Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87990 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87990 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
My lips formed a small O as I panted out rapid breaths. “What about your dad?”
“My mom’s calling him. And I texted Barrett and Seraphina.”
He did all of that, and I barely made it twenty feet from the door. “I hate that you’re not here.”
“I know, baby. I hate it, too. But I’ll be with you when you get to the hospital.”
“Here comes Xander. Hale, I need you.”
“You have me. I’m coming as fast as I can.”
The car door opened and Xander flung my bag behind the seat. “Okay, found the bag.” The car roared to life.
“I love you, Hale.”
“I love you, Rayne. I’ll see you soon.”
I ended the call and held my stomach as Xander flew out of the driveway. It would be amazing if I didn’t puke on this trip. Swallowing back the urge, I said, “Hale called everyone.”
“Great, where are we going?”
“Lower Keys Medical Center.”
He plugged the name into his GPS as we sped toward to the bridge. “That’s twenty-two minutes away.”
I sucked in a breath and fisted my hands as another contraction cinched tight. “Then drive faster!”
His wide, dark eyes bounced between the road, my face, and my stomach. We only made it one block before we stopped at a traffic light, trapped in midday traffic.
Sweat trickled down my cheek as I panted like Zuul in Ghostbusters.
“You doing okay?”
I bared my teeth because that somehow eased the pain ripping through my abdomen. “Just peachy.”
“Does it hurt?”
Was he dropped as a child? “Yes, it fucking hurts! Why else would I be breathing like I’m in an aerobics class?”
The light turned green and he raced ahead of traffic, mumbling, “It’s amazing you got pregnant at all.”
My scowl snapped from the road to him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re not very nice.”
He had balls! “I happen to be a lovely person. Hale thinks I’m a goddess!”
“I’m sure.”
I scoffed. “You just don’t know a unicorn when you see one.”
“It’s not a unicorn when there are two horns.”
I growled at him because it was hard to breathe and talk. “How about you just drive and don’t talk anymore.”
“Fine by me.”
The silence only lasted a few minutes. I moaned and cursed, “Fuuuuuuck.” The contractions were getting sharper and closer. We still had a ways to go to get to Hale.
“Shit. Should I pull over?”
“No! Just keep going!” I could not have my baby on the front seat of some asshole’s Lamborghini.
“This is probably because you ate that spicy burrito thing. What were you thinking?”
It was just like a man to put all the blame on a woman. “This is because Hale’s put a giant baby—owwwwwwwwdrivedrivedrive!”
He whipped around the corner and I scooted low. There was no comfortable position and his driving was making me motion sick. Pressure built at my hips as a web of fire burned from my back to my uterus.
“Should we call someone?”
“Ahhhhfuckfuckfuckaduck! Why the fuck does this have to be so painful?” When the contractions got so intense that my screams silenced, I knew something was truly wrong.
“Call Hale. Tell him we’re not going to make it.”
“The fuck we aren’t.” Xander pressed the gas pedal to the floor, but there was no driving through the midday traffic.
“Xander, call my husband right fucking now!” I shrieked.
He navigated the controls on his dashboard, and the car veered into oncoming traffic.
“Watch out!”
“Stop yelling at me!” He exited the GPS and fumbled with Bluetooth.
“Hello?”
“Hale. The baby. It’s coming.”
“Shit. Okay, Rayne, listen to me. I want you to use Xander’s phone and ping me your location. I’ll come to you.” The contractions were taking all of my focus and I didn’t see his actual phone.
“Rayne, baby, give the phone to Xander.”
“You’re on Bluetooth.”
“Hale!” Xander shrieked. “Man, your wife is about to give birth in my car! I did not sign up for this.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. This could not be happening. I did not manifest giving birth on the shoulder of the fucking road.
Xander quickly told Hale where we were. I moaned and turned, trying to find any position that made this more bearable. I needed to get out of this car!
When I realized he was talking to the good people taking calls at Emergency 9-11, I wondered how I missed my husband saying goodbye. That was when I knew this wasn’t about Hale anymore. This was about survival—mine and the baby’s.
“I don’t want to die.”
“You’re not going to die! Everyone is going to be fine! I have a woman in labor!” he shouted. Any attempt at maintaining his cool façade was now long gone.
“Tell them to bring drugs!”
He sped into the parking lot of a strip mall as the operator recorded his responses. “Sir, are there any immediate complications or signs of distress?”
“She’s breathing really hard and she doesn’t look good.”
“Fuck you,” I hissed between breaths.
The operator realized I was right there. “Ma’am, have you had any prior complications?”