“I’m sorry,” I say, my throat closing up on me.
“Lake,” he growls, both hands grabbing my face this time. “Why are you apologizing?”
“You don’t want children.” The first tear runs down my cheek, and he wipes it away with his thumb.
“You’re right,” he states, and my chest tightens. “I didn’t want children”—he moves closer to me, his face now inches from mine—“with just anyone.”
I sniff.
“But you? You, Laikyn Grace Crawford, are my wife. And you having our child would be the greatest gift in this world.”
I sniff again and fresh tears fall from my bottom lashes. He leans in, kissing my lips gently, but I don’t kiss him back.
His hands drop from my face to my stomach. “Don’t be sorry, Lake, and don’t doubt that I want this child. I want it just as badly as I want you. Okay?”
I nod my head, unable to speak. My throat closing on me. Luke got his way. But how? Had they been planning this since day one? I want to be excited that I’m pregnant with a man who I love and loves me back, but to be pregnant now? It just proves what I have been trying to avoid. This is supposed to be a special moment in our lives, and once again, someone is trying to take it away from us.
“I’m going to get Gavin,” he tells me. “He’s going to do an ultrasound to check on the baby.”
Getting up, he makes his way over to the door and opens it to see Gavin standing in the hallway waiting. He enters and gives me a soft smile that I can’t force myself to return.
I understand what we’re doing. He’s going to check and see if the baby is okay. I’m shaking. It’s funny, I’ve been so against bringing children into our world that now I’m afraid I won’t be able to give my husband something he wants. What if something is wrong with our child? What if something I did hurt the baby? I chose to go into Blackout and work that night. It’s my fault if something is wrong.
Gavin pulls up the gown that I wear while making sure the blanket stays down around my waist. “Normally, this early into pregnancy, they’d do a transvaginal ultrasound, but we’ll try it this way first,” he tells us. “If there’s no fetal heartbeat, we’ll try vaginally.”
Tyson takes my hand, and I grab it while he places his other one of top of ours. Cold gel is placed on my stomach and on the end of the wand.
I lean back and take in a deep breath as he places the wand on my stomach and the screen on the monitor starts to show a black-looking distorted video. He presses a few buttons on the keyboard, and then I hear it.
The sound of a heartbeat has me tearing up.
“Well, that’s interesting,” Gavin says.
“What is it?” Tyson asks, leaning forward. His pretty baby-blue eyes are glued to the screen. There’s fear in his voice that I’ve never heard before.
Gavin looks over at us. “Hear that?” He turns the sound up louder, and the swishing sound fills the room.
“It’s a heartbeat,” Tyson states, looking at him.
Gavin smiles. “It’stwoheartbeats.” He points at two different spots on the monitor. “Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Crawford. You’re having fraternal twins. I’d say you’re about seven weeks along. Maybe eight. Not surprised though. Jackson confessed to giving you pregnancy enhancement hormones. It could result in multiple pregnancies or it could have no effect whatsoever. No way to tell, really. And the fact that you only received one dose…” He trails off watching the monitor.
“What?” My wide eyes go to my husband, and he gives me a sympathetic smile with a reassuring hand squeeze. His way of silently telling me he’ll fill me in later.
Gavin pulls the wand from my stomach. “Everything sounds and looks good, but I’m no OB. I’d suggest you see one as soon as possible. I have one I can suggest if you’d like.”
“They’re okay?” Tyson asks once more.
Gavin nods. “I’ll leave you two alone. Get some rest, Lake.” He pats my arm. “You’re going to need lots of it.”
He exits the room, and Tyson’s eyes meet my watery ones. A big smile lights up his face, and he leans in, kissing my forehead tenderly as the tears flow down my face.
Taking my hand in his, he holds it and I frown when I look down at them. “Why did you take my wedding ring off?” I ask.
The smile drops off his face, and he looks at my hand. “I didn’t.”
SIXTY
LAIKYN
