Chapter 5 It's mine!

Chapter 5

Adrianna's POV

Nothing made sense.

My head felt too full and too empty at the same time. Sounds came in slow, like they had to fight their way into my brain. The beeping machine. The doctor's stiff silence. The weight in my chest that made it hard to breathe.

Pregnant.

Xavier.

Mine.

The words crashed into each other.

I stared at the white wall across from me and tried to catch up with my own life. Just days ago, I had been a girl with a cheating boyfriend and a cruel sister. Now there was a baby inside me. Now the most dangerous man I had ever met was standing in front of my hospital bed like he owned the air I was breathing. My fingers curled into the blanket.

This was not real. This could not be real.

Xavier turned to the doctor, his face hard, his voice calm in a way that scared me more than shouting ever could. "I need a moment with you."

The doctor hesitated. "Sir, the patient..."

"I said I need a moment," Xavier repeated.

That was all it took. The doctor nodded quickly and stepped closer to Xavier. Xavier looked down at me then. His eyes were sharp and commanding.

"Stay in the bed," he said.

It was not a request.

"I'm not going anywhere," I muttered, even though my heart was racing.

His gaze lingered on me for a second longer, like he did not trust my words. Then he turned and walked out with the doctor, the door closing behind them.

The room went quiet. I lay there staring at the ceiling, my mind spinning. Stay in the bed. Like I was a child. Like I was something fragile he could order around.

What the hell was happening to my life?

I pressed my lips together, trying not to cry. My chest felt tight, like someone was sitting on it. My thoughts were everywhere.

A baby. Inside me.

I did the math again even though I already knew it added up. The night at the hotel. The drug. The confusion. The man who was not Grant.

Xavier. My stomach twisted.

I did not know anything about babies. I did not know what to eat or what not to eat. I did not know how to be careful or gentle or strong enough for another life. I barely knew how to protect myself.

My hands started to shake.

What if Amelia found out? What if my parents blamed me like they always do? What if the world laughed at me again? And what if Xavier did not let me go?

The thought made my skin crawl. I swung my legs slowly to the side of the bed, then stopped. My breathing came fast and shallow. My heart was beating too hard. I need air. I need space. I need out. I closed my eyes and forced myself to slow down.

Then, without thinking too much, my hand moved to my stomach. It was flat. Normal. Nothing had changed on the outside. But everything inside me had changed forever.

I swallowed. There was something there now, growing.

This baby was mine. I knew this. I would not let anyone take this from me. Not my sister. Not my parents. Not even Xavier Palmer. My fingers pressed lightly against my stomach, like I was afraid I would hurt it.

"I don't know what I'm doing," I whispered. "But you're mine." My eyes burned, but I did not let the tears fall.

That was when the panic hit.

Hard.

The room felt smaller. The walls felt closer. I could not breathe. I needed to leave before Xavier came back and decided something for me. I pushed myself off the bed, ignoring the dizziness, and grabbed my clothes. My hands fumbled as I dressed. I did not care how I looked. I did not care if anyone stared.

I needed to go now. I slipped out of the room, my heart pounding. The hallway smelled like disinfectant and fear. Nurses walked past me, but no one stopped me. I kept my head down, moving fast, like if I slowed down I would break.

At the front desk, I barely listened as they spoke. Forms were shoved at me. A pen pressed into my hand. I signed where they pointed, my name shaky and wrong.

My chest hurt. My head hurt. Everything hurt. I did not wait for discharge papers. I did not ask questions. I just left. I sucked in a breath and almost gagged. My legs felt weak, but I kept walking.

A cab was parked by the curb. I rushed toward it, my bag clutched to my chest.

"Please," I said to the driver, my voice thin. "Just drive."

I reached for the door handle. A hand grabbed my arm.

Hard. "Where the fuck do you think you're going?!" Xavier's voice cut through me like a blade.

I gasped and spun around, my heart slamming into my ribs. His face was dark with fury, his jaw clenched so tight it looked like it might crack. He stood too close, his presence heavy and overwhelming.

"You can't just walk out," he snapped. "Do you have any idea..."

Something in me snapped back, not fear, it was pure protection.

My free hand flew up and shoved against his chest as hard as I could. The impact surprised both of us. He stumbled half a step back.

"Stay the fuck away from me!" I screamed.

The words tore out of my throat, loud and raw. People nearby froze. The cab driver stared. I did not care.

Xavier's eyes widened, not with anger, but with shock. I did not wait. I yanked open the cab door, threw myself inside, and slammed it shut.

"Drive," I shouted, my whole body shaking.

The cab pulled away. I did not look back.

"Stay the fuck away from me." I repeated to no one.