Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 139803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 699(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 699(@200wpm)___ 559(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
I brightened and quickened my pace towards the cafeteria. Alli laughed beside me, rushing to keep up. “What’s so great about her cookies?” she asked me.
I grinned. “Wait until you have a bite,” I told her. “No other cookies will ever compare.”
53
My eyes flew open at the unbearable pain tightening my belly. I felt it all the way around to my back. A small whimper left my lips. Both Axel and Julian jerked awake, sitting up at the same time.
I was thirty-seven weeks pregnant, but Holden wasn’t waiting a second longer.
He wanted out.
“I’m in labor,” I wheezed. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to breathe through the pain.
“Fuck,” Julian swore. Axel jumped out of bed and dragged on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. My belly finally relaxed, and I breathed a sigh of relief. “Guys, you know I have to time them,” I reminded the two men.
“We don’t even have your hospital bag together,” Julian muttered as he buttoned his jeans and sat on the end of the bed to pull on his socks.
“She packed it two weeks ago,” Axel informed him as he shoved his feet into his shoes.
I pushed myself out of bed. Both men were instantly at my side as I stood up. “I’m okay.” I drew in a deep breath. “I need to pee, and then I need to brush my teeth and put my hair up so when it’s time to go, we can go.”
Julian blew out a breath but nodded his head. I reached up and cupped his face in my hands. “Breathe,” I told him. “It’s okay. Yes, it’s about to be extremely fucking painful for me, but we can do this. Go get some breakfast. I can’t eat, but you guys need to. Axel can take care of me.”
Julian nodded. He pressed a kiss to my palm before he looked at the man behind me. “I’m going to McDonald’s,” Julian told him. “What do you want?”
“Two burritos,” Axel told him. “Extra picante sauce.”
Julian nodded. I whimpered when my belly contracted again. I grabbed the end of the bed and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to breathe through the contraction. Axel rubbed my back. “Julian, bro, go. The longer you wait, the longer it’s going to take you to get back,” Axel reminded him. “I’ve got her. She’s going to be fine.”
“I love you, baby girl.” Julian pressed a kiss to my shoulder.
I nodded, unable to talk as I waited for the contraction to pass. I heard him rush out of the room. “Breathe, sweet girl,” Axel coaxed. “You have to breathe.”
I sucked in a sharp breath. The contraction finally passed, and I stood back up straight. “Okay. Bathroom.”
Axel walked with me to the bathroom. I quickly did everything I needed to, trying to hurry before I got hit with another contraction. “Fuck,” I wheezed, gripping the bathroom counter, dropping my toothbrush in the sink.
“Easy, sweet girl.” Axel held my hips. “Breathe. Come on, breathe with me.”
“It hurts,” I cried out.
“I know, baby girl. You’re approximately seven minutes apart right now,” he told me. “Just breathe.”
Once it passed, Axel led me into the living room. He sat in the recliner and pulled me onto his lap. He turned me sideways, so my legs dangled over the side of the recliner, and he gently began to rock us. “Get some rest while you can. The next few hours are about to be really shitty.”
* * *
✶ ✶ ✶
* * *
Tears ran down my cheeks as I pushed, gripping Julian’s hand in mine. Axel held one of my legs back. Sweat was trickling down my skin. It was hot, I was in pain, and Holden was being stubborn as fuck.
Julian gently sponged the sweat off my face with a cool cloth as I sat back, my breath panting in and out of me. “You’re doing so good, sweet girl,” Axel praised me.
I looked up at him. “It doesn’t feel like it,” I whimpered. “It hurts so bad.”
“Alright, push,” the midwife ordered.
Julian put his hand under my back and held me up so I could bear down. Suddenly, all of the pressure was gone, and I stared in amazement as my midwife pulled my son out. Julian and Axel both stared at him in complete amazement.
Then, Julian burst into tears.
“Oh, Julian,” I whispered as Axel cut the umbilical cord and the nurses began to clean Holden up on my chest. “Julian, look.” I grabbed his hand.
His eyes reopened, locking on our little boy. Tears streamed down his face as he tightened his hand around mine. “He’s here,” he choked out. “Fuck, he looks so much like Oliver in your painting.”
“Go,” I told Julian when the nurses took him away to weigh him. “Go be with him,” I pushed, my own tears sliding down my cheeks.