Page 13 of Silver Linings
“I feel like such an idiot. I had them joined so that I could transfer money from my personal one to pay bills, and then I would sometimes transfer money into my personal account if I had extra from my paycheck. He hasn’t logged in to our account in months. Why would he? I take care of everything. God, I was so mad,” her voice cracked. “When he came home, he was more out of it than I think I’ve ever seen him. It seemed like more than just drinking.”
Gunner tightened his grip on the steering wheel. What piece of shit didn’t work, forcing his pregnant fiance to, and then took out all the money she’d saved in their bank account?
“You confronted him and things escalated?”
“I know better. Honestly, I do. It’s my fault for trying to find out what he spent the money on.” She wiped at her eyes. “H-he didn’t like me questioning him. That’s when the insults started. I tried to go to bed, but he wouldn’t let me out of the kitchen. I told him I needed to use the bathroom, but he just wouldn’t leave me alone until I was crying. As soon as he got sick of calling me names, he let me go and I just ran. I locked the bedroom door, thinking he would just pass out in the living room like he always does. But around one, I woke up to him pounding on the door, demanding I let him in. I wasn’t about to let him hurt me or the baby, so I ran into the bathroom and hid in there. He let me be for a while, but then…I don’t know. As soon as he started trying to get in, that’s when I tried to call for help.”
Lily tipped her head so that it was resting against the passenger side window again and closed her eyes. He guessed she was done talking about that, and for the moment, he was okay with it. Because he needed to come up with a plan to make sure James stayed away from her.
He’d call his team back in Texas in the morning. His buddy, Gage Walker, was a bit of a tech genius, and could dig up something on James that Gunner could use against him. Maybe even something he could hand over to the authorities…something to get James out of Lily and the baby’s lives for a long time, without Lily having to be involved.
He rolled to a stop, the only vehicle at the red light. The night was so quiet, who would ever guess that they’d just gone through so much chaos? Gunner felt his anger turning into something different. Something that pulled at his heart. Lily had no support outside of his family. And him. He needed to fix this for her, but had no idea where to start.
A small groan from Lily pulled him from his raging thoughts. His eyes flew to her, taking in the pained look on her face. She still had her eyes closed, but now her hand rested low on her belly.
“Lily? What is it?”
“It’s nothing,” she said as she breathed deeply.
“It’s not nothing. You just groaned, and I can see you’re in pain. Is something wrong with the baby?” Jesus, just hearing the words come out of his mouth made him feel like throwing up.
She waved her hand at him. “Just a Braxton Hicks contraction.”
A contraction? Fuck. “I should have thought to bring you to the hospital. We need to make sure you and the baby are okay.”
“Sprout is fine. I’m just exhausted.” Her hand moved in rhythmic circles over her shirt. “It’s just been a long day. Some sleep and I’ll be fine. Just took me by surprise.”
“No. We are going to get both of you checked out. I know you said he didn’t hit you tonight, but he has in the past. What if the stress from tonight is causing the pains?”
“It probably is.” Gunner’s stomach clenched hard as she said that. “But it’s not an abnormal reaction to stress. I don’t want to go to the hospital. I just want to sleep. I have to be up in a few hours to help with Juliette, and I’m exhausted.”
“Lil, we’ll find someone else to help mom out. You shouldn’t be working this close to your due date, anyway.” Hell, he remembered her saying she was only a few weeks away, but babies sometimes came early, didn’t they? “And no arguing. We need to go get you checked out.”
“No, Gunner. I need to work, and I want to be there to help your mom. Promise me you won’t find someone else. I can’t afford for you to give the job to someone else.” The tears in her voice had him squeezing the steering wheel so tight his fingers ached. “I don’t have insurance, and everything I saved to pay for the birth, all the money I saved to buy things for the baby James drank away tonight with his buddies. I’ll go to the free clinic tomorrow if the pains haven’t stopped.”
“We should have taken that ring,” he mumbled under his breath.
“No, we shouldn’t have. I told you, I don’t want anything from him. I just want to be free of him and his family.”
Gunner hit his turn signal and started driving back into town.
“This isn’t the way to your mom’s.”
“I know. You’re seeing a doctor. Now. You aren’t waiting to see if things get worse. I’m taking you now and I’ll pay for the visit.”
“No. Absolutely not. I can’t let you do that.”
“Lil, just for once, don’t be stubborn. It’s nothing for me to pay and I really want to make sure you and the baby are okay. You’re doing me a favor by getting checked out.”
“Stubborn man.” She breathed in, wrapping her arms around herself, before her eyes closed once again.
“Lily?”
He watched as she held out her hand, flexing her fingers as if begging him to hold on to her. For just one second he froze, before reaching out and lacing his fingers through hers.
“That one hurt worse, Gunner.”
“Okay, just hold on. I’ll get us to the hospital.”