Then the rest follows.
“But not like this,” I say slowly. “Not here. Not in this town, where he’s cut himself in half to fit my life.” My hands curl into fists. “He misses the club. I know he does. I can see it in his eyes sometimes. And I don’t want him to wake up one day and resent me for it. And if I’m honest, I miss it too.”
She nods, satisfied. “Then you already know what you need to ask him.”
My heart starts pounding.
“I do.”
I grab my coat, barely remembering to say goodbye properly as I rush towards the door.
“Eden,” she calls after me, and I turn. “Whatever happens,” she says softly, “you are not the same woman who arrived here months ago. Don’t forget that.”
I nod, my throat tight with emotion, and then I’m gone.
The air outside is sharp, and as I head in the direction of the farm, I can’t stop smiling.
Once I’m out the town, and the farm lane is stretched out in front of me, I pick up my pace. It’s quiet and empty along here, creepy in a way I’d never really noticed before. And then the rain starts, drizzling at first, then the farther I get, the heavier it becomes.
I walk fast, heart racing, mind spinning with everything I need to say to him. Everything I’m scared to hear back.
And I don’t notice it at first. It’s just a strange pressure down below, then a tightening low in my stomach.
I frown, pausing for a second and running my hand over my bump. It’s tight, and I smile. “What are you doing in there?” I ask out loud.
Then, like an answer, warmth gathers between my legs. It’s sudden and unmistakable, like I’ve wet myself.
I stare down at myself, then gather the material of my skirt into my hand so I can feel. Damp.Definitely damp.
No.
No, no, no.
My breath comes in short, panicked bursts as I look down at myself, the warmth spreading and reality crashing in all at once.
“Oh my god,” I whisper. My waters have broken, and I’m on . . . I look around, groaning, a farm lane with no one around.
I reach for my pocket, realising it’s empty. I pat the other.
My phone is gone. And then I picture where I left it, on the shelf behind the counter in the shop.Shit.
The lane stretches endlessly in both directions, my heart hammering as another wave of sensation rolls through me, stronger this time.
I press a hand to my stomach, fear and awe colliding.
“Okay,” I murmur shakily. “Okay.”
Of all the moments for life to change, this is it.
The thought barely has time to land before my body betrays me.
Pain rips through me, sharp and brutal, nothing like the dull ache that’s been nagging at my back since yesterday. This is different. This isn’t discomfort. This is my bodytaking over. My stomach tightens so hard, it steals the air from my lungs, and I double over with a strangled gasp, one hand flying instinctively to my bump.
“Oh . . . god,” I breathe.
The world narrows. The farm lane stretches out in front of me, too long, too empty, hedgerows blurring at the edges as anotherwave rolls through. It grips me from the inside, squeezing and dragging low, like something is pulling me apart and forcing me forward at the same time.
I straighten slowly, teeth clenched, sweat already breaking across my skin despite the cool air. My heart is hammering so fast, it feels like it’s trying to escape my chest.
