So Many Questions

So Many Questions

Alice

Rhys’s words sting deep in my heart. I’d been afraid of how he might react to the pregnancy and had braced myself in the event he did not want the baby. I’d even considered having to leave Duskmoore if he wanted nothing to do with me and our child.

But I also had hope that this would be the one situation that would bring us back together. I allowed myself to imagine the moment when I told him about the baby and the joy lit up in his eyes. We would have embraced, kissed, and then spent the rest of the day planning our future with the baby.

But that is not to be, and this situation is so much more unbelievable than even my worst-case scenario. How could he possibly believe that I slept with Sam and that this is that asshole’s baby? How could he throw me out of Duskmoore as if I’m a piece of trash to be discarded?

“He’s not in his right mind at the moment,” Tiberius tries to explain. “Give him some time to think about it, and I’m sure he’ll come around.”

“How can I ever forgive those things he said about me?” I ask.

“They were dreadful,” Naomi agrees, rubbing my back gently. “I’m sure he didn’t mean it, but I understand how much they must still hurt you.”

I nod, drying off my latest tears with the handkerchief Naomi gave me. I don’t know if I have any more tears left in me, but the pain is still unbearable. “He’s making me leave Duskmoore,” I say quietly. I don’t want to stay in this house with a man who treats me that way, but I’d just returned and realized how much I love Duskmoore, how much it feels like home.

Tiberius shakes his head. “Don’t listen to that nonsense,” he says. “That’s just Rhys flying off the handle for something he’s mistaken about. When he realizes the truth, he will regret everything he said.”

“Yes, but he told me to leave now,” I tell him. “What am I going to do?”

“Well, until he comes to his senses, there’s always—” Tiberius stops mid-sentence when Dr. Lombardi enters the room. My heart leaps, and I begin to rise, anxious to hear the test results.

“Please, stay seated, Alice,” the doctor says. “We need you to stay relaxed.” He flicks his gaze toward Tiberius, then Naomi, then back to me, and his expression softens. “I see that Rhys has spoken to you.”

“Spoken is too generous a term for what he did here,” Tiberius says with an angry lilt to his voice. “He tore through here like a madman, accusing Alice of horrible things, then he proceeded to demand she leave Duskmoore!”

“Yes, he told me,” Dr. Lombardi says. “I spoke to him myself moments ago.” He sits in the chair next to where I’m situated on the sofa and turns to me with a sympathetic expression. “I do have your test results. The baby is healthy, so you don’t need to concern yourself about that right now.”

I furrow my brow, noticing the hesitancy in his voice. “But something else is wrong, isn’t it?”

“No, there’s nothing wrong, not exactly,” he replies. “But the test results do show that the baby is a vampire.”

Suddenly, it’s hard to breathe, and all my words are trapped in my throat. My baby is a vampire. I’m just a human. How is this possible? Can I carry this baby to term? Will my body reject the baby because he or she is not the same as me? So many other questions run through my mind, but the air is stuck in my lungs, and I can’t even speak.

Naomi puts her arm around me again, rubbing my back. “Alice, are you all right?” she asks.

Finally, I manage to swallow, and though a knot of fear remains in my gut, my words return. “What does that mean, Dr. Lombardi? What will this pregnancy be like? What am I supposed to do?”

He reaches toward me and gives me a reassuring pat on the shoulder, though it has little effect at the moment. “Those are exactly the questions I’ve been trying to research since I received the test results,” he says. “That’s why I was gone so long. However, you can relax knowing that you and the baby are safe and healthy at the moment. I’d like you to get as much rest as you can while I do more research.”

“I don’t see how she can relax when Rhys is acting like this,” Tiberius tells him.

My eyes go wide. “Does Rhys know that the baby is a vampire?”

“He does,” Dr. Lombardi confirms. “I just spoke with him moments ago. I apologize if revealing that violates your privacy. But he was carrying on so about the pregnancy and Mr. Powers. I had to set him straight.”

“He’ll be hearing a few words on the subject from me as well,” Tiberius adds. His jade eyes are practically glowing with anger, and for a moment, I wonder what he is going to say to Rhys.

I should be angry at Rhys as well, but I haven’t had time to be anything but hurt and sad. And now, with this new concern for the baby, I don’t think I have the energy to direct any anger at him.

“Has the nausea returned today?” Dr. Lombardi asks.

I turn back to him, shaking my head. “No,” I tell him. “Margaret made me a light breakfast, and that helped, I think. I haven’t taken any medication today. I haven’t even thought about it, honestly.”

“That’s good,” he says, his head rocking back and forth slowly. “I know all of this is very troubling, but I want you to try to stay as calm as possible for the next few days. A vampire pregnancy in a human is new to me, but I don’t want you to be concerned. I’ve reached out to other doctors who are much older than me. Their experience is more extensive than mine. I’m sure they’ll have some information for us.”

I trust Dr. Lombardi, and I know he’s doing what he can to help me. But the more the idea runs through my mind, being pregnant with a vampire frightens me.

“I don’t know how much I can help, but I’ll get you anything you need anytime,” Naomi offers me. “I’m not very familiar with pregnancies in general, but I want you to know that I’m here for you.”

I turn to her and squeeze her hand briefly. “Thank you, Naomi. That means a lot to me.”

“We’re all here for you,” Tiberius adds. “I don’t know why Rhys is acting this way, but we’re all going to support you with whatever you need.” He looks at Dr. Lombardi. “You said you spoke to him. Where did he go? Why isn’t he here apologizing?”

The doctor shakes his head. “I did suggest he get his mind straight before speaking with Alice, especially with this new information about the baby. She needs to stay calm. I suspect he’s gone somewhere to get his head together.”

“That’s probably for the best,” I say. “I haven’t even really processed all his accusations or the cruel way he treated me. I barely recognized that voice he used. I don’t know if I could even speak to him right now.”

“The angry version of Rhys can be overwhelming,” Tiberius agrees.

“Can I get you anything?” Naomi asks. “Perhaps a drink of water?”

“That does sound good,” I admit. “I don’t want to trouble you.”

“Of course it’s no trouble,” she says. “I’ll be right back.”

“Thank you.” I watch while she leaves the room, her dress rustling as she turns the corner. The fear I felt with her locked at the bottom of the attic stairs pulses through me for a moment, but then it fades away, though thinking of it makes me a bit melancholy. Just as we’re getting to be friends again, I may have to leave this house.

“I do have other results of the tests, if you’d like to hear them,” Dr. Lombardi says, grabbing my attention. “Unless you’d like to discuss those in private.”

I look up at Tiberius and back at the doctor. “Oh, no,” I tell him. “Tiberius can hear anything you have to tell me.”

“All right,” the doctor says. “We do have more news about the baby’s development. You’re in the middle of your tenth week of pregnancy. All of your numbers look excellent, except that you are slightly low in iron, not by a lot. I suggest increasing your intake through meals until we take more tests. I’ll alert Margaret of the change.”

“All right,” I say. “That shouldn’t be too hard. Is that because the baby is a vampire?”

“I have no way of knowing at this stage,” he explains. “But as I said, I do expect to hear more information soon that will help me guide your pregnancy. Until then, plenty of rest and healthy food are the best choices. Do you have any questions?”

“Of course I do,” I tell him. “But I don’t believe there are any you can answer now because they’re all about the baby being a vampire.”

“Likely not, then,” he agrees as Naomi returns with my glass of water. I thank her with a smile and take a sip. “But rest assured,” he continues, “I will find those answers for you, Alice.”

“I appreciate your help so much, Dr. Lombardi,” I say. “Tiberius and Naomi, I’m proud to call you friends, even if I end up living somewhere else.”

“I’m sure you can stay if you’d like,” Naomi insists.

“I agree,” Tiberius adds. “But what you do is up to you. We’d all love it if you’d stay at Duskmoore. But if you’d like me to take you back to the Ambassador, I will. What would you like to do?”

I let out a long breath, considering which choice to make.

What’s the best thing for me and the baby?