Total pages in book: 196
Estimated words: 180438 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 902(@200wpm)___ 722(@250wpm)___ 601(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 180438 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 902(@200wpm)___ 722(@250wpm)___ 601(@300wpm)
If not for the fans, those people who had been there for us through thick and thin, I wouldn’t want to be here either, and that brought me to the realization that I had been fighting for a while now.
“What do you say after the concert, we take a long break?”
“That sounds like a great idea. Let’s find a place that no one knows or would ever think to find us and just lay low for a while.”
“Perfect!
***
The response from the crowd when we stepped out on stage brought tears to my eyes. Whatever angst I was feeling disappeared as we stood in the spotlight holding hands as our adoring fans screamed out our names.
We both turned to each other and smiled before breaking into song. With each song, I felt lighter; each time I looked over at him or he came over to my side, a little more of the pain from before was eviscerated.
I felt reborn like everything had come full circle. By the time we sang our last song, I felt like I had given back what I needed to, like I had given it my all. We left the stage to the roaring sounds of the crowd as they chanted for more.
After years of hiding away and licking my wounds, it felt amazing to leave on a high note. Now, all that was left was to look forward to a bright future together.
Epilogue
***
*Elena*
“What did you say?”
“You’re pregnant. From the looks of it, I’d say you’re about five months along.”
“That can’t be right. I can’t have kids.” What kind of sick game is he playing? I’ve known for a long time that I couldn’t have children; this was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to deal with, and now that I am finally over it…
“There’s no reason you can’t have a child barring your own fears. Your body is perfectly healthy to carry. I’m not sure why anyone would tell you differently.”
“But my doctor in L.A. said it was impossible.
“Your doctor in L.A. is a quack.”
My mind was a jumble of thoughts all running together until nothing made sense. “Did you say five months?”
“Yes, and there’s one more thing: you’re having twins. Because of the medication you were on, we’ll keep a close eye on things to make sure everything goes smoothly, but so far, everything looks good.”
“Are you sure? I’ve been taking all sorts of medicine for a while.” Did the kid know? Is this why she told me to stop taking the medication? No, that doesn’t make sense. We’ve never met. But it’s true that ever since I took her advice, I’ve been feeling better.
She’d even recommended this new doctor but hadn’t told me why. A lot of things had come to light in the last few months; first, the fact that my mental health had been compromised by a shady doctor who had been hired by Mary and her ilk.
That was one thing to accept, but learning that my physical illness was also a lie is something I was still struggling to accept, and now this. “The nurse will give you a prescription; we’ve gotten the drugs out of your system in the last few months, but let’s stay vigilant.”
“Is there something wrong with the baby?” my hand went to my stomach, which didn’t look or feel any different.
“As I said, we’ll keep a close eye on things, but so far, everything seems fine.”
After she left, I was in a daze. I didn’t know if I should be happy or afraid. And Ryder, what was he going to think? We’d had the talk and had made peace with the fact that I could never have children because that’s what I had been told.
He was in his studio on the other side of the property, but I didn’t have the strength to walk all the way over there. Maybe I should get my thoughts together first before sharing the news with him. But I didn’t want to be alone.
I texted him and walked upstairs to our bedroom. A smile in my heart wanted to break free, but I was too afraid. What if this was all just a dream? Could things really be going this well for us? A baby! I’m having a baby. One more dream come true.
The last few months have been nothing short of miraculous. After our last concert Lyon and his people had squirreled us away under cover of darkness to bring us here.
We’d thought about going back to the place Ryder had bought, but that was too close to our old lives, and we both wanted a break. It would still be there in the future if we ever decided to go back to L.A., but for now, our little hideaway in the mountains has been perfect.
Our days were spent doing as we pleased, fishing in the pond on the land, watching the stars at night, or just relaxing in the hammock on the porch. We were always together, never too far from each other, and slowly but surely, the pain of the last five years had started to go away.