Page 260 of On a Fault Line

“You should have stayed, but instead you made the easy choice to desert me and make me beg for you not to break my heart. But you did it anyway.”

“I know, Princess, and I’m really sorry. I was wrong.”

“You should have fought for us.”

“I’m fighting now.”

I rock on my feet, thinking over his words in my head. And then, Claire’s echoing scream causes us both to run toward the sound.

51

PENNY

My heart races as I rush to Claire, who is standing near her coffee table, doubled over.

“Claire, what’s wrong? You’re supposed to be resting.”

“I had to use the bathroom for the one hundredth time today.”

“Are you sick? Hurt? Is the baby okay?” I ask at a frantic pace.

“I think it’s just my body’s way of preparing for the baby to come in six weeks.”

Another wave moves through her, and she calls out until it passes.

“Are these contractions the practice ones?” Collins asks.

Standing up taller, she shrugs. “I’m not sure. I thought they were.”

Angie looks at her watch. “I’m going to time them.”

“Why?” I ask, quickly forgetting everything I’ve ever learned about pregnancy and childbirth from the high school classes I took years ago.

“Because if the contractions start coming in a rhythm and closer together, then that means Claire is going into active labor and the baby is coming soon.”

“The baby can’t come,” Claire says boldly. “It’ll be too early. It needs more time to bake.”

My eyes move to Collins’s as he stares at Claire and her belly. Then I tug his arm to step away from the scene and out of earshot of her. “What?” I ask him. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

Pausing for a few seconds, he finally responds. “I’m going to get Nic and Graham here.”

“Why?” I snap, my nerves getting the best of me.

“Just as a precaution.”

I shake my head at him. “I’m scared. Is Claire going to be alright?”

“This is not happening,” Claire calls over to me, just as another one hits. “This is about you and Collins.” She gulps in air between each spoken word, twisting her face as she endures what her body is forcing on her. Then when she’s able to focus, her eyes connect with mine. “I had the perfect plan to hold you hostage until you listened to him.”

I should have known that Collins would do a stunt like this one, involving the two people I can’t say no to…

“You can play matchmaker another time,” Angie tells her. “Are you feeling any pain?”

“Hell yeah, I’m in agony but not all the time. Like, right now? I’m fine.”

My eyes move to her pristine white area rug to see the pinkish stain forming as she holds her stomach.

“Oh, my goodness, Claire,” I squeal. “You’re bleeding.”

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