Page 31 of Black Mark's Heart

Chapter Five

"Okay, I'm here. What's the emergency?" Jasper asked walking into my apartment with a smile. I hadn't been comfortable to have sex the past month and a half, so we'd only been hanging out as friends, and he was dating again.

"I want this baby out!" I grumbled, waddling back to my bedroom. "It's huge and I can't take any more. I can't sleep, or play my cello, and I'm absolutely bored."

Jasper laughed, "Had you booked in for that C-section, you wouldn't have this problem."

"I'm not due for two more days, but I'm over it. The midwife said you get them out the same way you get them in, so get naked and encourage this baby to leave its warm comfy place," I ordered.

Jasper chuckled again, "Mora, it's not guaranteed to work."

I turned to look at Jasper, frustrated. "I am offering you the opportunity to have unprotected sex with me until you convince my body to go into labor. Are you turning me down?"

Jasper laughed again and started taking his jacket off. "I would be more than happy to help you out of this predicament. I'll even order pizza for dinner when we need a break." Jasper pulled me towards him, my large belly forcing him to bend forward to reach my mouth. Jasper looked down and laughed. "I feel like there is something coming between us, Mora."

To say the sex was uncomfortable would be an understatement, but Jasper was kind and gentle with me, spooning me or getting me to kneel in a supported position for him to take me from behind. We'd finished round four and were sitting in the lounge room eating pizza by the time Zander came home from the gym after work.

"Hi, Jasper, you two just hanging out?" Zander asked.

"Mora is trying to get Jacob to leave his happy home, and I've been helping out," Jasper answered honestly.

"Any luck so far?" Zander laughed, taking a seat and stealing a slice of pizza.

"Other than a backache, nothing," I pouted.

Jasper sat forward. "How long has your back been aching?"

I shrugged. "About an hour. It started out as a niggle, but it is slowly getting worse."

"Huh," Jasper smiled. "It worked after all."

"What do you mean it worked?" I asked, annoyed, pointing to my belly. "Baby is still inside and my waters haven't broken."

Jasper chuckled, "Yes, but I would hazard a guess that your backache is actually labor pain, Mora." Jasper picked up another slice of pizza. "Let's give it another hour. If your pain keeps getting worse, we'll take you down to the after-hours clinic and get them to throw a monitor on to see if you are having contractions.

Two hours later, I was sitting on a bed in the private hospital I'd booked into, having an epidural. If you think I was going to push a baby this big out without some sort of pain relief, you were wrong.

Jasper hadn't bothered with the clinic. After an hour, I was bent over the table crying at the slow ache in my back. Jasper just gave me a kiss goodbye and told Zander to take me straight to the hospital.

Now Zander sat holding my hand while we waited for Sophie to arrive, and the woman in the room next to us screamed like she was being tortured.

"Okay, Mora. That will take the pain away for now," the anesthetist assured. "The baby is facing the wrong way and putting all the pressure onto your spine."

I nodded as he helped me lie down. The midwife smiled and checked my progress again. "You are five centimeters dilated already. We're going to let you rest for a little while, but I'll check on you regularly. Get some sleep, as it may be your last chance for a good rest for a while."

"Is it really that painful?" I asked, listening to the woman next door.

The midwife smiled gently, "Everyone has different pain thresholds. I'll be back in an hour to check on you."

"I'll go and see if Sophie is here yet," Zander squeezed my hand and followed the nurse out.

I picked up my phone and sent a message I never thought I'd send.

I just want you to know, I still love you and I miss you.

Darius's reply was almost instant, telling me he was probably home relaxing tonight.

I miss you too. Let me see you?

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