Declare (Declan Reede: The Untold Story #4) (12 page)

Instead of her voice though, I heard a choked sob.

All traces of good mood were wiped away in an instant.

Had something happened?

Was something wrong with Phoebe?

“Alyssa?” I asked, beginning to panic. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“It’s—It’s Ruby—” She managed to squeeze out the words between sobs. Then a stack of words fell out in a jumble. I could only pick out random ones, but they were enough to make the cold grip of fear clench tightly around my heart.

Hospital . . . baby . . . danger . . . Brisbane.

“What is it? What’s happening?” I felt inadequate, utterly unable to deal with whatever it was. But most of all, I felt isolated. I was in another state when Alyssa needed me. I may not have known all the details, but I knew that much.

Alyssa took a couple of deep breaths and managed to calm herself enough to speak. “It’s—It’s Ruby, she’s been rushed to hospital. Oh, God, Declan, they think she might lose the baby. It’s all just too—” She cut off as her voice was stolen by a series of chest-wracking sobs.

I could easily imagine what was causing Alyssa’s pain. It was all too similar to what happened with the emergency with the twins. With her own experience of birth.

“I need to go to her. I need to be there for her . . . like she was for me.” Alyssa’s voice was little more than a whisper.

“Go,” I told her. It broke my heart to say it, but it wasn’t the time for being selfish. As much as I wanted her beside me, as much as I needed her in my arms again, I couldn’t demand that she come to Adelaide rather than go to Brisbane.

“I’m so—so—sorr—sorry.” She sobbed.

“It’s not your fault,” I murmured. “I know you’d be here if you could, but if Ruby needs you, you need to go.”

I leaned against the side of the trailer, feeling the blood draining from my face even as I said the words. I couldn’t help but wonder how Alyssa would feel being back at the hospital. Would it bring back too many painful memories for her? Would she have to relive all of them with me in another state and unable to help?

I longed to be able to rush to her and support her in all the ways I didn’t before. But I couldn’t see how that was possible, at least not without pissing off Danny. It was career suicide to do that.

Alyssa sobbed again, and I decided I didn’t care. Danny could go fuck himself if he didn’t realise how important this was.

“Alyssa, you organise your ticket. Use the emergency money and just fly home. Let me know your flight details when you can.” I hoped my tone was such that it wouldn’t allow for argument.

“Okay,” Alyssa said softly, then, “Are you sure about this?”

“One hundred percent. Go.”

“Thank you.”

“And Alyssa,” I added.

“Yeah?” Her voice was still muffled, and she was sniffling.

“I love you.”

After I had hung up the phone, I headed straight for Danny’s offices. I knew he would be busy, and I was certain my course of action would result in me upsetting the apple cart, but I couldn’t find it in myself to care. Alyssa needed me, and that was all that mattered.

When I reached my destination, I saw Danny facing away from the small window, but Eden was facing toward it. Toward me. I waved to get her attention and signalled for her to leave the strategy meeting before quickly explaining what had happened and what I needed to do.

“I’ll get you a meeting with Danny as soon as possible,” she said before rushing off to join the meeting again. She walked straight up to Danny and whispered in his ear. His eyes darted quickly to me before he held up his hand to stop the meeting. Moments later, he came out and nodded for me to follow him into his office.

Because I hadn’t expected Eden’s “as soon as possible” to be instantaneous, I wasn’t entirely prepared. I swallowed nervously as I walked behind him. Would he understand why I needed to leave? Would he be okay with it? Or would it jeopardise the effort I had been putting in?

Did it matter if it did?

I trailed about three steps back as he walked wordlessly into his office. He headed straight for his desk drawer and pulled out his mobile. Without a word to me, he scrolled though his contacts before putting the phone to his ear.

“Ashley, it’s Danny Sinclair. I need to book a seat on the next flight from Adelaide to Brisbane.”

I felt my jaw drop as I listened to him book a return flight for me. After he’d ended his call he finally turned to me. “I booked the return flight just in case you can make it back. But family comes first in situations like this.”

My eyes burned as he handed me a sheet of paper with the details on it and wrote down Ashley’s number so I could reschedule the flexible return flight if necessary. He told me that he’d get Ryan and Calem to prep my car for the morning, just in case.

I thanked him profusely before pulling out my phone to ring Alyssa to tell her the good news. As soon as she answered, she launched into the details of her flight. I realised as she ran through the details that my own flight would arrive about fifteen minutes before hers.

In that moment, I decided to make my own dash to Brisbane a secret.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: EMERGENCY DASH

ONCE MY FLIGHT had landed, and I’d fought my way off the plane, I ran through the domestic terminal to get to the gate that Alyssa would be coming through. Every one of my spare fifteen minutes was needed to ensure that I was there before she disembarked. When I arrived, I waited anxiously, watching the gate carefully for her arrival.

I stood by the door, my eyes taking in every person as they passed by. Finally, she emerged. She was almost the last one off, carrying her overnight bag over one shoulder and Phoebe on the opposite hip as she walked.

Her body was bent and weary. It was as if a hundred years had wreaked havoc on her since I’d last seen her just a few short days ago. Her eyes were red and puffy, showing that she’d clearly been crying on the plane. I hated that I wasn’t able to do anything more for her earlier, but silently vowed to do everything I could for her now.

Phoebe was the first to see me.

“Daddy!” she called as soon as her eyes locked with mine.

I gave her a small smile as Alyssa hushed her quietly, telling her that Daddy wasn’t there.

Phoebe shook her head and laughed. “Silly! He’s right there, Mummy!” she exclaimed, pointing at me.

Alyssa raised her head a little as her eyes followed Phoebe’s finger to find me, widening as they traced over my body.

I smiled, walking over to her as quickly as I was able and wrapping my arms around the pair of them. Phoebe curled her arms around my neck before giving me a quick peck on the cheek. I felt Alyssa surrender herself to my embrace almost instantly. Clearly, it was sheer perseverance and determination that had carried her onto the plane and then through the terminal.

“You came,” she whispered against my chest as she descended into tears again. “I can’t believe you’re actually here.”

“Here for you,” I murmured into her hair. “For as long as you need me.”

“But your race? Your pit obligations?”

“If I can get back to Adelaide before the meet is over, then I will. Otherwise . . .” I trailed off, letting her know through touch instead that I would remain by her side for as long as she needed.

She leaned heavily against me as I moved her away from the gate.

“Did you have any luggage?” I asked.

She shook her head and indicated her small overnight bag. I reached out and slid it from her shoulder before pulling Phoebe into my arms. I needed to take as much of the physical load from Alyssa as I could. Unfortunately, there was nothing more I could do for her emotional one.

“Have you heard anything more?”

Alyssa shook her head. “Nothing. All I know is that Ruby was rushed to the RBH earlier. Josh was beside himself when he called.”

“It’ll be all right,” I assured her, hoping like hell I wouldn’t be proven wrong when we arrived at the hospital.

After we’d found our way up to the right floor, we looked for Alyssa’s family.

Ruth saw us first and rushed over to our side, surprise at our arrival evident in her features. She thanked us for coming and took Phoebe from my arms. I sank back behind Alyssa, using her as a shield between myself and her family. Not that I really thought I needed it. Even Curtis wouldn’t be so heartless as to attack me at such a time.

I placed my hand lightly on the small of Alyssa’s back, wordlessly letting her know I was there for her.

“What’s happening?” Alyssa asked. “How is she?”

“She’s okay,” Ruth said as she embraced Phoebe tightly. “She gave us all a major scare though, passing out the way she did. She’s just come back from a round of scans. The doctors were most concerned about the bleeding. They’re not saying much at the moment, but they are taking extra precautions because of her high-risk pregnancy. Josh is in there with her now.”

Alyssa sighed in relief and leaned back into me. I wrapped my arms around her and rested my hands on her stomach. I ducked my head to rest my cheek against the crook of her neck. I was thankful it was nothing too serious. I wasn’t sure how Alyssa would have coped if anything had happened to Ruby or the baby.

“Can I see her?” Alyssa asked finally.

Ruth nodded. “But she’s only allowed two guests at a time, so you’ll have to go in alone.” She eyed me apologetically.

I brushed my lips along Alyssa’s neck. “Go. I’ll be waiting here when you come back out. I’m sure she’ll be happy to know you’re here for her.”

Alyssa turned and gave me a questioning look that was filled with concern, no doubt trying to seek out the lie in my words, but I nodded to indicate she should go. That I’d be okay. After all, it was what she’d come to Brisbane for.

Once she’d moved off, I sat in the corner of the waiting room, trying to blend into the walls so no one noticed me. I felt like an interloper on a private family time.

After a short time with Ruth, Phoebe came and planted herself on my lap and gave me a hug. “I missed you, Daddy,” she whispered.

“I missed you too, baby.” I hugged her closer. “I hope you were good for Mummy?”

She nodded and smiled. I could tell she was getting bored and restless, so I grabbed a small pile of magazines from under the waiting room table—the most recent one was from Christmas the previous year—and began to make up little stories about the people in them.

“Look, Daddy! It’s you!” she squealed as she recognised me on one of the covers.

In the fraction of a second it took for me to look at the magazine, I hoped like hell it was the issue of
Woman’s Idea
from when Alyssa and I had gone for our joint interview.

Instead, I found myself staring at the cover of 
Gossip Weekly
and the photo of me sandwiched between Tillie and Talia—the two bitches who’d had a big hand in securing my public fall from grace.

I shoved the magazine to the bottom of the pile and tried to distract Phoebe with other stories. I resorted to looking at the Christmas edition of
Woman’s Idea
; at least Christmas held positive memories for me. After all, it was when Alyssa had agreed to marry me.

Finally, Alyssa reappeared in the waiting room, looking like the world had been lifted from her shoulders. She gave me a small smile as she found her way over and sat on the chair beside me. “I’m sorry I dragged you away from your race meeting for nothing.”

I put my hand up to silence her. “It wasn’t nothing.” I wanted to say it could have easily gone the other way, but I didn’t want to be the reason the stress returned. “I wanted to be here.”
For you.
“How is she?”

She rested her head against my shoulder. “She’s fine. They are keeping her in for a while just to be on the safe side, but the baby seems to be fine too.”

“That’s good,” I murmured, knowing Alyssa would have been close to inconsolable if Ruby had lost her baby.

“Mum’s asked if we want to stay at their house,” she whispered, knowing that under normal circumstances I would’ve preferred a hotel.

But I was well aware we weren’t in Brisbane under normal circumstances. I nodded, knowing that accepting would mean that our accommodation would be one less thing for everyone to worry about.

Over the next few hours, Curtis drove home to get their spare child seat and then drove the three of us home. Then we had the news that Ruby was being released from the hospital, and Ruth refused to let Ruby go home alone, despite the fact that Josh wouldn’t leave her side.

In the end, Alyssa and I went to Josh and Ruby’s house while everyone else stayed with Curtis and Ruth. Because neither Alyssa nor I had eaten since before our flights, we grabbed takeout on the way to our temporary accommodation.

We were all so exhausted that we crashed into bed almost the instant we had finished eating. Alyssa fell asleep quickly in my arms, drained from the stressful day she’d had. As I watched her sleeping, I rested my hand on her stomach, trying to imagine what it had been like for her when she had been pregnant with the twins.

After experiencing her grief firsthand over the course of the day, I was even more disappointed with myself than ever that I hadn’t been there for her during that time. I vowed to never let that happen again.

I woke early the next day and caught a cab back to the airport, leaving Alyssa to spend some more time with her family. I arrived back at the track just in time to jump in my Mini for the second race of the meeting. It was a reverse grid race, so I had to fight my way through the pack. I came in third, but somehow I couldn’t find the same enthusiasm that I’d enjoyed the previous day.

Instead, my mind was filled with concern for Alyssa.

On Saturday night, I rang Alyssa at her parents’ house and got all the latest news on Ruby. The doctors said that she was still high risk and that she needed to relax, putting her fainting spell down to a combination of heat, exhaustion, and being pregnant.

On Sunday, I woke early and dragged my arse to the track. My final race of the meeting was over before 9:00 a.m., and I’d managed to wrestle another first place in that one.

It meant that I was already in first place on the Micro Challenge leader board. I was able to muster a little more enthusiasm now that I had the knowledge that Ruby—and therefore Alyssa—was all right. But I still missed Alyssa and Phoebe terribly and wanted to be with them. It was almost a relief when the weekend was finally over and it was time to go home.