Page 155 of Iced Up Love: Part Two
Not peaceful.
Just… quieter.
Like everything is holding itself together instead of breaking.
The nurse comes in not long after, her voice soft as she explains they’re going to do a scan, and I feel the shift in the room immediately, the way the air changes, the way all three of them straighten just slightly, their focus snapping back into something sharper.
Zach’s hand finds mine again.
Not hesitant.
Not unsure.
Just there.
“I’ve got you,” he says quietly.
Elijah moves closer, standing at the side of the bed now, his presence heavy enough that I can feel it without him touching me.
Jackson doesn’t let go.
The gel is cold. I flinch before I can stop it.
“Sorry,” the technician murmurs.
The screen flickers on.
I stare at it, trying to understand what I’m looking at, but it doesn’t make sense at first, just shapes, movement, something that doesn’t feel real enough to matter.
Then a sound.
Fast.
Sharp.
Alive.
Everything in the room stops.
“What… is that?” I ask, my voice quieter now, like I’m afraid to break it.
“That’s the heartbeat.”
For a second, no one reacts.
Like none of us actually processes it.
Then Jackson lets out a breath that almost sounds like a laugh, except there’s nothing light about it, his grip on my hand tightening so suddenly it almost hurts.
“Jesus...” he breathes, dragging his free hand through his hair. “That’s... that’s ours?”
Zach leans in closer, his entire focus locking onto the screen like nothing else exists, like the rest of the world has just dropped away completely.
“That’s…” He exhales slowly, shaking his head once like he’s trying to ground himself. “That’s strong.”
Elijah still hasn’t moved.
Not properly.
