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I told Guy everything — how I'd left work and expected to find Meagan at the guest house in bed. "She wasn't there. So, I drove to my penthouse, figuring she'd be asleep. Nope, no Megs, but her clothes haven't been moved. Even her earrings are still in her room — everything!"
When I finished talking, Ariel joined us, wearing a robe and holding Jonathan close against her chest. Her eyes widened when she heard what had happened, and both of them started asking me questions one after another until I was almost too overwhelmed to answer them anymore.
Finally, I stepped back and took a deep breath. We had to figure out what happened to Meagan — and fast. "The key is this Joy-Ann Cerkel? Who the hell is she? The name doesn't ring a bell, or you would have already said so."
"I'm thinking," Ariel said, switching the baby to her other hip as I started taking notes and creating a timeline. "The only people she has contact with are us, Amy, and Joyce, her therapist."
"Guy, what's the scoop on that dude, Alex?"
"I thought you said Meagan remembered it was his voice in the car when she was kidnapped," Guy answered, confused.
"That's what she said, but what if...."
"You can forget that thought, Chase! There is no man in Meagan's life but you. Believe me. I would have heard about it if there was. She doesn't keep much from me. Meagan and I have always been just like sisters!"
"I don't know much about the Alex guy, but he was a pothead and a loser... I didn't want him to be anywhere close to my sister. As far as I'm concerned, it was hate at first sight!" Guy huffed.
My phone suddenly beeped an alert, signaling that I had numerous missed calls and texts. No sooner had the sound faded away than I heard a similar noise from somewhere inside Guy's house — "Oh no! We're getting notifications that our voicemails and texts just dumped after the system came back up."
"What! I got, a bunch of voicemails and texts from this Joy-Ann person."
Guy rushed out of the room to check his phone and yelled. "I did too."
At this point, my heart thudded so heavily in my chest that I thought it would surely burst out. But, in the end, all I could hear on the voicemail was a frantic voice saying, "This is Joyce, Meagan's therapist. We met briefly. She is at Mercy Hospital! Meagan was admitted earlier today! She needs to hear from you!"
"Dear God, what's wrong!" Guy and Ariel yelled simultaneously.
"Don't know," I hollered over my shoulder. "I'm headed for Mercy Hospital. I'll call when I know something. Joy-Ann is Joyce, Meg's therapist!"
"Why people love to play games with their names is beyond me…." Guy shook his head, rushing down the hall.
With one decisive twist, I locked Guy's back door and whirled around. The echoes of Jonathan's sleepy cries coming from deep inside the mansion rang in my ears as I raced away toward the hospital.
Chapter Twenty
Meagan
Reassured, I ran my hand over my belly and felt a comforting normalcy that convinced me all was well with the baby. Yet, despite attempting to urge my drooping eyelids open, they felt as heavy as lead. Everywhere around me, an array of colors hummed and buzzed in a dizzying tone. Squinting hard, barely making out the windows, allowed me to realize dawn hadn't yet arrived. A feeling of solitude engulfed the room while its walls radiated with coldness – almost like they were crafted from ice. The coolness seeped into every inch of me.
Suddenly, a voice I recognized reverberated down the corridor. “She is my significant other. I need to see her right now!"
I attempted to call out to Chase, but the words wouldn't come out. Then abruptly, someone said, "You're not on the list of family members..." It was my nurse! My spirit sank as I realized no matter how much we both wanted to see each other, Chase would be unable to visit anytime soon.
"She needs her rest!" The nurse's voice trailed off as the sedative pulled me under again. I wanted to stay awake, if only to hear the warmth in his voice, but it wasn't meant to be. As I surrendered to my exhaustion and drifted into a deep sleep, two thoughts brought me solace — my baby was okay, and Chase would keep fighting until they let him in. With those thoughts in mind, I finally surrendered completely.
When my eyelids fluttered open, the sun was shining through the window. "Good morning, beautiful!" Chase smiled and kissed my cheek. His voice filled the room with warmth.
"Chase…"
"Why are you here? Did you have a seizure or something?" He grabbed my hand and leaned closer.
"You won't believe it!" I grinned weakly.
"Let me guess. You're pregnant!" Chase smiled.
"Wha...what? Did they tell you?" I gasped.
"No... I mean, I was joking. But is it true?" He sat back in the chair.
