“But I loved you,” Paul whispers.
I almost feel bad for the guy.Almost.
Bri steps away from me, stopping beside Leo and in front of her ex. “You loved a girl who disappeared a long time ago—a version of me experiencing adult life for the first time. Somewhere along the line, I grew up; changed without either of us noticing that who I am now doesn’t belong with you.” She pauses sucking in a deep breath rubbing at the top of her baby bump before saying, “If I had stayed with you and gone through with the wedding—we would have crashed and burned sooner or later.”
She turns to me and smiles. “There is no doubt in my mind that I am where—and with whom—I’m meant to be.”
I grin and hold out my hand.
She takes a step toward me but pauses. Grimacing, she clutches her stomach and bends forward. When she looks up at me, there’s nothing but pure terror in her eyes.
I can’t move fast enough or do anything except watch as her knees buckle and she falls.
NOAH
Everyone springs into action, except for Bri’s ex-fiancé.
Leo reacts quickly, twisting to catch Bri. He wraps an arm around her waist to prevent her from falling and guides her gently into a chair.
I hurry over to her, with Tucker trailing closely behind. Hesitantly, I place a hand on her thigh in an attempt to reassure her. Her face is ghostly pale, eyes squeezed shut as she clutches her stomach in pain.
“What’s wrong, Bri?” I ask.
She only shakes her head, sucking in a pained breath.
“I’m going to call an ambulance,” Quinn suggests from behind me.
Bri’s eyes snap open, and she shakes her head twice, refuting the need for an ambulance. Panic tightens its grip on me. I glance at Tucker and explain, “I walked here from the farm.”
Tucker nods and pulls out his keys. “I’ll go pull my car so you can use it.”
“No, it’s fine,” she says, tears welling up in her eyes.
Tentatively, I reach up and lightly place my hand atop hers. “Are you sure? Because fallin’ into his arms—” I nod towardsLeo who now stands beside her with a glass of water “—suggests otherwise, Sugar.”
“Thanks for catching me,” Bri says, her voice breathless. She casts a strained smile and intertwines her fingers with mine. “This is the guy I was telling you about. Noah.”
Even as worry consumes me, I can’t help but momentarily beam like an idiot upon realizing she’s referring to me. However, my happiness is short-lived.
She continues blinking and shaking her head lightly.
“Are you feeling lightheaded?” I ask gently while signaling Tucker to fetch his car.
“A little,” Bri concedes quietly. “But I had breakfast and lunch, and plenty of water too. It’s this damn headache that’s throwing me off.”
My brows knit together in concern. “Is this the same headache you had last night?”
Her cheeks regain some color as she blushes, sheepishly confirming my query. I sigh and smooth my hand over her stomach, holding her gaze.
“Please, let me take you to the hospital for a check-up. I’m terrified here and need to know that you and our baby are okay.”
“Alright, we should go,” she agrees, rubbing her right side with a grimace. “I’m starting to question whether this pain is just heartburn or not.”
I clench my teeth but before I can respond, Tucker appears beside us.
“The car’s right outside,” he informs us.
I rise to my feet, but Bri places a hand on my forearm to stop me.