AJ felt all the blood drain from his face. He felt as if he was going to throw up. Dawn and Anthony both looked up at him. The look on Dawn’s face begged him not to do anything drastic. Anthony had a cocky smirk on his face that AJ had to fight the urge not to wipe off. He didn’t want to make a scene though, he had to think of Dawn and the baby.
"I’ll just put this stuff down here,” he said as he laid her suitcase on the floor and put the flowers on the counter .
He looked over at Dawn, then at Anthony. He couldn’t believe what was going on here.
"I’ll come back later,” he said as he turned and walked out the door.
He went outside and lit a cigarette. He was so mad. He didn’t know what to do about it, though. He couldn’t believe Anthony had the nerve to even show his face at the hospital. He was part of the reason Dawn was there to begin with.
"Okay, calm down,” he said to himself as he puffed on his cigarette. "What am I gonna do if she accepts his proposal??" He asked himself.
"I can’t BELIEVE this!!" He yelled as he threw his cigarette. He headed back towards his car, he was going to just leave.
"I don’t need this shit,” he said aloud. He put his hands in his pockets and started walking.
The whole way back to his car there were so many thoughts running through his head. He reached his car and opened the door and got in. He didn’t start it up. He just sat there. He laid his head on the steering wheel. He didn’t know what he should do.
On one hand he didn’t know what Dawn’s response was to Anthony’s proposal. For all he knew she could have finally told him off. He doubted it, but it was a possibility. On the other hand, how did Anthony even know Dawn was in the hospital? Only a few people knew. Dawn had to have called and told him.
"Goddammit!" He yelled as he pounded the steering wheel.
His cell phone rang, he didn’t want to answer it, but he thought it may be Dawn.
"Hello??" He answered roughly.
"Bone, where the hell have you been?" The voice asked. It was Kevin.
"Damn, Kev, I’m sorry, I meant to call you, but there’s been so much going on".
"Like what? Is everything alright?" Kevin asked.
"Well, Dawn’s in the hospital,” he began. "Everything’s okay, though".
"What happened??" Kevin asked, worried.
"I don’t know really, we were at my Mom’s and Dawn started having these bad pains. We rushed her to the hospital. It was really scary, we thought she might lose the baby. Everything’s okay, but the doctor has her on bed rest".
"Oh my god. Bed rest? I bet she’s really happy about that,” Kevin replied.
"Oh yeah. I’m trying to get her to stay at my place so I can take care of her, but she won’t do it. Even my mother offered for her to stay at her place, she doesn’t want to do that either. The girl is so damned stubborn".
Kevin laughed.
"Yeah, that’s Dawn, and I don’t even know her as well as you do. Are you there now?"
"Oh yeah, and you’re never gonna believe this one. I left for a little while to let Dawn get some rest. I stopped at her place and picked up some of her things. When I got back to the hospital, I walked into her room and that ASSHOLE was proposing to her!!"
"Oh my god," Kevin replied. "Tell me you’re kidding. What did you do?"
"I put her stuff down, told her I’d be back later and left".
"You didn’t….what’s wrong with you??!" Kevin yelled. "What do you mean? What was I supposed to do? If I did what I really wanted to do, you would be talking to me right now via my one phone call while some big guy named Bubba made plans to make me his girlfriend".
Kevin laughed.
"So what are you gonna do? You can’t just give up on her?"
"No, of course not, but if she wants to be with Anthony, I can’t stand in the way. I’m trying to make things easier on her. The doctor said no stress".
"AJ, listen to me and listen to me good, she does NOT want to be with Anthony. She may think that’s what’s best for the baby, but I think she has enough brains to tell him to hit the road. Even if you’re not that baby’s biological father, she has to realize that you’re ten times the man and you’d be ten times the father than that asshole will ever be”. “Wow, Kevin, I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me,” AJ said.
“Yeah, well, don’t get used to it,” he joked. “Now, I want you to go back in there and I don’t care if you have to tie Dawn down, you WILL tell her how you feel and you WILL make her listen to you. If Anthony is in there pleading his case right now, it’s only fair that you should, too”.
"Kev, I can’t, I don’t want to put any unnecessary stress on her. I have to let her think things through and come to a decision on her own. If it’s meant to be, it’ll work itself out".
Kevin sighed.
"Well, I have to give you credit, you’re handling this a hell of a lot better than I would. I can’t believe how mature you’re being about this. At least go back in there and find out what she said to him. I’m sure she’s sitting there worried about you".
AJ laughed.
"Mature? Ha! No, I’ve just decided that the most important thing right now is the baby and I have to stop pressuring Dawn. I have to try to put my feelings aside and be her friend. You said it and my mother said it. She has to do what she feels is right. I just hope that she listens to her heart, not her head".
"In the meantime, what are you doing sitting in your car?" Kevin joked.
"Yeah boss, I’m on my way," AJ laughed and hung up the phone. He got out of the car and headed back into the hospital.
He prayed all the way into the building that he didn’t run into Anthony. He couldn’t be held responsible for what he might do. Anthony’s had it a long time coming.
He reached Dawn’s door and opened it just enough to hear if there was anyone else in there. It was silent. He breathed a sigh of relief and lightly knocked as he opened the door more. Dawn was laying down with her back to the door. When she heard the knock, she turned around. Her face lit up when she saw it was AJ.
"Hey!” She exclaimed. "I didn’t know if you were gonna come back".
"Of course I did. You know I can’t stay away,” he said, glancing at her hand to see if she was wearing the ring. Her hand was under the blanket so he couldn’t tell.
"Alex, we need to talk," she said in a serious tone as she sat up on the bed.
AJ held his breath. Nothing good ever followed those words.


Chapter 34
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