Challenge: A Contemporary MMA Romance: Oni Fighters Book 3 (31 page)

“You’re doing great, Soph. Don’t look. Focus on me.” His hand squeezed mine tight and I moved my attention over to him. I watched him watch the screen.

I saw fascination, wonder, concern, and what I’m sure was love all in those few moments.

Then, his eyes dropped to mine and they were warm and caressing. A tender smile just for me brushed his mouth.

A few moments later, I felt the needle being withdrawn from my body and a surgical dressing being applied to my stomach. Then, the sonar jelly being wiped off.

The muscles of my stomach rippled in response to the touch of the towel.

The back of the bed started to rise up.

“Okay, you can sit up. All done.”

Seth leaned forward and dropped a whisper soft kiss to my lips.

“So proud of you.”

My heart swelled at his words.

Seth’s attention left me and focused on the doctor. “How did it go?”

“Well, I got almost twenty-five milliliters of fluid off the baby’s belly. Which is just amazing.” The doctor was shaking his head a little in what seemed like disbelief. “I could only get about four milliliters of amniotic fluid, though. I would have liked to have got ten but they’ll have to make do with that for testing.”

“What happens now?” Seth asked the question that I was too scared to.

“I’ll have the fluid tested. We should start to get the results back from the amniotic tests in a couple of days. Some will take a little more time. I’ll ring you as soon as I know the results. Regardless, I want you to come in next week and, we’ll, have another look and see where things are.”

The doctor looked away and I felt my stomach fall again.

Then he looked back at us, focusing first on Seth then on me.

“Fully prepare yourself for the baby not to survive. Fully expect the fluid to be back when we have another look. Depending on what happens next week, I most likely will have to do a surgical abortion. You’ve got to the point where it’s no longer quite as straight forward. It’s a pseudo-delivery.”

I felt sick and started to shake. Seth put his arms around me. I took deep breaths and tried to stop myself from falling apart.

Not only would I lose my baby, I’d have to go through the trauma of having the baby ripped from my body.

“We right to head home, Doc?”

“Yes, get her home. Just rest up today. No exercising, no sex. I want Sophia totally resting for the next twelve to twenty- four hours, that’s the most crucial time after a procedure like this. Tomorrow, she can resume her normal routine. I’d suggest she backs right off on the extreme exercise and diet though.” He was talking to Seth and nodded at my hard, tight belly. I should have been upset that he was ignoring me, but all I wanted to do was curl up and hide. “Try to get her to rest more. I really don’t want her doing anything more than walking and taking it easy this week.”

“Take this information sheet about post care for amniocentesis. Have a read through. Everything should be fine but if you have any questions or concerns, my numbers are on the bottom.”

“Thanks, Doctor.”

Seth helped me up off the bed.

“I’ll see you both next week.”

There was a finality to what he said. I couldn’t stop my overactive mind filling with images of a death row prisoner about to enter their final week.

That’s how I felt.

S
ophia seemed to be numb
. For the first time ever, I saw her sitting still on the lounge and staring off into space. I wished to fuck I knew what was going through her mind.

It was beginning to freak me out.

On the way home from the hospital yesterday, I’d placed a call to Xander and Eden. She’d merely stared out the side window as if not even hearing their words or mine. She’d promptly gone to bed and slept for hours, only waking briefly for me to feed her a little, before she slept again.

It actually pleased me. Sleep gave her a respite from the constant worry and torture of not knowing what was going on inside her. I could only imagine how tough it must be for her to be carrying a baby that she had no idea whether would live or die or even if it had already passed. Was our baby’s belly filling with fluid right now? It was tough enough being the father, I could only begin to imagine how she felt with that all playing out in her body.

This morning, she got out of bed, forced a few bites of breakfast down, and was now staring off into space again.

She’d retreated to some place only known to her.

My beautiful, strong, warrior woman was trapped in the constraints of her own mind.

Her phone rang beside her as if daring to break the silence.

After the fourth ring, I asked her, “are you going to answer that?”

All I got in response was a slight shake of her head.

The phone stopped ringing, only to start again a few seconds later. I moved over and glanced at the screen. It was her mother.

“It’s your mum, Soph.”

She shook her head. “I can’t talk to her. I’ll fall apart.” The silent tears were flowing down her face.

Then, it all made sense to me. She didn’t want anyone to see her fall. Sophia was always the strong one. I was the only one she was letting close to her in this emotional prison she was living in.

The third time the phone started ringing, I picked it up and put it on speaker.

“Hello?”

“Seth?” Carol said.

“Yes, it’s me.”

“Um, I wanted to talk to Sophia, Eden mentioned there was something wrong with the baby.”

“Yeah, Carol, there’s been some complications. The baby had a fluid build up on it’s belly. Which is very rare.” I went on to explain the procedure and what the doctor had told us.

“Eden mentioned the odds weren’t good. Maybe it’s for the best.”

I saw red at how those words gutted me but, even more, her daughter. It would be for the best that we lost this child?

I could even see the logic in what she was saying—us having a new relationship, the possibility of having a baby with issues. Problem was, they were not the words for now.

Now was about fighting, not giving up hope.

“We’re not giving up hope. We’ll do whatever we have to to get through this.”

“Oh, I know…I just thought…”

“I know what you thought,” I snapped a little stronger than I meant to. “Look Carol, Soph’s having a lay down at the moment. It’s best if she rests up for the next week or so.”

“Of course. Please let her know I called.”

“Will do.”

“Look after her, Seth.” There was a wistfulness in her voice.

“Count on it.”

Carol hung up and Sophia got up and moved straight from the lounge down the hall to the bedrooms. She wasn’t running from me. I’d figured that out.

She was running from having to think about it, talk about it. Soph was fighting emotions she was worried would get too tough and she’d crumble—consumed by them. She didn’t want to fall, or rather, didn’t want anyone to see her fall. It all made more sense to me.

I understood where she was better than anyone.

For the next hour, I thought on that and everything else that had happened yesterday.

In the space of a few hours, my life had been turned upside down. Some things had been set right, and some would never be the same again. Decisions had been made and some were still very much to make.

Now, we were both waiting. Time, time could both be our friend and enemy.

The result we would learn at our appointment next week plagued me as well. Would it be good or bad news?

I spent the remainder of the morning keeping myself busy with some of my own work commitments. I’d pushed most of them off after the accident—unfortunately, clients and commitments didn’t wait forever.

The work was soothing, a chance to escape for a little while.

I left Sophia in peace a little longer. I left her to get herself together. Eventually, I sought her out and found her in the spare room doubling as an office. Her fingers were flying over the keyboard of her laptop. I stood behind her and read over her shoulder. What she was typing made little sense.

Then, I realized it was just another coping mechanism. She was going to try and work to block it out. Exercise, like she would prefer, wasn’t available to her. She’d sit here day and night bashing away at the keyboard in order to keep her feelings and emotions at bay. I knew this ploy well. Keep moving, take on the next challenge.

Don’t think, don’t feel.

I placed my hands on her shoulders. “Let’s get in the car and head up the coast for a few days. Just us. I don’t think staying here’s going to work. No computers, nothing.”

Her hands stopped their furious assault on the keyboard.

“You want to go away together?”

“Yeah. I think we need to take some time away. Just you and me. There’s nothing here that won’t wait a week. In a week, we’ll know where we are. Till then, we can’t live in this limbo land.”

“Okay.” Her voice was not more than a whisper. That was all I needed.

“Why don’t you finish up what you’re doing and I’ll start packing some things.”

“Where are we going?”

“I don’t think it matters. We’ll stop when the mood strikes us.”

“Okay. I just want to finish up here.”

“Cool. I’ll get us some lunch and start packing. Then, we can head off early afternoon.”

Fifteen minutes later, I had us packed.

Thirty minutes later, I had lunch ready for her.

I was just finishing cleaning up the kitchen in preparation for a few days away when a sharp rap sounded on the door. I thought Soph had gone to check what I packed, but she must have decided to answer it instead.

She didn’t even have the door half open when I heard the voice behind it snarl. “How dare you? What do you think you’re doing, bitch?”

Sophia took a step back and instinct reared up in me. The need to protect her and our baby was burning furiously through my veins. I covered the ground to the front door far quicker than I knew I could and shoved my shoulder in front of her. Whoever was on the other side was going to have to come through me to get to her and our baby.

“Who are you and what do you want?”

“John Tanner—Sophia’s boss. And I want this bitch to drop these bullshit legal suits.”

I felt Soph take another step back and I knew full well just how shattered she was. Sophia backed down from nobody. Normally, she would have stood toe to toe with this shithead and enjoyed the experience.

“Ex-boss and from what I know of the law, you being here classifies as harassment. If you have something to say to Sophia, then I suggest you contact her lawyer. I also suggest you leave before I call the police and file a complaint.”

He looked at me with that stupid smug look I’d seen every single egotistical dick give, right before they had their arse handed to them.

“You’re the boyfriend that caused all this crap in the first place.” He postured.

We didn’t need his bullshit on our doorstep today. This week had gone to hell in a hand basket big time. I ignored his comment and instead spoke to Sophia who was standing a few steps behind me.

“Soph, call Mark, and let him know I’m about to assault this dickhead if he doesn’t get him off my fucking doorstep right now.” I sensed her moving away to do as I asked.

John looked at me with a goading push in his eyes. And then, I smelled it. He’d been drinking.

“I thought you’d been in some big accident? Or did the bitch lie about that too? You seem to be okay for what supposedly happened to you.”

That comment made me want to wrap my bare hands around his sniveling throat and strangle the shit right out of his unpleasant mouth.

“The accident was real, Sophia’s claims against you are real. As I understand it, the industrial relations commissioner will hear the case. We have nothing to say to you. I’m asking you to leave.”

I was hanging onto my temper by a thread. The last thing I wanted or needed was Sophia further upset by this guy.

“Let me talk to her,” he slurred.

I moved slightly more into the centre of the doorway.

“Not happening. Leave.”

“You’re supposed to be some big, tough fighter, aren’t you? You don’t seem so tough to me.” And then he swung.

It was like every B-grade movie you’ve ever seen. The drunken loser trying to big note himself and make a point.

I didn’t even think. I didn’t want to think. This prick deserved everything he got and then some.

Years of training and reflexes kicked in. I deflected his incoming punch. It was slow, uncoordinated, and lacked any form of technique. In return, I ploughed my own fist into his face and watched his eyes glass over, then him slump to the ground. It was a very hollow type of satisfaction.

“Fuck,” I muttered. “I don’t need this shit today.”

And I didn’t. I’d probably be up on assault charges when he came to.

“I called Mark. He was just down the road grabbing some lunch. He’ll be here in a second.”

I noticed the phone still in her hand. “Can you call for an ambulance as well.” I wasn’t too worried about him. His chest was still rising regularly, much to my disdain.

Sophia made the call then looked a little shell shocked. I think everything that had happened in the last few days was just too much. I prayed to an unknown God we’d be able to get out of here very soon.

The ambulance and Mark turned up about the same time, followed by a set of uniformed officers.

Mark looked to John just starting to come around, then to Sophia and myself.

“What happened?”

She passed her phone across. “Take a look for yourself. I filmed it just as you told me to, Mark.”

Relief washed through me. Sophia had it all recorded. I leaned over and kissed her.

“What was that for?” she asked confused.

“That was for saving me from an assault charge I’d have to fight.”

Mark was surveying the footage with an ear to us. “Yep, that will make the paperwork much simpler.” He turned to the other uniformed officers. “Arrest this guy for attempted assault and trespassing. Don’t forget to take some bloods as well. I’m sure there’s a drunk and disorderly charge in there somewhere.” The uniformed officers confirmed with the ambos.

Sophia retreated from my side and I turned to see her heading down the hall towards the bedrooms. Mark also noted her departure with interest.

“Soph all right? She doesn’t seem herself.”

“Nope, she’s not. She’s pregnant and we have a few complications.” Mark’s face immediately turned to concern and I filled him in on what had transpired over the last couple of weeks, including my recollection of what had happened that fateful night of the accident. He looked a little shocked, which was not easy to do to Mark.

“Wow. It’s not dull around here. So sorry to hear that about the baby, mate. It should be a happy time. I wondered why I hadn’t seen her around Onigashima the last couple of times I was in.” Genuine concern lined his face. “You two don’t deserve any more crap in your lives. I’ll get this garbage off your doorstep.”

“Much appreciated, man. Any problem if I take Soph away for a bit? We were intending to head off this afternoon up the coast for a few days. We need a break, a bit of time by ourselves.”

He nodded his understanding and pressed a few buttons on Sophia’s phone before handing it to me. “I’ve just downloaded the footage. I reckon I can take it from here. I’ll also file a restraining order for you both against this guy. You’ve got enough on your plate without putting up with his shit.”

“Thanks, man.”

He turned to leave. “Stay strong, Seth. You’ll get through this together.”

“We will.”

Funny enough, I believed what I said. In fact, the more I said it, the more I knew it was the truth.

It was an hour or so before sunset when we finally decided to stop for the night. I was just so glad to finally get on the road and away from our “normal” lives. Whatever normal was right now.

Seth chose a little boutique hotel with secluded cabins rather than some mainstream mega place.

I sat in the car as he spoke to reception then he wound his way through a maze of little private roads to park outside an eco cabin that seemed to blend into the surroundings as if it was part of the landscape. I could hear the ocean crashing into the beach and knew it was just through the dunes covered in native grasses and trees.

“Here we are. I just booked it for tonight. I told them I’d let them know in the morning if we were going to stay longer or head off.”

“It’s beautiful. Can we go for a walk on the beach?”

“We can do anything you want, Soph.”

We got out of the car and Seth unlocked the door of the cabin and gestured me through. It all smelled so fresh. I kicked off my thongs at the door and immediately sighed at the feeling of the highly polished timber boards beneath my feet. Their satiny finish was a warm caress.

The high-ceilinged cabin was really little more than one large, open room. The bed sat off to the left, draped in a gauzy white canopy, matched with more white linen. A comfortable, cozy looking sitting area was to the right, and a massive glass concertina door opened up to a large timber balcony to look out over the beach, which was visible now with the extra height.

The cabins had been sited in such a way that each was totally private and secluded and I couldn’t stand to be in doors for a second more. I opened the door and ventured out, to breathe in the clean air, the ocean and the peace.