There’s two pink lines in the window. One so vibrant it’s almost red, the other fainter but still unmistakeably present.
I’ve already ruled Caylon out because of timing. If the result is real, there’s only one other candidate for fatherhood.
Stefan takes it out of my hand and tosses it in the bin. “Okay. We need to get you home to Wilbur.”
CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN
CAYLON
Four hours after the beating, I’m growing increasingly conscious that I need to get back to Em. Restraining her hadn’t been my favourite idea, and it’s grown increasingly worse to think about as the minutes tick by.
Anything could have happened to her. What if the house caught fire?
It hasn’t. That’s absurd.
But it absolutely is one of those freak things you hear about. Houses do burn down and sometimes they do it with people inside.
A people I’m trying to protect but might instead have hurt.
Maybe hurt even worse after she sees what her tormentor did to me.
The only thing keeping me sane is knowing that Wilbur has no clue where she is. If he had, he would have gone there rather than staking out my home to ensure he caught me when I dropped by.
She’s safe from him. She’s safe from herself. Now I just need to get back to her side so I can cross off all the other variables.
“Are you sure?” Zach asks as I swing my legs off the bed and immediately fall to my side. It takes a few seconds to reconfigure my position and, once I’m sitting upright, I lean forward and let gravity pull me to my feet.
“Of course, I’m sure. Is there anything about this place that seems inviting enough to make me stay overnight?”
“It’s a hospital,” Lily says with an annoyed grunt. “It’s not meant to be a luxury apartment. Why don’t you try slumming it for one night?”
Sierra tilts her head and gives me a shy smile. Her likeness to her sister once again takes me by surprise. Except Lily only ever glares at me these days and her kid sister didn’t get the memo. She still appears genuinely happy to have made my acquaintance.
“Is your mum in a fit state to monitor you?” Zach asks. “She wasn’t tracking things well when she left.”
“Because she hates hospitals. A trait we share.”
He folds his arms, refusing to help keep me standing. Annoyance aside, if he thinks that I’ll let a little thing like balance or pain keep me chained to a hospital bed, he’s got another think coming.
“She doesn’t need to be in a fit state. I’m more than capable of—”
“We’ll stay over.”
Lily sends him a glare that suggests he should consult her before making offers. Not that it matters.
“No. I’m grateful for the lift home but I don’t need babysitting. Once you drop me at my door, you’re free to go.”
Sierra looks upset at the idea, and I smile. I couldn’t care one way or the other for me but for Lily, her sister’s crush looks like it’s setting her self-control on fire.
“Could you grab my keys from the table, hun?” I ask the girl now and she scampers to fulfil my wishes.
“Put those back,” Lily orders her and the two stare at each other with matching creases between their eyebrows. It looks like a fun start to the evening, but I need to bail.
There’s only one woman I want to spend time with today, and if I don’t reach her soon, she’s going to be madder at me than Lily currently is.
“You don’t need car keys,” Zach announces, taking them off the girl and tucking them in his pocket. “We’ll drive you wherever you need to go.”
“Home. I’ve told you. If Mum’s out, she’ll be back soon enough.”
