Read Online Obsession (Endurance) by Shayne McClendon - Free Book Online

method by which I’d become
pregnant. 
    Though
Hyde didn’t know how I felt, I found it difficult to face the man – men – I was
in love with carrying the resulting child of my gang-rape.  Strangely, I
felt as if I’d done something wrong, betrayed them somehow.  Stupid
and irrational but I couldn’t seem to help it.
    Standing
in our garden, Mom approached me slowly and said, “It’s going to happen all the
time now, Ellie.”  As if on cue, it did and I fidgeted a little.
    Mrs.
Safoya was grinning from ear to ear.  “Sign of a strong babe, Ellie. 
All your strength in that child.  Nothing to be afraid of, honey.”
    My
mother and father came to stand on either side of me and put their hands gently
on my stomach which made me flinch accidentally.  “No one here will ever
hurt you, Ellie.  No one.”  Dad kissed my hair.  A moment later,
“There it was.  Did you feel that, Monica?” 
    He
sounded so excited, so happy.  My mother nodded, her beaming smile went a
long way to lifting some of the weight from my heart.
    “Say
something, Ellie,” Padme whispered.
    “I…I
don’t know anything .”  Then to my utter humiliation, I
hyperventilated and passed out.
     
     
    I
woke up being carried down the hallway to my apartment.  Hyde’s face was
above me and my body was shaking.  He looked down at me.  “I won’t
hurt you, Ellie.”
    “I
know, Hyde.”
    “Jonas. 
I’m Jonas, Ellie.”  I didn’t know what to say so I stayed silent. 
Hyde…Jordan, opened the door and Jonas carried me inside.  Bianca jumped
up from the sofa and opened my bedroom door.  I was laid on my bed gently
and Bianca started to fuss. 
    Ten
minutes later, Hyde standing on either side of my door inside the room, Theresa
followed my parents in pushing a portable ultrasound machine.  “I hear
you’re feeling the little one moving around.  Let’s see if we can
determine if there’s a boy or girl in your little incubator.” 
    I
focused on my stomach, afraid to meet the eyes of anyone in the room. 
Theresa lifted my shirt to just under my breasts and smeared goo on my slightly
rounded abdomen.  A wide wand was run over me and after thirty seconds
Theresa smiled, leaning over to raise the volume of the machine.  A clear
heartbeat sounded in the room.  I jumped so hard I thought I’d knock
Theresa off the bed. 
    “Everything
is normal.  So far so good, Ellie; excellent size, normal growth. 
Look at that, you’re turning for me.  What a good baby.  It’s
a girl, definitely a girl, Ellie.”
    “It’s
a little girl?”  I whispered and Theresa nodded with a smile.  “A
little girl.  I…I like that…better, I think.”  My parents
understood.  The chance a little boy would grow up to look like his birth
father was a little too much to think about. 
    Theresa
took several measurements and said, “Ellie, I’d like to do an amniocentesis to
make sure there are no other issues but I think you’re tracking for a normal
pregnancy and delivery.” 
    I
told her to go ahead and she had Adam hold the ultrasound wand while she
inserted a long needle into my belly and withdrew a vial of the murky water surrounding
the baby in my uterus.  “This will help us determine if there are any
abnormalities, Ellie but I don’t foresee anything.”
    When
it was done, Adam rushed to wipe my stomach which made me fist my hands on my
bed.  “Adam, please let Theresa do that.” 
    “Oh,
I don’t mind, almost done.”
    “Adam!” 
I was shocked at the harsh screech my voice instantly became.  “Please do
not touch me.”  Seeing his stricken expression, I tried to soften it, “I
don’t like to be touched.  Please understand.”
    As
if a light went on, he gave a soft, “Oh…yes.  I’m sorry.” 
    Theresa
took over cleaning me up and gave me a hug.  Within a few minutes, she and
Adam were gone and my parents sat side by side on the bed.  Mom picked up
my hand, “Are you alright,