Part 19 (1/2)

”My bank account is a lot bigger than what it was last week.”

”Are you serious? He started depositing money?” Liyah looked at Sloane with wide eyes.

”Yes. And I'm not talking about small amounts. I could probably live off the interest of the amount he's already given me. He didn't even give me a chance to turn him down.”

”So are you thinking about the offer? It sounds like an awesome opportunity. You're always saying you'd like to be able to spend more time with Brayden; at least until he goes to school. Now's your chance.”

Sloane nodded in deep thought. The money was nice, but it wasn't what she wanted. She wanted Gates. The night they spent together was so much more than a one-night thing for her and she couldn't understand how he could blow her off like nothing happened. ”I don't know. It's almost like he's trying to buy me off.”

”Sloane, I really don't think that's the case. Regardless of all that's happened I truly believe Gates loves you. Maybe he's not sure how to handle his feelings.”

”Maybe, but what about my feelings? What about Brayden? He's not the only one this affects you know.” The whole situation was bizarre. With the way Gates was acting, she was starting to understand more and more how keeping her secret for so long had affected them all.

They sat in silence for a moment before Liyah chirped up. ”So, now what?”

”Things go back to the way they were, I guess.” Sloane shrugged her shoulders as she and Liyah finished their lunch.

”That'll be awkward the next time he comes to visit Brayden won't it?”

”I guess, but there isn't much I can do at this point. And the way it looks, I don't see him coming to visit Brayden much anymore.”

”Are you serious? He's been getting so much closer to him. I don't know how anything could go back to the way it was if it was me.”

”I don't have much of a choice, Liyah.” She wanted things to be different between her and Gates. In all honesty, she wanted it to be like the fairy tales where they lived happily ever after, but now that seemed like a fleeting fantasy. What went wrong between the two of them? Not just the night of Brayden's birthday, but over a year ago when she left. Somehow they'd grown apart and she had no clue if there was any way they could find their way back.

The shrill ring of her cell phone brought her out of her thoughts. ”This is Sloane.” She looked at Liyah with a concerned look on her face and wondered why Brayden's day care was calling.

”Hi Sloane, its Amy.”

”Amy, hey, is everything okay?”

”Actually, Brayden's running a fever. He was playing this morning and all of a sudden, he got really irritable and warm. So, we took his temperature and he's got a pretty high one. You're going to have to come and get him.”

”I'll be there in 10 minutes. Thanks, Amy.”

”Is he okay,” Liyah asked, grabbing her purse.

”He has a temperature. I have to go get him. Can you tell Isabella I'll call her? I don't think it's anything big, but depending on his temperature-”

”Don't worry, I got you covered. Hey think of it this way, it may be your sign that you're needed at home instead of at the Foundation.” Liyah added as they got into Sloane's car. ”Call me and let me know how he's doing and if you need anything. I'll stop by after work.”

”Thanks, Liyah.” Sloane quickly dropped Liyah back at the office and raced to the day care to pick up Brayden.

Once she was home with him, she tried everything she could to break his fever, but nothing would work. Suddenly, she noticed he was beginning to look blue around his mouth. His breathing was becoming more labored and Sloane quickly gathered him up and headed to the hospital. Entering the emergency room, she could barely think straight as she tried to answer the barrage of questions from the nurse.

”Ma'am, you're going to have to stay out here so the doctors can do their job.” The nurse patted Sloane's arm, trying to comfort her.

”You don't understand; that's my little boy. He, he needs me.”

”He will be fine, but we have to let the doctors do their job. How about we come over here and take a seat. Is there someone I can call for you? Do you want me to call his father?” The nurse ushered Sloane to a chair to wait.

”What?” She could barely hear the woman talking to her as she watched them wheeling her son away. It felt like her entire body was shaking and she had no clue what to do.

”His father? Do you need me to call him?”

Looking at the nurse, Sloane suddenly realized she needed to call Gates to let him know Brayden was sick. Their conversations had been few and far between in the weeks since he left her the morning after they slept together and she wondered if she should even bother.

”No, I can call him.”

”Okay, well, I'll come to get you as soon as you can see your son.”

Sloane nodded and moved to a quieter area of the waiting room to make a couple of calls. She'd rushed out of the house so fast that the only thing she picked up was her cell phone. She forgot her purse, which had her wallet and all of her insurance information. Even if she wanted to fill out the paperwork attached to the clipboard one of the receptionists brought to her, she couldn't. She called Liyah first to have her go by her house to pick up her purse.

Getting off the phone with Liyah, she knew she needed to contact Gates. He hadn't been spending much time with Brayden, but he should at least know he was in the hospital.

”Excuse me, Gates, you have a phone call.” Linda whispered in Gates ear. She'd entered the boardroom quietly and walked over to where Gates sat.

”Lin, just take a message and I'll call them back.”

”I think you need to take this.” Seeing the look on her face, Gates excused himself from the room and followed her to the reception desk to pick up the receiver. Linda never interrupted his meetings and with the look she had on her face, he knew it must be important.

”Gates McCall.”

”Gates?”

”Sloane? I'm in the middle-”

”I'm sorry to bother you, but...” She sniffed, and he could tell she was fighting back tears.

Sensing something was wrong, his body tensed at the fear he detected in her voice. ”Sloane, are you okay? What's going on?”

”It's Brayden.” He heard her voice tremble with each syllable as she tried her best to keep her composure and his demeanor softened.

”What's wrong with Brayden?”

”I'm at the hospital. Brayden has a fever and I couldn't break it and he started turning blue and-” she rattled on and the fear in her voice shook him to his core.

”Whoa, wait a minute. Slow down. He's in the hospital?” Gates noticed Linda look up at him from her seat behind the desk. ”Sloane, just tell me what's going on.” His heart nearly stopped at hearing the words tumbling out of her mouth. He'd only started getting to know his son and now he was in the hospital.

”I got a call from the daycare and they said he had a fever and I needed to pick him up. So I went and got him, and he was so warm, Gates. He was crying and miserable. I tried to break his fever, but it seemed like the more I did the worse it got and I couldn't get him comfortable. So then he started turning blue and he was breathing so hard. I jumped in the car and brought him to the hospital. I'm so scared. And they won't let me see him.” Hearing her dissolve into tears broke him in half.

”Sloane,” Gates tried his best to soften his voice as he attempted to comfort her. Hearing her cry was more than he could take. He'd always hated to see her cry, but now he didn't know what was worse, seeing it in person or being on the other end of the phone with no way to console her. He was helpless and he'd never felt so vulnerable in his entire life. ”He's going to be fine. Listen to me. He's going to be okay. I'm on my way, but you've got to stay strong for him like you always are.”

”I don't know if I can. I'm so scared. They haven't let me see him and I don't know what's going on.” He knew she was scared. h.e.l.l, he was too. He'd never expected to get a call that his one-year old was in the hospital. He had no clue what was going on and at the moment all he wanted to do was be there with them both. Why had he left? Why had he turned his back on the life he could have? Now it could be too late and he may never have the chance to have a family. His family.

”Are you there by yourself?”