Page 26 of Love Unexpected

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. “There is no way in hell I’m staying here. I have a jet waiting for me and I’ll be there in three hours, whether she wants me or not.” I end the call before he can argue.

The Uber pulls up to the curb right as I’m exiting the hotel. I throw my bag in the backseat and jump in after it. I turn to the driver and hand him some cash. "Run every red light.”

“You got it, sir,” he replies with a grin.

As we speed through the city, I can’t help the cold dread I feel in the bottom of my stomach. I’m not sure I’ll make it in time. I close my eyes and picture Emma in pain and scared. I shouldn’t have left her with her being this far along. She told me just last week how alone she is in this world and I abandon her. Just like her parents did. Just like I did with Henry.

I never committed to her, but deep down I know I want this. I want her and everything that comes with her. I’ve been a coward. I should have told her instead of running again.

Two hours and forty-five minutes later, I’m finally deplaning. I quickly check Marcus’s location to see which hospital they went to and head that way. The twenty-minute drive it takes to reach the hospital feels like an eternity. The thought of Emma scared and in pain gnaws at me. I tap my knees with anxiety.

As I enter the hospital, the harsh fluorescent lights amplify my anxiety. I approach the front desk and ask for Emma's room number. After getting the information I need, I break into a jog down the hallway until I reach her room, and my heart stops momentarily at the sight of Emma. She's laying in the bed pale, yet still gorgeous as ever, her chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. She looks up at me, her eyes heavy with exhaustion, and despite the anger she must feel towards me, she looks relieved to see me.

“You came,” she whispers, her chin trembling. Her voice pulls at my heart.

“Of course I came,” I reply, as I take my place in a chair beside her bed. I glance at Marcus who’s fast asleep on the sofa. Pathetic. He couldn’t even manage to stay awake for her.

I reach for her hand, the one free of IV tubes, and kiss her palm gently. Turning it over, I squeeze reassuringly. “How are you feeling? Marcus said you were in a lot of pain.”

She sits up slowly, wincing briefly. “They gave me something for the pain and some fluids,” she explains. “They said it was false labor. My contractions are too far apart and irregular for it to be the real thing. I am dilated to two centimeters, but they said I could stay that way for several weeks. I’m free to go home now, they’re just preparing the discharge papers.”

Relief floods me. “I’m so glad to hear that," I smile at her.

"I'm sorry you rushed all this way for nothing. I told Marcus to tell you not to come," she says with a serious expression that makes me feel uneasy.

"No. Don't even worry about that, work can wait," I insist. "I'm so sorry, Emma. I shouldn’t have left you here all alone.” The weight of regret settles heavily on my chest.

She shakes her head, a soft smile breaks through the seriousness of her features. “Noah, I don’t need a babysitter. And I wasn’t alone—Marcus hasn’t left my side all day.” Her eyes shift to the sofa, where Marcus is still fast asleep.

The mention of my brother slices through the moment. A familiar ache of resentment returns. “Right,” I say, my voice tight trying to keep my temper at bay. The thought of him being by her side, comforting her, makes me bitter. It should have been me.

Emma must feel the shift in my energy because she squeezes my hand, a look of pity on her face. “Noah,” she whispers gently. “You’ve made it pretty clear that you don’t wantto do this. Of course I called Marcus instead of you. I didn't have anyone else in this city—"

"No. You haveme," I interrupt. "I'm sorry I haven't talked to you this week. Honestly I've been busy, but I thought about you the entire time I was gone."

"You’re better off— “

“Better off?” I cut her off again, sharply. “You think I’m better off sitting in California while you’re here with my brother? My brother, who is only here because he has some sick, twisted attachment to your baby. He thinks he gets a do-over to be there for your baby like he wasn’t with our little brother.“

Emma's eyes widen in a mix of surprise at my outburst and hurt. I regret the words immediately after they leave my mouth, and I can feel the heat of shame creeping up my neck. Emma removes her hand from my grasp.

"Noah, that’s not fair," she replies, keeping her voice low in order to not wake Marcus. "That's not true and you know it. He’s my friend and he’s protective because that’s how you are when you care about someone!" Her voice gets increasingly louder.

“You’re right,” I admit,” I didn’t mean that. I’m just struggling here—“ I stand up, feeling restless. I grip my hair with both hands. I’m losing it right now.

"Do you think I wanted to call him?" she counters, her emotions rising to the surface. "You were the first person I thought of. I wanted YOU here, Noah! But you've made your choice clear, and I can't just wait for you to decide when to show up."

The intensity presses against my chest. "I'm here now," I say, my voice softening. "I didn't mean to lash out. I'm just... scared."

“I don’t know what kind of weird jealousy thing you have going on with Marcus, but I don’t want to be apart of it," she continues without listening to me. "I don't want you around if it’s just about some pissing contest between the two of you.”

“It’s not! I didn’t mean that, Emma.” My heart races as I scramble to repair the damage I just caused. “I want to be here with you. I realize that now,” I plead, desperately trying to reach her through the wall I've accidentally built.

“I think you should leave,” she whispers as a single tear rolls down her face.

“No, Emma—“

“Please, Noah. I can’t keep doing this back-and-forth thing with you. My heart can’t handle it, and the stress you’re putting on me and the baby is not healthy,” she says, her gaze fixed on her lap.

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