Defying All Odds #Wattys2015

Chapter Fourteen

It's been a month. A month since I found out. I've ignored him for a month. I sigh and sit back, slipping off my glasses and rubbing my eyes. My eyes trail to my phone. Call him. My subconscious whispers but I shake my head. He can't know.

Suddenly, my chest tightens and I gasp for air. Shit. I ring the bell for Isabelle - it's become our way of communication in case something like this happens - and she comes running in, having called for an ambulance already. I clutch my chest as tears start falling. My poor baby. My baby will not make it to its birth.

I'm killing my own child. I start sobbing, which makes the pain in my chest even worse. Suddenly, the door flings open and the person I least expected to see comes running in right before everything goes black.

I awake in a hospital room. Something is holding my hand. I look over and see James. He smiles sadly and leans forward and presses his lips against my forehead. I close my eyes and sigh happily before I remember the one thing I've been keeping from him.

"James, I need to tell you someth-" I'm cut off as the door swings open and the doctor strolls in. "Good news, Ms. Anderson! Your baby is per-" the doctor is cut off, mid sentence as James stands abruptly. "Baby?!" He glances at me, shock clearly showing on his face.

"Yes, Mr. Ellis. Evelyn is 2 and a half months pregnant. I'm assuming the baby is yours, so congratulations. Now, moving on. Your baby is healthy, which is extremely wonderful. Now, Evelyn, I need to ask you some questions." I nod for him to continue.

"How long ago were you diagnosed with this cancer?"
"Three years ago, when I was 18."
"Did you, by chance, go through any traumatic experience before you were diagnosed?" I nod. "Please, Evelyn, explain."
"I was left in the middle of the Boston harbor in the middle of winter for three days before someone found me. I had hypothermia and then they had diagnosed me." I explain and he nods.

"Well, Evelyn. It appears that their diagnosis was wrong. You don't have cancer. It's a form of PTSD. The accident caused it. Your brain might not realize it, but you're remembering the accident and it's causing you to go into shock and start hyperventilating, causing the loss of breath and the pain." I'm at a loss for words. I'm not going to die. I'm beyond excited until I remember the baby. "Doctor, could you leave us alone for a few moments?" I ask and he nods before standing and walking out, closing the door gently behind him.

"When were you going to tell me?" James asks quietly and calmly. Too calmly. I look down. "I wasn't." I whisper, barely audible. His hands clench into fists and he turns, slamming one of his fists into the wall. I flinch. "Shit. Why the fuck, Evelyn? I have every right to know. That's my fucking child inside you!" He yells.

I've had enough. "I wasn't going to tell you because I thought I was going to fucking die! I didn't want you to hope that you would have a sibling for Charlotte and then end up losing both me and the child! I couldn't bear to do that to you! Not after what Taylor did!" I scream right back, immediately regretting it as both of our families come rushing in.

He ignores them and keeps going. "I don't care! That's my child and I chose what to do about it! You're both staying and I'll be fucking damned if you're going to walk out of my life with my child!" He yells, leaning towards me. "I don't want to be without you, Evelyn. I will fight every single person that tries to take you away from me. I love you, damn it. I've loved you since the day I met you in my father's office. You're this beautiful, smart, brunette with the most breathtaking smile. You didn't put up with my shit and I love you for that. I love you so much, that I'm willing to overlook that you kept this from me."

He takes a deep breath and pulls me up, out of the hospital bed until I'm standing in front of him. "Evelyn Nicole Anderson, I love you so fucking much. I can't imagine living without you and - fuck, this isn't how I wanted to do this, but.." He reaches into his pocket as he kneels onto the floor. He pulls a ring out as he says the next words. "Will you take me as your husband and Charlotte as your daughter?" I hear multiple gasps behind me before everything goes black.