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My boobs felt full and sore—and wet. Looking down at my chest, I saw two huge spots on my gown from where breast milk had leaked from my nipples.
“Shit,” I muttered, tugging the material away from my skin, but that only caused more milk to leak down my chest and onto my stomach. “Shit, shit, shit.”
“Baby,” a deep voice from my right tried to soothe. “What’s wrong?”
“Get out,” I told Garret without looking at him. Keeping my focus on my chest, I tried to sit up.
Firm hands pressed my shoulders back into the mattress. Blowing out a huff, I slapped at his arms until he released me and stepped back before hitting the call button for the nurse. She must have been close, because the door opened moments later.
“Miss Ramirez?” she greeted as she pushed her cart into the room. “What’s wrong, dear?”
“I’m leaking,” I explained, waving the hand without the IV in it at my chest.
“That’s a good thing. And once you’re off the pain medication, you can start pumping to feed your baby.” She left the cart and walked over to the bed. “Let me get you a fresh gown. Do you have a nursing bra packed? We have pads to insert, and if your nipples start to crack, we can put some cream on them.”
“I don’t know,” I muttered. Nova and Felicity had been the ones to pack all the things they said I would need following giving birth, so I wasn’t aware of what was in my case. Even after Felicity had convinced me to allow Dr. Ortega to admit me to the hospital, I hadn’t been completely convinced I would survive the delivery.
Now that I was very much alive, I was thankful to be there so I could help Justice. She needed me in her corner, to give her a reason to continue to fight. I didn’t know what the future held for her, if she would always have health issues, delays in her development, if she would ever be fully healthy. But I would always love and protect her.
We just had to get over this hurdle first. It was going to be long, and already scared the hell out of me, but I wasn’t going to give up on her.
The nurse went to the closet where my case was stored and started going through my things. After several minutes of my lying there, keeping the damp gown away from my boobs, she finally returned with a white nursing bra.
The woman’s gaze went to where Garret stood. He’d remained quiet the entire time, but I’d felt his presence. I’d tried to block my mind from thinking about his being there, but that was impossible. All I could do was pretend, and that must have worked, because he barely seemed to be breathing.
“Sir, do you mind stepping out while I get Miss Ramirez comfortable?”
“I mind,” he muttered. “I can help you.”
The tension in my entire body must have alerted the nurse to how I felt about that offer. She put her hands on her hips and gave him a hard look. “Thank you, but we will manage just fine on our own.” When he didn’t move to exit, she glanced down at me, and I shook my head, silently telling her I didn’t want him there. “Out. Or I’ll have the men standing guard at the door remove you.”
“Then have them remove me,” he told her matter-of-factly. “I’m not letting this woman out of my sight ever again. I already thought I lost her once. I’ll be damned if I allow that to happen again. And to ensure that doesn’t happen, I’m going to be her shadow for the rest of my goddamn life.”
Rolling my eyes, I picked up my phone that was within reach on the side table. Swiping my thumb over the screen, I lifted it to my ear and waited.
“Hello?”
“Nova, come remove your brother from my room, or I’m going to have security throw him out the window.”
“The windows don’t open, dear,” the nurse informed me, amusement filling her voice.
“Did you hear that, Nova?” I bit out. “The windows don’t open, and I’m going to have him thrown out one of them. Come save the worthless asshole before his death is even messier.”
“Lis—”
“Nova!” I shouted into the phone when he used that name, in that pained, pleading tone that had always affected me in the past. “Now.”
“All right,” she said with a huff. “Give him the phone.”
“Just come get him, Nova. For fuck’s sake.” I hung up before she could argue and tossed the phone back onto the nightstand.
“Lis, please.”
“Eat a dick, Garret,” I snarled, still not looking at him. “Read the room. Your presence is unwanted.”
“I can’t leave you,” he said stubbornly.
“When Nova gets here, you will,” I assured him with confidence.
