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James: "Are you even human, because sometimes I wonder. Audio noise. And how do you suggest I do this?"
Judge: "Are you even my son, because sometimes I wonder. Be a man and fuck your baby into that Blackstone bitch and be done with it. My God, the senate announcement is in less than two months."
James: "You know, Dad, if you want to fool the voters into thinking you're a loving family man, you're gonna need to work on your game and have an ounce of patience. Winter is already mine— Audio noise. I've done every fucking thing you asked of me. I knocked her up and we're getting married after the baby is born. What the fuck else do you want?"
The audio ended abruptly after that last question from James, and I was left standing in front of the judge with my mouth agape.
I couldn't believe the conversation I'd just heard. All of the air in North America had suddenly been sucked out of the room. I felt sick at the thought the judge might be telling the truth, but James wouldn't use me like that. He loves me. He wouldn't ever trap me into marrying him.
Like you trapped him?
But that conversation was definitely James speaking to his father. He'd said clearly: "I've done every fucking thing you asked of me. I knocked her up and we're getting married after the baby is born. What the fuck else do you want from me?"
I suddenly felt violently sick to my stomach and just wanted to get away from the judge and…everyone. My need was immediate; I couldn't stand to be near him for another instant.
I ran out the door and headed up the stairs to Caleb's penthouse figuring that would be faster than waiting for the elevator. I was almost to the top when he caught me by the hair.
My feet came off the steps.
And down the stairs I went, falling backwards as the brunt of the fall was absorbed by the lower half of my body.
There was no bracing myself for impact because my hands were in the wrong place—in front of me. I knew it was bad. And I knew I'd just killed my baby. As much as I prayed it wouldn't be true, I knew it was already too late the instant I hit the bottom step of the stairs.
My innocent little child who I would never get the chance to meet was leaking out of me in the stairwell while I cried the most dreadful tears I'd ever known.
While I cried out my anguish, and the pain of my guilt for something I'd caused in a weak moment of selfishness with the man I'd wanted for so long, I couldn't remember when I didn't.
I'm sorry, Baby. Mommy is so so sorry…and she'll never forgive herself.
Chapter Twenty-Three
JAMES
Three days later.
She checked herself out of the hospital during the time I was away for one hour to shower and change my clothes. Before that, the doctors wouldn't tell me a whole lot because we weren't married. The only information I was given was that the miscarriage of our baby boy was probably a result of blunt force trauma from the fall, but not certain because there were indications she might have been bleeding before she fell. Otherwise, she sustained no other critical injuries despite falling several feet down an unforgiving concrete stairwell. A miracle really.
She never lost consciousness and was able to make it to the elevators and up to Caleb's place after she'd caught her breath. She told the police everything once they arrived and reported her injury to the doctors at Mass
Gen. My father was arrested for assault and for fleeing the scene of the crime. Security cameras caught it all. When asked if she wanted to press charges she answered, "Fuck, yes."
Other than that she didn't say much to me. Very little beyond "I'm so sorry" many more times than she needed to. What did she even have to be sorry for? Obviously she felt guilt for the miscarriage even though we all told her it was not her fault. Her mom, her sister, Brooke, Caleb, Lucas, and even Wyatt came to sit with her; repeatedly assuring her nothing that happened was her fault. She wouldn't accept it from any of us, though. Stubborn as they come, nobody was going to change Winter's mind until she wanted it changed.
I didn't know where she went when she left the hospital or how to find her. My Winter was just…gone.
And my life was as good as over if she didn't come back to me.
One week later.
There was one thing that gave me an immense feeling of accomplishment, though.
Delivering to my father the terms of what would be my mother's divorce settlement. My only regret was that it wasn't done from inside a jail cell. Unfortunately, when Winter left town, he couldn't be held without her statement. It didn't really matter because I'd taken care of him, jail time or otherwise. I'd heard the spliced together audio clip he'd played for her, rearranging my words to make it seem like I was using her at his direction. I think I hated him for that deception most of all.
"She will have the house in Weston and the beach house on Blackstone Island. Assets will be divided as such." I slid over the list of demands and a pen. "After you sign, I'm presenting the restraining orders for my mother, Victoria, Winter and myself respectively. If you violate any terms of this agreement you go straight to jail. No passing GO, or collecting anything other than a colored jumpsuit to add to your wardrobe. You attacked a pregnant woman, and in doing so murdered the grandchild you wanted so badly. You then fled the scene of a crime that you committed, leaving her bleeding and alone without medical attention. You are finished, Robert—with me, with everyone who's connected to you by blood or marriage or profession."
He was finished with being a judge too. That pesky criminal record and all…
After he signed, I placed the documents in my briefcase and walked right on out the fucking door without looking back. There was more that I could have said to him, but I decided that I didn't need to. I would never speak to him again if I could help it. Maybe I'd get my wish, maybe not. As far as I was concerned my father died the moment he put his hands on my Winter and hurt her so badly she had to run away.
