Page 23 of True for You

“Thank you. Sorry to cut the afterglow short.”

“I don’t mind at all. But before you go I need you to know one thing.”

“What?”

I smile. “I love you.”

Chapter Twelve

Christopher

“How?”

“How what?”

“How the fuck is it already time? How is it baby time? Baby time. Time for the baby. To come. Fuck, it’s baby time and I’m not ready, Parker.”

Parker takes my hand in his own as we slowly walk down the hallway of the hospital, his other hand rubbing circles against my lower back. It’s nice but not quite enough to soothe the bone deep ache radiating throughout my body. We haven’t even gotten to the main event and I’m already exhausted. Once this baby isoutI am spending at least 24 hours completely unconscious.

“You’ve got this, love. Before you know it you’ll be all done and back at home. I completely believe in you. You’re a strong omega who don’t need no alpha.”

“Alright,” I groan out, a smile playing at my lips that only Parker could put there in this situation. Despite the exhaustion and the pain and the anxieties threatening to overwhelm me, Parker keeps me grounded, reminding me that everything’s going to be okay in the end. “You’re laying it on just a little bit thick.”

“Made you smile, didn’t it?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it did.”

A low whimper leaves my throat as my back begins to tighten with a contraction. They’ve been coming so slowly that my nurse suggested trying to take a walk in hopes it’ll help speed things along. Why does childbirth have to hurt so bad? How do people continue to have babies after the first one? How is everyone not an only child? This is fucking awful.

“Another one?”

“Mhmm,” I whimper out, leaning against Parker as he soothes me as best as he can, murmuring words of praise and rubbing my back. Everything tenses slowly before just as slowly releasing. “This sucks so bad.”

“Pretty soon you’ll be able to have your epidural and it won’t hurt so bad. You’ve got this, baby.”

I nod along to Parker’s words, focusing on the sound of his voice and letting it soothe me. As the contraction comes to an end, I let out a long sigh and begin walking again. Parker’s hands on me distract me from how awful I’m feeling. In this moment of rest between contractions, I try to set my mind on the future, remembering exactly why I’m doing this and who I’m doing it for. “This is okay. Everything is fine. Eyes on the prize.”

“What’s the prize?”

“A new baby for my friends and a vacation for us.” White sandy beaches, mimosas every morning, seeing Parker with tanned skin as other omegas ogle him but knowing he’smine. God, I cannot wait.

“I can’t wait to be on the beach with you. We’re both gonna get a nice tan while sipping mimosas and daiquiris,” Parker says, having the same wistful look in his eyes that I’m currently feeling.

“They couldn’t have planned it better. It’s right around the time my heat should be coming back,” I tell Parker matter of factly, smirking to myself when his eyes dilate slightly. “I was thinking we could officially trade mating bites then. You know, if you’re interested?”

“You’re a menace,” Parker murmurs under his breath. He looks around, making sure we’re mostly alone before dipping his head down and running his nose over the side of my throat, leaving a quick kiss there before pulling back. “Of course I’m interested. I’m in love with you, Christopher and there’s no one I’d rather be mated to.”

I pause from walking to look up at him, taking in his pretty dark eyes which are so filled with love it threatens to make my teeth ache. “I love you too.” He dips down and kisses my lips, both of us smiling like idiots in the middle of the birthing ward. “It’s a date.”

Parker kisses my cheek before putting his hand at its place on my lower back, guiding me forward. I let out a long groan as my abdomen starts to cramp once more. “Okay, baby, that one came a little bit faster. I think the nurse was right, this is working to speed things up.”

“Thank Christ,” I hiss out, overwhelmed by the pain. Fuck. I clench my teeth, trying not to let the pain completely overwhelm me. “Distract me!”

“What? How?”

“I don’t know, Parker. Just fucking distract me. Talk to me about something. Literally anything. Please.”

Parker lets out a long breath as he thinks. I cling to the front of his shirt, doing my best to breathe through the pain. “Okay,” he murmurs, “why don’t I tell you about what I’ve been busy with lately?” I nod for him to go on. “I cleaned out my closet as best as I could. I didn’t realize it was even that big if I’m honest. It’s huge and definitely big enough for what I have planned. Then I made space in the bathroom and added a second toothbrush holder. And finally I even bought a brand new dresser for my room.”

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