Page 94 of Time to Bounce

I got in his truck and drove to the hospital.

Gen X: raised on hose water and neglect.

—Coffee Cup

ATHENA

I didn’t know where to go, so I ended up at the maternity ward instead of waiting in the hospital ER for Gable.

With him so mad at me, I didn’t want to face him right now.

I was dumb, and I knew it.

When I arrived, it was to an almost empty room.

Maven and Auden were there, as well as Garnett.

I waved at them all, but I was still on the verge of tears, so I didn’t say anything.

“Can you give us a minute?” Maven said almost immediately.

Auden studied my face for a long moment, then dropped a kiss onto Maven’s cheek before saying, “Mamasauce and I will join the rest of them for a quick bite to eat in the cafeteria. You probably have about thirty minutes before this room is full again.”

Maven was already shaking their head. “It’s your job to keep them out of here, Auden Carter. I love your family and mine, but I don’t want any of them looking at my vagina.”

I couldn’t scrounge up a smile even for that.

Auden hugged me on the way past, and that overwhelming urge to cry doubled.

He let me go with a kiss on my head, and I walked to Maven’s bed. “No baby yet?”

She shook her head. “No. My water broke, and I’m at five centimeters, but the baby’s still really high, and I’m not effaced all that much.”

I nodded, swallowing past my tears.

“What happened?” she asked quietly.

I drew in a shaky breath, then took the seat next to her, burying my face in my hands.

I explained everything, ending with, “I’m fairly sure he was stabbed.”

Maven caught my hand and squeezed. “Go down there and check on him.”

“I don’t know if he’s here yet,” I mumbled.

“I doubt they’d let him stand there dripping blood for long. Go check,” she said. “Then come back up here when you know that he’s okay.”

I stood up, my belly full of nerves, and said, “I’ll text Auden to come back.”

She was already shaking her head. “I’m texting them all to go…”

My phone buzzed, and I checked it.

Gable:

In the ER. Got stabbed. Probably gonna need some stitches.

A sound broke free from my throat. “He’s there.”

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