Page 69 of Imperfections Forbidden
Nick
She’s sleeping in my arms, her head resting on my arm, my hand around her waist.There’s not an inch of space between us.I like it like that.I missed her so damn much.I thought I missed her before, but I truly realized how much when she walked in to the gala.I wanted to touch her every time I saw her.She looked like she was glowing, shinning for me, pure magic.
It wasn’t my plan to come here tonight, but there was no way I could stay away.My hand touches the skin on her wrist over her bracelet.I wasn’t giving her a line—this bracelet was specially made for her.I told the jeweler exactly what I wanted and he delivered.I wanted to give her the stars, stars that shine almost as bright as her, in a cross between an exquisite charm and tennis bracelet.
I love this woman with all my heart; for the first time in my life, I’m wearing my heart on my sleeve.It’s a humbling experience.I’ve been turned down a time or two in my life, but not by anyone that mattered.If tonight doesn’t prove how much we belong together, I don’t know what will.I’m not giving up on us.It won’t be easy, but I’m going to find a way to make her see we have a future together.
I don’t need anything else to happen.She’s at the point where she could say she wants to be with me or say to hell with me and my womanizing ass.We have enough going against us already, that’s for damn sure.I don’t want to think about what else could go against us besides her family.I don’t want to know.
Cat
My eyes are closed, butin the back of my mind I keep hearing a buzzing sound.I open my eyes and wait for them to adjust to the darkness.Nick has me trapped in his arms in a vice grip.I smile.It’s almost like he’s afraid I’m going to escape in the middle of the night.If he holds me any tighter, I’m going to have trouble breathing.I’m not complaining; it’s better than what I woke up to this morning—a cold bed.
There it is again, what is—it’s my phone.I turned it on vibrate before I left for the gala.Who the hell would be calling me at this time?It must be important, ’cause the only person that would call me in the middle of the night to talk would be Ava or Nick, and he’s right here with me.Hmm, it stopped.No, it didn’t, there it is again.I try to break free of the hold Nick has on me without waking him.He grunts and pulls me back in with no effort at all.The phone stops again.
Shit, it must be important.I nudge Nick to get him to loosen his grip.
“Nick.”
He grunts and moves his hand over to my hip.I can work with this.I carefully move out of his arms.He rolls over on his stomach and mumbles something unintelligible.I pick my phone up to see who’s calling me nonstop.Nineteen missed calls and five text messages from Jay and Chris.Shit!It must be important for them to call me at four in the morning so many times.I play the first message and my heart drops.Oh my God.It’s Kate.She was rushed to the hospital two hours ago.They think she might be losing the baby.
“Shit!Shit!”I almost drop the phone.I have to tell Nick.I rush over to him and shake him as hard as I can.“Nick, wake up!We have to go to the hospital.”My hands are trembling and my body feels light.
He opens his eyes, groggy, he rubs his hand over his eyes, sleep in his voice.“What’s wrong?”
It all comes out in a rush, my words one on top of each other.“We have to get dressed.Chris called, the ambulance rushed Kate to the hospital; they think she might be losing the baby.”
Not another word is said until we get to the hospital.He throws back on the clothes he wore to the party, and I grab a pair of sweatpants, a T-shirt, put my hair back in a messy ponytail, and with no coat in the freezing cold, we are out the door.
I’m a nervous wreck the whole way to the hospital.I can’t imagine what Nick must be feeling—this is his baby.All I can do is silently pray that it was a mistake, that Kate and the baby are fine.They’re going to be fine.Whatever our differences, she is my sister, and I love her.I would never want this to happen to her or her baby.I pray to God they’re okay.Please God make them be okay.I try to keep it together for Nick, but I’m a nervous wreck.I don’t know what to say.His hands are gripping the wheel so hard his knuckles are turning white.He hasn’t looked at me or spoken since I told him about Chris’s message.
We pull up to the hospital, and there is no parking on the street.I tell him to go and I’ll park the car.He rushes inside, and I watch him slip through the sliding doors.I don’t look for a parking spot right away.I sit in the car and pray some more, this time out loud.That’s all I can do.Pray and hope things work out fine.
I get upstairs and find the room the nurse at the desk tells me Kate is in.I don’t see anyone in the hall, only empty chairs a few feet down on the opposite side of the hall, but I hear Nick’s voice coming from the room.I move closer and hear my mother’s voice.My heart is beating hard with each step I take.Not fast and loud, but a dull pounding I feel in my throat.I stand by the side of the open doorway, afraid to go in.
My mother is facing the window, her back to Nick.Nick is looking at Kate lying in the bed, his hands in his pockets.She looks so peaceful and calm.She must be all right.How can she not be?She’s fine.She’s just sleeping.It was just a false alarm.I want this to be the truth, and if I say it enough, it will be.
I watch Nick watching her.He looks lost in his own thoughts.He asks my mother,
“Does she know?”
Know what?
My mother shakes her head.Her voice is low and full of emotion, like she’s been crying.“I’m not sure if she will remember.A lot was happening; they had to give her something in the ambulance to calm her down.She kept screaming for them to save her baby.”
Oh my God.I don’t even want to think it.This is not happening.A dull ache is spreading inside of me.This is not right.This was never supposed to happen.
I see Kate’s arm move across her stomach.Her eyes flutter open and close again, struggling to wake up.Nick moves closer to her bed and sits down next to her.My mother turns around and moves closer, but she doesn’t move close enough to touch her or Nick.She has a look of trepidation mixed with sadness on her face.I move a little closer to the door.Kate turns her head and looks at Nick.Her voice is calm and quiet, a little groggy from the medicine they must have given her.
“Nick.”She licks her lips and closes her eyes for a second.
Nick puts his hand over hers, resting on her stomach.He studies her face.“Yeah,” he says softly.
“The baby.Is the baby okay?”
He looks down at her stomach, his hand resting over hers, before he looks into her eyes.
My mother covers her mouth with her hand, stifling a sound, her eyes clouding up with tears.From nowhere, a pang of guilt hits me.A tear rolls down my cheek and goes under my chin.I feel like I shouldn’t be here, that I shouldn’t bear witness to this, but I can’t make myself leave or look away.I’m rooted to the spot where I stand.
