Page 154 of The Betrayal
“Me neither,” I admit. We stay silent, enjoying the sound of the twins’ heartbeats and the movements they're giving us and at this moment, everything feels perfect.
“Sir, you can't just go in there,” we hear Becca, our midwife call out into the hallway. Keaton is up off the bed and rushing to the door and I sit up in my bed, eyes wide and frantic, heart racing beneath my skin.
“Yes I can,” and my blood runs cold. Fuck.
My dad bolts through the door, and he is seething. Nostrils flared, eyes bloodshot and bulging and his fists are balled at his side.
“What the fuck?” Keaton steps forward to try and barricade the tornado that is my dad off but it's useless. He knocks him out the way causing Keaton to stumble back and fall onto the sofa.
“You're dead to me,” his jaw clenches, his voice tight and venomous as he angrily points his finger at my husband.
“What?” Keaton rolls himself up, standing toe to toe with my dad.
“Can we get security please, labor ward.” Becca stands in the doorway and the blood is pumping in my ears harshly.
“You're quick to tell me that my daughter dropped out of med school to become a fucking stripper, but you didn't think to tell me that she was in hospital?” my dad shoves Keaton in the chest with force and my heart fucking drops into the pit of my stomach being disintegrated into nothing as my stomach acid burns all that's left of my broken and weeping heart.
“She didn't want to tell you,” Keaton says, not budging when my dad is chest to chest with him.
“You should have told me.”
“You told him?” my voice is a whisper, my lungs burning as they heave, craving for air but I can't breathe. The beeping of the monitor quickens, and all I can hear is screaming and shouting. There's commotion, things smashing on the floor, but I can't see any of it. Everything is a blur.
“Get your fucking hands off of me,” I hear my dad shout, a high ring silencing them out for just a moment before my eyes re-adjust and focus. My dad is being dragged out by two security guards, but he is fighting them with everything he has. Keaton is standing, panting, hands on his hips but his head is turned towards me. His hair is a mess, eyes filled with regret and a busted lip and nose. He doesn't wipe the blood away; just lets it trickle.
“You told him?” the crack in my voice is evident, my tears rolling down my cheeks even though I didn't want them to fall. I'm wilted like a rose, losing all hope and the will I had left inside of me has slowly been taken from me. He was the sun I so desperately needed but he didn't care. He tucked himself away and left me when I needed him.
“Ari... baby,” he takes a step towards me.
“Don't,” my voice is hoarse as I shout at him.
“Let me,” he takes another step.
“Get out,” I turn my face away from him and point to the door.
“Please,” his own voice cracking so I squeeze my eyes shut so I don't have to look at him. Because I am weak. Hot tears escape and run down the side of my face.
“Just go,” I choke out, a sniffling weak mess crying over him.
Silence fills the tension that suffocates the room for a few seconds before I hear the sound of his footsteps skate across the tiles and then the closed door follows, and only then do I let myself turn towards where he just was.
Coffees spilled; table knocked over, pure devastation caused in short five minutes.
He broke my trust, snapped the tie between us in a second.
He told him.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
KEATON
It all happened so quickly.
I knew I shouldn't have said anything, but in that moment weeks ago, it seemed like the right time. Idiot. I was a fucking idiot.
I walk towards the exit of the hospital, head dropped, lip throbbing, nose feels like it's broken. Probably is. Titus has a solid right hook. She told me to go. She didn't want me there. I fucked up.
Exhaling a shaky breath, the cool air hits me as soon as I step out the front of the hospital and that's when I see Titus. The security guards have roughed him up a bit and he is sitting on the curb, head in his hands.