Page 39 of An Unexpected Encounter

“Agreed.” I cross my arms over my chest. My eyes focus on the hallway behind Jay, my ears straining to hear any sound she may need us.

The sound of the water running shuts off.

She’s going to be heading out in just a couple of minutes.

Jay steps back into the hallway, closer to what has to be her bedroom. “Selena, do you need any help?”

“No,” she calls back, but it’s so weak all I want to do is knock Jay out of the way and run to her, scooping her up in my arms.

I want to protect her. Care for her. Show her that she’s mine. Step-siblings be damned.

“Alright, my brothers are here. They brought you some more soup.”

“Okay,” comes back in a soft, shaky voice.

Knowing we’re leaving her alone tonight is weighing heavily on me. All I want to do is call out and stay with her. But I can’t, not when I know it’ll be leaving my fellow firefighters shorthanded if they can’t find someone to replace me.

Which will be impossible on such short notice.

Chapter 18

Selena

A Few Minutes Earlier

Turning off the shower, I sit on the bench, taking a moment to catch my breath. I’m exhausted and I’ve barely done anything other than wash my hair and body the best I could.

Three male voices drift into the bathroom, but I can’t make out who they are.

“Selena, do you need any help?” That voice I know. It’s Elijah—no, Jay. That’s what he wants to be called. He made sure to let me know only his father calls him that. Him and Julia.

“No,” I call back, out of breath. My voice is so weak, I’m not sure if he can even hear me.

“Alright, my brothers are here. They brought you some more soup.”

“Okay.” I hate how shaky my voice is.

Not to mention now my nerves are on edge that all three of them are here. In my apartment.

Fuck!

I take my time getting out, pulling the towel from the rack and drying my body. As much as I hate to admit it, I feel better after cleaning up. When Jay suggested it, I scoffed. It was already hard enough to just move around without becoming dizzy. I knew I couldn’t stand in the shower, and a bath just seemed like a perfect drowning scene out of a horror movie.

But Jay rushed to his truck, coming back with a board. He immediately covered it with a towel, placing it across the tub, and my heart melted. He was being so thoughtful.

Throughout the day, he’s taken his time, asking questions about me and in return answering some of mine. Talking was a struggle at times and in those moments, he told me stories of him and his brothers.

It was the questions about Sam and I, that I tried my hardest to steer away from. I gave him minimal answers, not wanting to say something I wouldn’t remember later that would bring my lies to the surface.

The more time I spent with him, though, the more I hated myself. How could I keep such a big secret from them? That I’m pregnant and one of them is the father.

God, I’m horrible and I know there’s a special spot waiting for me in hell.

Stepping into my room, I pull the towel off and sit on the edge of my bed, taking the time to dry my hair. I’m already out of breath and seeing double from walking the short distance from my bathroom to here..

I’m not sure how much more of this I can take. I’m going to have to call the doctor’s office back and try to get a follow-up appointment. There has to be something I can take to help with this other than what he gave me. It’s not working for shit.

I pick up my cell phone from where I left it before I went to take my shower. I needed to check in with Sam, and I didn’t want to risk him calling and Jay answering.

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