Winning Layla (#2)

Chapter 10

Layla Edwards-

When I open my eyes around six in the morning, the nausea still hasn't faded, even with sleep and and a wet cloth. I try to closes my eyes to relieve the feeling, but it won't budge. Instead, it sends me running through the bathroom, making me upchuck what ever was left in my stomach.

As soon as the heaving starts, Nash is there again, rubbing my back and holding my hair. When it's over, I lean back against the shower, feeling the cool shower door against my back. I can tell by the way Nash is staring at me that I don't look good.

"I need to get the doctor over here to see what is wrong with you, baby."

I shake my head. "No, I'm fine. It's probably just a bug."

"You're obviously not fine. You can't keep anything down and will end up dehydrated. I'm calling the doctor."

After putting me back into bed, Nash stays true to his word and calls the pack doctor. While we wait, I can no longer keep my eyes open and let the darkness consume me, Nash trying to wake me with no luck.

I wake up to beeping of machines and an IV in my arm. I groan and stir. A second later, hands are keeping me to the bed. I look up to see Nash, his face pale and eyes red and watery.

"Nash," I whisper.

"Hi, sweetheart."

"What's wrong?" I ask him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He responds, his voice strangled, leaving me confused.

"Tell you what? What are you talking about?"

"Did I mess up so much that you felt you had to keep our children a secret?"

Children? What children?

"Nash, what are you talking about?" I repeat, my tone firm.

He looks at me now. "You're pregnant with triplets. That's why you were so sick."

I feel the tears well in my eyes. I'm going to be a mother to three screaming, pooping, pups in about five months. How the hell did I not know I was pregnant?

"You really didn't know. Did you?" I turn my head to see a woman, obviously the doctor, standing in the doorway with a clipboard in her hand.

"How did this happen?" Nash asks.

She laughs. "Well, I would say the missionary way, but kids nowadays seem to switch it up a bit."

I look at her, shocked and before I know it a giggle escapes me, soon more follow it. When I calm down, she resumes speaking. "Your fiancée here hasn't left your side since you arrived and has also been checking on your progress every hour. Anyway, as I was saying, you are indeed pregnant with triplets. You're about three months along. The pups seem to be progressing quite well and are perfectly healthy. As for the nausea and vomiting, I have prescribed you medication for that along with the prenatal vitamins. Congratulations."

"Thank you, but why did I pass out?" I ask her.

"You were severely dehydrated. We have pumped you with fluids and nutrients to help with that. From now on, you should be drinking at least eight glasses of water a day. Okay?"

"I will. Thank you." She nods in acknowledgement before exiting the room. Nash and I are both quiet until a few minutes later when he breaks the silence and says, "Forgive me."

"For what?"

"For accusing you of keeping our pups a secret. I thought you knew," he explains.

"No. I didn't even think about being pregnant at all. I'm on birth control and half the time I don't even get my period."

"I don't want kids, Layla," he confesses, making my heart stop.

I look up at him. His face is hard and his eyes are guarded. "What?" I whisper.

"I don't want kids," he repeats. "And I'm not saying you have to do anything that you don't want to do. I just can't-" he stops.

After a moment, I can't take his silence anymore. "Do you have any idea what you are saying to me? You helped in making these pups and you don't want to watch them grow? How dare you," I tell him, my voice angry though tears are running down my cheeks. "How dare you," I whisper to him, shaking my head.

His face loses color and his eyes turn pained.

"Layla-" he tries, but I cut him off by turning away from him and saying, "Get out," my voice firm.

"What?"

"Get out!" I yell at him. "I don't want to see you."

Eventually, he does and I'm left alone with the sound of the heart monitor beeping.