-CELINE’S POV
The harsh fluorescent hospital lights pierced through my consciousness like needles, dragging me back from the merciful darkness had been floating in.
My eyelids felt heavy as lead, and when I finally managed to force them open, the sterile white ceiling above me came into focus slowly, the a photograph developing.
Where was 17
The antiseptic smell hit me next…that unique hospital cocktail of disinfectant and sadness that made my stomach lurch.
I tried to sit up quickly, panic flooding my system as fragmented memories crashed back.
The motel. Caesar crying. The bus we were supposed to catch. My legs were giving out just when we needed to escape the most.
“Whos there, honey. Easy does it.”
A gentle hand pressed against my shoulder, guiding me back against the pillows.
A middle–aged nurse with kind eyes and graying hair smiled down at me, her scrubs decorated with tiny cartoon cats that seemed absurdly cheerful in this sterile environment.
“You gave us quite a scare,” she said, adjusting something on the IV pole beside my bed. “Try not to move too quickly. You’re still recovering.”
The dizziness hit me like a freight train the moment I tried to sit up again, confirming her warning.
“What… what happened to me?”
“Exhaustion, dehydration, severe stress,” she rattled off clinically, but her tone remained warm,
“When did youst eat <b>a </b>proper meal, sweetheart? Your blood <b>sugar </b>was dangerously low when they brought you in.”
Brought me in. The words made my heart skip several beats..
“Who brought me in?” I whispered, though part of me already knew the answer my treacherous heart wanted to hear.
“A gentleman found you copsed in that motel room with your little boy crying over you. Lucky thing too…<b>you </b>could <b>have </b>been unconscious for hours if he hadn’t heard themotion.”
Hunter
It had to be Hunter
He’d found us somehow, tracked us down despite all my precautions. My pulse hammered against my throat as i frantically scanned the small hospital room.
The generdscape painting on the wall, The ufortable–looking visitor’s chair. The window showed nothing but gray sky,
But no sign of Caesar
“Where’s my son?” The words came out sharper than I intended, edged with maternal panic. “He’s three years old, blue eyes, dark curly hair…where is he?”
<b>10:19 </b>Wed, 0 Aug
The nurse’s expression softened further. <fncd25> The source of th?s content is ?ovelFind</fncd25>
“Oh, the little angel with the dinosaur? Don’t worry, sweetheart. He’s perfectly safe. That bay wouldn’t leave your side for anything,– kept. parting your hand and telling you to wake up. Nearly broke all our hearts.
Relief flooded through me<b>, </b>but it was quickly reced by fresh anxiety. “But where it he now?”
“His father took him to get some ice cream, Poor little thing was getting pretty upset<b>, </b>crying for his mama Smart man, knew exactly how to distract him.” She bustled around the bed, checking monitors and making notes on her clipboard.
“You’re lucky to have a husband who cares so much. He’s been pacing these halls like a caged tiger, demanding updates every five minutes.”
Husband
The word hit me like a physical blow.
The <b>nurse </b>thought Hunter was my husband. Of course she did….what <b>else </b>would she think when a man brought in a woman and child, refusing to leave their sides?
But something felt wrong. Hunter would never pace with worry.
Hunter would handle the situation with his typical cold efficiency, maybe hire the best doctors money could buy, but pacing? Showing emotion in front of strangers?
That didn’t sound like the man who <b>had </b>had me thrown out of his life through hiswyer and hurtful words.
<b>need </b>to see him,” I said, throwing back the thin hospital nket. “I need to see my son.”
“Now hold on there,” the nurse said, moving to block my path as I swung my legs over the side of the bed.
“The doctor still needs to speak with you. And you shouldn’t be up and about just yet–you gave your body quite a shock.”
But I was already reaching for my shoes…the same scuffed ts i had been wearing when i had packed our meager belongings in the dark. I
had to find Caesar.
Had to make sure he was okay, Had to figure out how Hunter had found us and what he nned to do now.
The world wobbled <b>dangerously </b>as I stood, and I had to grip the bed rail to keep from falling. Every muscle in my body ached like I had been hit by a truck.
“Please, just rest a bit longer,” the nurse pleaded. “Your husband will be back soon with your little boy.”
But I couldn’t wait. Couldn’t just lie here tolerant and helpless while my entire world potentially crumbled around me again.
What if Hunter was <b>nning </b>to take Caesar from me? What if this was all some detailed setup staged by his mother to prove I <b>was </b>an unfit
parent?
Fighting through the dizziness, I made my wayslowly toward the <b>door</b>, using the wall for support.
The hospital <b>corridor </b>stretched endlessly in both directions, all beige walls and muted lighting designed to be soothing but somehow making
everything feel more ominous.
And then I saw him.
Caesar was sitting in one of the waiting area chairs, his little legs, swinging back and forth, Rex clutched protectively against his chest.
<b>10</b><b>:</b>19% Wed: 6 Aug
Chapter <b>127 </b>
He looked so small in that big chair, but he seemed calm–not traumatized or frightened. When he spotted me wavering in the doorwa face lit up like Christmas morning
“Mamal
But before he could run to me, a voice called his name, drawing both our attention to the tall figure approaching with two ice cream <b>cups </b><b>in </b>
his hands.
My heart stopped.
This wasn’t Hunter.
The man walking toward my son
on was tall…probably close to Hunter’s height…but where Hunter was all sharp angles and controlled power, this stranger moved with an easy, rxed grace.
His hair was golden brown instead of dark, catching the fluorescent lights as he smiled down at Caesar
And when he looked up in my direction, following Caesar’s pointing finger, I found myself staring into the warmest green eyes I’d ever seen,
Not the piercing blue of Hunter’s gaze that could freeze or burn depending on his mood. These eyes held only kindness and concem.
I should have felt relief flooding through me. This meant Hunter hadn’t found us<b>. </b>We were still free, still had a chance to disappear and start
<b>CYCL</b>.
But instead of relief, all I felt was a crushing disappointment that made no sense.
Deep down, despite everything that had happened, despite the cruel dismissal and his mother’s blood money, I had wanted it to be Hunter.
Had wanted to see that familiar face, even if it meant facing his anger. Had wanted proof that we mattered enough for him to chase us across
state lines.
“<b>Mama</b><b>, </b>mamal” Caesar scrambled down from the chair and ran toward me, his ice cream forgotten.
I dropped to my knees just in time to catch him, wrapping my arms around his small body and breathing in that sweet little boy scent that always made everything seem manageable.
“Are you okay, baby?” I whispered against his curls, checking him over with desperate maternal hands. “You’re not hurt?”
“I’m okay, Mama. But you were sleeping for so long and you wouldn’t wake up and I got <b>scared</b>.<b>” </b>His voice was muffled against my shoulder, but I <b>could </b>hear the remaining fear underneath his excitement.
see you’re awake.”
The voice was closer now, warm and tinged with what sounded like genuine relief.
I looked up to find the stranger standing just a few feet away, and this close I could see he was definitely magazine–handsome….the kind of <b>casually </b>perfect that suggested good genes and expensive grooming without trying too hard.
I felt heat rise in my cheeks as <b>I </b>realized how I must look
Hospital–pale, my hair probably a disaster, wearing yesterday’s wrinkled clothes. Not exactly the image of a capable singl
“I almost thought you might not <b>wake </b>up until tomorrow,” he continued with a soft smile that made tiny lines appear at the corners of his
eyes<b>. </b>
“You gave your boy quite the scare
<b>wed</b>, 6 <b>Aug </b>
Caesar pulled back from our embrace, his eyes bright with excitement. “Mama, this is the nice mant He helped us when you fell and wouldn’t wake up. He brought us to the hospital and got me ice cream!”.
The strange…this unexpected guardian angel waved off Caesar’s excited introduction with obvious embarrassment. I was just lucky to be checking out of the motel when I heard the crying. Really, it was nothing
Nothing.
As if saving my life and probably Caesar’s sanity was just a casual good deed. I struggled to my feet, Caesar’s small hand gripping mine for
support<b>. </b>
“Thank you,” I managed, my voice rougher than I intended. Tim so sorry if Caesar was any trouble, I can’t imagine what you must think__”
“Your son is quite the charmer,” he said, reaching down to ruffle Caesar’s hair with an ease that suggested he wasfortable around
children.
“He told me all about his dinosaur friend here and how his mama makes the best cookies in the whole world.”
Despite everything, felt a smile tugging at my lips, Trust Caesar to turn a medical emergency into a social opportunity
“I’m ncey, by the way.” He extended a hand toward me. “ncey Morrison.”
“Celine,” I replied, taking his hand briefly before pulling mine back when he held it just a moment too long.
There was something in his eyes…interest, maybe?….that made me look away and focus on Caesar instead.
“Where are our things?” I asked, suddenly realizing i had no idea what had happened to our meager belongings after I’d copsed.
“I spoke with the motel manager,” ncey said. “He’s keeping your room and belongings safe. I figured you might want to check back inter with your son, once you’re feeling better”
The kindness of a stranger was almost too much to process. When had anyone ever gone out of their way to help me without expecting something in return?
“I don’t know how to thank you,” I said, emotion threatening <b>to </b>clog my throat. “You didn’t have to do any of this.”
“Have you seen the doctor yet?” he asked, ignoring my gratitude with another of those easy smiles: “He mentioned wanting to speak with you since I’m not… well, since I’m not <b>your </b>husband or boyfriend.”
The way he said it….with just the slightest questioning inflection….made me wonder if he was fishing for information about my rtionship
status
But that was ridiculous.
Men like ncey Morrison didn’t notice women like me, especially women withplicated histories and three–year old baggage
s attention.
“I should go find him,” I said, needing to escape the intensity of his a
“Room 314,” ncey called after me as I started down the hall with Caesar’s hand in mine. “I’ll be here when you get back.”
The promise in those words sent an unexpected flutter through my chest, but I pushed it aside. I had bigger problems tha
motives of handsome strangers.
Yong the
Dr. Goldberg was a thin, serious man with wire–rimmed sses and the bedside manner of someone who’d delivered difficult news too many
Limes.
He gestured for me to sit in the chair across from his desk, his expression unreadable.
“Miss Brown,” he began, consulting the chart in front of him
“Your blood work came back, and while we’ve addressed the immediate issues….the dehydration and malnutrition. there’s something else
we need to discuss.”
My stomach clenched. Had <b>I </b>hurt something when I copsed? Was there permanent damage from pushing my body too hard for too long?
Dr. Goldberg removed his <b>sses </b>and cleaned them carefully, a gesture that somehow made the silence more frightening.
“Miss Brown,” he said finally, meeting my eyes directly “You’re pregnant.”
The words hit me like a physical blow, knocking the air from my lungs. The room seemed to tilt sideways, and for a moment I was sure I was going to faint again.
Pregnant.
Which meant…
Hunter’s baby. The result of the many nights of love making, when I’d believed we might actually have a future together.
I was carrying the child of the man who’d hurt me so badly with his words and promises
The man who had probably forgotten about Caesar and me
?