It's All In the Game (McKinley Family Series #1)

Chapter 26: Karma

When I first wake up I try to roll but I feel a big body behind me. I can still hear the baby on the monitor. My blood pressure has gone down a lot but it was still slightly elevated the last time they checked. I hit the call button because I have to pee.

Knock knock

My room door opens and from the nurse knocking, Declan wakes up.  He rolls and sits up slowly as he rubs his eyes. The nurse steps into the room.

"Is there something you need?" the nurse asks, smiling.

"Yes, I need to go to the bathroom."

Declan has rolled and is now on his back. The nurse turns on the overhead light, and I watch as Declan shields his eyes with his hand.

"The baby is looking good, and there haven't been any contractions so we can leave this off," she says removing the velcro belts from around my stomach. "Do you need any help out the bed?"

"No. I got it. Thanks." Pushing the side rail down I slide out the bed before grabbing the IV pole and pulling it to the bathroom. As I'm closing the door I look back and see Declan just staring at me. I've wanted to tell him all night that I miss him - that I love him, but I can't get the words to come out.

When I come out of the bathroom he's gone. Crawling back in the bed I wonder if he left. I lay back and reach for my phone on the counter and scroll through my mesaages. Seeing I have a missed text from Jewel, I to see when it was sent - ten-thirty pm and it's now eleven-seventeen pm.

Jewel: Miguel just texted me are you ok. Is the baby ok? Call me.

Me: Yeah. I was having contractions but they have stopped but my blood pressure is still a little high.

The room door opens when I hear my phone beep. Looking up I see Declan walk in with some chips and other things.

"I know you hadn't eaten so I grabbed you some snacks from the vending machine."

I smile at him and I know I have to say something to him to explain myself. "Thanks." I look down at my hands.

"Declan I want to say, I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" He asks, sitting the two bags of chips and candy bar on the bed with a bottle of water.

"I'm sorry I acted like a bitch to you after the whole Jamaica thing." I look back at him. "I guess I've been waiting for you to leave me. Waiting for you to see that there's nothing special about me. To leave because you can have someone like Paisley or Hannah."

"I told you that it's you. It's always been you." He sits on the bed beside me and rubs his hand over my arm. I want to lean in to him; feel the warmth of his closeness.

"I know but I was always told not to trust white people, and I think my mom's words have always been in the back of my head." I look away. "So when the whole kissing Nakita thing happened her words played over and over again. It hurts to think you of all people would do that. I know it's irrational because you have always been there for me, even when I'm being difficult."

He turns my face to him. "It's not irrational. I don't know what I would have done if the roles were reversed." He smiles and I smile back. "Karma I just want you and this baby." He leans over pressing his forehead against mine. "Nobody else. Not Paisley, not Hannah, and shole not Nakita. You never had to worry about them then and not now either. I told you when we were twelve years old that I was going to marry you and I want that more than I want to play football."

I start laughing and tilting my head to look up into those beautiful eyes. "Let's not go that far."

"I'm serious I would give up football if it meant not losing you." He looks up to the ceiling with a big grin on his face as if in deep thought. "Yeah...you're worth it," he says laughing and I punch him in the stomach. We both have started to laugh and I feel it - that happiness that hasn't been present in a long time. I raise the bed and lay back moving closer to him.