Natalie.
I heard Evie scream out, and Natalie yelled, “Shut up! This is what happens when you go around stealing other people’s men!”
I tried to open the door, but it was locked.
Of course it fucking was. All I could hear was Evie crying, screaming for Natalie to stay away from her, and I wanted to throw up from the panic that shot through me.
God knows what Natalie was doing, but whatever it was, it was my fault. I was about to shout out to Evie to let her know I was there, but I realised before I opened my mouth that that wasn’t the way to go. Not with Natalie. If she knew I was there, she’d only hurt Evie more.
I ran down the gap between the two houses and in through Evie’s back gate, praying with everything I had that the back door was unlocked, because the sound of Evie screaming and crying was killing me.
I pulled at the sliding door to the conservatory and my heart leapt as it opened, and I went through to the door that led into the kitchen. I didn’t worry about making a sound at that point, because Natalie’s hysterical rant was drowning out everything.
I no longer heard what she was saying, and I didn’t care. I ran through the house and found Natalie looming over Evie, who had curled up into a ball, her body shaking as she tried to protect her stomach. Natalie had a handful of Evie’s hair, trying to drag her up. The sight almost crippled me, but anger easily won out, and while Natalie was distracted, I grabbed her around the middle and pulled her away from Evie. In her surprise, she let go of Evie’s hair, and I said, “Enough!”
Natalie screamed as she tried to kick against me, but I managed to wrap one of my arms around her, pinning her arms so she couldn’t hit me. I used all the strength I had to keep her restrained, because if she got out of my hold and went for Evie again, I was afraid of what I might do to her.
“Get off!” she screamed at me. “Get off!”
“You fucking psycho!” I yelled, wrestling her towards the front door and unlocking it. As she fought me, her face turned in my direction, and I could see her lip was cut. I didn’t know or care how it had happened. For the second time that day, I was about to throw Natalie out, but before I did, I said, “You ever come near me or Evie again, and I will fucking kill you.”
I slammed the door closed then rushed to Evie’s side. She hadn’t moved, still trembling and sobbing, and I placed a hand on her hip.
“Evie?” I said, trying to stay calm. “Are you okay? What did she do to you?”
For a second, she didn’t answer, and I leaned over her to make sure she was still conscious. She was, but she had a huge bruise on her cheek, and I could see some marks on her shoulder too.
“Evie, please!” I begged. “What did she do? Did she…?”
I couldn’t bring myself to ask. Natalie didn’t know Evie was pregnant, thankfully, but she liked to kick. She’d kicked me in the stomach a lot of times, and if she’d done that to Evie too…? From the way she was curled up, I didn’t know what else to think.
Very slowly, Evie began to roll over so she was on her back but she winced as she moved. The bruise on her cheek was enormous now I could see it fully, and there were scratches down the other side of her face.
“Ash,” she whispered. “I think I need to go to the hospital.”
I must have passed out after telling Ash I needed to go to the hospital, because hospital was where I woke up.
I was in a room, hooked up to some kind of machine and the first thing I felt was a throbbing ache in my cheek and my back.
“Evie.”
The sound of my mum’s voice made me blink, and I turned my head to see her and Keely sitting at my side. Both of them had moisture in their eyes, and right away, I felt my throat close over, and a pain shot through my chest.
“My babies,” I mumbled. “Are they…?”
Tears sprang to my own eyes as I remembered fully what had happened. How Natalie had forced her way into my house, accusing me of being ‘the other woman’, telling me I was a homewrecker who had ruined her life. When she’d let me get a word in, I reminded her that she was the one who ruined her life, but she was determined to believe that, somehow, I was to blame for Ash leaving.
I knew it wasn’t a smart move but I’d just wanted her out, and as I’d lunged forward to open the door, she’d punched me in the face. The shock had knocked me backwards, and her eyes had grown wild with rage. That was when I’d tried to reason with her. Tried to get her to calm down, but she didn’t. She flew at me, clawing at my face, and I hit her in the mouth as I tried to get her off me. She pushed me to the floor, and I instinctively curled up into a ball to keep my stomach safe, but she’d kicked me in the back and started pulling my hair. All I could think about the whole time was that she was going to kill me, or worse, cause me to have a miscarriage.
I wouldn’t survive it.
I stared at my mum and Keely, trying to control the shakes wracking my body.
“They’re fine,” Keely said, her voice thick with emotion. “B
oth little hearts are beating away, but the doctor wants you to stay in overnight, just to monitor everything. Also, I called Jay and he’s on his way down.”
I moved my hands over my stomach, so happy to know my babies were still alive that I couldn’t speak. The warm blanket that covered me made me feel safe, and I would be more than happy to stay in the hospital overnight if it meant I would be monitored. Even though I knew I’d kept my stomach protected, the kick to my back had worried me, and it had hurt like hell with those big boots she was wearing.