Chapter 3
Harley
           Stretching, I sit up and turn off my alarm clock. I sit on my bed for a second before looking over at my phone to see three missed calls from my mother. Rolling my eyes, I shuffle out of bed and out of my room. My stomach growling guides me to the kitchen where I head straight for the refrigerator.
            I pull the fridge door open and take out the bottle of orange juice, unscrewing the top. I grab a glass from beside the refrigerator and pour the liquid into my cup. Once I have my drink, I put the bottle back in the fridge and take a sip. The slightly sour liquid stings as it goes down my throat. I love orange juice.
            I take my vitamins and hum to myself as I fix breakfast. Eggs and toast. My toast pops up, letting me know it's done. Stirring the eggs, I go to the toaster and pull the toast out, then scoop the eggs onto a plate. I move all my stuff over to the small table I have and set my things down.
            The food tastes wonderful until my stomach rolls over. Jumping up from the table, I rush to the guest bathroom. I make it to the toilet in time and throw up the food I just ate. Great, now I can't even eat breakfast.
With a groan, I wipe my mouth and flush the toilet. I stand up and move to the sink, grabbing my toothbrush and squirting some toothpaste on it. I'm already tired of this taste in my mouth. Things I've read online tell me that morning sickness will go away, and I hope it's soon. 
            When I'm finished brushing my teeth, I go over to my closet and grab a pair of skinny jeans and a blue button up top. I slip into my jeans and button up my top, pushing my glasses up on my nose and brushing my bangs out of my eyes.
            I wonder, as I look at myself, why my sister is so much prettier than I am. We're twins. We have the same blonde hair, fair skin, and blue eyes. Our high cheekbones and fairy-like features lend to our beauty, but everyone has always seen my sister as more beautiful than me. Yes, her hair is styled better, and she wears more expensive clothes but looks aren't the only thing that count.
            With a shake of my head, I walk out of the bathroom and grab my phone. Again, there are missed calls from my mother, causing me to groan. I really don't want to deal with her, but it would be better to get it out of the way. I can say my part and be done with it. 
            "It's about time you called," my mother's voice shrieks as soon as she picks up. I exhale and lay my cheek in my hand.
           "Yes, I'm calling. What is it you want to say?"
            "You will apologize to Daniel immediately and take him back, or you get rid of that baby. I will not have a bastard child in our family," she screeches. Anger rises in my chest, heating my body.
           Scoffing, I curl my hands into fists. "I will not abort this baby, and I will not apologize to Daniel. He cheated on me with Karley, so if you think him the perfect man, you should know that he's not. If you can't accept that, I won't be seeing you again," I tell her, hanging up the phone.
            She will not like that I hung up on her, but I refuse to hurt this baby, and I refuse to get back together with that cheater. My baby will never know his or her father. I wish it wasn't this way, but if my child wants to know his or her father, then I'll tell them what happened and who Daniel is.
            Sighing, I run my fingers under my eyes to find tears there. I need a pick me up. I wipe my cheeks, grab my keys, and head to my jeep. 
            Ten minutes of driving later, and I'm in town. My mind immediately goes to the sweets shop in the shopping center. If anything can make me feel better, it'll be chocolate. I pull my car into the parking lot and look up at the bright purple and pink sign that says Devilishly Sweet Bakery.
           Smiling, I climb out of my jeep and head inside.
            As soon as I walk in the shop, the smell of baked goods washes over me. Bread, sugar, vanilla, and chocolate smells pull me toward the counter and my eyes immediately move to the chocolate on the left side of the store. A middle-aged woman comes out from behind the counter, greeting me.
           "Hi, welcome to Devilishly Sweet Bakery. My name is Ashley. Is there anything I can get you?" The woman asks, showing off a thousand-watt smile. I return a smile and look at her.
           "Um, I'm craving something chocolate and raspberry. Do you have anything like that?" I ask.
            "Oh, yes, you're in luck! I just made a batch of chocolate raspberry cupcakes," Ashley tells me excitedly, gently taking my hand and leading me closer to the shelves of baked goods. She points to a cluster of chocolate cupcakes with the first layer of melted chocolate on top with pink icing as the second layer, then more melted chocolate on that with a single raspberry at the top.
            My mouth practically waters at the sight of them, and I look back up at the lady. "Those look so good," I compliment. Ashley beams at me and moves behind the counter.
           "How many would you like?"
            Looking at the cupcakes, I want to say "all of them," but I quickly shake that thought away and look up at Ashley. "I think two will be enough," I answer. She nods and pulls out a small cardboard box, opens the glass door to the cupcakes, and takes two out to put them in the box.
           Ashley closes the box and carefully slides it over to me. "That will be $6.39," she says, typing something on her iPad.
            I hand her the exact change. Ashley deposits the cash in the register and sets some napkins on top of the box. "Thanks for coming, and I hope to see you again," she tells me. I give her a smile and a wave before heading out.
            Sitting in my car, I take out a cupcake and take a bite. The taste explodes in my mouth, a mixture of chocolatey goodness and sour berry, and I moan in appreciation. Ashley will absolutely see me again, I think to myself, as I cram the rest of the cupcake in my mouth.
            Once I'm done, I drive away from Devilishly Sweet Bakery. I haven't done much today, but I feel drained. I wonder if it's a pregnancy thing, even though I'm only six weeks along. Can you get tired at six weeks?
As I drive, my phone rings. Without looking at the caller ID, I pick it up and answer, putting it up to my ear. "Hello?" I answer.
            "Babe, you finally answered," Daniel's voice comes through the phone. "Are you ready to come back to me?" He asks when I don't reply. I continue driving, keeping my eyes on the road.
            "I don't want to speak to you, Daniel. You need to leave me alone," I tell him and hang up the phone, not giving him a chance to reply. Setting my phone in the cup holder, I sigh. Didn't he get that I don't want to talk to him from the constant ignoring of his calls? Again, I sigh and scan the road.
            When I look ahead on the right side of the road, something catches my eye. The closer I get, the slower I go. "Oh, my gosh," I gasp and pull over. Scrambling out of my jeep, I run over to the man. "Hey! Hey, are you okay?" I shriek, falling to my knees. The man is lying on this stomach, shirtless and bleeding.
            With all my strength, I push the man onto his back. "Hey, sir, please wake up," I beg, trying to shake him awake, but he doesn't budge. What is this man made of? Stone? I continue to attempt to pull him, but nothing happens. I push my glasses up my nose and try to drag the man again.
            After a minute, I take a break because I don't want to hurt the baby. I pull again, and a groan erupts from the man. Immediately, I look down at him as he groans again.
          "Whatcha doin', Lass?" The man asks, his accent thickening his words. Relief fills me at his waking.
           "Oh, my gosh, you're alive!" I exclaim. "Thank God," I squeak, putting my hand over my heart.
            The man blinks twice and groans again. "Lass, no' so loud," he mumbles. My hand flies to my mouth, and I release another squeaking sound. I move my hands to talk and glance at my surroundings.
           "Um, I was just... uh, you're on the side of the road, so I was going to take you to the hospital," I stumble over my words, sputtering from my shot nerves. "Can you stand?" I ask, knowing that I won't be able to get him up on my own. The man lies on the ground for a second before nodding stiffly.
           "I can try." I step back, giving him room, and he struggles to turn over. A grimace graces his face as he tries to get up, but he slumps to the ground with a moan of pain.
            Since he's on the ground again, I hold out my hand and try to help him up. I think it should be okay as long as I don't pull his whole weight up. "Come on, you can lean on me," I tell him, looking down at him with worry.
Why is he like this?
Who did this to him?
Is he a criminal?
Did he get kidnapped and beaten?
What happened?
           I really want to ask, but I think it should wait.
            Slowly, I bend down and grab his arm, helping him stand. Once he's up, his enormous frame towers over mine by at least half a foot- maybe more. I settle his arm around my shoulder, and he leans on me. I can tell he's not putting all his weight on me, and for that, I'm thankful.
           "I'm taking you to the hospital where I work to get you looked at," I tell him as we stagger towards my jeep. The man groans, making me look up.
           "No hospital," he commands, his voice raspy and pained. What he's asking goes against everything I learned as a nurse, but instead of doing what I should, I nod.
            Stopping beside the car, I pull open the passenger door and lean the seat back. I turn the man towards the door and nudge him in the direction. "Climb in." He looks down at me, and I point, "Use the handle to pull yourself up." 
            I wait as he follows my instructions. He pulls himself up while I push on his back, hoping he doesn't fall backward and crush me. Once he's seated, I make sure he isn't in the doorway before closing it. Swiftly, I move around to the driver's side and get in.
            Before I pull away, I glance at the man and move a stray piece of my bangs out of my face. "Okay, since you said no hospital, I guess I will take you to my house," I say, making him look at me. I stare at him for a second, before looking away.
           "Okay, Lass," he says, his strong accent making my heart patter. If I was standing, I'm sure I would have fallen over.
             I watch as the man's eyes fall closed. I silently drive to my house, letting the man sleep. He looks beaten to hell, like someone took a truck and ran him over... multiple times. Even with the bruises, dirt, and blood, I can see he's beautiful.
            When he looked at me with those striking blue-green eyes, I felt like I'd melt. Who would do something like this?
            Not long after I start driving, I pull up to my house. I park as close to my front door as I can get and scramble to the passenger side door. Now, I just need to wake him. I shake his shoulder, hoping to wake him without hurting him, but he doesn't wake. I shake him a second and third time, but still, he doesn't wake.
            "Hello? Wake up. Please, please wake up," I call out, shaking him again. He groans and shifts in his seat but doesn't wake up. "Come on, mister, I need your help," I plead. As soon as I say that, the man's eyes snap open, and he looks around.
            A second later, his eyes fall on me, and he looks me over. "What happened? Are you okay?" He asks, his voice hoarse. I smile at his concern. He's the one that's injured; why is he concerned about me?
            Smiling at him, I hold my hand out. "I need your help because I can't carry you. I need to take you inside to check your injuries," I say. After staring at me for a second, he nods and pushes himself to his feet. The whole time he's moving, he's grimacing or cringing or groaning. He must be in a lot of pain because he's not moving very much, shuffling and dragging his feet. 
            Slowly, I lead the man up to my porch and inside. After closing the front door, I lead the man over to my living room and help him lean on the wall.
           "Stay here" I tell him.
           "I cannae go anywhere, Lass."
            I smile and rush down the hallway, grabbing towels from the bathroom. I make my way back and lay the towels all over the couch, so he doesn't get blood on it. "Okay, you can lay here, and I'll go get my first aid kit," I tell him.
            The man nods, and I help him onto the sofa. Once he's lying down, I hear him sigh in relief. Quickly, I walk to the bathroom to get the first aid kit. Since I'm a nurse, I have an advanced first aid kit; it has everything in it I might need.
            "Okay, I have the kit, so I will fix you up now," I announce, walking into the room. The man's eyes open and they find me. His eyes follow my every movement, watching as I walk over and kneel beside the couch.
            "I'm a nurse, so I promise I know what I'm doing. I think it would've been better to go to the hospital, but I understand that you didn't want to- and I know that you don't know me, but you don't have to worry about me doing anything to hurt you, because if I wanted to hurt people, I wouldn't have chosen to be a nurse, right? Ha. Well, I-"
            His hand comes up, covering my mouth and stopping my ramble. The man peers at me, his eyes crinkling with amusement. He removes his hand. Heat travels up my neck and into my cheeks as I blurt out, "Sorry, I tend to ramble when I get nervous." Nervous laughter bubbles out of me.
            Deciding to stay quiet, I grab a wash rag and pour water on it. I wipe at the cuts on his body. Out of habit, my lip finds its way between my teeth as I work.
            "I make you nervous, Lass?" I open my mouth a few times, not knowing what to say. I probably look like a fish, opening and closing my mouth so much. Stopping, I take a deep breath and answer.
            "Well, I did find you shirtless, bleeding, and beat up on the side of the road," I answer truthfully.
            Looking down at him, I see a determined expression on his face. "You dinna have to be nervous about me, Lass," he speaks up, taking my hand in his. I look down at our hands and then up at him again.
             "Why do you keep calling me that?" I question, feeling my forehead crease at the confusion. Pulling my hand away, I put the rag down. Next, I pull out a needle and stitching thread.
            While I work, I feel the man's eyes on me. "You mean Lass?" He asks, and I nod. He chuckles, then groans in pain. Once he settles, he speaks again, "I dinna know your name." I nod, and then my eyes widen.
           "Oh, my gosh! I totally forgot," I shriek. He cringes. "My name is Harley Reed. I should've introduced myself earlier," I tell him, babbling.
            The man nods and holds out his hand. "I'm Axel," he introduces. I smile and put my hand in his, letting his large one engulf my much smaller one. I bite my lip and look at him for a second before speaking up. "I like your accent. Is that Irish?" I ask, thinking. "No, Scottish?"
            Axel laughs and nods. "Aye. Scottish," he answers. My eyes widen, and so does my smile. I've never met a Scottish person before.
Does that sound lame?
          Get back on track, Harley.
          "Cool. You need some stitches in this larger gash, along with the one on your arm, but the others I can just patch up," I inform him, looking over the wounds I cleaned.
Axel nods, and I glance at the wounds again"Do you want some Aspirin or Advil or . something for the pain?" I ask, concern filling me. I'm about to stitch him up, and I don't want to cause him more pain. He shakes his head, and I know he wants me to go ahead.
Jumping up, I run to the kitchen and gather ice into a rag, then rush back into the living room and kneel beside Axel. "This is going to be cold," I warn him. I gently place the pack on his face.
           Once I know he's got it, I move down to the cuts on his torso and body. As I stitch Axel up, I notice him wincing and gritting his teeth. His hands curl into fists, and he growls out in pain.
           "I'm sorry," I whisper, continuing to stitch him up. I wish he'd taken the pain medicine. For some reason, seeing him in this much pain differs from seeing my other patients in pain. I feel it more.
           When I glance at him, he's already staring at me. Heat climbs up and settles on my cheeks, so I look away. Why am I acting like a schoolgirl?
            "Sapphire," his voice catches my attention.
             Looking up, I give him a questioning look. "What?" He motions with his hand for me to keep going, so I do, but I listen as he speaks.
            "Your eyes. They look like Sapphires," he tells me. I glance at him again. I've never been good at taking compliments, especially from gorgeous men. Biting my lip, I continue looking down at his cuts.
           "Um, thank you." 
            I'm not used to people giving me such compliments. Daniel never really complimented me, and I guess, now, I know why. I see myself as a pretty woman, but I've never seen myself as gorgeous. I've heard, and ignored, Daniel's comments about other women being more beautiful than words, but I never heard him say things like that about me. 
            After some silence, I finish stitching the cuts, applying the medicine, and bandaging his injuries. Axel's face seems less swollen, due to the ice, so I move on to his face. I pay extra attention to the cut on his forehead and bandage it. Lastly, I give him some medicine for the pain. He doesn't want it, but I make him take it.
            Leaning back and sitting on my feet, I give him a smile. "There, good as new... well, maybe not new, but you look better," I say. He nods but doesn't smile back. After a second, his eyes widen, and he pushes himself into a sitting position.
            "Can I use your phone?" He asks, and I nod.
           Reaching into my pocket, I pull it out. I unlock it and pull up the phone app so he can type in a phone number. I watch while he quickly types a number in, then as he raises the phone to his ear and curses after a second, ends the call, and hands the phone back to me.
            I take the phone from him and look down at it. I guess the person didn't answer. "You can try again later," the words come out of my mouth before I can stop them. Axel looks up at me with an intense stare, making me blush again.
           A deep guttural sound comes from Axel, and I feel a gentle push under my chin, making me look up. My eyes connect with Axel's, "Dinna look away from me, Sapphire."
            Nervously, I swallow as my eyes widen before I speak quickly, "Um, okay, but it's getting late, so I should probably sleep. I mean, I have nothing to do tomorrow, but I'm still tired, you know? I do need to take a shower so that will take even more time, and I still have to figure out where you'll sleep because this couch is too small for you. I mean, you're huge! No, I uh- you're not huge like fat, I meant that you're huge like muscle and-"
            Like before, a hand covers my mouth, silencing me. His hand is gentle, as not to hurt me, but it does the trick in shutting me up. Axel looks down at me and speaks, "Dinna worry. I can sleep on the couch. I'll see you in the mornin'." He removes his hand from my mouth and speaks again, "Thank you for everythin' you've done for me. It wasnae safe for you to pick up a man you dinna know but thank you."
            "You're welcome," I smile.
What he said was true. This probably wasn't the safest thing to do, but I'm glad I did it. Turning around, I walk over to the hall closet and pull it open, grabbing a pillow and covers. I use my foot to close the door before walking back to Axel. 
            "Can you stand? I need to remove the bloody towels and put the sheets down," I tell him, nodding to the couch. Axel stands from the couch with some help from me.
            Axel leans against the wall while I put the covers down. I finish up and turn around, bumping into a chest. I stumble back, but hands grab my arms, keeping me from falling. How he can hold my weight while he's like he is, is crazy.
           So he doesn't hurt himself, I move out of his grip and look away from him. "Um, it should be fine to take a shower if you want to, but only if you keep the gauze and bandages over your cuts while you wash," I tell him.
            I glance at the hallway and then look back up at Axel. "You can use the bathroom down the hall. There should be some male shampoo in there from my ex," I tell him. A pang of hurt hits me when I think of Daniel. How could he be so cruel?
           "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Axel asks, pulling me from my thoughts. I jerk my head up and shake it quickly.
           "No, no, he- he just... no," I stutter, not telling him the actual reason my heart is broken. My baby will grow up without a father because his or her father is a cheating bastard. I plead with my eyes for him to not ask me any more questions.
            Axel seems to understand my silent plea and gives me a slight smile. 
            "Goodnight, Axel," I murmured, walking out of the room. I make my way up the stairs and go to my room. Once I'm in my room, I close the door and lean my back against it. I take a breath and place my hand on my stomach. "We'll be okay, baby," I whisper, looking down at my belly.