Page 84 of False Start

eighteen

I headedfor the house to stop at the bathroom before I committed ten minutes to freezing my tits off in my car and then maybe, just maybe I’d make it through the rest of practice without setting someone on fire.

I knocked on the door even though Priest told us not to worry about it, that Lilith would be expecting us to be in and out using the bathroom, because frankly, I didn’t give a shit what he said.

Chilly toward me or not, I was not disrespecting this woman’s home.

“Hello,” I called as I opened the door. “Just stopping in for a bathroom break.”

The door to the half bath we’d been using by the laundry room was closed so I knocked, just in case. One of my teammates likely closed it all the way when they were done, a habit that drove me absolutely bonkers, but one of them always did it at my apartment. I’d rather knock for no reason than walk in and have a getting-to-know-you session mid wipe.

I knocked a second time even as I reached for the doorknob, only to have it not give under the twist of my hand. A second later, a muffled moan came from the other side of the door.

A prickle of dread skittered along the back of my neck and down my spine as I flattened my hand on the wood. “Lilith? Are you okay in there?”

“I’m not su—re,” she said, her words breaking on a sob. “I don’t think I can move.”

My heart knocked against my ribs as all the images of what I might find behind the door started flashing through my head. I gave the knob a hard twist again. “It’s locked. Can you reach the lock?”

“I think so,” she said with a low moan.

At the sound of the telltale click, I turned the handle and forced myself to stay calm no matter what waited for me on the other side of the door. I didn’t know which of the horrific scenes to expect, but Lilith on her knees on the floor clutching her side wasn’t even close.

There’s something to be said for imagining the worst when reality swoops in and tells you to slow your dramatic roll.

Relief slid through me and my muscles unclenched a fraction to see the baby was still where he was supposed to be. For now.

The toilet paper holder hung crooked where it had been yanked from the wall as though she tried to pull herself up with it. The roll had flopped off and unraveled only to come to a stop somewhere behind the toilet.

If she tried to pull herself up like that and fell back down, with no one here to hear her…shit. “Is it the baby?”

A fat tear rolled down her cheek and her lips trembled as she bit back a sob. “I don’t know. It’s too early.”

I rubbed her back and her shoulders slumped at my touch. “Does it feel like contractions?”

“It’s hard to tell. I’ve never had them,” she said, a touch of snark lacing her voice.

Another good sign. I’d take any sort of fight in her, even if she wanted to aim it at me.

“Did your water break or are you bleeding?”

“No,” she gasped as she dug her fingertips into her abdomen.

“Okay, listen, I want to get you off your knees. Let’s get you up and sitting and I’m going to get your brother.”

“Thank you.” She sighed. “God, I’m sorry you have to see me like this.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve seen a woman deglove her finger on the track.” I winced, the image flashing in my head whenever I mentioned it. I’d seen bones break and pop out the skin that was better than that damn finger.

“I don’t know what that is, but it sounds awful.”

“Yeah, I still have nightmares. Don’t google it. No one is that bored.”

I got her up on her feet and guided her hands around my shoulders. I didn’t dare try to lead her from the bathroom to the kitchen table just yet with the tight squeeze through the narrow doorway. “Keep your arms around my neck for just a second okay.”

“Yeah,” she whispered as she tightened her grip and groaned in my ear. “It hurts.”

“I know, we’re going to get you help.” I wrapped my arm around her, holding her tight. Flicking the toilet seat down, I snatched a couple towels from the shelf over the toilet to cover the lid to make her as comfortable as possible while I ran up to the barn.

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