Page 103 of One Reckless Night

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AMELIA

Iwoke up slowly. My head felt heavy, my thoughts muddled. I opened my eyes and looked around. Clearly, I was in the hospital.

“Oh no,” I whispered.

My hand went to my belly. The bump was there, but that didn’t mean anything. I tried to piece together the last twelve hours. I remembered not feeling well, the dizziness that had hit me like a wave after my shower. I remembered going to bed, my alarm blaring in the morning, but I’d been so exhausted I couldn’t even reach for my phone before falling back asleep. Then there were voices—Jared’s, sharp and urgent, followed by Clair’s, frantic and worried. I remembered being picked up, carried out of my house, but after that, everything went hazy.

Wait, I thought I remembered flying. Was that right?

A nurse walked in. She checked the monitors beside my bed and changed out an IV bag. “Hello,” she said. “How are you feeling?”

“Confused,” I admitted, my voice hoarse. “What happened?”

The nurse’s expression softened. “You had a bleeding event—a subchorionic hematoma. It was serious enough that we needed to hospitalize you. You’re stable now, but you’ll need to stay put for a while. Bedrest is non-negotiable.”

I blinked, trying to process her words. A bleeding event. Bedrest. My hand pressed against my belly. “The baby?”

“The baby’s fine,” the nurse assured me. “We’re monitoring both of you closely. Just try to relax, okay?”

I nodded, but my mind was racing. A bleeding event. How had I not noticed? How had I let this happen? I was supposed to be taking care of myself, taking care of the baby, but instead, I’d ended up here, strapped to monitors with an IV in my arm. I felt like a failure.

“Where am I?” I asked.

“Miami. You got here this morning. Do you remember?”

“No.”

She smiled and patted my hand. “Sometimes, I think that’s the best way. Try and get some rest. I’ll bring dinner in later. We want to make sure you are eating enough.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

The nurse stepped out. I looked around the room. Miami? I had to have been flown here. So it wasn’t a dream. I heard her talking to someone in the hallway. My stomach dropped when I recognized Jared’s voice. He was probably so angry with me. I was going to be stuck in the hospital for who knew how long. What about my job? My research? And Jared… what did he think of me now, knowing I was struggling to keep our baby—the baby he hadn’t wanted—healthy and safe?

I felt protective of the baby. I would never do anything to put him or her at risk. I hoped Jared understood that. We didn’t plan for the pregnancy, but that didn’t mean I was going to let it go without a fight.

The door opened, and Jared walked in. He stopped just inside the room, his eyes locking on mine. For a moment, his expression was hard, unreadable, but then it softened, shifting to something between concern and relief. He set a bag of takeout on the table and crossed the room to my bedside.

“Amelia,” he said. He didn’t say anything else, just wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a tight embrace.

I wanted to speak, to tell him I was sorry, but the words caught in my throat. Tears welled in my eyes. I choked back a sob, burying my face in his chest. He held me like that for what felt like forever, his hand gently stroking my hair.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “This is my fault. I’ve put you under so much stress lately because I can’t get my own issues together, and it’s affecting you and the baby. I’m so sorry, Amelia.”

I shook my head, pulling back to look at him. “No, it’s not your fault. It’s my body. I should have been more careful. I should have⁠—”

“Stop,” he interrupted, his voice firm but gentle. “This isn’t on you. You’ve been carrying so much on your own. I haven’t been there for you like I should have been. That changes now. I’m going to take care of you, Amelia. Like I should have from the beginning.”

I stared at him, my heart aching. I wanted to believe him, but it was hard. Jared had always been so guarded, so focused on his career. Could he really change? Could I trust him with my heart—and our baby?

“I’m sorry,” I said, my voice trembling. “I know my research can’t continue right now. I understand if you have to fire me.”

Jared’s eyes widened, and he shook his head. “That’s not happening. Don’t even think about that right now. Your only job is to rest and take care of yourself. Everything else can wait.”

I nodded, but I wasn’t sure what to say. My feelings for Jared ran deep—deeper than I’d ever admitted to myself. This kind of connection didn’t happen often, and as a scientist, I knew the probability of ever feeling like this for someone again was slim. There was no logical explanation for why I was in love with this arrogant, egotistical man, but I was. And it terrified me.

He adjusted the pillow under my head before checking the IV pump. “Headache?” he asked.