Chapter 5

My hand hurt from his grip. It was clear Jace was angry. "Is he jealous?" I wondered. Just then, Jace released my hand, his eyes cold. "Rea, are you doing this to get back at me because of what I said?"

I was shocked. I hadn't thought he'd interpret it that way! "I didn't, I—" I began to explain, but he interrupted. "Where did you touch him? Did you really touch him there?" Jace's jaw was tight, his eyes gleaming fiercely.

This rare display of jealousy, however, eased much of my frustration. It showed he cared. If he only saw me as a sister or friend, he wouldn't care if I touched another guy.

"No," I said again.

Just then, Brad swaggered out and whistled at me. "Hey creep, why are you hitting on my brother-in-law?" His rudeness was typical, and this was no exception. Looking at him, I couldn't help but wonder what I had done to deserve this.

Tanya arrived. Remembering her earlier touch on Jace, I instinctively took his arm. I didn't expect his muscles to tense.

"Enough!" Tanya said, pinching Brad. She stood between Jace and me, her face apologetic. "Jace, Keira, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Jace said. Then he looked at Brad. "If you cause trouble again, no one will bail you out."

"Hmph," Brad scoffed, glaring at Jace. "Who do you think you are? Why should I listen to you? If you want to be my brother-in-law, then maybe I'll consider it."

"Brad Twain!" Tanya scolded, hitting him again.

Brad dodged. "Sis, he likes you. Why else would he stick around day and night, taking care of you?"

I pulled my arm away from Jace the moment I heard that. It hit me—these past days, he had been absent frequently, leaving work for hours. He'd been spending that time with Tanya. She was Desmond's wife. Desmond had died in a car accident, so it made sense for Jace to care for her. But did he need to be there every day? To the point where others would misunderstand?

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Tanya's face flushed red as she hit Brad harder. The seventeen-year-old, rebellious and unyielding, instinctively raised his hand as Tanya hit him, causing her to stumble.

I felt a push and staggered, nearly falling. Regaining my balance, I realized Jace had pushed me away and rushed to Tanya's side. He knelt, holding her. "Tanya, are you okay? Where does it hurt?"

"My stomach hurts, Jace," Tanya's voice was weak. She clutched his arm.

"Don't worry, I'll take you to the hospital. Don't be afraid," he said, his voice trembling with panic.

I stood there, stunned. I had seen Jace in countless situations, but this was the first time I had seen him so frantic. And it was for another woman.

Jace carried Tanya to the car and shouted, "Rea, you drive."

I remained frozen.

"Hurry up! If anything happens to Tanya, you'll regret it!" Brad stormed over and roughly grabbed me.

The moment he touched me, I don't know what came over me. I raised my hand and slapped him hard. "Don't touch me!"

Five clear finger marks appeared on Brad's cheek. Jace and Tanya, in the car, stared in shock, and Brad was stunned. He probably didn't expect me to hit him, but after a brief moment, he lunged at me. "You bitch!"

"Brad!" Jace's voice was icy. "If you lay a hand on her, I'll make sure you end up back in the police station."

The threat worked. Brad withdrew his hand, glaring at Jace and me before storming off.

"Brad!" Tanya called out, then clutched her stomach. "Jace, it hurts so much! Hurry and take me to the hospital!"

"Rea," Jace called me again.

Seeing Tanya in such pain, I shoved all other thoughts aside, jumped into the car, and drove straight to the hospital.

When we saw the doctor, Jace, carrying Tanya, urgently said, "Doctor, she's pregnant. She just fell, and now her stomach hurts a lot."

"Pregnant?" My steps felt heavy, my heart sank. Desmond was gone. How could she be pregnant? I looked at Jace's panic-stricken face. Why was he so worried? Could it be…?

Tanya was rushed into the ER, and Jace and I waited outside. I didn't know Tanya well and didn't have any particular feelings for her, so I wasn't exactly worried. Jace, on the other hand, was visibly anxious. I watched him, but he kept his eyes fixed on the ER door, as if he had forgotten I was there.

Bitterness welled up inside me. I swallowed hard before speaking. "Is the baby… yours?" I didn't want to speculate, so I asked directly.

Jace turned, a look of shock flashing in his eyes, followed by a deeper gaze. "What are you talking about? Of course not. It's Desmond's child."

I breathed a sigh of relief. Desmond was Tanya's husband and Jace's friend for many years. He had died in a car accident a month ago.

"I'm taking care of Tanya because Desmond asked me to," Jace explained.

I remembered how Jace looked when he came home after Desmond's accident: hair disheveled, beard scruffy, looking like he hadn't slept in days. Their bond must have been incredibly deep. Now that Desmond was gone, it made sense for Jace to look after his widow.

In that moment, I felt a pang of guilt for my earlier suspicion. I gently took hold of Jace's arm and explained what had happened. "I didn't touch that kid. He was just trying to smear me."

Jace looked at me, his lips moved slightly, and after a moment, he reached out and pinched my cheek. "No more drinking in the future."

I wanted to say I only had a little when the ER doors swung open.

The doctor came out and walked over to Jace. "Are you family? Please sign here."

Jace glanced at me, then took the doctor's pen. Before signing, he asked, "Doctor, how is she doing now?"

"Your wife has a threatened miscarriage. We'll do our best to stabilize the pregnancy, but there's a chance it might not work. We need your signature," the doctor explained.

"Please do everything you can to save her," Jace's voice was urgent.

"Of course. Now, please sign."

Under the doctor's urging, Jace signed his name in the family member section of Tanya's medical record. I knew signing didn't mean anything significant on its own, but I hadn't expected my fiancé to become another woman's "family member."