Through You (The Hidalgo Brothers Book 2)

CLAUDIA

A very bright white light is the very first thing I see when I wake up. I blink in discomfort, trying to adjust to the intensity. The blurriness in my vision starts to wear off, and a white ceiling lamp I don’t recognize comes into focus. What happened?

Where am I? I’m assailed by a sudden wave of dizziness as I try to organize my thoughts. I remember I was at the company, there was a meeting, and Carl stole my idea, there was Alex, I threw up, I went outside to get some fresh air, and ran into Artemis.

Then I stood up and . . . and? It all went dark. Did I faint? I cough a little, and look over to my side. I’m lying in a hospital bed and my left arm is hooked up to an IV.

“Claudia?” I hear Gin’s voice coming from the other side of the room. I turn my head in the direction of her voice. “Oh, thank god. You’re awake. I came as soon as I heard.”

She gets up from a couch with an expression of deep concern.

“You had me worried!” She comes to my side and takes my hand. “How do you feel?”

I wet my parched lips before I speak. “I’m fine.”

“Come on, please don’t give me this bullshit about being fine, that nothing’s wrong. That’s what landed you in the hospital and looking like this!”

“Gin . . .”

“No, Gin nothing. I have to go and tell the doctor that you’re awake. And you better follow his orders so you can get better.”

Gin can tell by the look in my eyes the question I want to ask. “Artemis has gone to get some food,” she says. “The doctor suggested you should have something healthy to eat when you wake up.”

“Is he all right?” I ask, because I know him. Artemis has never done well at hospitals, and had difficulty handling situations in the past when I was sick.

“Are you seriously worrying about him now?” Gin raises an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, but who’s the one lying in a hospital bed?”

“I just know that he worries too much.”

“And no wonder. Girl, what did you expect? You fainted in his arms.”

I grimace as I move my left arm. There’s a burning sensation where the IV is inserted.

“Please tell me you haven’t called my mother. I don’t want her to be worried.”

Gin snorts. “Look at you worried about everyone else.” She sighs. “Calm down. We didn’t tell your mother.”

“What happened to me? What did the doctor say?”

“Well, not much. They’re doing several blood tests, though he suspects it could be anemia, perhaps a nutritional deficiency or something along those lines. That’s all he’s said. Have you been skipping meals and not eating?”

“Of course I’m eating. I’ve had a couple of stressful weeks, that’s all.”

“Claudia, you can lie to me all you want but you have to be honest with the doctor. If you’re not having your meals on time or are skipping them altogether, or if you’re not eating enough to save time during the day, you have to let him know.”

I don’t respond, and she goes to find the doctor. Dr. Brooks is a significantly older man, with white hair and thick eyebrows of the same color. He gives me a reassuring smile, typical of doctors in these situations.

“Hello, Claudia, I’m Dr. Brooks. How are you feeling?”

“A little weak and confused,” I confess.

“I have your test results.” He reviews the papers on the clip-board he holds in his hands. “I’m sorry, but in keeping with patient confidentiality, I must ask first if you agree to have your friend present while I share your diagnosis and the results from the tests?”

“Yes.”

Gin stands next to me and takes my hand. Fear spreads through me, and I’m grateful she’s here. What if this is something serious? What if I’m really sick?

“All right, then.” The doctor looks at the results. “Okay, Claudia, it appears I was right. Your iron is very low. Anemia is not a big deal since we can treat it once we zero in on the cause, which we have.”

A sigh of relief escapes my lips. “What was the cause?” I go over in my head the instances when I’ve eaten in a hurry or skipped a meal. It doesn’t happen often, but I should really pay more attention to my health and listen to my body.

The doctor smiles at me. “You’re pregnant.”

And right at that moment, my world comes to a complete stop. I stare at the doctor, unable to form words to respond.

“Congratulations.” The doctor speaks again in an attempt to snap me out of the state of shock I find myself in.

“I don’t . . . That . . .” I mumble incoherently. “That’s impossible, I’m on the pill.”

Next to me, Gin looks petrified.

The doctor sighs. “I would love to say that the pill is one hundred percent effective. However, there is a small chance you could still get pregnant if you’re not consistent and happen to skip a day or two.”

I try to recall if I’ve skipped a day recently. These last few weeks have been a disaster.

“I—”

At that moment, Artemis opens the door, and I find myself unable to breathe. Artemis just stands there. He has one hand on the door handle, and a bag of food in the other. He’s removed his tie and suit jacket, and is only wearing a white dress shirt and pants.

His brown eyes search for mine, and he frowns when he notices the look on my face, which to be honest, I’m sure isn’t a good one.

“Everything okay?” Artemis comes in and puts the bag down on the small table next to the couch. The doctor smiles at him then looks back at me; his eyes appear to be asking if he should keep talking and I shake my head.

“Well, I’ll leave you to get some rest.” The doctor adds, “I suggest you spend the night here so we can get some nutrients into your system via IV and monitor your progress. If you feel better tomorrow, you can go home.”

“Thank you very much, Doctor.”

Artemis comes closer and leans over me, kissing my forehead.

“You can’t imagine how scared I was,” he whispers before he pulls away. And I’m still speechless.

I can’t be pregnant. I’ve been careful, and I’ve always been very responsible. I’ve always had in my head a clear list of items I want to achieve in life, and when I want them to happen. An unplanned pregnancy is something I never envisioned. I’m not exactly sure how I feel, what I think, or what I should do. I’m stupefied.

I don’t know why, but I feel the urge to cry. My emotions are a complete mess.

“Claudia?” The sound of Artemis’s worried voice next to me makes me look up. I look at him standing there, so handsome with his light beard marking the outline of his chiseled jaw, and those beautiful eyes that give off so much warmth anytime he looks at me.

Gin comes to my rescue. “She’s been a little groggy since she woke up.” She lies because she can tell I’m still processing.

“Oh.” Artemis walks back to the table. He empties the contents from the bag and arranges the food containers.

Gin and I exchange looks, and she mouths something to me without making a sound.

What happened?

I’ve been careful, I reply.

Artemis puts a container of white rice and chicken in front of me. Everything’s going well until I see a few pieces of bacon on the side. Oh no, no, no. Bacon. I press my lips together as I cover my mouth with one hand, shaking my head. Gin seems to understand and removes the container from my sight as fast as she can. Artemis looks at me, confused.

“I’m very sensitive to smells,” I explain as soon as the nausea wears off. “It’s because of the—”

“Anemia,” Gin finishes for me. “The doctor told us that Claudia is anemic.”

Gin explains what the doctor said without telling him about the pregnancy. Of course I know that I have to tell him, but first I need time to think, and figure out how to best share the news. I still can’t believe it. As soon as night falls, Gin says her good-byes and leaves after giving me a tight hug, assuring me everything will be fine. I’m lying on the bed and resting on my side, and Artemis is sitting on the couch that’s just a few steps away from the bed.

“Rest.” His soft voice invades the silence of the room. “I’ll be here all night.”

“I’m okay.”

“Sure,” he murmurs. “So okay that you ended up in the hospital.”This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

I don’t reply and keep watching him. He sits resting his elbows on his knees, clasped hands in front of him. Always looking so handsome.

And then it happens—I imagine him with a baby, holding a boy or a girl, and I feel my heart tightening because, in my head, it’s a beautiful sight.

You’re going to be a father, Artemis.

How can I tell him when I don’t know how he’ll react? It’s not something that we planned. We’re in the early stages of our relationship. It’s true we’re not teenagers, but we’re still young.

He has responsibilities, as do I. What if his reaction isn’t the one I expect? I’m terrified that he might take it badly or somehow blame me. We were equal participants in the sex but I did let him finish inside me. I thought we were safe and protected. One way or another, he trusted me.

“What are you thinking about?” The curiosity in his eyes is obvious.

“Lots of stuff.” I sigh. “Thanks for being here.”

“You don’t have to thank me for anything. Supercat will always be your personal hero.” He winks at me, and that makes me smile.

“You’ve been acting really cheesy lately,” I tease him. “There’s no trace left of the iceberg.”

“I guess that’s what happens when you get too close to fire,” he replies playfully.

“Artemis.”

“Yes?”

I close my lips tightly then relax them, and think carefully about what I’m about to say. I’m unsure if this is the right time.

But I don’t think there’s ever going to be an ideal moment, so I should just go ahead and tell him now.

“There’s something I need to tell you.” He sits up and unclasps his hands, reacting to the serious tone in my voice.

“What’s wrong?”

“I—I . . . umm.” I blurt, “I’m pregnant.”