There was no hope.
* * *
When Edie woke early the next morning it took her a second to realise she’d woken because she felt pain. Down low. Cramping. She got up and went into the bathroom and saw spotting.
Immediately she changed and went into the living room, searching for her phone. She was about to call Sebastio, without really thinking about it, but then she hesitated. First of all he wasn’t in the country, and secondly she didn’t imagine he would appreciate the interruption.
She had a sudden image of him lying amongst tangled sheets, his limbs entwined with those of some beautiful woman. The kind of woman whose cynicism matched his.
Another cramp pierced Edie’s belly and she felt sweat break out on her brow. She remembered Sebastio mentioning Matteo and called him.
He answered immediately. ‘Edie, is everything okay?’
‘Hi, Matteo.’ Her voice wobbled and she fought for control. ‘I’m having pains and there’s some blood. I’m scared.’
‘Stay right there. I’ll get help straight away.’
He terminated the connection and Edie sat on the couch, curling into a ball. She’d been so lucky in the last four years, but now all the fears about her health and the ghosts she’d thought she’d laid to rest came back.
She wasn’t sure how long she’d been there, but it only felt like a nano-second when she heard the door and footsteps. Familiar footsteps. Oh, no. She looked up to see Sebastio in the doorway, looking a little wild.
She tried to get up. ‘Sebastio—’
But he had crossed the room and lifted her into his arms before she could say anything more. They were out and in the elevator, and all Edie could do was study the hard line of his jaw and think to herself, He’s not in bed with another woman...maybe that’s a good sign?
Then she thought of something else. ‘How are you here? I thought you were in Paris?’
‘I was.’ He was grim. ‘I left early this morning—a change in plans.’
They were down in the basement and he was putting her into the passenger seat of a car she’d never seen before. He buckled her in and came around to the driver’s seat, getting in.
Edie realised the significance of this. ‘Where’s Nick? Why are you driving?’
He was pulling out of the car park now, onto the quiet London streets. He said, ‘He’s off for the day, and a cab will take too long.’
Edie tried not to let the fact that he was driving for the first time since the accident get to her. ‘How did you know?’
‘Matteo rang me. I was on my way up to the apartment and the car that brought me home had already gone.’ He glanced at her. ‘Are you okay?’
‘I hope so. There’s a little bleeding, and cramps woke me up.’
Sebastio faced front again, his expression grimmer than ever. Edie couldn’t help thinking that he must be cursing her for this new responsibility in his life.
Within minutes he was pulling in to the forecourt of an A&E department. Edie was whisked through to a bed and was being attended to and asked a million questions before she could even get her breath back.
She told the consultant about her cancer, and the treatment she’d received, and as she did so she was conscious of Sebastio’s brooding presence in the corner. The consultant asked for her doctor’s details and Edie gave them, knowing they’d need all her history.
For a few hours she was poked and prodded and asked yet more questions. Sebastio moved in and out of the room, speaking on his phone or just sitting or standing. All the time he was looking at Edie as if she might explode at any moment.
Later that afternoon the consultant came back in, looking weary but pleased. Edie held her breath.
The woman smiled. She said, ‘Well, the fact that you got pregnant is indeed good news, Edie. And you’re very lucky—you know your chances were so slim as to be almost nil?’
‘I know,’ Edie said, not looking at Sebastio.
‘It’s quite miraculous, but it would appear that the radiation you underwent has not been as detrimental to your reproductive organs as feared.’ She continued, ‘I’m confident nothing is wrong. Spotting and cramping can be fairly common in early pregnancy. However, we’ll keep you here for a few days’ observation, just to make sure everthing is okay, considering your history.’
Edie felt a surge of relief. ‘Thank you.’