Not knowing how long I’ll be waiting, I take my phone out and hit Gabi’s contact. I’ve texted her on my way here, but I still haven’t talked to her. It only rings once before I see her face, and I breathe a little easier.
Emphasis on little.
“Gabrielle…”
Gabi tries to give me a smile, but I can tell she’s grimacing through the pain. “Hi Maddox.”
I see her try and get comfortable in the hospital bed, and someone—I’m assuming Shelby—helps situate the phone so Gabi doesn’t have to hold it.
“How are you feeling?”
“Fantastic,” she says, though her sarcasm isn’t landing.
“Not the time gorgeous.”
Her shoulders slump a bit. “I’m better now. They gave me the epidural. Last night was… rough.”
“Last night?” I bark out, but then immediately feel bad because I don’t want her to think I’m mad at her. Even though I am. A little. “Why didn’t you call me?”
“In my defense, I tried to make her,” Shelby says as she steps in front of the camera. “I want that on record.”
Gabi swats her away. “You’re no help Shelby Lynn. Didn’t you say you were hungry? How about you go find that food.”
“Fine,” she says before stepping in front of the camera again. “Whatever she’s about to tell you, I was Team Maddox in everything.”
“That’s why you’re my favorite.”
“Damn right. Just don’t tell Hannah.” I watch on as Shelby kisses her forehead before I presume she exits the room.
“Now tell me everything. Even if I’m not going to like it.”
And I don’t. Not one word that comes out of her mouth. I hate how much pain she was in. I hate that I wasn’t there for her. I hate that she let her stubborn self take over and waited as long as she did. I hate that I’m not there now.
Seriously, where the fuck is the plane?
“I’m sorry,” she says as a tear falls down her cheek. “I really didn’t think I was in labor. My contractions were?—”
“You don’t need to apologize,” I say. “I hate that I left you.”
“And I don’t want you to do that. That’s why I didn’t call until I had to. We didn’t know. I promise it didn’t start until well after you left. They didn’t even start until after I went to sleep. There was no way we knew this was going to happen this quickly.”
I nod and bring down my phone, letting my elbows rest on my legs. “What has the doctor said?”
“That I still have a while,” she says. “She’s keeping me here because I progressed so fast. She wants my water to naturally break, but if the pain continues, and hopefully once you’re back, they’ll break it for me if it’s what’s best for me and Tiny Tot.”
I feel the tear in the corner of my eye. “I’m hurrying back. I promise.”
“I know,” she says. “I love you.”
“I love you. So much.” I look up to see a plane coming down onto the air strip. “I think my ride just got here.”
“Okay. Get back safe.”
“Wild horses, Gabrielle. Wild horses.”
6:30 p.m. CT /4:30 p.m. PT
“Mr. Gallagher? I’m sorry, but we have a problem.”
