“Yeah, um, she did. It, ah…turns out she was lying to me the whole time. She was actually further along than she said. I only found out because I asked the doctor if the baby would be okay since he was born so early, and then he told me that Rebecca’s due was in two weeks. ”
Ellie’s whole body started shaking.
“You left her! She told you that bitch was lying, and you just walked away from Ari. We all told you! You walked away, this is all your fault!” Ellie screamed.
As Gunner tried to pull her away from me. My heart started beating faster.
“Ellie, stop!” Gunner yelled, turning her around to face him. “Sweetheart, calm down, please. ”
Emma walked up and took my by the arm. When I glanced over at Sue and Mark, I saw that Sue was crying.
“Emma, please just tell me what happened to Ari,” I practically begged as we started walking toward Ari’s room.
Emma looked at me and gave me a weak smile. “She should be awake. She asked to be alone until you got here. ”
When I opened the door and saw her, I almost fell to my knees. My beautiful, strong Ari was lying in the bed. She was broken, and alone, crying.
I’d never felt such heartache in my life.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
ARI
My heart started beating faster the moment I heard Ellie talking to Jeff. I tried so hard not to start crying, but then I heard Jeff and Emma outside my room. As the door opened, I could feel the moment he walked into the room. I was looking out the window while the tears slid down my face.
I turned to him, and he looked like he was about to throw up. Good that motherfucker.
“So did you have your baby?” I asked with as much sarcasm as I could manage.
A tear rolled down his face as he looked me up and down. I was sure that I looked awful. My head was pounding, my chest was throbbing, and I even had a black eye. I wasn’t sure how I managed that one. I still say my ribs are broken. Stupid country doctors. I couldn’t even cry without everything on my body hurting.
“Oh god, Ari. I’ll never forgive myself for this, baby. ”
Jeff came over and started to reach down to kiss me. I turned my head away from him.
“Ari, please…please don’t do this. What else was I supposed to do?”
“Did. She. Have. Your. Baby?”
“Yes, she had the baby, but he isn’t mine. ”
I snapped my head back toward him. I wasn’t sure if I should be relieved or angry.
“What?”
“It turns out that she faked the whole contraction story to get me away from you. She had this whole plan, Ari. She was trying to pull us apart. Then her water broke, and she started freaking out that I was there. They put her under for a C section. When I asked the doctor if the baby would be okay since he was born early, he told me…”
Jeff just stopped and stared at me.
I knew it! I knew that bitch was lying the whole time. She was the reason this happened to me. I hated her more than ever.
“He told you what, Jeff?”
“He, um, he told me Rebecca’s due date was in two weeks. I confronted her when she woke up, and she told me the truth about everything. She’s so fucking twisted, Ari. It’s unreal. Baby, I don’t want to talk about her. The baby’s not mine, so we can put this whole thing behind us now. It can just be you and me, baby. ”
He reached for my hand, and even though I didn’t want to touch him, I didn’t have the strength to pull it away.
“No, it’s not that easy Jeff. You left us. You picked Rebecca and that baby over us. I’ll never forgive you for this. Ever. ”