Anabel Unraveled (36 page)

“Matt? What’s going on? He killed Jonathan! He tried to kill me,” I whimpered, tears running down my face.

He sat on the bed with me and held me, and I began to regain control of myself. For several minutes I didn’t speak. It had seemed so real. I had really thought I was in my father’s office, watching Jonathan’s eyes as the life slowly faded from them. I shivered, taking a deep breath and leaned into Matt. “I’m so sorry,” I apologized. “You can go back to bed now.”

“Out of the question. You’re shaking, Anabel, come on and lie down with me.”

“Don’t let go of me,” I implored.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He slid under the covers next to me and held me until I stopped sniffling and steadied my breathing.

“I haven’t had the nightmares in a couple weeks,” I confided. “I had them when I first came to the States, and then I had a few back when I was living at Blair House, and then one at Meghan’s.”

“That was a pretty bloodcurdling scream,” he replied. “I was afraid something had happened to you. What was that about, honey?” He stroked my head.

I sighed, snuggling next to him, even though I was hindered by my belly. “It’s the same as before, just more vivid this time. You see, I’d been having these dreams, where I run down the hall, I push open the door, and then my father,” and here my voice caught again, “falls to the ground. His shooter points a gun at me and then—” I paused and gulped for air. “And then I wake up. Sweating and crying.”

“You dreamed about your father’s murder? Did you see who did it?”

“No, but it was weird, because the person felt familiar, but I could not see his face.” I sighed. “I talked to him in this version, I said something like, ‘I can’t believe it’s you.’ Look, I used to have these all the time, it is probably a residual.”

“Anabel, you don’t really remember too much before Jared found you, right? Sam told me that you don’t really know how you got to the attic in the first place.”

“I may have just gone up there to hide.”

“But you don’t know what you were doing up there.” He was really persistent.

So I played along. “No, I was sleeping, or something—”

“What if,” he cut me off, “what if you actually saw it happen and your brain repressed it? And now you are having nightmares because your subconscious is trying to reassert itself?” Matt seemed excited.

“That would explain why someone was trying to kill me,” I admitted. “In the dream, I was convinced I was about to die.”

“I think we need to take you to a psychologist,” he suggested. “I will make arrangements for that in the morning.”

“Look, I know this is silly, but will you stay with me until I fall asleep?”

“I wouldn’t dream of leaving. Now go to sleep, Anabel.” He kissed my forehead, and comforted by his presence, I fell back into a lazy slumber.

I was rather startled when I awoke the next morning to find he was staring at me. “Oh,” I stammered.

He grinned. “I couldn’t leave you by yourself. I was afraid you’d wake up, and we’d have to repeat the whole cycle, so I just decided to stay. Besides,” he added, stretching, “this bed is incredibly comfortable.”

“I KNOW!” I said. He winced. “Sorry,” I lowered my voice. “Sometimes when I get excited, I—”

“Anabel, stop apologizing for yourself all the time. It’s getting really old.”

“Alright then,” I smiled at him.

“You know, I was thinking, while I was watching you sleep.”

“Oh, that’s not creepy,” I commented.

“You know who’s going to figure this out really quickly is—”

“Charlotte,” I finished for him. “I know, I thought about that. She’s been dropping hints pretty much ever since we moved in. Meghan made some comment to me as well. And Jared’s been freaking out every time you’re around. And even my brother wanted us to get together.”

“I suppose I should be honored. You should hear the way Sam talks about you. I think he thinks you’re his kid.”

“I’m not surprised,” I smiled. “He’s always felt like my parent. He certainly talks to me like I’m a child.”

“Well, you know, he only saw you about once a year, and watching you grow up couldn’t have been easy for him.”

I propped myself up on my elbow. “I know. So I suppose it’s a good thing he likes you, for all he despises Jared.” I buried my face into his chest. “Oh, Jared. He’s going to flip.”

He got serious. “I thought about what we said last night, but I don’t know if you can hide it from him. You probably should tell him.”

“I’m glad we’re of the same opinion on that one,” I sighed. “I’m just not looking forward to it, is all.”

“I would do it sooner rather than later, Anabel. He’ll be hurt.”

“Why do I feel bad about hurting Jared?” I wondered aloud.

“Because,” Matt murmured in my ear, “if you didn’t, you wouldn’t be you.”

Alas, our idyll was interrupted. Just then there was a knock at the door and Matt sprang out of my bed. It opened and suddenly Jared was there.

“Hey, I’m sorry, I know it’s early, but—” he stopped and took in Matt in his boxers and my horrified face. “Wasting no time on this one, I see.”

“This really is not what it looks like,” I told him. “I had another nightmare last night and Matt heard me screaming and he came in and fell asleep when I did. Or maybe it is just what it looks like, I don’t know.” I decided to omit our professions of love to each other.

Jared stared hard at me, and I returned his gaze without blinking. He looked conflicted, and he walked over to Matt. “I know why you’re doing this,” he growled.

“Yes, I am paid to be here,” Matt was calm.

“You still blame me for—”

“—something that is your fault, yes,” interrupted Matt. “It doesn’t have anything to do with Anabel.”

“It has everything to do with her, and you know it!”

“I’m not doing this with you, Sorensen. It’ll only upset Anabel.”

“No, we’re doing this now.”

I cleared my throat. “Um, guys, I am sorry to disturb you, but—”

“Stay out of this,” they both said.

“No seriously—”

“What, Anabel?” asked Jared, exasperated.

“No, but um . . . I’m...bleeding.” Horrified, I saw the stain on the bed.

Matt snapped into action. “Jared, call 911 for me. Sweetheart,” he said to me, “I need you to lie still, okay? Relax as much as you can”

I nodded, my eyes fearful.

“It will be okay, Anabel,” he said to me. “I promise you. Do you trust me?”

I managed to shake my head yes.

“Okay, thanks.” Jared hung up his phone and turned to me. “They’re sending an ambulance. They said not to move her.”

“Good,” Matt said.

My sense of right and wrong was weighing heavily inside of me. “Matt, can you give Jared and me a minute alone?”

He nodded. “I’ll go downstairs and wait for the ambulance.”

He left and we looked at each other. “I’m scared,” I whispered, my voice shaking.

“Oh Anabel,” he began, coming to sit by me, taking my hand. “It’ll be okay.”

“I can’t lose her, Jared, I just can’t,” I choked out.

“You know these things happen, it could be nothing,” he tried to comfort me.

I nodded, staring at my quilt.

“I’m sorry about last night.”

“It doesn’t matter now,” I replied.

“But it does, Anabel.” He looked away. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m afraid I’m going to lose you to Matt.”

“There wasn’t really much to lose, Jared.” I was annoyed that once again, he turned all of this around to be about him.

“I hate when you do that. I’m sick of you always cutting yourself down.” He ran his fingers through his hair.

“Why do you want me in the first place?” I asked him. “Seriously, Jared. Can you give me a good reason, besides the fact that you got me pregnant?”

He stared at me, dumbfounded. “I love you, Anabel.”

“Why?”

“I . . . just . . . do,” he managed.

“See, that’s just not good enough for me. I need a reason why. And believe me it pains me to say this, I think the only reason you want me right now is because you don’t know if you can have me. I’m no longer throwing myself at you, so suddenly I’m more alluring. And you always want what you can’t have, and that’s me at the moment.”

He looked stunned. “Is that what you really think?”

I nodded. “Look, I do think you care about me, I do. But you don’t love me, Jared. And if I were to succumb to you, I’m so afraid that you would lose interest in me once you had me.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “I need to be the center of someone’s life, and I would always worry that I wasn’t the center of yours.”

“Is there nothing I can say to you?” he asked.

I shook my head. “I’m sorry.”

He stood up. “Well then, I see that Sam has won.”

“Jared, no,” I began.

“I will see you at the hospital.” He gave me a hard stare, and then he left, and I sat there alone, fighting tears until the paramedics came.

Chapter 40—Jared

Matt and I were sitting outside her room, not saying much. We’d been there for over an hour and the doctor had kicked us out of the room so he could examine Anabel. When he finally came out and nodded at us, Matt and I both sprang to our feet.

“How is she?” I asked.

“She’s fine,” he told us. “Baby’s fine, too. She had some breakthrough bleeding, but her cervix is still closed and the baby’s heart rate is fine. She just needs some bed rest for the next week or two.”

I glanced at Matt, and his face mirrored my relief. “So when can we take her home?”

“Well, she’s dehydrated, which may have contributed to the bleeding, so she’s going to have to stay here overnight. We’ll pump her up with some fluids and I’m going to have the nurse give her a very mild sedative—won’t hurt the baby,” he assured. “The best thing for her is to just get some sleep, and we can monitor her here and you won’t have to worry.” He glanced at his watch. “You can go see her now, but once she gets that sedative she won’t be too lucid.”

We watched him walk off, and then Matt turned to me.

“I suggest we watch her in shifts. Do you want to go first or second?”

“Aren’t you her bodyguard? I don’t really think she’s my responsibility right now,” I snapped.

“Maybe you should’ve thought of that before you impregnated her,” he replied coldly. “Look, I have to sleep at some point, and don’t pretend like you don’t care about her, because I know you do.”

“Okay,” I agreed.

“The thing is, you cannot—we cannot—leave her alone,” he continued. “I’m still not convinced that whoever got her dad isn’t going to come after her, and this is the perfect place for that to happen.”

“I get it. I’ll do first shift.” I looked down at my phone and saw Sam was calling me. “Oh great. With everything that happened I completely forgot that she and I are supposed to be in a hearing right now. Hi Sam,” I said into the phone.

“Where are you? Where is my sister? Did you do something to her?”

“Good morning to you too, Mr. President.” I didn’t bother holding back the sarcasm. “Look, we should’ve called you, but I forgot about the hearing.” Matt smacked his forehead. “So here’s the deal: Matt, Anabel, and I are all at the hospital. Your sister had some bleeding this morning and they rushed her here.”

Sam sucked in his breath. “Is she okay? Is the baby okay?”

“She’s fine and so is the baby, but I will not be making it there today and neither will she. Apparently she’s dehydrated, so they’re giving her some fluids and making her rest.” A nurse breezed into Anabel’s room, and Matt followed her. Anabel’s eyes lit up as Matt sat next to her and as he took her hand, my heart sank.

I was jarred back to reality by Sam’s voice. “I will be there as soon as I can,” he told me.

“There isn’t anything you can do at this point. They’re giving her something to make her sleep and that is probably what she’s going to do for the next few hours. I’m going to stay here so Matt can recharge, and then he’ll be back with her. You may as well wait until the hearing is over.”

Sam paused, and I knew he knew I was right. “Okay. I will come after all this is done. Thanks Jared.” And he hung up the phone. I noted that it was the most cordial conversation we’d had in a long time.

So I went into the room, where Anabel was glaring at the nurse. “You’re sure,” she asked in an accusatory voice, “that this won’t hurt the baby?”

“No, Miss Martin.” The nurse sounded exasperated.

I intervened. “You should just take it, Anabel. The doctor said that rest was the best thing for the baby.”

She looked at me and hesitated, but then she nodded and accepted the pills and a cup of water. Then she lay back against the pillows.

“Your brother called,” I told her, watching Matt hold her hand.

“Oh?” She didn’t seem to care too much.

“We were supposed to be at a hearing today.”

Anabel groaned. “I completely forgot. I didn’t think we had anymore until next week.” She turned to Matt. “I guess that would’ve ruined our sightseeing plans.”

“You should rest, Anabel,” he admonished her.

Her eyelids were beginning to droop. “Alright then,” she whispered, adjusting herself onto her side.

“I’ll come back later,” he told her.

“Is Jared going to stay with me?”

“Yes, Anabel,” I said. “I’ll be here.”

“Don’t leave,” she murmured.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I promised.

She smiled then, and she was asleep.

So Matt left, and I was alone with my thoughts and the sleeping Anabel. Her mass of hair was spread across the pillow and she shifted around a couple times, but mostly she lay there quietly. I sat there for hours, thinking about her, thinking about the baby, thinking about the sorry state of affairs this had all boiled down to. It was hard to be mad at her while watching her sleep.

Then I realized she was staring at me. “Jared?”

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay. Wh—wh—what’s going on?” she asked between yawns. “What time is it?”

“It’s about 3 p.m. You gave us quite a scare.”

She blinked, confused. “We’re at the hospital, aren’t we?”

“Yeah, they wanted to keep you for observation and make sure your fluids were okay. You haven’t been drinking enough water, according to the doctor.”