Unveil Me (The Jaded Series Book 3) (13 page)

“She’s right, Jase,” Jaxon says, and Bailey nods. “You shouldn’t have to deal with this by yourself. You need help taking care of it. You’re Chris’s brother, so you’re family. We protect our families.”

And this is why I’ll never leave this town. This community is filled with people just like Jaxon. The people here are close-knit and will do anything to protect their own. Jase is now part of the town.

I lay my hand on top of Jase’s thigh under the table. When he looks over at me, I tell him, “Baby, you won’t find a better place to be. We’ve got your back, no matter what. Those fuckers will find out soon enough that you don’t fuck with the people in Jaded Hollow. If I hear you say you regret coming here again, I’ll spank your ass, and it won’t be one that you’ll like.”

His brows jump at my comment, but I see mirth in his eyes. “You really think you’re big enough for that?” he asks.

He has no damn clue what I’m capable of when I set my mind to something. I wasn’t lying to him. He says that regret bullshit again, I’ll tie his tight ass to the bed and give him the ass slapping of a lifetime.

“Don’t try me,” I warn him. “You may not like the outcome. When I want something, I get it. You should know this already.”

His lips tip up into a smile, showing off that damn dimple again. My mood goes from serious to carnal in a split second. That dimple is dangerous. Every time I see it I want to lick it.

Jase breaks our connection and turns to the rest of the table.

“Thank you all. When I spoke with Chris on the phone about coming here, she told me what a great place it was, but I never imagined I would find the friends I have.”

Trent and Scott come running up to our table, breaking the gravity of the situation. They chatter to Mac and Mia about the ride. Bailey and Chris break away from our table and head over to grab cotton candy from a vendor. Jase, Mac, Jaxon, and I talk about the upcoming basketball game for the local high school.

I feel a vibration in my pants and reach into my pocket for my phone. Looking at the screen, foreboding envelops me at seeing Becky’s name on the screen. I get up from the table and tell the others I’ll be back. I take a few steps away and answer, heart pounding in my chest. I get that feeling every time Becky calls me lately.

“Becs, is everything okay?”

I hear a sniffle on the other end of the line before Becky whispers, “Andrew, we need you.”

My gut clenches at the tone of her voice. She sounds lost and broken. I know the feeling. From the moment I was told Ally had leukemia, I’ve felt a hole in my heart. A hole that keeps getting bigger the weaker she gets. I know that if the worst were to happen that hole would stay there forever. Nothing would ever be strong enough to fill it. I send up a silent prayer, asking God to keep Ally safe and whole.

“What happened?” I ask, afraid of the answer.

“She’s in acute renal failure. We don’t know anything else right now. They’re running tests.”

Becky lets out a pained cry and my gut clenches at the sound. I hear a shuffle on the line, and a second later Brent’s on the phone.

“Andrew, we need you here as soon as you can. They want to go ahead and take bone marrow from you and store it for when she’s better.” His voice breaks at the end and he stops to clear his throat. “She’s not doing too good. Everything is piling up at the same time. Once they have her kidneys working properly they want to do the transplant.”

“I’m on my way, Brent. Let the doctors know I’m ready, and I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Alright, we’ll see you in a bit.”

After we hang up, I turn to face the others, prepared to give whatever excuse I can come up with for needing to leave. The words die on my lips, and I know my time is up. If I know anything about these people, it’s that they won’t let me get away with lying anymore. They’ve obviously heard my conversation, judging by their worried expressions, and know something’s happened.

Even though I know I need to explain, I don’t have time at the moment. I need to leave and get to the hospital.

With my hands shaking and my heart pumping double time with fear for Ally, I tell the group, “Something’s come up. I’ve got to go.”

They all stand at the solemnity in my voice, but it’s Jase who’s by my side in a flash.

“What happened? What’s wrong?” he asks.

I look in his eyes and see the concern there. I want to reach out and touch him, but I don’t.

“I don’t have time to explain right now,” I tell him, and then look to the others. There’s worry in their eyes as well. “I’ll tell you all later. I’ve got to go now. I’m sorry.”

I lean forward and give Jase a quick kiss. When I pull back and turn to leave, he stops me.

“Wait. I’m coming with you,” he says.

I don’t have time to argue with him, so I just nod. If I’m honest with myself, I’m glad he is going with me. I’ve kept this part of my life a secret for so long that it’ll be nice to share it with someone. I don’t want to do it alone anymore. Telling Jase and the others will lift a huge weight off my shoulders.

After a quick good-bye to the others, I practically run to my car. Jase doesn’t say anything as he easily keeps up with me. I know he’s worried though. I see him casting me troubled glances out the corner of my eye.

The drive to the hospital is made in silence. I think Jase knows I need the quiet right now, and I’m grateful for that. I need to think. I need to process what’s about to happen. I’m not scared of giving marrow. I’m scared of the reason I
need
to give the marrow. What if it’s too late? What if Ally’s body rejects it? The thought of either of those things happening causes my heart to nearly stop, and I feel more emotions than I’ve felt in my life. I can’t live in a world without Ally in it.

We make it to the hospital in record time. I don’t take the time to park, instead asking Jase to park it for me after stopping at the entrance.

I rush into the main entrance and head straight for the nurse behind the desk.

“I’m here for Ally Dawson,” I tell her, before I even reach the counter. “I’m donating marrow. Her doctor’s name is Adams.”

She presses a few keys on her computer, then looks up at me and asks, “Name?”

“Andrew Donovan.”

“Okay, Mr. Donovan. I’ll page Dr. Adams and let her know you’re here. Someone will come get you in a few minutes.” She hands me a clipboard with papers and a pen. “In the meantime, I need you to fill out these papers.”

I grab the clipboard and head over to the small waiting area to take a seat. I stare at the papers in front of me, not really seeing them. This is really happening. I have no idea what condition Ally is in. Becky told me it was bad, but how bad? Not knowing is killing me inside.

I jot down the answers to the questions on the paper, take them back to the nurse, and stiffly start pacing the floor. I’m about to lose my shit and demand someone go get Dr. Adams when Jase walks through the door. A sense of calm rushes through me and my shoulders sag as he heads my way.

“Everything okay?” he asks when he reaches my side and grabs my hand.

Before I get a chance to answer him with a growled “I don’t fucking know,” Jaxon, Bailey, Mia, Mac, Trent, and Chris come rushing over.

“How did you know I was here?” I ask the people I regret keeping this secret from. I know I’ll need them later.

“We followed you,” Jaxon answers.

I must have been so deep in thought on our way here that I didn’t notice them behind me.

I nod and run my fingers through my hair. I’m jittery and the longer I stand here not knowing what is going on, the closer my control gets to the edge.

“What’s going on here, Andrew,” Mia says, coming to stand beside me and placing her hand on my arm.

I give a slight jerk at the touch, my nerves getting the best of me. I feel so helpless just waiting here. Why haven’t they come to get me yet? This waiting bullshit is driving me insane.

I pull in a lungful of air and look to Jase. He gives my hand a squeeze. Unbeknownst to him, he’s giving me the courage I need to tell everyone the truth. A truth I worry will have everyone disappointed in me. I know they will forgive me. That’s just the type of people they are. They love me just as much as I love each of them, but I still don’t want to see displeasure in their eyes.

I never planned on keeping Ally from them for so long, but it’s just the way it happened. Becky’s parents made it impossible for me to tell them from the start, then Bailey came along and everyone needed to focus on her. After that, it was just easier to keep the secret. I also wanted to hold on to Ally myself just a little bit longer. But I don’t need to anymore. I know I’m going to need their support in this.

“Hey,” Jase says, taking a step closer. “Just as you told me earlier, whatever it is, we’ll get through it together. Everything will be okay. Trust me, trust us.”

This man will never know how much he means to me. There will never be enough words to express my feelings for him or how grateful I am he’s here.

Gathering the courage that Jase’s words and actions just gave me, I tell everyone my secret.

“Ally, a six-year-old little girl, is currently fighting for her life. She has leukemia, but the treatments weren’t working as fast as her doctors need it to, so they’ve upped her chemo dosage, which has killed her bone marrow. My phone call earlier was from her mom, Becky. Her kidneys are failing. I’ve signed up and am a match to donate marrow if Ally should need it. They want to go ahead and take my marrow now for when she’s better and her body can take the transplant.”

My eyes stay on Jase as I talk. He’s the one keeping me grounded right now. I feel a weight lift from my shoulders as I’m talking, but it also makes the situation even more real. For the most part I’ve always been able to keep this life away from my life with Ally, Becky, and Brent, and in a sense I’ve been able to hold off the emotions while in Jaded Hollow. But with my friends knowing the truth, those two lives converge. There’s no way I can fight the emotions and fear anymore.

My eyes flick to Bailey and Chris, who both have tears in their eyes. Jaxon pulls Bailey to his chest. Jase reaches over with his other arm and places it over Chris’s shoulders.

“As you know, I met Becky and Brent twelve years ago in Bakersville when I was visiting my cousin Richard. I saved her from being robbed.”

I was seventeen at the time. I remember the fear on Becky’s face when I made it behind the building, and the relief when she saw me. I knocked the guy away and was checking to make sure she was okay when he took off. I wanted to chase him, but didn’t want to leave her alone.

“You all have met them a few times, but what you don’t know is we’ve gotten really close over the years. Seven years ago, Ally came along, and I fell in love with her. She’s the most precious thing to ever grace the earth.”

I stop talking for a minute, remembering the first time I saw Ally wrapped up tight in a pink blanket in the hospital. The tiny fragile baby girl I held in my big hands took hold of my heart tight in her fists. And the older she gets the tighter that fist gets. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her. I would give my life in a second if I knew it would help her. If there was any way I could change places with her, I would.

I look up at the others and see compassion written on their faces. These people deserve to know Ally, but more importantly, Ally deserves to know them. Becky and Brent both need all the support they can get, and this bunch is the most supportive you can get.

I’m pulled from my thoughts when I hear someone call my name frantically. I look up just in time to catch my mom in my arms. She wraps her arms tightly around my neck and squeezes. I feel her tears soak my shirt.

“How is she? Have you seen her yet? Why aren’t you back there getting ready?” she asks, pulling back from me.

I put both of my hands on either side of her head and focus on her tearstained face.

“I haven’t seen her yet, so I don’t know how she is. All I know is she’s in renal failure. I’m waiting on them to call me back.”

“My poor baby girl,” she says, and more tears slide down her face.

I gather her in my arms again and rock her gently. Looking over her shoulder, I see everyone’s eyes on both of us. Jase has moved to the side with Chris. He hasn’t said anything this entire time, and I wish I knew what he was thinking. Mia is standing with Mac’s arm around her shoulders. Trent stands beside his dad. Scott, his friend, probably dropped of at home. Jaxon has Bailey in front of him, his hands on her hips. Each pair of eyes are watching my mom and me with open curiosity. I know it looks strange to them for my mom to be so upset over someone else’s child.

The door that leads to the back whooshes open and a nurse appears. “Andrew Donovan,” she calls.

I look from the nurse to Jase. I don’t have time to explain, but I also need him and the others to understand the importance of Ally and her role in my life. I know this is big, but I hope he gives me the chance to explain later.

Taking one last look at Jase, I tell him with eyes that say I’m sorry for hiding this from him.

Right before I turn to follow the nurse, I tell him and the others, “One more thing you all should know. I’m Ally’s biological father.”

Jase

“I’m Ally’s biological father.”
Those words play over and over in my head.

I’m sitting on one of the hard gray plastic chairs in the waiting room and stare at the door Andrew walked through ten minutes ago. When he dropped that bombshell down everyone was left with their mouths hanging open and their minds reeling, me included. After a few moments of stunned silence, the room exploded with murmurs and shocked whispers of what this revelation meant. It was obvious Sandra knew about Ally and the situation. She avoided questions as best she could, until I stepped up and told everyone to back off.

“Leave her the hell alone,” I growl to the crowd. “It’s not her place to explain anything. Andrew will tell us what’s going on when he can.”

After my small outburst, the group dispersed with guilty faces into small separate groups, talking quietly amongst themselves. I understand everyone’s need to know what the hell is going on, but it’s clear she’s upset and doesn’t need to be interrogated. Hell, I’m just as shocked as everyone else and dying to know how Andrew became a father, but I also know Andrew is the only one who can tell us.

Sandra left to grab coffees for everyone. I offered to go with her but she insisted she needed time alone. I can’t say I blame her.

I run my fingers through my hair and grab chunks of it as I bend over and place my elbows on my knees. The look on Andrew’s face right before he walked away tells me he regrets me finding out this way, all of us finding out this way. I’m not upset he kept this from me. I’m just surprised and curious, and I have to admit, a bit intimidated. He obviously cares for this Ally girl deeply. The sadness and desperation in his eyes while he talked about her illness showed he’s hurting. I hated the look and wanted to wipe it from his face. My need to be there for Andrew is strong. I wish there was something I could do to help, but all I can do is be there for him and comfort him if the outcome isn’t good.

I have no idea how serious Ally’s condition is. I just hope for her and Andrew’s sake whatever treatment she’s getting works. No little girl should have to go through what she has. My heart hurts for her, Andrew, Sandra, and her family.

“Hey, how are you holding up?” Chris asks, taking the seat beside me.

I release my hair and glance up at her. “I’m alright. Just shocked and worried. Andrew’s back there giving bone marrow to a daughter I knew nothing about. A daughter who could be dying. I feel like I need to be back there with him. I can’t imagine the pain he’s going through right now.”

Andrew’s a strong person, but it doesn’t matter how tough you are when it comes to the possibility of losing a child.

Shit. It’s weird to think he has a child.

“He’ll get through this,” Chris says quietly, grabbing my hand. “He’s got you, me, and everyone else to help him. He won’t be alone, no matter what happens.”

She’s right. As much of a shock as it was to find out Andrew has a daughter, there’s no way I would abandon him. Andrew is quickly becoming a vital part of my life. Imagining a life without him in it has my stomach cramping and a cold sweat breaking out. He has so forcefully woven his way into my heart that if I were to lose him it would destroy me. He doesn’t know it, but my heart belongs to him. Wherever he is, my heart is right there beside him, keeping him company.

Chris and I sit in silence, both deep in thought. I wonder if and how this will change my and Andrew’s relationship. It’s clear he’s part of Ally’s life. This is where he goes when he leaves town. Will he want me to be part of her life as well? Or will he continue to keep the two lives separate? I have to admit, I want to meet her. I want to meet all of his second family. And that’s what they are. The way he talked about them, especially Ally, shows he loves them and considers them his family.

My tumultuous thoughts are interrupted when Sandra comes back with coffee. She hands everyone a cup from the tray she’s carrying and takes a seat on the other side of me. The others sit close by as well.

“Does anyone know how long this process takes?” Mac asks.

It’s Sandra who answers. Of course she would know because they’ve prepared for it.

“The process itself takes about an hour,” she says in a small voice. “There’s also prep and recovery time. It’ll probably be a few hours before we hear anything. He’ll probably stay overnight since it’s already so late in the day.”

“What about Ally? When she gets the marrow, how long before we know if it works for her?” I ask.

When I turn to face her, there’s such anguish in her eyes. “It could take a few weeks before we know if her body took to it or rejects it. Her body will be weakened because of the extensive chemo and the transplant, not to mention the renal failure, so she’ll be susceptible to infection. It’ll be a waiting game.”

I gather her in my arms when a tear trails down her face. The pain she’s going through must be horrible. First, she has to watch her grandchild suffer this terrible illness. Then she has to witness the grief of her son while he suffers with her.

I look over her shoulder at the others. Bailey and Chris both have tears in their eyes. Their men have them in their arms, comforting them. Mia is standing with Mac. The expression on her face is unreadable. She’s been quiet and in the background this whole time. I know she and Andrew have a close relationship, and I wonder what she’s thinking right now.

Several hours pass with us all sitting and waiting. There’s not much talking going on. My nerves are getting the better of me. I want to jump out of my skin, wondering how things are going. I know very little about donating bone marrow, but I do know it’s not a dangerous procedure. I’m not really worried about the procedure itself, I’m more concerned with Andrew’s state of mind. I have no idea how he’s kept this to himself for so long. How he’s coped with this by himself. Yes, he’s had his mom and I’m sure that’s helped, but when you’ve got friends as close as Andrew does, it has to be hard to keep a secret like this from them.

A sound off to my left startles me, and I glance up just as a nurse comes through the door. We all stand up quickly as she makes her way toward us.

“Mrs. Donovan?” the nurse calls.

“Yes, that’s me,” Sandra says.

“Andrew’s in recovery. As expected, the procedure went fine. He’s still a little groggy from the anesthesia, but he should be up and running soon.”

I hear Sandra take a deep breath from beside me before she asks, “What about Ally? How is she?”

The sympathy I see in the nurse’s eyes says a lot and it causes a sharp pain in my stomach.

“I’ll have to check to see if you’re on her privacy statement, but I can tell you she’s okay. Dr. Adams is in with her and her parents now.”

My hands clench at my sides. I understand the policy on privacy, but fuck if it doesn’t piss me off just the same. Sandra’s been worried sick out here for that little girl and she still can’t find out how she’s doing.

“Can we see Andrew?”

“Yes, if you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to him.”

Sandra nods and takes a step to follow the nurse. I want to demand to go in with her, but it’s not up to me. Everyone behind me has known Andrew longer and deserves to see him first.

She’s only taken a few steps when she turns back to face me. “Are you coming?”

I look back at the others and watch as they nod. “You two go ahead. We’ll give you both a few minutes before we come up,” Jaxon says.

Turning back to Sandra, I ask, “Are you sure?”

“Yes. He’ll want to see you.”

Relief floods through me at her words, and I follow her and the nurse. The walk down the hallway takes forever. The smell of antiseptic and cleaner stings my nose. The white walls on either side of the hallway close in on me, and I have to shake my head to clear it. Nurses and doctors pass by us, talking quietly. The world continues on as usual, but it seems like mine just flipped on its axis.

When we make it to the door, I let Sandra enter first. She immediately rushes to his side because his dumb ass is trying to climb out of the bed.

“Andrew Donovan, get your butt back in that bed!” Sandra scolds him.

Andrew whips around at his mom’s sharp tone. He sways a bit before righting himself. If the situation wasn’t so serious I would have laughed at his expression. He looks like a child who just got caught sneaking a look at Christmas presents.

“Do you know how Ally is?” he asks in a scratchy voice. “I can’t get anyone to tell me a damn thing. I was just getting up to find someone…”

He stops when he sees me standing in the doorway and we just stare at each other. He looks ridiculous in his white-and-green checked hospital gown. But even so, he’s still sexy as fuck. I want to go to him, but don’t. I’m unsure of where we stand at the moment. Revealing that you have a child to your lover has the potential to alter a relationship.

“The only thing they’ve told me is she’s okay. The nurse said Dr. Adams is in with her, Becky, and Brent, speaking with them,” Sandra says, breaking the spell between us. Andrew looks away from me and toward Sandra.

“Fuck,” Andrew hisses, and lies back down on the bed, frustration and fear evident in his tone.

I take a step toward him. My need to go to him is too strong to ignore. I hate knowing Andrew is in pain, whether emotionally or physically.

“If you don’t get your ass over here, Jase, I’m coming after you, and you’ll be the one dealing with my mom bitching at me,” Andrew says, pinning me with his eyes.

That’s all the prompting I need. The next second I’m standing beside the bed and he has his hand on my neck, pulling my lips toward him. We meet in an easy kiss, nothing carnal or rushed about it.

After we pull apart, I rest my forehead against his.

“You okay?” I ask.

“Yeah. I’m sorry I kept Ally from you,” he says softly.

I shake my head. “No, don’t apologize. We’ll talk more about it later.”

He nods, and I pull my head back. Sandra’s standing on the other side of the bed watching us with a small smile. I can see the strain still around Andrew’s eyes. The worry is obviously still there, but his expression seems lighter.

A few minutes later, the door whooshes open and in walks a female doctor who looks to be in her forties. As soon as Andrew sees her he sits up in bed, wincing slightly without complaint.

“Hey, take it easy,” I tell Andrew, and push him back down.

“He’s right. You’ll probably be a little tender the next couple of days,” the doctor says, walking up to Andrew’s bed.

He ignores her concerns and instead asks, “How is she, Dr. Adams? How’s Ally?”

“Relax, Andrew, Ally’s fine,” she says kindly. “She’s resting right now. Becky and Brent sent me down here to explain things because they knew you would be worried. Luckily, we caught the renal failure fairly quickly through random blood tests. Since it was at the beginning stages, she should only need one dialysis treatment. Once her kidneys are functioning properly and her body can handle it, we’ll do the BMT.”

Andrew relaxes against the pillow and closes his eyes, Sandra mutters a “thank God,” and I let out a sigh of relief. I may not know the little girl who means so much to these two, but I’m glad she’s okay. No child should be put through this.

“When are you starting the dialysis?” Sandra asks Dr. Adams.

“Normally we would take the time to create a blood vessel in her arm to connect a vessel to an artery, but since we’re on a tight time schedule, we’ll be placing a temporary access line in her neck. We’ll start dialysis in a couple of hours. The filtering phase will last for about four hours.”

“How soon will we know if it worked?” Andrew asks.

“We’ll know within twenty-four hours if the treatment filtered the pollutants out of her system sufficiently.”

Listening to Andrew, Sandra, and the doctor talk cements the fact that this is very serious. It’s also obvious they’ve prepared for any outcome and problem along the way. Through their questions it’s plain to see they’ve done research and know what questions to ask.

“And her heart? Can her heart handle all this?” Andrew asks.

“We’ve managed to get her heart rate down, so it shouldn’t be a problem. I’m more worried about getting her through dialysis so she can have the BMT. Her blood work shows the leukemia is dormant.” She stops to let them take that in. Both Andrew and Sandra let out a sigh of relief. “Once dialysis and the BMT are complete, and if her body takes to the new marrow, she should be on the mend.”