” I said, not wanting him to fight. That was the same shit that brought us here tonight, and I really didn’t feel like breaking them up.
“No. I want to know what this prick brings to the table,” Cole snapped. “Tell me, pretty boy.”
“I love her, and I have loved her for five years. I am her protector. Her confidant. The one she reaches for before a show when she needs to feel grounded and assured she’s perfect.
I am the one who would give her anything without hesitation.
I don’t lie to her. I am here for her always.
It’s more than I can say for either of you. ”
I said nothing to his words. They were a low blow, but I understood where he was coming from. We’d been real assholes to Rosalie and deserved the ire.
“Cole,” Rosalie called out. “I was going to tell you today. I was. I’m sorry. I should have told you.”
Cole stared at her, no emotion on his face.
“Cole,” I said. “Come on. Let’s talk, OK? Take a walk.”
He hesitated for a moment before nodding. I gave Rosalie a quick look to see the fear and worry on her face. I left her with Ryder and walked down the hall with Cole to one of the waiting rooms.
We sat, and I started speaking immediately.
“You love her. You want her. Don’t fuck this up.”
He exhaled and slouched in his seat. “I do. I just… what the fuck, man? I was blindsided when I walked in on that shit. It… It hurt me. I lost it.”
I nodded. “I get it, but if you’re OK with the others, then I don’t think Ryder is that far of a stretch. Sure, he’s a dick, but it’s Rosalie, you know? She’s worth it.”
He nodded. “She is.” He was quiet for a moment before speaking. “We’re having twins.”
I smiled. “I know. I saw. Congrats, man. Really. It’s amazing.”
He gave me a watery smile. “It is. I’m so happy that I don’t think I even really care about that ass nozzle in there right now. I got the girl, too. Plus, he has been there for her.” His voice trailed off.
“Are you good?”
He was quiet again. “Yeah. I’m good. I’d rather it be you or E, but I can handle this. I need to apologize to her. And him.” He scowled at that. “Want to go with me to the gift shop?”
“Of course, man.” I got up with him, and we went to the first floor where the gift shop was located.
I watched him wander around, looking at baby things, before he finally settled on a yellow-and-green pajama set. One for each baby.