Alpha’s Baby(84)

Meanwhile, Stefan had gotten a decent job. It wasn’t anything great, working security at a industrial site, but it would be enough for us to get by until I could get a job myself, even if it was part-time.

We’d called Coach Carter at SSU together, Stefan putting him on speaker to deliver the bad news. Carter had taken it well and told Stefan that while he couldn’t guarantee him a scholarship, if Stefan did decide to come back to school, he’d get a fair shot as a walk-on, and then a semester after that, there could be a scholarship waiting for him. Past that, there had been no more talk about his sports career. For a while, I was bothered by that. Being a professional athlete had been a life-long dream for Stefan. But Stefan insisted he was happy, and he had even said it was more important that after our baby was born, I go back to school. “You’re the one with the real brains, after all,” he’d told me. “And I’m cool with that.”

So while I wouldn’t say we were on Easy Street, life was good. We were looking forward to having our little one, even if no one else was.

“So?” asked the sonographer, who had no idea we were stepbrother and stepsister, looking between us both, “When are you two getting married?”



Marriage.

The very idea filled me with bliss. I could almost picture it—a beautiful wedding out on a lush green lawn with wine, food, and celebration. I could see myself in a beautiful white gown and Stefan looking GQ in his tux. In the background, our parents smiled happily as we swore our vows and our undying devotion to one another.

Who am I kidding? I thought sourly, interrupting the fluffy thoughts. No one would come to our wedding.

The fact of the matter was that no one would ever respect our relationship just because of the taboo aspect.

“Can you stop and get me a plate from that seafood place on James Street before we go home?” I asked Stefan as we pulled out of the hospital parking lot. “I’m craving shrimp, scallops, and oysters like crazy. Hell, I’m hungry enough to even take on an octopus.”

Stefan let out a laugh and then grinned at me. “Sure, if it’s tentacles that you want instead of me, I won’t stop you. Just let me watch.”

I gaped at him and then slapped him on the arm. “Stefan!” I gasped, scandalized. I guess it was another sign of how much he loved me. Even as pregnant as I was, he was still horny for me almost all the time. And any time I did need a little of his ‘special juice,’ he was always willing. And he’d still reciprocate. “You know I didn’t mean it that way, you pervert!”

Stefan laughed again. “You know I’m just joking, babe. I’ll get it for you, no problem. Don’t want that baby to go hungry.” Stefan, who had already treated me well before, had started treating me even more like a princess since that climactic day. Anything I asked, he got it for me, no matter how irritated it made him or even if he didn’t feel like it.

I smiled back at him. “We sure don’t.”

For the rest of the ride to the seafood place, I was filled with thoughts of a happy future with Stefan. A big house, a white picket-fence, and two kids, one boy and one girl. Maybe I was just fantasizing, but fantasies were free, after all. I tried not to think about our parents, who would probably miss out on their grandchildren’s lives.

At least they would have Grandma Em, I thought.

I was filled with so much happiness from knowing my baby was healthy and that everything seemed to be going so well that I couldn’t contain myself.

“I love you,” I blurted suddenly to Stefan, placing my hand on his arm as we approached an intersection.

Stefan looked over at me, and my heart jumped in my chest at the love reflected in his eyes. “And I love you too—”

“Stefan, watch out!” I screamed, my heart going off like a battering ram.

As we entered the intersection, a car came from the side street, running a red light, heading straight toward the driver’s side of the car.

“Shit!” Stefan yelled, his veins standing on his neck and biceps as he jerked the steering wheel about violently, with only seconds to react.

Our car went into a violent spin and I became dizzy, but not dizzy enough not to see the car still hurtling toward us.

I let out a blood-curdling scream a moment before impact.

The next thing I heard, as my body was jerked violently against the seatbelt, was screeching metal, shattering glass, and a crunching sound.

And then nothing.





Chapter 39





Bella





My eyes fluttered open. I let out a groan. My body felt sore all over, especially my lower body and my belly. Every second that I was awake, the pain seemed to magnify until I could hardly stand it.