Page 49 of This Is Love (The Light to My Darkness 3)

"I should probably get back to work." Rob abruptly stood up.

"Rob."

He seemed to cringe.

"Is he cheating on me?"

Rob laughed. "No, of course not. He wouldn't." But there was doubt in his voice. Suspicion. And maybe, just maybe, a small hint of anger. I just didn't know if it was directed at me or his brother.

"Rob? If you know something you have to tell me." I stood up and immediately hunched forward.

"Penny?"

I felt his hands on my shoulders. "Ow." I put my hand on my stomach. I didn't realize I had said it out loud. But by the look on Rob's face, I definitely had.

"Penny, are you alright?"

"No." I shook my head. "I'm going to be sick."

"Okay...just..." his voice trailed off as he ran into the kitchen.

Fuck. I grabbed my stomach.

Rob came back just in time with a bowl.

I sat down on the carpet and threw up. Every little bit that was left in my stomach barely covered the bottom of the bowl.

He ran his hand up and down my back. "Do you want me to get Ellen?"

I shook my head. "No. I don't want Scar to see me like this." I leaned over the bowl again. My stomach still ached, but nothing else seemed to want to come up.

Rob handed me a paper towel.

"I'm so sorry." I wiped my mouth off.

"I'm the one that should be apologizing. The ice cream I brought made you sick."

"No, it's probably just really late morning sickness. I'm fine." Fuck, it hurts.

"I think I should take you to the doctor."

I shook my head. "Rob," I said and looked up at him. "Is James having an affair? Tell me he's not. Please." It felt like my heart was ripping in two. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong.

"No." He said it firmly this time. The doubt was gone. And then I felt it. A wetness surrounding me. It was too soon. Panic started to weigh on top of the searing pain in my stomach. "My water broke," I croaked. Two months too early. I felt tears welling in my eyes.

"Shit," Rob said. "I'll get Ellen."

"No. Scar can't see me like this." I grabbed his leg. "Help me up. William will take me to the hospital."

"Penny..."

"Please, Rob. Scar already thinks I'm weak. She can't see me like this." I tried to blink away the tears. "I don't want her to see me like this." I leaned over in pain.

Rob pulled out his cell phone. "My sister-in-law's water just broke," he said into the cell phone. "Twenty minutes, are you fucking kidding me?" He hung up the phone. "Okay, I'm going to help you up." He leaned down and grabbed my hands.

I grimaced in pain. "Something's wrong. It's too soon." It didn't feel the way it had when my water broke when I was pregnant with Scarlett. Everything felt wrong.

"It's okay," Rob said as he slowly helped me to my feet. But then something in his face changed. Horror. Dread. Agony. They swept over his features in a flash.

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