Page 78 of Rage

The door flung open, hitting the wall with a clanging force.Calder.

Jesus, he was the last one I wanted here. He didn’t do emotions for himself, let alone for others. He’d hold me while Icried, but he wouldn't say the things I needed to hear that would help.

“What’s going on?” Calder barked, stomping his way toward the bed. He dropped into the chair beside me and reached for my hand.

“Just doing a stress test to make sure the little one is growing perfectly,” the tech said, her voice cheerful and warm, despite the heavy cloud looming in the room.

“But, why?” Calder asked, his gaze past me and on Dr. Romana. “Why are we doing this? What’s wrong? Is Thea okay?”

“Thea is fine,” Dr. Romana said. “Baby was uncooperative in the office. It happens sometimes.”

“What the fuck does that even mean?” Calder’s foot began tapping, the metal toe of his work boots clicking in a rhythm that I forced myself to focus on.

Tap, tap, tap. Over, and over, while I shut out the words being spoken around me. Calder’s stern voice boomed, but the words meant nothing.

Tap, tap, tap.

Heat surrounded where he touched my arm, and it swirled in my stomach. It was helping a little, canceling out the cool gel placed below my pubic bone. The more I thought about it, the more Calder was the best one to be here.

He knew how to take control of a room, how to demand answers, and how to soothe me non-verbally.

I was able to shut it off because he’d take care of everything for me. I could shut down and ignore reality, even just for a minute, and that was the gift that I needed right now.

“Vix,” Calder whispered, shortening my nickname of his ‘Little Vixen’. He squeezed my hand. “Did you hear the doc?”

I turned toward him and channeled the tinniest strand of inner peace left in me while still trying to block out the chaos. “Hmm?”

He offered me a soft smile. “Thea, doll. I’m so sorry. We lost the baby.”

I shivered, suddenly feeling so cold. Not even his warmth could save me anymore. Calder’s knuckle dragged against my cheek, a spark igniting where he touched. But still, my bones feltg so, so cold.

And then, I choked on my tears while the rough around the edges, but secret softie held me.

Chapter Three

Calder

Three Days Later

Parker slammed the screen door shut as he left for work. It took every ounce of strength inside of me not to chase after him and pummel him to death. He’d been an asshole since he learned about the baby, and I was sick of it. Our feelings didn’t matter when Thea was in bed grieving, or when Paisley needed us to pick up the slack.

I gritted my teeth, tossing dishes into the sink.

“He needs time,” Hendrix said, pouring himself a thermal of coffee. He was dressed in his usual work gear–jeans, gray Henley, and grungy brown work boots. Like me and Shane, he sported dirty fingers that seemed never to be clean. Paisley sat at the table eating a bowl of cereal. Her chin tilted toward us, which made me sure she was eavesdropping, even though she kept her head down and toward her food.

“Three days. It’s time to get out of this sulking shit. Thea needs us.Allof us.”

Hendrix nodded. “She does. And I’m dealing with Parker. Just… just make sure Thea’s good while I do.”

I huffed, washing dishes while Paisley finished her breakfast.

“I’m done,” she said after a few moments of silence. She was standing beside me now, a younger version of her mother. She was taller than Thea, a trait she definitely didn’t get from her short father.

Kyle was only about 5’7, a full inch shorter than Thea. Paisley was growing at full speed, and I couldn’t believe how much she’d grown since the first time we met when she was only seven. Now she was probably close to 5’11.

Paisley glanced at me with her mother’s chocolate brown eyes, and my heart banged in my chest. It’d only been three days, but I worried when Thea’s eyes would sparkle in that same way. Or if they ever would again. How long would the life be missing from her eyes?

“I’ll take you to school,” I said, rinsing off the dish she handed me and tossing it in the dishwasher. Usually, Thea took her, but she wasn’t in any condition to leave bed.

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