[|]

I felt like I could barely breathe, almost as if I was choking as I struggled to open my eyes that were oddly too tight for me to part. I fisted my hands and heard faint voices around me, which made me remember what had happened.

I screamed while opening my eyes then raised my body, only to be pushed down by a force. I was seeing blurry images as I was forced back onto something soft. I shut my eyes, hoping to clear the blurriness in my eyes. After a count of ten, I opened my eyes and saw a white ceiling with a small fan rotating from it.

I looked to my side and saw a window, showing me nothing but a tall lit building. It was dark outside which was confusing because I remembered it being the day when I was at the golf course.

"Jackie?"

I sharply turned my head and saw Lucas. His eyes were dull, bags around them and some stubble growing around his jawline. His hair was disheveled as he leaned over me. I looked down at myself and saw I was laying on a hospital bed with a blue blanket covering my legs.

"What happened?" My voice was rough to my ears. "Why am I in a hospital?"

Lucas sighed and started stroking the crown of my head. I was confused when I saw sadness shade his face.

"How are you feeling?" He whispered and moved his hand to my face where he began to caress with the back of it.

"I don't know. I feel weak. But can you just tell me what I'm doing here?" I asked and the door opened. I shifted my gaze to the foot of the bed where the door was and furrowed my eyebrows at the sight of Maddy.

There was no difference between her and Lucas. Her hair was in an uneven bun on top of her head. Her face had no makeup, her clothes were plain simple sweatpants and a shirt that barely fit her body. When she traced my face with her dull eyes, I could sense the sadness in her. They both made me scared as my confusion grew.

"You're awake. Thank God," Maddy said and rushed to my side. She climbed the bed and held my hand, then tears brimmed her eyes.

I looked from one person to another yet no answers from them.

"What is it?" I asked and they exchanged a look.

"First of all, how are you?"

"Bullshit! Tell me what's happening for God's sake!" I barked, yanking my hand out of Maddy's hold.

"Maddy, excuse us," Lucas said and she nodded before leaving the room.

Lucas sat on the bed and grabbed my hand. He leaned down and kissed my knuckle before sitting straight.

"Jackie, the gathering at the golf course was two days ago and..." He paused to lick his lips. "Something happened, Jackie. You had eaten something, right?"

I thought back to the events of that day and a flash of Mrs. Kingston giving me a big bowl of food filled my mind and I nodded in response.

Lucas nodded. "Someone found you in a pool of blood and you later fainted in her arms."

I started to feel my heart pound at the memories of that day. The pain I felt and the bleeding. I automatically placed my hand on my stomach as I started feeling restless, fear taking over my body.

"Our baby," I whispered out of dread. "Lucas, I was bleeding between my legs. Our baby... Is our baby, okay? Please, tell me."

Lucas sighed. "Our baby is fine, Jackie."

I exhaled in relief and he forced a smile that did not reach his eyes.

"I don't know how it happened but I was scared. So fucking scared. I thought I would lose you. Everything was like a nightmare when I saw you in your pool of blood on a stretcher. I lost my fucking mind that day. When you came to the hospital, the doctor told us that you had consumed an awful amount of mifepristone, some kind of an abortion pill."

I sat up through my weakness with wide eyes. I had consumed abortion pills? I was sure I did not do such a thing when Lucas and I had concluded that we were keeping the baby. I shook my head in confusion and opened my mouth to defend myself in case Lucas thought I took the pill but I could not formulate the right words to use.

"Hey, don't say anything. It happened like a miracle that the baby wasn't harmed despite you bleeding so much. The only problem is that our baby might have some defect, but I don't care as far as you two are safe. Fuck, I saw you weak, pale, and not responding to my cries. I thought I'd lose you but you're fine. You're fine and here with our baby," Lucas spoke in a broken voice.

I was saddened when I saw tears falling out of his eyes. His shoulders were shaking as he started to cry. I leaned forward and pulled him into me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and placed his head on my chest. I laid back down and rubbed his back as he cried silently on my chest, soaking my top.

"I was losing my mind, Jackie. The doctor even said there was a possibility you might not survive the overdose but you did. According to the doctor, if you had not been found quickly and had the pills pumped out of your system, we would have had drastic result but still they were surprised about the way the drugs didn't terminate our baby. You survived, my love. You did and I felt like we were given a second chance. I don't know what I'll do without you in my life," he said and sniffed.

I couldn't help but tear up at how raw and emotional he sounded. I could not imagine what had happened while I was passed out. I was also glad that nothing had happened to our baby.

When Lucas stopped sniffing after a few minutes, he pulled away and wiped his eyes. I smiled at him and he returned it with a charming one. My smile ceased when one question popped up in my head.

"How did I end up with such a medicine in my system, Lucas?" I asked and a scowl marred his face.

"We found out that it was Maddy's mother who laced the food you ate with the pills," he answered and it was like my breath was ceased for a second.

I thought back to when she had given me the food and how our Tupperware was labeled so conveniently. I felt disgusted and angry at how a woman would do such a thing because of her hatred for me.

"Why did she do this and where is she?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Maddy beat her almost to a pulp and called the police on her. She's been arrested and will await trial soon. People like her don't even deserve to be in jail but to be six feet under. I wish I had been the one to fucking beat her but I would never touch a woman."

I began to cry. My life was a mess. Not a day went by when something bad didn't happen. It was almost as if I had been such an evil person in my past life that didn't live on to witness karma until I was reborn into a new life. I have experienced so much that I was surprised I moved through everything.

"Hey, don't think too much about this. Right now, I'm happy to have you two back," Lucas said and placed his hand on my stomach. "Today, we'll go back to Cali. We won't be coming back here again, okay?"

I nodded. "Okay."

"I love you," Lucas said and leaned forward. He kissed my lips for a second and pulled back.

"I love you too," I replied and he smiled.

I saw that his smile did not last when he looked down at the floor with eyebrows furrowed and jaw clenching.

"What's wrong?" I asked and he flinched.

"Uh... It's nothing. Why don't you rest," he replied quickly and pulled the blanket over my breasts.

Lucas looked restless and I did not have a good feeling about it. He was looking around, not meeting my eyes which was a first for me.

"Are you sure?" I asked, eyes focused on his face.

"I'm fine," he answered and sat down on the seat beside the bed. "I'm very fine."

"Okay."