Page 49 of Unbroken

“Okay, okay.” I stood and looked around the kitchen. For what, I had no idea. “We should stay calm and?—”

“I need to change and then go to the hospital. I’ll call Luke on the—” Her words cut off as she groaned, the sound starting deep in her chest.

I had no idea what the hell I was doing, but I was the only person there. So, I jumped into action, drawing on anything I could remember from books I’d read or movies I’d seen with women who’d gone into labor.

“Okay, is your bedroom down here? Can you change on your own?”

Her only response was a nod. She reached for me, and we hurried past the living room and down the hallway. She waddled into the bathroom with her hand braced on her back, taking quick, shallow breaths while I spotted two bags next to the bedroom door. There was a cute yellow stuffed animal sitting on top of one, so I guessed those were her hospital bags.

A minute later, she came out of the bathroom wearing a pair of sweatpants and with towels in her arms.

“I put on a diaper. How weird is that. Oh, you found the bags.”

“Yes, I’ll grab these. What are the towels for?”

I followed her out of the room and into the entryway, where Sadie was standing, wagging her tail like she was expecting to go with us.

“I don’t want to get uterus juice all over my caa-AAAR!” The word ended on a guttural groan, and I stopped in my tracks. She dropped the towels and doubled over, bracing her hands on her knees.

“I’ll drive you.” I scooped up the towels and told Hazel to stay put. I ran outside and tossed the bags in the back seat. I also arranged the towels on the passenger seat and scooted it back a few inches.

When I returned, Hazel had tears in her eyes. “Fuck, this hurts like a bitch.”

I rolled my lips, trying not to laugh, but another painful groan echoed through the air.

TWENTY-TWO

Devon

The interiorof the barcade was loud. But I couldn’t complain—we were contributing to the volume just as much as every other patron.

Josh had found the barcade and invited us all along while the girls got together for brunch at Hazel and Luke’s house.

Reed and Luke were going head-to-head in another game of air hockey, while James and Josh finished up their third round of a racing game. Josh must have beat James handily with the way he sulked back over to the table I’d commandeered for us.

“That game is way harder than it should be. And I think my pedal was defective. It was delayed or something.”

I chuckled at my sore loser of a friend and polished off my second beer. For once, I wasn’t the designated driver. Luke and Hazel were on constant baby watch, which meant he refused to drink in case he had to get to the hospital on a moment’s notice.

“Sure, blame it on the game,” I mocked, and he shoved my arm.

“Want another?” Josh asked, pointing to his own beer as he walked by.

I nodded. “I’m still good,” James said and set his glass on the table. “So, Ivy told me something earlier this week.”

Cautiously, I dragged my eyes from the table in front of me up to James’s face. I knew what he was going to say, but I wasn’t going to start the conversation.

“She said that you and Piper are dunzo.”

My only confirmation was my silence.

“What the hell happened? I thought y’all were good.”

I rolled my neck along my shoulders and spun the beer bottle for something to do with my hands. It was the last thing I wanted to talk about, but I knew James wouldn’t let it rest until he knew the details.

“Didn’t Piper tell Ivy?”

He shrugged. “Yes, but I only got a few details. I wanted to hear it from you, man.”

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