Crying out, a pain racks through me like never before and I block out Darius and his annoyingly handsome face.
I forget how to breathe through the pain and pray for it to end. Where the hell is the doctor?
“You’re good,” he soothes, his hand warm as he rubs my arm. “You’ve got this.”
Yanking my arm back, I snap, “Don’t touch me.”
His sigh sounds more like a growl, but I keep my wits about me and finally breathe through the last of the contraction.
Once it’s gone, I push my hair out of my face and notice the backpack he brought in with him.
“What’s in there?” I ask.
Shrugging, he looks like a boy who has been caught out.
“What it is?”
“I picked you up some bottles of water, some things you might need.”
“You did?”
“Of course. You’re about to have my kid. I know you’re going to be in pain and there’s nothing I can do to take it away, but I wanted you to know that I’m here in any way you need.”
A tear rolls down my cheek and I can only stare at him. Damn him for being so nice when he’s such an asshole.
“You’re the mother of my child, you’ll always be important to me. I’m here when you need anything. You can trust me to be there for you and our daughter.”
“Yeah, I see that.”
Another contraction takes over and this time I let him hold my hand and do the whole daddy-to-be thing. I admit, it’s nicer to know I’m not so alone.
I relax when the pain fades but then another is coming and this time it’s in my lower back, almost feeling like it’s in my ass.
“Something doesn’t feel right,” I choke out and Darius frowns.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know, this pain…” I sob and try to catch my breath. “It’s different to the others. I think she’s coming.”
“I’ll go find that fucking doctor.”
Clutching tighter onto his hand, I shake my head. “No, don’t leave me.”
He searches for something above my head and then hits a red button. Seconds later, the nurse rushes in.
“She says she thinks something is wrong.”
I explain to her how the pain is different and where it’s moved to, and she soothingly rubs my arm.
“Let me just check…”
She dons the plastic gloves again and I brace myself for her check.
“You’re about to be a mommy, she’s on her way out now.”
She becomes a blur of movement, slamming her hand on the button Darius had not long pushed, unwrapping instruments I pray won’t be used on me and updating the doctor when he comes in.
“Hello, Amelia. You ready to push?”
