EMMA

"Hey, Parker," I bite my lip, trying to tell myself I'm overthinking things. "Have you heard from Beau today?"

I'm not sure I sounded as nonchalant as I'd hoped. Damn.

I recover my personal pint of mint ice cream, popping it back in the freezer and looking for another snack.

This weekend has been hell. Every bump in the night startles me into a heart cramp, every shadow a horrifying threat. I hate that someone out there can make me feel like this, afraid in a place that's always been full of love.

The police did drive by, but that did little to calm my nerves.

I want Beau home. I want him to at least check in.

"Nope." Parker tips his head back in the couch, looking at me upside down. I can still see his brow raised at me, too quiet to ask outright but too intrusive not to show me he knows something's up.

I exhale deeply. I like him a lot, I do. But having two Beau's around is a lot sometimes.

Coming to my side in the kitchen, Parker's voice is kind. "Is something wrong?"

"No." I lift my head from my hands, trying to convince myself that the weird feeling in my gut is nothing to worry about. "I just haven't heard from him. He was supposed to see Max today, I was wondering how it went."

"Oh." Is all Parker says for a moment. Then, "And you're worried about Zoey, too, right?"

I hold back an eye roll.

Yeah, having two men with no social filter always picking up on my moods can definitely be a lot.

"Yes." I admit, opening the fridge for something to eat. Or drink. Preferably both, my cravings are coming on strong today. "But not because I think anything will happen between them."

Parker says nothing, settling into the stool across from me.

"I just can't shake this feeling about Zoey. Does she seem... I don't know, strange, to you? I just feel like she's not being honest. I'm worried about how that will affect Beau, that's all."

I'm rambling. But I'm nervous. I glance at my phone again, resisting the urge to dial Beau's number. Again.

"I don't like her, if that's what you mean." Parker shrugs. "Seems sort of sneaky to me. But who am I to judge?"

"Huh." I click my tongue, pouring myself a large glass of pineapple juice.

Enjoying the sweet taste, I close my eyes, reminding myself to relax. My hands find my belly and I feel more at ease. Until...

What the... Is that... My eyes flash open, blush spreading across my cheeks. Oh my God, did I pee myself?

One hand flies to my mouth, the other barely touching my crotch. My leggings are damp, a slow trickle leaking down my leg and making a small puddle at the floor.

Zeus is at my feet immediately, whining loudly as he sniffs the fluid.

"Um... Emma?" Parker gulps. His eyes slowly raise from the puddle to my face. "What does that mean?"

I gulp, the realization hitting me like a truck.

Oh, my God.

"My water just broke." My voice is barely audible.

Parker, on the other hand, jumps to his feet like a madman, his voice getting louder the faster he paces.

"Your water what?" He grabs his cellphone, hurriedly dialing a number. "That means your having the baby, like now?"

He glances at me, eyes wide. Zeus paces beside him, his whines getting more frequent the more nervous Parker gets.

Wordless, unable to form a sentence if I tried, I just nod.

"Fuck, oh, sorry, baby." He says softly, looking at my stomach. "Shit!" Parker runs a hand over his head. "Beau isn't answering. What do I do?"

This can't be happening. Not now. Not without Beau.

Somehow the voice that comes out of me is calm, rational.

"Well. It could still be awhile before I go into labor. We don't have to rush out just yet, we'll wait for-"

A ripple of pain bursts through me, cramping my lower abdomen. I lean forward, eyes clenched closed.

"Contractions." I finally gasp, letting go of my iron grip on the counter.

Nope. Not now, baby. You're early. You have to wait.

"Emma, come on. Who do I call?" Parker's brow creases with worry.

Taking a steadying breath, finally released from the grip of my contraction, I'm somehow thinking clearly.

"Beau, again." I rub deliberate circles against my belly. Like I'm admitting defeat, I add quietly, "Then Nadine and Gemma."

Two painstakingly slow hours pass by. Zeus doesn't leave my side, his body always touching me somehow. My contractions are getting closer together, more intense, but I can't let go just yet. I've done everything I can do to procrastinate, and now I've resorted to immaturely not answering Parker at all.

Daddy's not here yet, baby. I need him to do this. I can't...

I take my phone from my ear when I reach Beau's voicemail again, now full with messages from Parker and me.

Why isn't he answering?

Another round of pain spreads through my back, more intense than the last.

"Can I please call Nadine and Gemma now?" Parker begs, grabbing the hospital bag I took an exaggerated amount of time to pack.

Glaring at my phone, the screen full of outgoing calls to Beau, I clench my teeth together, the pain now too much to speak.

"Fuck it." Parker murmurs, grabbing the car keys and calling the girls at the same time.

He heads outside to pack the car and I lean forward, clutching my belly.

Please, hang on, baby. Please.

***

Pain. Horrible, cramping pain overtakes me, forcing a guttural cry from my lips. Squeezing hard on the rails of my hospital bed, so hard that my knuckles turn white from the pressure, I scan the room quickly, panting hard and unable to focus my eyes on any one face. There's so many people in the room, more than I thought there'd be, but for some reason, I don't care. I'm not sure that it's possible for me to care about anything right now.

My chest rises and falls quickly as the pressure builds and builds in my lower belly, the stabbing pains in my back becoming relentless. Soon, a hand slips into my own, urging me to squeeze when I need to.

Holy cow, I need to. Another scream tears through me, as the force intensifies in my lower abdomen, the ache deep in my back spreading up my spine. I squeeze so hard that I almost worry I'll break the persons' fingers off. Almost.

"Just breathe, Emma, you're doing great. Breathe through it." I hear the calming voice somewhere far away but can't say who it's coming from. Maybe the nurse who rushed me in.

I want to ask her if she'd like to try breathing through it, but instead I grit my teeth, my body tensed as I groan with my effort.

I try to do as I'm instructed, taking a long, shaky inhale before a new wave of angry pain rolls over me, pushing the air out of my lungs before I've even finished taking a breath. The waves crash into me, again and again, becoming more intense until they finally fade and I can relax once more. Eventually able to let out a slow exhale, I lessen my grip on whoever's fingers that I'm crushing, too tired to open my previously tightly shut eyes.

"Emma, can we do anything for you?" This voice, I recognize. Nadine is beside me then, and I feel a sudden rush of guilt for hurting her hand. If she's bothered, she doesn't let on, a concerned look over her eyes as she pats a damp wash cloth to my forehead, pushing strands of hair, slick with sweat, from my face.

On the other side, Gemma rubs my back in slow circles, murmuring soft "Sh, sh," sounds every time the pain begins to build, which is becoming more and more frequent as more time passes.

Can they do anything for me?

Panic. That's what I feel whenever the pain ebbs enough for me to pay a fraction of attention to anything else. I have Nadine here and Gemma, but in this moment, I feel alone. Is this feeling all that lies ahead of me?

As I ponder the question, a new wave of pressure rolls over me, screwing my eyes tightly shut and my jaw nearly locked closed. Instantly, Gemma's circles become more deliberate on my back, Nadine's hand firmer between my fingers. I try to steady my breathing, heat creeping up to my neck until I'm profusely sweating, my hospital gown sticking to my skin.

Breathe, Emma, breathe, I remind myself, forcing my lips apart and exhaling forcefully.

As this round of pain ebbs and fades to a dull throb moments later, my breath finally returning to normal along with it, I meet Nadine's eyes. As firmly as I can, I speak quickly before another wave of pain takes the ability away from me.

"Find Beau Lewis."

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