Page 90 of Between Commitment and Betrayal
I still had to write her maiden name instead of mine. “Didn’t take my name, and I don’t know half the shit about my wife on this form.”
“It’s for the best,” she finally said but only to reassure me of something I didn’t want.
“Why is it for the best?” The more I thought about it, the more it wasn’t if she was going to be the mother of my child.I needed to know everything about her now. Didn’t she understand that?
I wanted a damn kid. With her. Sooner rather than later. It might have been an irrational decision, and I may have made up my mind quickly, but Everly would have to come around to the idea. She had to see that this would be okay, that it could be more than okay.
It was the logical thing to do. Sure it was about the empire and the studio, but more than that, I’d make sure the press painted her in the way she should have been seen from the very beginning. And as I stared at her and pictured her pregnant, rubbing her belly with a small smile on her face as she felt a kick from our baby, I knew it’d be easy to do.
The world would fall in love with her.
I wanted to experience everything with my wife of convenience. Babies, weddings, happily ever afters. The inconvenient part of it was, I wasn’t sure she wanted the same.
They called her back and told me I could finish filling out forms before I met them in suite 10. Once, I got there, Everly was in a robe and I sat down to listen to the doctor talk over the birth control she was on. He seemed concerned.
“Wait, what?” I asked. “So you’re telling me there are all those side effects? Breast cancer?”
“Well, there are of course others. Everly, you put here you have migraines?”
“I’ve had some in the past, sure.”
“So, if you’re considering children, you can come off this birth control. Keep in mind, your period will be irregular for a few months. If you aren’t planning on considering children yet”—he glanced at his computer screen—“I’d still recommend a different birth control. With this one, you have an increased risk of blood clots.”
What in the actual fuck?
The doctor smiled softly, “And with your migraines, well, they may get worse with this bi—”
“Take out her birth control.” I cut the doctor off with my demand.
“I’m sorry?” the doctor said just as Everly blurted out, “Excuse me, what?”
“I said. Take. It. Out. We’re not risking her health. And I want a baby with her anyway.”
“Declan!” she grabbed my arm and wide-eyed me. “Are you joking right now?”
“You heard what that birth control is doing to you. I want it out. Now.”
The doctor cleared his throat, probably not sure how to continue. “Mr. Hardy, it would be Ms. Belafonte’s decision.”
“Ms. Belafonte.” I muttered her last name in disgust, mad that she didn’t have mine instead. “She has decided she wants it out.”
The doctor chuckled nervously. “Mr. Hardy, if Ms. Belafonte wants to take out her birth control, she can do that herself. The ring is self-inserted, so…” The doctor swiveled in his chair, glancing between both of us before standing. “If you are looking to have genetic testing to rule out any gene mutations or screen for any unknown conditions, I can draw blood from you both today.”
I lifted an eyebrow at her, but waited this time knowing she had to decide to keep the ball rolling or not.
She rolled up her sleeve, albeit quietly so as not to cause a scene but I saw the fire burning in her blue eyes.
Blood was taken and the doctor explained we could leave when we were ready before rushing out as fast as his medical clogs could carry him. We were close behind because it seemed Everly didn’t want a scene in the doctor’s office.
Instead, we sat quietly in the car as I drove us home. And the longer the silence lasted in the car, the angrier I got. She was taking a medication that was detrimental to her health for what. When we got home, I didn’t stop at the guesthouse, I drove straight past it.
“Declan, drop me off—”
“You’re coming into our home where you should be sleeping anyway, and you’re taking that birth control out.”
“Am I?” She shook her head. “Funny because I’m pretty sure I told you just a week ago to stop making decisions without me. Now, here we are, you trying to make another one, but guess what? This one, I make all on my own.” Her cool, calm collected tone was not going to fly at this point.
“Did you not hear the risks, Everly? You’re taking that out or I’m going to fucking take it out for you.” I glared at her.
