Page 78 of Fierce Hearts

"I will soon." She sipped her tea again, her shoulders relaxing.

A sharp pain suddenly lanced through my lower abdomen, causing me to curl up more against Grayson.

"You okay?" Gray's brows furrowed with concern.

"I'm fine," I lied, though the pain caught me off guard. Hopefully it was just gas or stress, but a new uneasiness was seeping into me now.

I took another gulp of tea, but the cramping returned, stronger this time. I set the mug down on the coffee table as the worry amped up.

"I need to use the bathroom," I mumbled as I rose from the couch.

Gray's eyes followed me as I made my way across the living room. The cramping intensified with each step, and by the time I closed the bathroom door behind me, I was gritting my teeth against the pain.

Oh God. Please, no.

I moved to the toilet, yanking my pants down, my heart lurching into my throat at the spotting of blood on my underwear.

"Shit," I whispered, my heart hammering against my ribs.

I stared at the red stain, my mind fracturing. Spotting could be normal in early pregnancy, along with cramping...

No. This felt like something more, and I couldn't shake the fear that was nipping at my heels now.

Another wave of pain crashed over me, sharper than before, forcing me to double over.

This wasn't just stress. Something was wrong.

I cleaned myself up with trembling hands and pulled my pants back on. I needed to tell Gray. We needed to get to a hospital.

I opened the bathroom door, one hand pressed against my abdomen as another cramp seized me whilst walking to the living room.

Gray looked up from his phone, his expression shifting from distraction to concern in an instant. "Sofia?"

Before I could speak, Meredith leapt from her chair, eyes wide. "Sof… you're bleeding."

I looked down to see a dark red stain coming through my sweatpants. The sight of it made my knees weak. How had it intensified in just the walk from the bathroom to here?

"I think something's wrong with the baby," I managed, my voice breaking.

Gray was beside me in an instant, his arm around my waist, supporting my weight. "We need to get to the hospital. Now."

"I'll grab her purse," Meredith said, already moving along with Roman, who was out the door ahead of us, barking orders into his radio.

Gray swept me into his arms despite my weak protests. "I can walk?—"

"Not happening," he cut me off, his voice tight. He was scared, and hearing it in his tone only made my own fear more prominent.

The world tilted and blurred as he carried me outside to the waiting vehicle. Roman held the door open, and Gray slid into the backseat with me still cradled against his chest. Meredith climbed in beside us, clutching my purse and a small throw blanket from the couch.

"Here," she draped the blanket over my legs, hiding the blood stain. Her hand found mine and squeezed. "It's going to be okay."

Roman slammed the door and was behind the wheel in seconds. The engine roared to life, and we lurched forward.

Another cramp tore through me, more painful than the last. I bit back a cry, burying my face against Gray's chest.

What was happening? Was I miscarrying? After all we'd done, standing up to my family, and I was going to lose it?

"Drive faster," Gray ordered, his heart pounding beneath my ear.

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