I looked at him. He still didn’t understand, “Micah, I’ve never had sex with Ryan. The only thing I ever did was kiss him.”
“But…” he looked more confused than ever.
“This is the purpose God had-this is our baby. It’s all I had left of you.” I was still growing warmer and knew the drug was in my system. “Oh, God, please,” I prayed out loud, “Don’t let this hurt the baby.” I broke down sobbing and went into his arms. He didn’t expect me to do that, but it was too late and he was going to have to get me through this.
“Do I take you to a hospital?” he wept out as he cradled me in his arms.
“There’s nothing left inside me. Hold me, Micah, and if I tell you what this is all about you can’t change it. You can’t stay with me-you can’t leave the mob again.”
He tipped my face up and kissed me, “I won’t hurt you, Leese. I’m just going to take you inside and lay you down.”
It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered as I grew warmer and weaker. He scooped me up in his arms and my mind started to drift.
I don’t remember much of the rest of the evening. I only remember being in his arms, his mouth on mine, and some of what I said. I remember saying D’Angelo’s name and Micah’s anger, rage, and bitterness, but he was gentle with me. I recalled asking him to take off my clothes and the feel of his mouth against my stomach as he kissed and stroked me tenderly. The only other thing I recall was the constant murmur as he told me how very sorry he was about what he’d done.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
When I woke the next morning, I was nauseous and weak, but the feeling of his arm around me was like finding a lost piece of heaven. I rolled onto my back, my blouse was gone, but my bra was still on me as was my underwear. Micah’s shirt was gone, but his jeans were still in place.
“Are you okay?” I heard him whisper.
“I’m still sick to my stomach, but not anything like I was when David did this to me.” I didn’t even want to discuss it, but I had to know, “How much did you put in my drink?”
“Enough for two; David told me he gave you enough for a half dozen. Leese, I’m sorry I did this to you. I had no idea about the baby. All I knew was that Ryan said someone forced this on you and I had to know. You shouldn’t have left. You should have come to me and we would have gotten my family together and figured this out.”
“What would you have done, Micah? You would have charged upstairs and someone would have cut you down. I couldn’t risk letting him destroy your family or you; my life didn’t matter at that point.”
I caught the first tear as it flowed down his cheek, “You mean everything to me. Don’t ever say your life doesn’t matter.”
I rose up on my elbow and kissed his lips. I knew we’d kissed last night, but I wanted him to know that, sober, I still loved him so much.
“I don’t know how you can even stand to be near me after what happened between us, baby.”
“What I couldn’t stand was being away from you. Aaah!” I gasped; my hand dropping to the mound where there once was only flat stomach.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Micah move so quickly from lying down to upright.
“What’s wrong?” came his panicked reply.
I grabbed his hand and placed it against my stomach and watched the splendid amazement hit him. “I-I can feel the baby moving,” he breathed. “Is it okay? I mean have you felt this before?”
“I’ve felt the sensation, but not this strong. Yes, it’s okay-just getting comfortable I think, but help me up. I’m calling my doctor to see if he can get me in. I need to ask him about-Ecstasy.”
I called my doctor and told him I had, unintentionally, taken a little Ecstasy last night and I wanted to see him to make sure everything was okay. He paused for a long moment on the phone and I wasn’t sure if he was trying to figure out how I’d done it unintentionally or if he was concerned about the effects.
“I’ll see you as soon as you get here.”
My heart beat grew faster as I thanked him and hung up.
“Do I wait here or-”
“This is your child and I want you with me.”
“God, I don’t believe it, I-”
“Micah you’re the only man I’ve ever slept with,” I emphasized, feeling a little hurt at his statement.
“No, it’s not that-you know I believe you. It’s that, for once in my life, I’m scared to death. I’m shaking,” he said, holding out his trembling hands so that I could see.
I rose up and brought my mouth to his for a gentle kiss, “I guess this means I should drive?”
“Yeah, I really think you should.”
We didn’t say much to each other as we drove along the coastline to the doctor’s office. But he kept watching me the entire way. I don’t think he ever noticed the cliffs and the beautiful ocean crashing gently against the breath-taking coastline; all he did was stare at me. He finally spoke when we pulled into the medical complex.
“I never thought you could look more beautiful than the day I married you, but I swear you’ve changed to someone even more spectacular.”
I smiled and squeezed his hand, “Let’s go.”
I wasn’t sure how I was going to explain my ‘drug use’ when Dr. Cray asked me, but Micah spoke before I could open my mouth.
“It’s my fault. I didn’t know she was pregnant and I-I spiked her drink.”
“You know you can go to jail for that,” Dr. Cray scowled.
“I know I should go to jail for it,” Micah confirmed.
Dr. Cray sighed, as he turned back to me, “Leese, if you did this on a regular basis or even just on a recreational basis, we’d be looking at multiple birth defect issues, but since you are in your second trimester and the fact that this is the only time during your pregnancy that you’ve been…” he shot an annoyed glance at Micah. “…been exposed to it, the baby should be fine. But I do want to get a sonogram, just to make sure everything is normal. Is he the father?”
“Yes,” I said, finally finding my smile.
“Good, then he can stay, but don’t ever, ever-”
“I swear, never again,” Micah spoke up. “I didn’t know.”
“That part doesn’t matter. Never give someone a substance without their knowledge.”
“I won’t.”
The ultrasound machine was brought in, but first he placed a microphone against my stomach to listen to the baby’s heartbeat; a rapid pulsing sound filled the room. I’d heard it before, but I watched the smile spread across Micah’s face, and then concern.
“It’s so fast. Is that normal?”
“Yes,” Dr. Cray stated, “babies have much faster rhythms and then they slow down with age. That sounds good to me. What do you think, Leese? Do you want to find out if this is a boy or a girl today?”
I nodded, afraid to speak as the jelly was smeared across my stomach and the ultrasound machine was turned on. Micah gasped as the picture came on the screen of our child. He was squeezing my hand tightly as every detail of the tiny face, arms, body and legs appeared with the three dimensional image. One thing became immediately obvious and I knew it before Dr. Cray could say it.
“It’s a-a boy,” I stammered. I had a feeling I was carrying a boy, but I didn’t know until now.
“Congratulations. Yes, your right, it’s a boy.”
Micah was a wreck and he dropped down in a nearby chair as the doctor cleaned off the jelly and then helped me sit up.
“All looks fine and-”
“Dr. Cray, what about-about having sex?”
Micah’s head shot up as he looked at me, “No, I don’t think you’re allowed.”
Dr. Cray laughed, “I don’t get that response from too many fathers-to-be. Sex is fine, encouraged even because it has a calming effect, afterwards of course, on your body. As long as you two aren’t into anything rough-”