Page 92 of Where We Promise

She ushered the men out of the room but allowed me to have one friend. I chose Natty, who promised to text updates to Laura and Callie.

“Here.” Natty helped me into the god-awful gown; it was gray with blue stripes.

“It’s completely open in the front.” I gawked, peering down at my breasts and stomach.

A nurse walked in, carrying a tray with needles, and something else I had no clue about. Was I ready for this? I didn’t feel ready. I had—shit, my diaper bag was at home. Did Jamie know to get it on his way over?

“Yep, not much privacy from here on out.”

Right, the nurse.

“Natty, text Jameson and tell him he needs to get my bag and the baby’s.”

Natty squeezed my hand, then rushed off to find her phone in her purse. The nurse came back over. “You can tie these strings over your breast to keep them somewhat covered.”

I fumbled with the strings, awkwardly arched as pain continued to rip through my middle.

“Just get into bed, Pen. I’ll do all this for you.” Natty came back, urging me toward the bed. I did as she said, awkwardly crawling in. I had watched videos of women who had used midwives to have their babies, while soaking in bathtubs. I imagined braving something as beautiful and natural as that, but my fear of the unknown had me opting for traditional care.

“We’re going to get you hooked up to an IV, and all situated so you start to feel comfortable, okay?”

I nodded at the nurse and continued to breathe.

Right as she left the room, I could hear someone yelling from the hall.

I craned my neck trying to see, but Natty moved first.

“We’re being guarded, don’t worry.”

I wasn’t, but I still absently touched the band on my ring finger.

“What if…” I started when the door burst open.

“That’s my fucking baby!” Luke suddenly appeared, pointing at me with a shout. His neck was straining, veins on the brink of popping.

I took in his disheveled look, his closely cropped chestnut hair and hazel eyes. The way his handsome face still tugged at the abandonment and rejection he’d left me feeling. The life we’d nearly built together. I didn’t even have time to process that Luke had somehow found me, because someone came in right after him.

Jameson barreled through the door a second later after Luke’s gaze fell on me, but it didn’t go to my stomach.

It went to the finger I was touching and the ring resting there. I wanted to say something, explain myself and tell him why I’d done it. How there was no other option for me. It wasn’t real, but I didn’t owe him that. My mouth clamped shut, even as I registered his reaction.

Pain and hurt flashed in his eyes as Jameson pushed past him. “Yeah, well that’s my fucking wife.”

Jameson’s eyes burned in a way that I had never witnessed. His jaw was clenched tight, his hands loose as if he were ready to hit Luke. He moved so he was between Luke and where I was in the bed.

“How did you get in here?” He better not have hurt Harris. I would kill him while pushing this baby out if I had to, if he hurt Harris.

Luke smirked. “Chaos Kings, Penny, remember. Create a little chaos, distract, and sneak in. You remember that playbook.”

My stomach turned, thinking back to all those times in high school. At least that meant Harris was okay.

“Okay, there are too many people in here, and we’re about to have a baby,” Dr. Beckett said loudly as she walked in between Luke and Jameson. Natty watched, sticking close to me, gripping my hand.

“I’m not leaving,” Luke said, his bloodshot eyes still flicked to me as if they were trying to silently talk to me. “She wanted to meet me, she asked—she wanted me here.”

“No, Luke, I didn’t.” What the hell was he talking about?

He pulled out his phone. “You said you wanted to meet. I was on my way to see you when one of the fuckers who defected with Jameson texted me that my son was about to be born. Or was that just another fucking lie, like you not being married to him?”

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