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  “Hello?” Ryan said into the phone

  Ryan put him on speaker phone

  “Lacey is in labor, the doctor tried to stop it with medication as soon as we came in, but they can’t. Her water broke. The baby is coming”

  There was fear in his voice. Jason was the strongest man I knew, even before Ryan. I knew this was not good

  “Is Lace okay?” I asked

  He didn’t say anything for a moment

  “No Emmy, she’s not. She’s crying and she’s really scared. It’s not dangerously early, but she knows the baby needs to wait a bit. She’s having a hard time, can you come?”

  “Of course” I exclaimed “I will leave now.”

  I stood up and ran into the kitchen to grab my purse and keys

  Ryan had hung up with Jason

  “Are you coming?” I asked him.

  “Yeah, you go now. I will see Alex and Katie out, take a quick shower and I will head up to see you guys.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you later.”

  He kissed my forehead “She’s going to be okay, she’s tough”

  “I know, she has to be. I’ll see you later, I love you.”

  “Love you too baby.” He said

  I turned to leave “bye Alex, bye Katie.”

  They both said goodbye as I was walking out the door.

  Chapter 18

  When I got to the hospital, Jason greeted me at the front desk.

  “She’s getting ready to push, she doesn’t want me in there and I have no fucking clue what to do Em.”

  He pulled me into a hug, tears streaming down his face. I had never seen Jason cry before

  “I can try and see if she will let me in, do you think she will?”

  “She’s been asking for you Em, she only wants you.” He tells me

  When I walk into the labor and delivery room, I see several nurses and about 4 doctors. 2 are for the baby. I see NICU on their name tags.

  They all nod at me as I walk through the door

  Lacey cries out as soon as she sees me “Oh thank God you are here Emmalyn, I need you”

  “Why isn’t Jason in here?” I ask, crossing the room to take her hand as a contraction rips through her. She screams out in pain

  When the pain subsides, she sobs “Because our baby is going to die, and I don’t want him to see that.” She says

  I look up at the doctor who looks at Lacey with a sympathetic smile

  “Sweetie, I told you.” The doctor says “Your baby has a perfect heart rate right now, there is no sign that the baby is in distress. It’s mom that we are worried about.”

  Lacey didn’t look like she was listening. I grabbed a wet washcloth off of the side table that was beside her bed. I dapped it in the water and began to wipe down her face whispering soothing words of encouragement in her ear.

  Every time a contraction hit, she would grab my hand. Not letting go until it went away.

  “Can I have Jason come back in? I think he really needs to be with you.”

  She looked at me, for the first time ever, Lacey looked beaten down and broken. She was petrified of what could happen to her, to her unborn baby.

  I wanted to cry, I needed to, but I knew she needed me to be strong

  “As long as you don’t leave me Emmalyn, he can come in. But if anything goes wrong with me or the baby I need you to promise me that you won’t let him watch. He can’t handle that.”

  I nodded in agreement and walked out to get Jason.

  He was sitting on a chair right outside the door. Head in his hands shaking his knee up and down in nervousness.

  I put my hand on his shoulder “Jason.”

  He looked up at me standing quickly

  “She’s okay.” I reassured him. “I talked her into letting you come in, as long as I don’t leave and you promise to leave if anything goes wrong –which it won’t- she said you can come. She’s scared Jason, she’s got herself thinking that the baby is going to die.”

  He looked sad “I know, as soon as he or she is born she will be fine, she’s going to be fine soon.”

  We were interrupted by a screech from Lacey. We ran in and noticed that the doctor who was between Lacey’s leg was shouting orders at the NICU staff

  “The head is showing, we need to get ready” was all I could understand. Something about oxygen and heart monitors

  Jason ran over to the other side of Lacey, leaving the side I had been at before open. She reached for his hand and he gladly gave it to her, placing a quick gentle kiss on her lips

  “I’m so sorry I was so mean to you.” She cried out

  “It is okay baby, I’m here. I am not going anywhere.”

  Another contraction came

  “Okay Lacey.” The doctor said “I need three good pushes from you and your baby will be here. On the count of three I want you to start

  As soon as the three seconds were up the doctor started counting “one…two…three” when she got to 10 Lacey sat back taking a deep breath. A few seconds later she started pushing again to the same countdown; “one…two…three. Four…” and stopped

  After the third one, the doctor reached in and when I saw her hands again there was a bright red baby covered in white patches two seconds later a strong and shrill newborn scream filled the air.

  Sighs of relief came from Lacey, Jason and I. As well as plenty of tears

  “It’s a boy” the doctor smiled, handing the baby to the NICU nurse, who placed him into a bassinet while the doctors looked over him. An oxygen mask was placed on his tiny little face

  “He’s doing well” the doctor explained to Lacey and Jason “but he is a little early and we want to make sure his lungs are fully mature, so the oxygen is just to help him if he needs it.”

  Jason looked relieved.

  Lacey looked exhausted. She fell asleep soon after

  They took the baby to the NICU for the night, to run tests on him.

  I realized about an hour after he was born that Ryan never showed up. I stepped out to call him and see where he was

  Before I could call him I saw that I had a voicemail from Alex

  That’s odd. I thought... He never leaves a voicemail.

  “Hey Emmalyn it’s me, Alex. Um. Pause. I um. I need to tell you something, and you will probably hate me, and I know that I will deserve it. I love you. I have loved you for a while now. I know that you are Ryan’s and I know that you love him, you live with him and you will probably forgive him after I tell you what I need to. Just know that I do love you, and I am always going to be here for you, no matter what. But tonight was the end of Ryan and I’s friendship. I will never be able to sit in the same room as him again after what he has done.

  Katie didn’t leave when I did tonight. She spilled iced coffee all over her pants right before we were leaving and Ryan said she could head into your room and grab a pair of pants from your dresser he said you wouldn’t mind. I took that as my cue to head out. Ryan said he was going to head over to the hospital as soon as he got a shower. I said goodbye and walked out the door.

  I realized when I got down the road, that I left my phone in the guest bathroom. I turned around and headed back in the house, using my key.

  When I got upstairs I heard moaning coming from your room. The guest bedroom. I was fucking livid. I knew he was in there fucking her. Only a few hours after you left. When I opened the door I noticed that Ryan had nothing but a towel on, he was soaking wet like he had just left the shower. And that’s when I saw Katie, sprawled out on the bed, fingering herself and calling his name. He was just standing there watching her. He didn’t tell her to leave, I saw his face. He didn’t look like a man who was watching someone other than his girlfriend masturbating in his house. I watched for a few more minutes. He told her she had to go, he told her that they were just friends and that he didn’t want her. But something in his voice told me that he wasn’t sure if that was true or not. He didn’t sound convincing.

  Ryan realized I was there
shortly after. When he came out he had a shocked look on his face and tried to convince me that nothing had happened, that he did nothing wrong. But he was talking so fast it was like he was trying to convince himself and me.

  He didn’t touch her Em, you have to know that. I don’t care that he didn’t. The way he was looking at her was like he wanted to. Like if I hadn’t been there he would have. I know he had a phone call from the prison from his father after you left. I know he was hurting and of course couldn’t go to you because you were with Lacey, but he would have fucked her if I hadn’t been there.

  Be careful from now on who you let into your life.

  Just so you know, I punched him in the face before I left. I am sure you will hear all about that. I just... I want what is best for you, I know I transport drugs and guns for a living and I live on the wrong side of the law, but I would never ever look at another woman, if I had you to crawl into bed with each and every night.

  I’m just warning you. I have to go. Good luck to you with Ryan, and give Jason and Lacey my love... I love you Emmalyn... Bye”

  I listened to the message 3 times. And each time it was worse than the first. I clicked 3 to save the message before hitting end.

  I had 15 text messages from Ryan

  All ranging from

  R: “How’s the baby?”

  R: “Is it here yet?”

  R: “Is Lacey okay?”

  R: “my dad’s getting out.”

  R: “Can you call if you get a chance?”

  I assume the rest were from after the Katie and Alex incident

  R: “I love you.”

  R: “I hope you always know that.”

  I stopped reading after that. They were begging for me to call him begging for me to tell him that I loved him. I didn’t know what to do.

  I pulled up a blank text and responded as briefly which is unlike me.

  E: “Evry1’s good. It’s a boy. TTYL”

  He text back right away, but I didn’t open it. I turned off my phone and went to the nurse’s station. I told her that I would be going home for the night after I said goodnight to Lacey and Jason and gave her my number if either of them needed anything. She smiled and took down my information. I told her I would be back first thing in the morning.

  When I went in to say good night to Lacey and Jason, I noticed that Lacey was looking out the window. She had a beautiful view of the city, but she didn’t seem to be looking at anything in particular. I gave her a kiss and told her I would be back in the morning.

  Jason came out into the hall with me. I told him about Alex’s voicemail.

  He seemed angry with his brother

  “What do you mean he got a call from the prison?”

  “I don’t know the details, I am sure I will at some point, but for now I am going to grab a hotel room for the night nearby. I will be back first thing in the morning to help you with Lacey.”

  He seemed deep in thought. He thanked me for being there and then gave me a kiss and I turned to leave.

  I checked into the hotel about 20 minutes later. I stopped to grab some dinner first realizing I hadn’t eaten in hours and to buy a few outfits to keep in my car as well as some pajamas for tonight and some things for the baby.

  When I got to my room, I grabbed quick shower, came out and sat down to eat. Before I started I turned on my phone in case the nurse needed me

  As soon as the welcome screen went away and my background came up, did my phone give me a notification for texts.

  22.

  I didn’t click on one.

  I set my phone down and began to eat. Thinking about Ryan. Is that his game? Does he like Katie?

  I wasn’t going to get too upset, he didn’t sleep with her. I was thankful for that. Maybe he had a good reason for the way things happened. I would talk to him. I was still in shock from Alex’s voice mail and his declarations.

  He started calling shortly after

  Voice mail after voicemail. He was drunk. He kept begging me to call him. Telling me how he needed to talk to me. He needed to see me.

  When he called again I answered

  Clearly he wasn’t expecting this “Em?”

  “Yeah, I’m here” I said quietly

  “Thank God baby, I’ve been trying to call you all night. I didn’t touch her baby. She was in your room, I went in to grab you some clothes before I got dressed and headed out and she was there.” His words were slurring

  “Are you drunk Ryan?” I asked

  “Yeah.” He responded sounding ashamed

  “Can we talk some other time? I’m exhausted and I need to get some sleep before I head back to the hospital in the morning to see Lacey and the baby.”

  “Are you... Are you coming home?” he asked quietly

  “No.” I responded firmly “I don’t know what I am doing Ryan, but when a chick gets naked in a place that you share with your fiancé, you should probably kick her out and not stare at her. I will see you later. I don’t know when you will go and see Jason and the baby, but when you do I will see you then.”

  He didn’t like that answer. I heard him pull the phone away, and swear, but when he came back he just said “Okay, Em, just know that I do love you. So fucking much.”

  I hung up on him before he had a chance to say anything else.

  Chapter 19

  The next 2 weeks blew by. Ryan and I talked. He was at the hospital the very next day bright and early. Clearly hung over but he was there. We talked for a while. He told me about the call from the prison, his dad was being released and wanted to see him. He told me about Katie, and her flirtations recently. He thought they were innocent, but lately he had started to realize they were anything but. Of course her trying to seduce him in our house was just the final straw. He had to work with her, there was nothing he could do. But he said he would not invite her over again, which was a given. He was sorry. And nothing happened. I told him I forgave him, and he seemed to be relieved.

  I went back home that night.

  Ryan had to go back to work, and he understood when I didn’t want to go to work with him.

  The baby, who Jason and Lacey named Mason Carter Alexander had to spend 2 weeks in the hospital. After that he was discharged.

  Which was the issue.

  Lacey was diagnosed with Post-Partum the day after the baby was born. She had a fairly severe case. She wasn’t eating, she wouldn’t hold the baby and we were all very worried about her.

  Jason tried to talk to her about the baby. I tried, she would scream at us both and kick us out. When we would come back she would apologize, but if the baby came up she would lose it again.

  The nurses left her to take a shower one day, when they came to check on her she had cut her wrist. She was immediately sedated and brought to the psych floor.

  Jason stayed with her as much as he could.

  The doctor declared that she was okay to return home. She was placed on medication, but for the time being he thought it would be best for Lacey if the baby stay somewhere else. Jason had a hard time with this. He had to choose on who to take home with him. He could bring the baby home and send Lacey to stay elsewhere, but the thought of being away from her was too much.

  I offered to take the baby, until her medication had a chance to take effect and she was safe to be around her son.

  It was hard to watch. Lacey was the most loving woman I had ever met, my entire life she tried to take care of me and she was so excited to be a mom. To know that she was deemed unsafe to be around her own child, meant that something was very wrong.

  Jason agreed. Lacey did too, I knew they both trusted me, but I was scared.

  I knew I wouldn’t be alone, I had Ryan and that made me feel better.

  We took the baby home the same day it was decided. Ryan had stopped at the baby story and bought enough diapers to last any baby a year. He bought a bassinet, a baby monitor, a ton of outfits, bottles, pacifiers and baby carriers.

  He was like a pro taking a
ll the stuff into the house.

  He would help me change him, feed him and even got up a few nights to help me with the night time feedings.

  When he went back to work, I quickly found my groove for substitute mommying. I slept when he slept, which I found I was really not all that tired. Mason was a really good baby. He didn’t cry a whole lot.

  I loved him. Lacey and Jason would call daily to see how he was doing. I could tell that she was starting to come back to herself. She would laugh a little and when we would talk about the baby there was a longing in her questions. I knew she was coming around and her son would soon be in her arms.

  I sent her photos constantly. Every time he spit up, pooped or just sneezed I was snapping pictures of his little face.

  Lacey appreciated that.

  Jason called me one day while she was napping

  “I don’t think she would have been able to get through this, if she didn’t know that he was with you Emmalyn, you will never know how thankful we both are.”

  I didn’t mind. After everything they had both done for me, taking care of the baby was nothing.

  Ryan and I found little moments to be together. Sex was always very quick because we never knew when the baby would wake up, but it still had just as much passion as ever before.

  He didn’t talk about work with me. He didn’t need to, I would ask basic questions like how it was going, when they thought it would be done and so on. He would answer and always leave Katie out of it.

  I appreciated that, because I still had not talked to her since she tried to seduce my fiancé, and I had a feeling when and if we had a face to face, it was not going to be pretty.

  Chapter 20

  Things remained pretty crazy for a while. Holly came by about a week after the baby arrived.

  She was thrashing on the front door, when I answered. Ryan and I had just had sex so all I was wearing was a robe.

  “Who the fuck are you.” She said as soon as I answered the door.

  I knew who she was, I had seen pictures Alex had of her from when they were younger. He sent me a text the other day to tell me she was back in town, I figured she would show up sooner or later, Ryan said she was following him around and I spotted her car a few times when I was out and about watching the house. Alex didn’t strike up a conversation after he told me about his sister, even after I asked him how he was doing.