Chapter 24

*Livie*

It had been three months since the incident with Carter. Summer had given way to fall, and James and I had settled into our new routine as a married couple. Beth took over my apartment lease, but I’m certain she was spending more time at Trav’s than not. James had been working the last three days non-stop, but would finally be home tonight. The case against him had stalled out without any witnesses or other evidence to support the allegations from Nick, so the hospital dropped the matter as well, and he’d been busier than ever.

That evening, I rushed home from work so I could prepare a romantic dinner for my husband. I knew he’d be too exhausted to do much else, but I wanted to do something special for him. James had fought tooth and nail to ensure my safety from Nick, and I could never explain the depths of my love for this man.

The timer had just beeped, letting me know the oven was preheated. I turned to pop my homemade lasagna into the oven when I heard the doorbell. It startled me, since most people knock, and I didn’t realize we had a doorbell. Unsure of who it could be, I opened the door cautiously, but began trembling the moment I locked eyes with the person on the other side.

*James*

I pulled into the driveway, and I couldn’t wait to see Liv. I hadn’t been home in days, and I missed her so much. I had every intention of begging her to take the day off tomorrow so I could spend the whole day in bed with her. In my exhaustion and rush to see my bride, I didn’t notice the front door was open until I approached the front walk. Elation quickly turned to concern as I entered the house.

The smell of something burning assaulted my senses first, then I noticed the smoke alarm going off. Panic tore through me as I called out to my wife. “Livie!” I charged through to the kitchen, turning off the oven, and pulling out whatever dish was now burned to a crisp. “Liv!” I hollered again, the panic turning to desperation. Not finding her in the kitchen, I ran to the living room, discovering it was empty. “Olivia!” My voice grew louder even as the fear threatened to strangle me.

Bursting into our bedroom, I finally heard something. Someone. “Livie! Are you in here?” The noise I heard sounded almost like muffled sobs, and I burst into the bathroom, finding my wife on the floor, covered in blood. She cowered in the corner, letting out a stifled scream before she realized it was me. Tears poured down her face, though her eyes were so swollen I’m not sure how.

“Baby, what happened?” I frantically searched her body for injuries and found, in addition to her swollen eyes and busted lip, bruises were beginning to appear on her neck, and her wrist seemed to be injured as well. Blood was still leaking from her nose, and more was in her hair. I scooped her off the floor, carrying Liv to our bed, her body trembling uncontrollably. Sobs wracked her frame, and I waited in helpless agony for her to explain what happened.

“He… he…” The words came in spurts. “I.. I… don’t understand.” Her eyes were set wide with terror, and the cries coming from her intensified.

“I’m taking you to the hospital.” I wrapped her in a blanket, carried her to my car, and once she was buckled safely, headed straight to the emergency room. Her tears seemed to slow, but she continued to shake. “Baby, can you tell me what happened?” I tried to coax any words from her, but Liv just stared ahead. After we reached the hospital, and the doctors began a full workup on Liv, I called Noah and Trav to tell them what was going on. Trav was with Beth and filled her in.

As I hung up the phone, Detective Shepherd walked into the waiting area where the nurses led me while the doctors talked to Liv. I know it’s standard protocol to assume the spouse inflicted the abuse, so I kept telling myself to not take it personally. “Dr. Wilson.” The good detective’s tone was clipped, but his face gave nothing away. I stood, shaking his hand.

“Detective. I assume you’re here about Liv.” He motioned for us to sit in the chairs. “She didn’t tell me anything about what happened. I think she’s in shock. The door was open when I got home and I found her beaten and bloody in our bathroom. I have no idea what the hell happened.” The words flew out of me in a rush, my actions driven by desperation and sheer fear.

“Has she been in contact with Nick or Carter recently?” There was no need to mask my surprise at his initial response.

“Oh my god, do you think Carter attacked her again? She hasn’t said anything about either of them in ages. It’s been quiet.” I scrubbed my hands over my face, and then ran my fingers through my hair, stopping to cradle my head in my hands. The rage threatened to consume me, and I fought to breathe through it.

“James. It wasn’t Carter. He’s been at the precinct since three this afternoon. His lawyer convinced him to take a plea deal on the August incident.” Lifting my head, I’m sure he saw the range of emotions coursing through me written all over my face. “I don’t know what changed, why he decided to do that, but it couldn’t have been him.”

“Nick isn’t stupid enough to do it on his own. He would have sent someone.” Rage was officially the primary emotion ruling my existence.

“Dr. Wilson.” Gina, one of the E.R. nurses, had approached us while my head was down. “Your wife is asking for you.” I jumped up, followed by Detective Shepherd, and Gina led us to the room where Liv was. When I saw her face, my breath caught in my chest again. The bruising on her face and neck was much worse, and her hand was wrapped in a bandage. I raced to her side, as the tears started to fall down her face again.

“Baby, please don’t cry. I’m here.” I wrapped my arms around her, and she rested her on my chest. The doctor walked in before the detective could start his line of questioning.

“Mrs. Wilson.” Dr. Stone entered the room, looking at Livie’s chart. “Hello, James. I’m so sorry you both are here under these circumstances.” He had been slightly cold towards me since the allegations from Nick came to light. “Detective, I understand you need to get Mrs. Wilson’s statement. However, I have some things I need to address first. Would you please wait in the hallway?” Once Detective Shepherd was in the hall and the door was securely closed behind him, Dr. Stone continued.

“Mrs. Wilson.” Livie interrupted him, speaking for the first time since I found her on the floor of our bathroom.

“It’s Livie.”

Dr. Stone nodded, then continued. “Livie, James, this isn’t easy to say, but I trust you want all the information I can give you. I want to get you x-rays for your wrist, but your blood work indicates you might be pregnant. Given the physical trauma you’ve sustained, I would like to get an ultrasound to determine the viability of the pregnancy at this point.” He paused, giving us time to absorb the words.

“Given the shocked look on both your faces, I assume you didn’t know. I am so sorry to have to share this news in this way.” His voice was genuine, and the expression he held was nothing short of heartbroken. “Livie, have you shared with James the extent of the attack?” At that moment, I didn’t need her to tell me what that bastard had done to her. I knew. Liv’s tears started again, and once again I held my trembling wife as sobs shook her whole body.

“Shh, baby. You don’t need to say anything.” I kissed the top of her head, holding her tighter, blinking back my own tears.

“I’ll give you two a moment, but I would like to send in a tech to perform the ultrasound right away. That is the best way for me to know what steps we need to take next. I need to determine the extent of the damage to your wrist, but I don’t want to risk any additional harm to your baby.” I nodded toward my colleague, confirming I understood everything he said, then he turned and left us alone to process as much as we could in this moment.

I held my wife, letting her breakdown in my arms, while I prayed our baby was safe. It wasn’t planned, but the knowledge that we created a tiny life that may have already been taken away from us was too much to bear.