ALICE POV
As I lay there on the examination table, feeling the cold pressure of the needle as the nurse drew my blood, I tried to keep my breathing steady. It was strange, feeling this mixture of anticipation and dread. I didn’t know what I was hoping for, but my hands were gripping the thin paper sheet beneath me as if it might hold me together.
Dr. Monk was instructing the nurse to process the blood sample immediately, specifying that they’d be checking my beta hCG levels. At the mention of hCG, I noticed the nurse’s eyes widening, practically popping out of their sockets. Alex, who had been hovering near the doorway, cleared his throat meaningfully, and I could see his usual relaxed stance hardening as he shot the nurse a look that could have frozen fire. She scurried out of the room,
