The Rose He Killed novel Chapter 184

Chapter 167: Complications-1

Bella POV

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Dr. Okafor delivered the news with a calm, steady hand-not cold, just direct. I appreciated that, even as the weight of the words started to sink in.

“The placenta is sitting low,” she said, turning the scan image toward me. “Not critically, not yet, but combined with your blood pressure readings and the spotting last week, I want to classify this as high risk and manage it accordingly.”

I looked at the image. Then at her. “What does that mean practically?”

“It means reduced activity significantly. I’d like you working from home, minimal stress, no long travel. If the placenta doesn’t move as the pregnancy progresses” She paused, choosing her words. “We’ll cross that when we get there. Right now we manage carefully and we monitor closely.”

Caleb sat frozen beside me, hiding his reaction while I kept my focus on Dr. Okafor. “Could I lose the baby?” I asked.

She didn’t flinch at the directness. “There are risks. That’s why we’re having this conversation now rather than later. Our job is to make sure we catch anything early.” She looked at me steadily. “You’re healthy, you’re strong, and we caught this at the right time. I want you to hold onto that.”

I nodded and held it together until we reached the car.

Caleb drove home in silence. I relied on this habit of his-a skill from therapy where he processed his thoughts alone before sharing them. After pulling into the garage, he turned off the engine and sat silently, hands still gripped to the wheel.

“Say it,” I said.

“I’m scared,”

“Me too.”

We sat with that for a moment, the engine ticking as it cooled.

“I keep thinking about what she said,” Caleb said quietly, still staring through the windscreen. “That we caught it at the right time.”

“That’s supposed to be the reassuring part.”

“I know.” He exhaled slowly. “I’m just sitting here thinking about all the versions of this where we didn’t catch it, where we didn’t know.”

“Don’t do that,” I said. “Don’t live in the versions that didn’t happen.”

“I know,” he said again, and the word came out rougher the second time. “I know, I just-” He stopped, jaw tight. “I sat in that room and listened to her talk about risk and monitoring and my brain just kept going” He pressed his lips together. “I don’t have the right to fall apart right now. You’re the one carrying her.”

“You’re allowed to be scared, Caleb.”

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Chapter 167 Complications 1

“I’m supposed to be the steady one.”

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“Who told you that?” I turned to look at him properly. “Who said you had to be steady every single minute?”

He looked at me then, and his expression was so unguarded it almost hurt to see.

“I don’t want to make this harder for you,” he said.

“Pretending you’re fine when you’re not is what makes it harder for me,” I said. “I know when you’re performing calmly. I’ve always known.”

He was quiet for a long moment. “She’s going to be okay,” he said, and I couldn’t tell if he was telling me or asking me or just saying it into the air because he needed to hear it out loud.

“She’s going to be okay,” I said back, like a promise we were making to each other.

He turned to look at me. “Tell me what you need.”

“I need to not be treated like I’m made of glass,” I said. “I need to still feel like myself. I know what the doctor said and I will follow it, but I need you to not ” I stopped. “I need you to not look at me the way you’re looking at me right now for the next few months.”

He looked at me for a long moment, then nodded. “I’ll work on it.”

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