A home. That's all Delaney Taylor is looking for. Everyone wants a place to belong, especially someone who's been without one for so long.
Delaney is a strong-willed girl with a heart of gold who's been through more than she deserves.
From being pa...
"My baby. He pushed me down the stairs" I managed to whisper out.
"Please help Mikey." I begged, tears brimmed my eyes.
"Okay honey, we're coming." He replied urgently. I heard him yelling and sirens blaring.
Black spots threatened to enclose my mind but I fought, knowing that I couldn't give up yet.
"Don't stop talking. Stay with me sweetie" he continued to yell. It started sounding muffled and I could hear my blood pumping through my ears.
"X-Xavier" I stuttered through a fog. It founded like his voice was echoing through a tunnel.
"He'll be there with you soon. I need you to focus on the baby. So that we can help you both" he breathed out stressfully before continuing, "now, what hurts?"
"Stomach" i spluttered out, gripping my as a wave of pain ran through me.
I groaned, turning over. I tried to focus on something else to keep a grasp on reality. I zoned in on a family portrayed that was hung on the light red walls.
The whole family was huddled up in lines. Scott held baby Ben beside Maya in the back. The older kids got the second row. The twins stood beside each other. Their eyes held nothing but joy and compassion for everyone around them. Their arms sat protectively around the younger siblings.
It was impossible to see how they had become the people that pushed their sister down the stairs. Seeing the hate in their eyes made it hard to push away and overlook. There was no going back from this.
No turning a blind eye to the guy who turned my baby into a mear pile of blood dripping between my thighs. I hoped that they were punished for this. It wasn't even about what they did to me, as horrific as it was. What mattered more to me was the loss I felt so deeply within my bones that my entire body ached.
I could hear Mikey talking to me through the phone. Eventually the sirens through the phone could be heard outside of the house, and I knew I'd be okay.
But despite how positively Mikey coached me, I knew. There was too much trauma to my belly. The excessive blood pooling at the floor only added to what I already knew.
I heard the door slam into the wall. The picture I had been watching shook and fell off of its hook, shattering on the floor.
"Delaney!" I heard a familiar voice yell out as they scrambled across the floor, settling beside me quickly.
I gave Nathan a tired, pained smile. He moved the hair off of my damp forehead and looked at me gently.
"What hurts, honey?" He asked, looking me over. He put a brace around my neck and assessed my body carefully.
"My baby" I looked him directly in the eye, holding my stomach protectively. He looked just like the twins. Even with the hateful look of their faces replaced by his kind one, my panicking mind still relayed the similarities.
His eyes widened once my statement and panic registered with his mind. Before he had a chance to respond, Mikey's voice boomed from beside Nathan, allowing me to sigh a breath of relief.
"Oh, my sweet girl," he breathed out. He moved my shirt up to get a look at the blood loss.
His expression afterwards said everything words couldn't.
My baby was gone.
He looked at me with such pity and remorse it made me want to curl into a ball forever. To block the world out for a while.
I breathed out sadly as the reality game crashing down on me.
My heart felt a thousand times heavier.
I let out a helpless whimper as I held my arms toward Mikey. I looked like a child asking to be picked up.
"Let's get you to the hospital, doll" he whispered remorsefully.
They lifted me up onto the stretcher and got me into the ambulance. Nathan drove while Mikey sat beside me, holding my hand reassuring me.
"What happened, Delaney?" He spoke seriously. His voice was authoritative but quiet so that only the two of us could hear.
"They were hurting me so I ran and then he pushed me down the stairs. I tried to protect my stomach. I'm sorry"
"Who, Delaney?" He gritted his teeth, obviously trying to contain his anger.
"The twins. Grayson pushed me," I whispered giving him a direct look. I made sure Nathan couldn't hear.
He huffed in anger and his eyes narrowed at the floor.
I whimpered again as I felt more pain. His eyes instantly snapped to meet mine and softened.
His look reminded me of when my father died and he sat with me at the funeral.
Held my hand to let me know he was there for me. So I knew I wasn't alone.
I basked in the comfort and familiarity of his hand holding mine, allowing darkness to sweep away the suffering of my mind and heart.
•••
I heard beeping beside me. On the other side was talking of multiple familiar voices and an unfamiliar one, too.
I listened, of course.
"We were able to stop the blood loss, but she will be weak from it. She has I broke leg and arm, multiple broken ribs, and some bruising." The unfamiliar voice spoke smoothly.
His voice reeked of knowledge and seriousness. Doctor.
"What about the baby?" I recognized Scott's voice among the garbled questioning.
If he was here, were the rest of the boys? The twins? Did he know what happened?
"We couldn't save the baby. Looked to be about 12 weeks along. But there was too much damage to her from the fall. There was no way to do anything. I'm sorry for your loss," the doctor breathed out, sounding remorseful.
He had probably delivered that speech thousands of times.
I thought that made a good time to 'wake up' and squinted my eyes.
The harsh brightness made me immediately snap them back shut with a groan.
I felt a warm callused hand envelope my own.
"Hey kiddo, open them pretty blue eyes for me."
Josh.
I squeezed his hand back, thankful to have my best friend here when I couldn't have Xavier.
The thought of my fiancé made my eyes shoot open. I searched for my phone and saw it, destroyed and sat beside my bed.
Reaching over, I dialed the number I had memorized by heart.
