Bella Pov
I stormed home from the park. My heart pounded so hard I thought it might burst out of my chest. I could still feel where Damian grabbed my wrist. Still see his face when I ran away.
I climbed the three flights of stairs to my apartment. My hands shook so bad I could barely get my key in the lock. I finally got the door open and rushed inside.
I slammed it shut behind me. I turned the deadbolt. Then I put the chain lock on. Then I pushed my small table in front of the door.
My whole body was shaking. What if he followed me. What if he was right behind me. What if he tried to get in.
I ran to the windows. I checked every single one. I made sure they were all locked tight. I pulled the curtains closed so no one could see in.
Then I just stood there in the middle of my apartment breathing hard. Trying to calm down. Trying to think straight.
Why did I text him. Why did I agree to meet him. Why did I think I could handle seeing him again.
I sat down on my mattress. I pulled my knees to my chest. I tried to breathe normally but I couldn't. Everything felt wrong. Everything felt scary.
Hours passed. The sun went down. My apartment got dark. I didn't turn on the lights. I just sat there in the darkness.
Around midnight my stomach started hurting. Not cramps like before. Something worse. Sharp pains that made me gasp.
Then the nausea hit. Worse than it had ever been. I barely made it to the bathroom before I started throwing up. Over and over. I couldn't stop.
I flushed and tried to stand up. That's when I saw it. Blood. In the toilet. Red blood mixed with everything else.
Terror shot through me. I was bleeding. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong with the baby.
I grabbed my phone with shaking hands. I dialed 911.
"911 what's your emergency" a woman answered.
"I'm pregnant" I said. My voice was shaking. "I'm bleeding. I need help"
"How far along are you" the woman asked.
"Ten weeks" I said. "Please...please send someone"
"An ambulance is on the way" she said. "Stay calm. Don't move. Can you tell me your address"
I gave her my address. She kept talking to me but I couldn't focus on her words. All I could think about was the blood. The baby. Please let the baby be okay.
The ambulance came fast. I heard sirens outside. Loud pounding on my door.
"Bella Morgan" someone yelled. "Paramedics. Open the door"
I tried to stand but my legs gave out. I crawled to the door. I pulled away the table. I unlocked the chain. I turned the deadbolt.
Two paramedics rushed in. A man and a woman. They helped me up.
"I'm bleeding" I said. "The baby...please help the baby"
"We're going to take care of you" the woman said. She was calm. Professional. "Can you walk"
"I don't know" I said.
They helped me down the stairs. They put me on a stretcher. They loaded me into the ambulance. The sirens started again. So loud. So scary.
I clutched my stomach with both hands. Tears streamed down my face.
"Don't take my baby" I whispered. "Please don't take my baby"
The female paramedic held my hand.
"You're going to be okay" she said. "We'll be at the hospital in five minutes"
But I didn't feel okay. I felt like I was dying. Like everything was ending. Like I was losing the only good thing I had left.
At the hospital they rushed me into the emergency room. Doctors and nurses surrounded me. Someone put an IV in my arm. Someone else pressed on my stomach. Everything was chaos. Everyone was talking at once.
"BP is dropping" someone said.
"Get her stabilized" another voice said.
"We need an ultrasound now" a doctor said.
They moved me to a different room. A doctor came in with the ultrasound machine. The same kind from my first appointment. The one that showed me the heartbeat.
She put gel on my stomach. She moved the wand around. I stared at the screen. Praying. Begging. Please let there be a heartbeat. Please.
The doctor's face stayed calm. She kept looking at the screen. She didn't say anything.
"Is the baby okay" I asked. My voice cracked. "Please tell me"
"The baby's heartbeat is there" she said. "But it's weaker than I'd like. Your stress levels are extremely high. Your body is shutting down. If this continues you could lose the pregnancy"
The words hit me like a punch. I could lose the baby. Because of stress. Because I was trying to do everything alone. Because I was too proud to accept help.
"What do I do" I whispered.
"You need to rest" the doctor said. "You need to eat properly. You need to eliminate stress from your life. You need help Bella. You cannot do this alone"
"I don't have anyone" I said. Tears ran down my face again.
"What about the father" the doctor asked.
I didn't answer. I just cried.
They moved me to a regular room. They gave me fluids. They gave me medicine to stop the nausea. They monitored the baby's heartbeat every hour.
I lay in the hospital bed staring at the ceiling. The doctor's words kept playing in my mind. You cannot do this alone. You cannot do this alone.
She was right. I couldn't. I was killing myself trying. I was putting my baby at risk because I was too stubborn to ask for help.
I picked up my phone. My hands shook. I scrolled to Damian's number. The one I unblocked yesterday.
I typed one word: Hospital.
I hit send before I could change my mind.
Then I waited. My heart raced. What if he didn't come. What if he ignored it. What if he didn't care anymore.
Ten minutes passed. Then fifteen. Then twenty.
Maybe he wasn't coming. Maybe I was still alone in this.
Then I heard running footsteps in the hallway. Fast. Urgent. Someone was running.
The door to my room burst open. Damian stood there. His hair was messy. His shirt was wrinkled. His eyes were wild and scared.
"Bella" he said. He was breathing hard like he ran the whole way.
He saw me in the bed. He saw the IV in my arm. He saw the monitors beeping. His face went pale.
"What happened" he asked. He walked toward my bed. "Are you okay. Is the baby"
"We're alive" I said quietly. "For now"