Page 41 of Cade

“What did you eat?” he pressed.

He had her there. “Just some crackers. But I feel better right now.”

“We need to find something you can eat. Is it just smelly things you don’t like? Anything you think you might be able to eat?”

At the talk of food, her stomach clenched. She did her best to hide the sudden wave of nausea, but clearly not well enough. Cade lifted her off her feet and deposited her back into his bed.

“I’ll see what I can find that you might be able to handle,” he said before leaving the room.

April was yet again left alone with her thoughts. She had no idea how he felt about her being pregnant outside of the same shock that she was feeling. The small smile had given her hope, but it was fleeting.

Was he excited? She knew this was just a means to an end, but did he want the baby, really? She hadn’t thought of that until now. Would he want to be around for the pregnancy?

Cade returned with a plate of cheese, crackers, and bananas. “I didn’t know about the cheese, but I thought it was worth a try. We might need to get you a nurse to help with things.”

A nurse? She was only pregnant, hardly worth of a private nurse. “Cade, calm down. It will be fine.”

“You don’t know that. We need you better or it’s bad for the baby, that much I know. I don’t know what the hell to do here.” He sounded pissed, and she was confused.

Whether it was hormones or just the pent-up feelings since their wedding, she didn’t know, but something set her off and it all rushed out.

“I don’t need to be here anymore, I guess. I can just go back to my apartment until we see if I’ve fulfilled my end of the deal. Then you don’t have to worry about it. I’ll just let you know how the appointments go when I find a doctor.”

“Is that what you want?” he asked.

“I don’t know what I want!” she shouted. “I want to feel better and I want the baby to be okay. I want to know how all of this is supposed to work because I thought I understood things, but I really don’t.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly what I said. I won’t be confined to be by you because my stomach is upset.” Cade opened his mouth, and she held up a palm, stopping him. “If the doctor orders me to bed, then that’s a different thing entirely. I’m stressed, confused, and so tired, Cade. I think I’m just going to go to bed.”

Cade was shocked. He wasn’t hiding it, and it was just as well because she was, too.

“Sorry. I just don’t know what to do,” she admitted. “I’m scared.”

He looked at her but didn’t speak right away. “I’ll leave you to it, then. Let me know if there’s anything either of you need. I want to be at the appointments.”

April nodded. “You aren’t going to take the baby from me, are you?” she whispered.

“Take the baby? What the fuck? Have I given you any reason to think I would do that?” Cade didn’t shout, but she could tell he wanted to rage at her.

She shook her head.

“Sleep wherever. Let me know if you need anything.” Cade turned and stormed out of his room.

She stood there feeling like she’d ruined everything before leaving the room, too. Back in her own bedroom, she curled up in the bed and let the tears out. Fear was driving everything now, and she didn’t even fully know what all she was scared of.

The unknown was looming over her, waiting to pull the rug out from under her feet and laugh. She let the exhaustion wash over her and slept instead of thinking about it. She’d sort it out later, when she felt better.

Chapter Twenty

Cade

Cade sighed as he sat at his kitchen table, alone. He and April had been on edge with each other and everyone since Saturday. She went back to work yesterday, but he’d taken off early to get home closer to when she did.

She looked exhausted, and he wanted to comfort her but couldn’t bring himself to do it. April thought he was going to take the child from her, and it made him feel like shit. Why she would think that he wanted to claim he didn’t know, but he understood it the fear attached to everything.

Sunday, they hadn’t spoken much and Monday, he’d asked her about the doctor, but she hadn’t made an appointment. Then she’d looked miserable, so he hadn’t pressed it, but now he was waiting on her to come down to press the issue.

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