Page 55 of Desecrated Reign

“Calm down, Hulk.”

“Where you’re concerned, never.” Flashing me his megawatt smile, his words are a barely-there whisper as he gently caresses my arm. “I love you.” Those three little words ease some of the pressure building in my chest.

I peer up at him from under my lashes, returning the sentiment. “Love you, too.”

“Okay, Saoirse. Are you ready?” Dr Clarke pulls my focus as she shakes a bottle filled with blue gel. I give her a nod, bobbing my head up and down as I fight through the panic gripping my throat. “This might be a little cold.” She squeezes the gel onto the probe and guides it between my legs. “Deep breath.”

Doing as she asks, I suck in a breath, then as I blow out, she eases the wand inside. It’s a little uncomfortable but not unmanageable. With her eyes locked on the screen, she carries on the conversation as though she is not rooted inside me. “Can you recall your last menstrual cycle?”

“Erm… ever since I got the implant, my periods have been sporadic so I don’t really keep up with them as well as I should. But I think the last one I had was sometime back in April.”

With her free hand, she clicks a few buttons, and I watch as she adds a few white lines onto the screen before the sound of galloping horses floods the room, making my breath catch. Rohan’s grip tightens on my hand, causing me to hiss in pain, as his eyes transfix on the blob on the screen. “Shit, sorry.”

“It’s okay, maybe just ease up a bit.” I shoot him a soft smile, hoping to lighten his sombre mood.

“Okay. Going by the scan, your bloodwork is accurate, and the baby is measuring around nine weeks, putting your due date at January 27.”

“Liam’s birthday,” Rohan mutters beneath his breath, stealing the air from my lungs and causing goose bumps to dot my skin. “January 27 is Liam and Beibhinn’s birthday.” I knew that, but it didn’t register until he spoke his thoughts aloud. My eyes scan Rohan’s face, and I can see the colour draining as the cogs in his head continue to turn. “If she’s due on the twenty-seventh, can you determine the date she conceived?” I know what he’s doing. He’s trying to gauge whether or not he could be the baby’s father. Especially since he and I weren’t together much leading up to my birthday, and I was spending more and more time with Liam.

Dr Clarke flicks her gaze towards me, silently asking if I’d like her to answer Rohan’s question. Pushing back the tears pricking at the corners of my eyes, I nod, holding the breath in my lungs while waiting for her response. “I can’t say for certain, but going by the measurements alone, you probably conceived May 6, or in and around then.”

A rush of breath puffs past Rohan’s lips, easing some of the tension in his shoulders. Then his eyes find mine. May 6 was the night Beibhinn threw my birthday party, the night Rohan and Liam packed their feelings for one another aside and gave me what I never knew I wanted or needed. Thoughts of the night we all shared together infiltrate the forefront of my mind, memories of how they took turns driving me insane with desire until finally, they both pushed me over the edge. If that was the night I fell pregnant, there is a chance either one could be the father.

On one hand, I’d love it to be Rohan’s, he’d make the best dad, but on the other, knowing I might be carrying a piece of Liam does something to me, something I don’t quite know how to process, especially without hurting Rohan’s feelings. I wish I could read his mind, because I have no idea what he’s thinking, or how he feels about the possibility of this baby not being his.

Thankfully, Dr Clarke removes the probe, and once she’s finished cleaning up, she pushes to a stand. “I’ll leave you both to process the news. In the meantime, now that we have this information we can work up a treatment to suit your needs.”

“Perfect. Do you know how long I will be admitted?”

“We want to keep you overnight for observation and to monitor your pain, but if all goes well you should be allowed to go home tomorrow.”

After thanking her for all her help, she congratulates us and heads towards the door. “I’ll check in with you again before my shift ends. Until then, try to rest as much as you can.”

“Thanks again, Dr Clarke.” Rohan tips his chin at her before wrapping his arm around my back and drawing my head to the crook of his shoulder.

“No problem.” The door closes behind her, then before I can stop them, tears stream from my eyes, trapping a lump of emotion in the base of my throat.

“Hey.” Rohan rests his forehead on the top of my head. “Don’t cry. It’s gonna be alright. I promise.”

“What—” My chest hitches as I stumble through my sobs. “What if it’s not yours?”

His palm cups my cheek, drawing my gaze over my shoulder and onto his. “Listen to me very carefully, love. You are mine. Therefore, anything that grows inside you belongs to me, too, regardless of paternity. If or when the time comes and you”—he holds my stare, punctuating his point—“decide you want to find out for sure who this baby biologically belongs to, I’ll support you. But let me make one thing clear… If it turns out this baby is Liam’s, it won’t make the slightest bit of difference.” He swipes my tears with his thumb. “I’m gonna love him or her the same way I love you. With every fibre of my being.” He touches my nose with his, then places a chaste kiss against my lips before pulling back. “Besides…” His tone shifts to a lighter more humours note. “Because my ma and Liam’s are identical twins, Devereux and I have a similar DNA pattern. Biologically speaking, we’re half brothers.”

“That can’t be true.”

“It is. Google it if you don’t believe me.” he winks, removing the tension from my shoulders with his cheeky grin.

36

ROHAN

“You missed the turn.” Saoirse points behind her towards the little side road I passed that leads towards Ryan Manor. “Is there something you need in town?”

From the corner of my eye, I note the confusion on her face, brow crinkled, narrowing her amber eyes. “Yeah, I want to make a quick pit stop before heading back, hope that’s alright.”

Saoirse was released from the hospital today. She’s still sore, so the doctors recommended she take it easy for a few days. The medication they prescribed is helping to manage her pain relatively well, but unfortunately, they couldn’t give her the good shit because of the baby.

“Yeah, of course. Maybe we could stop at Maeve’s ice-cream parlour on the way back, too. I am craving one of her famous strawberry milkshakes.”

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