Page 26 of A Mafia Christmas

“Thank you.”

Now, he had to wait. He waited for hours for any word. The lady at the desk would tell him a few updates, but not enough. The only thing holding him back was he knew she was alive. They’d worry about everything else later. But he wanted to be able to see and touch her, and no one was going to let him. He didn’t blame them, he blamed himself for all the damage he’d done, and he didn’t know how to fix it.

Jesus, first, he had to learn how to explain the panic he had when Beth told him about the baby. Thoughts of his mother bleeding out after she had him. Oh, he knew Freda, his aunt, had her hand in it, but it didn’t help the fear. Maybe it was because she gave birth to him, so he blamed himself to some degree.

The whole thing sounded delusional, but there was too much emotion and fear that filled him enough to destroy the very thing he wanted to save. His wife, Beth.

Jesus, he’d just about lost her. If that had happened, he’d put a bullet in his brain because he couldn’t live without her, especially when he was the one that caused it. If she lived, he’d blame himself for the rest of his life because of this whole thing, but he’d have to learn to live with it.

He also had to come up with ways to fix the situation, and nothing came to mind. How did one go about saving something so broken? Was there even a chance Beth would ever forgive him?

Only time would tell.

Chapter Eleven

Beth awoke when she heard voices. She looked around the room and was confused about where she was. It was only when she caught the bandage around her wrist that she remembered. She recalled the feeling that everything was pulling her down. The thought of Alastair not caring if she lived or died is what pushed her over the edge. She was ashamed of herself for taking an easy way out. She had to be stronger because a baby would depend on her.

She turned her head when the door opened. When she saw Aria and Kit, she burst into tears. “I’m so sorry. I don’t want to die. I feel bad that I’ve put everyone through this.”

The two women went on either side of her bed. Aria took her hand, and Kit smiled gently.

“Honey, of course you scared us, but we don’t blame you at all,” Aira said. “I’m just so glad we caught it in time.”

Beth wiped her tears away. “I do, too.” She looked at Kit. “Am I in trouble?”

Kit grinned. “With whom?”

“You?”

“Absolutely not, but I am planning on visiting more. The pregnancy hormones can make anyone’s emotions worse. You’ve got a lot of hormones zipping away inside of you.”

Beth exhaled.

“But I’m sorry to say that because you tried to hurt yourself, you have to stay in the hospital for seventy-two hours,” Kit said.

“Oh. Where will I be?”

“People are usually taken up to the psych ward, but I’m pushing for you to stay in this private room. Neither Aria nor I want you around potentially violent people, and I promised to see you often. They’ll still send one of their psychiatrists down to talk to you.”

“That’s okay.”

The two women glanced at each other. “What?” Beth asked.

“Alastair has been in the waiting room.”

“How long have I been here?” Beth asked.

“About nine hours,” Kit said.

“He’s been there the whole time?” Beth couldn’t believe it. “Why?”

Aria sighed. “I’m not sure, but if I had to guess, the man loves you, but he’s afraid of something that’s holding him back and making him crazy.”

Beth had to ask. “He tried to get in to see me?”

Aria nodded. “Yes. He’s been told he can’t see you yet. We wanted to ask you before we let him in.”

Beth looked away. “I don’t know. I thought he wanted me gone.”

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