He cradled Amandine, willing her to absorb his body heat. She was so cold!
After what seemed like an eternity, paramedics showed up. They took Amandine away on a stretcher. She looked so small and frail. Gavin hopped into the back of the ambulance to be with her. He wasn’t letting her out of his sight. He was never letting her go.
If he made her miserable…
He wasn’t a complete idiot. He could learn. He could change. He would make it his life’s study to figure out what made Amandine happy. He wasn’t letting her go.
“Is she going to be okay?” Gavin asked.
The paramedic looked at him with gentle compassion. “Let’s have a doctor take a look.”
At the hospital, people in gowns came out to take Amandine away. Gavin stood in the lobby, staring after them. Please let her be all right. Please.
“Gavin.”
There was a large but gentle hand on his shoulder. Ethan. “Hey. How did you know?” Gavin asked.
“Your chauffeur called Hilary,” Ethan said. “Let’s go to the waiting area.”
Ethan led Gavin to a nondescript room with light blue vinyl upholstery. There was a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall that showed some kind of financial news, something Gavin would’ve paid attention to in any other situation, but he looked away. All the things he’d found important before seemed shallow and meaningless now.
He took a seat and stared at nothing.
“Did the doctors say anything?” Ethan asked.
Gavin shook his head.
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“You all right? You look like shit,” Ethan said.
“Feel worse.” Gavin rubbed his face. It was sticky with dried tears. “I don’t know how I could’ve screwed up so bad. I love her so much, but I never even told her. Now I might not get the chance. She looked awful, Ethan. All white and cold. For a minute I thought she was dead.”
Ethan put an arm around Gavin’s shoulder. “She’s not dead. She’s at one of the best hospitals in the city, and she will be okay.”
Gavin nodded. He was desperate to believe Ethan was right. That Amandine would pull through, and he would get another chance.
Finally a doctor came to the room. He had a head of black hair that shot up in the air like he’d been shocked and looked as though he’d been awake for two or three days straight. “Mr. Lloyd?” he said.
“Yes?” Gavin rose. His knees trembled.
“Your wife’s fine. It was—”
“The baby?”
“No problem either. It was hypoglycemia and a migraine. She shouldn’t eat chocolate or other sweets until after she delivers. We want to keep her for observation for twenty-four hours, but after that she should be able to go home.”
Gavin swayed, all the tension draining away. “Thank god.”
“If you want, you can see her now. She’s in Room 236.”
Gavin started for the room, leaving Ethan sprawled on one of the vinyl couches. “I’ll just wait here,” Ethan called after him.
* * *
Gavin pushed the door open and walked inside. The room was spacious, with a single bed. Amandine lay on it, her face still too pale. A needle was taped to the inside of her elbow, a clear solution dripping into the tube it was connected to.
“Amandine,” he said, his voice hoarse.