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***
The ambulance wakes Mimi up when the commotion couldn’t.
They arrive a few minutes after the police, as they’re dragging Maddox’s ex into the car, and taking my statement.
Maddox is passed out when they get there, blood streaming out through the cloth I’ve pressed on it. I’m a mess of tears and blood, but I still have the forethought to yell at Mimi to stay upstairs when I hear her coming down.
Thankfully, my daughter obeys.
The paramedics load Maddox up into the ambulance and I want to go with them but I can’t leave Mimi alone. So, I clean up the blood as best as I can, and then finally go up to get a scared looking Mimi, loading her up into the car to take her to Chloe’s before heading to the hospital.
“What’s going on, Mommy?” Mimi has been quiet the entire time, but I can see the fear in her eyes. I try to give her a comforting smile.
“Nothing baby,” I say. “Everything will be okay.”
I don’t know if I’m trying to convince her or myself.
After what feels like a lifetime waiting at the hospital, a doctor comes out to the waiting room. “Family of Maddox Reign?”
“Here,” I say.
He looks at me a bit dubiously, but since there is no one there that can set the record straight, he has no option but to trust me. “We were able to remove the bullet and repair the damage, but we still have to wait twenty-four to forty-eight hours to see if there is an infection, but other than that, we are optimistic. He should be awake in a few hours.”
“Thank you,” Relief floods through me and I almost drop to the floor. “Oh my God, thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he says patting my arm.
Maddox comes to two hours later, a nurse comes to find me.
“He’s looking for you,” he says, and I follow him in.
Through the glass doors, I see Maddox staring at the ceiling. His eyes swing to me when I walk in and he closes his eyes, letting out a deep breath, then opens his eyes again, turning them to me, and gives me a weak smile as I walk to his side. He reaches out with his hand as I walk to his side.
“You’re not hurt,” he says quietly. “Good. I couldn’t remember if you were or not.”
“No.” The tears start streaming down again, because even though he’s the one on the hospital bed, he’s still thinking about me. How could I doubt he loves me? “You’re the one who’s hurt. I’m sorry.”
“For what?” he asks, giving me a curious look.
“For everything. For almost getting you killed.”
“Last I checked, she was notyourcrazy ex, so you didn’t almost get me killed.”
"I’m so sorry for keeping Mimi from you too. It’s just that I didn’t think you’d care. When we had sex, you were so cold afterwards, and the last time we saw each other, you told me not to even think of mentioning it to Chloe, so I thought if I had a kid, you wouldn’t want it or you’d make me get rid of it. But I shouldn’t have assumed."
He's silent for a few minutes. I note his hand clenches slightly. And then he finally sighs.
"You were right to assume,” he says. “To be honest, I don’t know what I would have done."
I think about it. "Would you have asked me to get rid of it?"
"No. But then, I wouldn't have been the best partner. I was a giant asshole then. Still am."
I nod, accepting it. "So, what changes now?"
"What changes is that I love you. I can understand you were protecting your baby,” he says. "And as much as I want to, I can’t fault you for that."
It takes me a while to organize my brain and get my heart to stop thundering. I swallow. "But you should."
