Page 23 of Still Burning

“We are going to do an ultrasound to be sure, but before we do that, I want you to be prepared. I’m almost positive you miscarried. You’ve lost a lot of blood. Who drove you? Is someone in the waiting room who could come back with you?” His tone was kind.

Tears burned my eyes. I’d known that, hadn’t I? When I wokeup and saw the blood, deep down, I’d known. But accepting it meant losing the only thing I had left of Rome. His baby. One that I didn’t know how I would take care of. I was in college on a full scholarship. I lived in a dorm and couldn’t afford housing myself. I made a little over two hundred dollars a week, and I was sure babies cost more than that. Still…it was mine and Rome’s.

I shook my head when I realized he was waiting for my response. “I, uh…I’m alone.” My words were barely above a whisper.

“You drove yourself here in this condition?” he asked, his brows drawing together in a frown.

I nodded. I’d had no choice. My roommates were all gone to classes or work, and I had no one. The friends I’d made, I had all but lost them this past month, withdrawing and not responding to their calls or texts.

“I see,” he said and cleared his throat. “Is there someone you can call? You’re not in any condition to drive home, and this is tough. You need someone here for you.”

A small sob escaped me as a tear rolled down my face even though I’d tried hard to hold it in. I shook my head.

He blew out a sigh, then nodded. “Okay. In that case, we will need to admit you at least for today and overnight until we are sure you won’t collapse if you get up and walk. The blood loss, along with dehydration and lack of nutrition have wiped you out. You’ve not been eating much, I assume, from your urine sample. Your body is showing signs of starvation.”

Another sob. This was my fault. I’d done this to our baby. I should have been eating and drinking water.

I dropped my head into my hands, covering my face as my shoulders shook.

A hand touched my back. “Here you go,” the nurse said gently.

I looked at her. She held out a tissue for me. I took it and triedto choke out athanks, but couldn’t.

“Go ahead and order her a room,” I heard the doctor tell her while I cleaned up my tears and tried to stop crying.

This wasn’t helping anything. I was making it worse. I couldn’t afford to stay here—or at least, I didn’t think my insurance covered that.

I sucked in a breath and cleared my throat. “I can’t pay to stay overnight.”

“I can’t allow you to leave in this condition. It’s not safe. It shows you have insurance,” he added, looking down at the clipboard in his hands. “I’ll see what I need to file in order for the insurance to cover it. Don’t worry about that. Right now, you need to focus on you. Getting yourself healthy.”

He looked at me, concern etched all over his face. That didn’t help matters.

“And there is no guardian or perhaps…the father you could call?” he asked hesitantly. “I don’t want to push, but you need someone right now.”

I sniffled and dropped my gaze to my hands. “No. My guardian is dead, and the father…he…doesn’t want to see me.” Saying that aloud was a harsh slap in the face. Knowing it was easier than admitting it.

“All right. Well, we will take care of you, I promise. You’re going to be fine.”

“Thanks,” I whispered, not wanting to see the pity on his face. I continued to stare at my hands as they twisted the tissue.

I had been so scared of being a mom. Having a baby. Afraid of what would happen to my scholarship. But I’d wanted it. He or she. I would have had a piece of Rome with me in a little life. One who would love me and not leave me. One who would want me. But I had lost it. Just like I had lost him.

9

Rome

Salem’s perfect, creamy complexion paled as a myriad of emotions crossed her face. Seeing the sorrow, however, fucking terrified me. I was not going to lose her. Whatever I needed to do in order to make this something she could live with, then I’d do it. She just had to say the word.

“I see,” she said, breaking the silence that Nixie’s announcement had caused.

Everyone in the fucking club knew. Nixie had made sure they did yesterday. But no one had wanted Salem to know. They cared about her. She was fucking impossible not to love.

Salem stepped back away from my touch. She barely glanced at me before turning and walking out of the kitchen. My heart pounded so hard that I could hear it in my ears. I had to fix this. Make her smile again.

I turned back to Nixie. The rage—caused by her careless words, meant to hurt Salem—began to boil at the sight of her standing there, trying to look innocent and confused.

Bitch. She’d done it on purpose.

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