“I don’t believe that for a second,” she said with a slight quiver to her voice.“No one is as good and kind as you, which is why I stayed.Contrary to what you may think, you did not force me to marry you, Edward.I chose to become your wife when I could just as easily have fled.”
“Back to Italy,” he said, aware that she’d had another option besides him.
“I stayed because I believed that you and I could be happy together once we got past this.”
Heaven above, he’d never felt smaller.It was as though he’d been blind to everything but his own riotous emotions and was suddenly able to see.
“I will make it up to you,” he said.“I swear it.”
Her faint smile was like sunshine, washing away cloudy days.It wobbled at the sound of approaching footsteps and vanished completely when she saw the people rushing toward them.
Edward’s own heartbeat slowed to a sluggish pulse.It was the woman who’d left the room a few moments before.She was now accompanied by a man who carried a leather bag with him.Two additional nurses followed behind in their wake, a variety of supplies in their arms.
“Are you the surgeon?”Melody asked.
A swift nod was his only response as the woman who’d gone to fetch him opened the door to the room.The surgeon was promptly ushered inside, and then the nurses followed him in.
Edward gave Melody a nudge.“Go on.”
She didn’t hesitate for a second, hurrying after them all so she could be by Samantha’s side.The door swung shut one second later, leaving Edward alone in the hallway.
Optimistic about the turn of events his conversation with Melody had brought about, yet terrified on behalf of Adrian and Samantha, he sank to the nearest bench and buried his head in his hands.
Whether or not today would bring about happiness would be determined by how things progressed in the room directly behind him.
13
Samantha could scarcely think on account of the pain.It consumed every part of her body and led to one singular state of awareness: everything comes to an end.
She clung to that as she gritted her teeth and squeezed the hands clutching hers.Adrian and Melody, both by her side, uttering words she could not decipher.And now her head was being propped up.Oh God, oh God, oh God.Another wave of agony rippled through her.
Tears welled in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks.She gasped, her energy almost depleted.All she wanted was for this ordeal to be over, one way or the other.As long as the baby survived, she could slip away into oblivion, happy in the knowledge that she had accomplished her greatest life duty.
“Give her some water,” somebody said.A man.Perhaps the doctor or maybe the surgeon who’d been brought in?
Samantha wasn’t stupid.She’d known the birth wasn’t going according to plan before Adrian told her what had to be done.Drastic measures might have to be taken.She could bloody well feel it.
Something cool touched her lips, pressing against them.
“Drink.”Adrian’s voice.
Cool water spilled onto her tongue, and she eagerly swallowed.Lord, she’d not realized how parched she was until now.
When she was done, she tried to block out the pain so she could say what needed saying, in case she didn’t get a chance later.“If I die—”
“You won’t.”Adrian’s voice was firm.“I won’t allow it.”
“This might…be out of your hands.”
“You will fight,” he ordered even as his voice cracked with emotion.“Do you hear me?”
“Adrian…” Exhaustion overwhelmed her.
“You will get through this,” he said, completely refusing to let her give up, as she was now tempted to do.
* * *
Nothing Adrian had gone through before prepared him for this.Not the beatings his father had given him as a child, nor the killing Adrian had done.Neither had hardened him enough to withstand the torment of possibly losing his wife.
