“Kayleigh Jacobs?” The person on the other side asks.
“No, but she’s in here.” He opens the door further to allow the man inside.
I see the flowers before I see the guy, but I recognize him as the same person who delivered me flowers last year, when Holden ordered an arrangement the size of a large bush. He smiles at me kindly and sets the vase down on the table. They’re beautiful – white calla lilies mixed with red roses. The lilies remind me of my bridal bouquet and make me smile.
“Just sign here.” He hands me a paper and I sign for the delivery, handing it back to him when I’m done. “Thank you. Enjoy.”
“I will. Thanks.”
Taking the card out of the little stand, I read it over.
To my Wife on Valentine’s Day,
I’m sorry I can’t be there. I’ll make it up to you.
Love Your Husband, Holden.
Caleb sees him out of the apartment and shuts the door. “Well aren’t those pretty.”
I smirk. “Are you jealous? Do you want me to send you flowers?”
He rolls his eyes playfully. “If I say yes, will you do it?”
My fingers snap. “I just realized why you can’t find a girlfriend. You are the girlfriend.”
“Ha. Ha. Ha. You’re so funny.”
The corners of my mouth raise. “You love me.”
THE LONGER I’M AWAY from Holden, the more I start to feel resentful. I’m proud of him and all, but I miss when we cuddled and how he would rub my back when I got uncomfortable. I haven’t been able to sleep much lately. Whenever I do drift off, I end up waking between three and four in the morning and can’t fall back asleep. I even went and bought a body pillow, but nothing seems to be helping.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” My concerned husband stares at me through the phone. “I’m worried about you.”
I shrug. “I’ll be fine. It’s just eight more weeks, right?”
“Right. She’ll be here before you know it.”
The two of us talk about how fast this pregnancy is going, but at the same time, it’s crawling by. I don’t know if it’s because of how my body feels, or that Holden’s away most of the time. It’s like the beginning flew past us, but now it couldn’t be going any slower.
“I’m sorry I can’t come home this weekend.”
“It’s fine.” I lie. It’s not, but I know it’s not his fault. “Promise you’ll be here in two weeks, though? It’ll be my 34-week appointment and we’re having another ultrasound to measure her size.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, baby.”
Being apart is hard but video calling helps. Still, nothing beats being in his arms. I can tell he’s jealous of Caleb whenever he’s around – not that he doesn’t trust me, he just wants to be the one beside me. It’s cute how possessive he can still be, even though we’re married.
A FEW DAYS LATER, my phone rings and Emily’s name blinks on the screen. Our friendship is strong and we’re really close, but her and I both know that if we’re calling, it’s to talk about something serious. Otherwise, we just text back and forth all day. So, I instantly knew that something was up.
“Hey love.” I answer.
“Kayleigh.” She sobs.
I sit up in bed, worried at her tone. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know. I think Brandon and I might be over.”
“What?!” I practically shout. “What happened?”
She takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. I wait patiently for her to answer. Sometimes just having each other on the phone can make all the difference. A few quiet moments pass until she finally sighs.
“I went to a party last night and I didn’t leave by the time I said I would.” She starts. “I mean, that’s not a big deal. He’s not my father and he doesn’t control my life.”
“Then what’s the issue?”
“Landon was there.”
I cringe. “Landon, as in your ex, Landon?”
“Yup.” She pops the p for emphasis. “Brandon found out through Instagram and flipped out because he thinks I was hiding it from him.”
“Well, were you?”
“No.” There’s a pause and a difference in her tone. “Well, not exactly. He tried to talk to me but I told him to go away. I planned on telling Brandon when I got back to my dorm, but I passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow.”
“Ugh, Em.”
“It gets worse.” She groans. “The picture I was tagged in shows him and I talking in the corner. It was literally the only two minutes I was near him but we happened to be in the background of someone’s picture.”
“Ouch.” I hiss. “What did Bran say?”
“He went nuts. He said he doesn’t know if he can trust me – that it’s sketchy because I didn’t tell him when I got home and it was later than I said I would. It looks like I was out all night with him, but I swear I wasn’t.”
My mouth turns down into a frown at her panicked state. “I know. I believe you. You love Brandon. You wouldn’t do that to him.”
Emily exhales sadly. “So, what do I do?”
Lying back down, I settle into my pillow. “I’d give him some time to cool off, then talk to him. Explain what happened, and apologize for not telling him. I’m sure you two will work it out.”
“You think so?”
“Of course, and if that doesn’t work, I’ll have Holden talk to him.”
I can practically hear her smile through the phone. “Thank you.”
“Always.”
THE ROOM IS DECORATED in pink and teal decorations. Gold balloons are tied to a very large chair designated for me. There are so many people here. Even my mom, Heather, and Emily flew in to celebrate my baby shower. Holden, however, is currently in Boston getting ready for his game tonight against Pittsburgh.
“Are you surprised?!” Bree asks excitedly.
I smile, trying to let her down easy when Sky laughs. “Yeah, right. She’s known for weeks.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah.” I admit. “You’re really bad at hiding things.”
Bree crosses her arms. “Why didn’t you tell me you knew? Do you know how hard it was to keep this to myself?!”
Nodding, I can’t help but chuckle. “That’s why I didn’t say anything. It’s fun watching you almost burst at the seams.”
“You’re the worst.” She jokes.
It isn’t until an hour or so later that I finally get Emily alone for a minute. She comes with me into the bathroom and I use the opportunity to talk to her. It’s been four days since her fight with Bran, and I want to make sure they’re back to normal.
“How are you and Brandon?”
She instantly lights up. “We’re good. You were right. I just needed to talk to him.”
“Can you repeat that?” I smirk.
“We’re good?”
“After that.”
“I just needed to talk to him.”
“Nope, before that.”
She rolls her eyes playfully. “You were right.”
“That’s the one!”
We start to leave the bathroom and she shakes her head. “Sometimes I wonder why I’m friends with you.”
I shrug in response. “Because you’d be lost without me.”
“Touché.”
The rest of the party is spent with all the women I love. There are numerous people attending that I didn’t expect to be here. For example, Skylar’s sister Aria and a girl from my English class freshman year. When I ask Sky about it, she simply explains that we aren’t friends with too many females so they did what they had to, to fill the guest list. I don’t argue it – she’s completely right. Caleb and Jason would make horrible guests at a baby shower. They would end up drinking beer through baby bottles.
AFTER THE PARTY, I go back to my apartment, for once grateful for the silence. I’m exhausted from having to smile all day and act like my entire body wasn’t in painful discomfort. Caleb mentioned coming b
y later tonight, but for now I’m just going to enjoy the space.
I sit down on the couch and turn the television to Holden’s game. It’s the end of the first period, and the Bruins are winning 1-0. I wish I had been able to see it from the beginning, but I guess this will have to do. Grabbing the closest blanket to me, which also happens to be my favorite, I snuggle into it and try to imagine I’m there. The thought of being in the same place as my husband soothes me. It’s been three weeks since I’ve gotten to be near him and I’m losing my ever-loving mind.
Our wedding was a little over two months ago and I still have a hard time believing Holden Rivers is my husband. Every now and then, I need to look at our marriage certificate or pictures from that day and pinch myself. It just feels too good to be true.
While watching the game, the camera pans over the audience. For the first time in months, I don’t even bother looking for Bianca. After Hawaii, Holden agreed not to press charges on her for defamation but insisted we get restraining orders. I didn’t fight him on it. To be honest, the thought of her not coming anywhere near us is relieving. Besides, if she tries to pull something else with the media, Holden can use the restraining order to show she’s nothing but a psycho ex.
The game ends 2-1 with the Bruins taking the win. I take out my phone and send a quick text to my superstar.
Me: Congrats on the win, babe.
We’ll celebrate when you come home.
A half hour passes and my phone starts to vibrate in my lap. I smile as I see a picture from our wedding pop up on the screen.
“Hi baby.” I answer.
“God, I missed your voice.” He breathes. “How was the shower today?”
“It was nice. We got a lot of things for the baby.”
“Hold on.” He says, requesting to turn the call into video.
I accept it and my chest fills with butterflies as he comes on the screen. He’s still in the locker room, not even fully dressed yet.
“What did you do, call me as soon as you got your phone?”
“Yes.” A bunch of his teammates answer, causing Holden to pout.
“What?” He whines. “I missed you.”
That’s one thing I love about him. Despite the bad boy attitude that he had when I first met him, sheltered off from the world, he’s really stopped doing that. He has no issue displaying how he feels about me for anyone to see. It’s adorable.
I show him all the items that have taken over the nursery. Completely lacking energy, I’ve decided to wait until he gets home to set them up. Besides, he wants to do everything he can to help me.
“Ow.” I hiss as a pain shoots up the front of my stomach.
“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” He’s instantly on full alert.
Attempting to maintain my composure, I nod. “I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine. What happened? Do you want me to come home?”
Every part of me wants to say yes, but I force myself not to. “No, really. I’m okay. She was just probably on something she shouldn’t have been.”
He doesn’t look convinced but thankfully doesn’t say anything. The two of us get off the phone so he can finish changing and get back to his hotel. I try to hide the still present pain as I say I love you and wait for him to end the call. Once he does, I put my phone down on the bed and go to get a drink of water.
I grab a glass from the cabinet and pad over to the fridge, first getting ice and then letting it fill with water. As I walk around the island, an excruciating pain rips through my belly. The glass falls from my hand and shatters onto the ground. Just when I’m about to catch my breath, another stab comes and has me crumbling to the floor, cutting my hand on the piercing shards.
I know labor can be rough, but this is something completely different. I’m only 33 weeks. Panic consumes me as the agony keeps coming. Something is wrong.
Chapter 29
Ilie hunched over on the floor, gripping my stomach and screaming in absolute anguish. The pain will not let up. Searching for my phone, I realize I left it on my bed. My hand is gushing blood with a piece of glass still sticking out of it. The only thing I can think to do, is try to hold myself together and wait for it to pass.
A few seconds later, Caleb barges through the door in a panic. He looks around the room before finally spotting me. His eyes widen and he rushes over quickly.
“Careful. There’s glass everywhere.”
He ignores me, dropping onto his knees and looking me over.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
I’m about to play it cool when the pain becomes even more intense, making me wail. He pulls out his phone and dials 911. When I begin to sob, he tells the dispatcher to forget it and hangs up before lifting me into his arms. He carries me down the stairs and puts me in the passenger seat of his truck.
The drive to the hospital is fast, but that’s probably because he’s completely ignoring the speed limit and running red lights. I’d be afraid of him crashing but I can’t focus on anything but the baby. What if something is wrong? What if I lose her? The thought makes me sick.
Caleb pulls up to the door of the emergency room and runs inside to get help. I curl into a ball in the seat, feeling like razor blades are carving out the inside of my stomach. A nurse opens the car door. Her and Caleb help lift me into the wheelchair. Everything is spinning and I find myself starting to black out from the pain.
They wheel me to a room in Labor and Delivery, and immediately start hooking me up to monitors and IVs. I can hear my heart pounding and it’s difficult to breathe. A doctor asks me my pain level, but all I can do is groan.
“Someone give her some morphine.”
“But doctor, the baby.”
He shakes his head. “Morphine is fine in extreme cases, as long as it’s limited. This woman is in immense pain and we won’t be able to find out anything from her until it subsides.”
The nurse nods and goes to retrieve the medication. I can just barely notice Caleb in the corner of the room, watching with a concerned look on his face and answering questions to the best of his ability.
“This is going to sting a little.” The doctor tells me, injecting lidocaine into my hand before removing the glass. I hiss at the pain, but it’s nothing compared to whatever is going on with the baby.
He stitches up my hand and covers it with a bandage just as the nurse comes back with a small syringe of morphine. She attaches it to my IV and slowly injects it into my bloodstream. Within seconds, my whole body feels warm and the pain starts to ease. I release from the tensed state I’ve been in since Caleb found me and take a deep breath. Still, I’m worried.
“The baby.” I murmur.
“Shh.” The doctor places his hand on mine. “Relax Mrs. Rivers. You’re in good hands.” He turns to address the nurse. “Get me an ultrasound machine in here, stat.”
My concern stays on my daughter. “Do you think she’s okay?”
He gives me a small smile and gestures toward the screen. “This top measurement right here, is her heart rate. It’s strong and steady.”
“What’s the bottom?”
“That’s measuring your contractions.”
My eyes widen. “Is that what this is? Contractions? I’m too early for that.”
He lifts my shirt and places his hands on my belly, feeling around. “It’s too soon to tell. The pain you were in had you very tightened up, so it was difficult to get a good reading.” As he reaches the top section of my belly, his expression changes, but he quickly masks it.
A few minutes later, the nurse comes in with a portable ultrasound machine. She wheels it over to the bed and the doctor thanks her. The gel is cool on my skin and soon my daughter appears on the screen. She looks the same as she always has, just bigger and more defined. I find comfort in the sight of her heart flickering.
The doctor’s eyes stay firmly focused on the screen, inspecting different areas of my stomach. When he reaches the top of my belly, he zooms in on something a
nd freezes the screen.
“It looks like you have a case of placental abruption.” He tells me.
“That sounds really scary.”
“It can be. It doesn’t seem too severe, and you’re not bleeding so that’s a good sign.” His tone is calm, but I can hear the underlying worry. “However, it’s not mild either, and the chances of it becoming worse are high.”
“What does that mean?”
He wipes the gel from my stomach and slides his chair closer to me. “It means you’re going to have this baby before you leave the hospital.”
My anxiety skyrockets immediately, causing the heart monitor they put on me to start going off. Caleb is at my side in an instant, trying to help me calm down, but all I can focus on is the doctor.
“Mrs. Rivers, I’m going to need you to relax. Your stress can actually make the situation much worse.”
I frown. “How am I supposed to relax? She’s only 33-weeks. Will she survive if she’s born now?”
He takes my hand in his. “Absolutely. We are going to give you a steroid to help develop her lungs. We’ll monitor you and the baby very closely. Of course, there are always risks with premature births, but her chances of being okay are very good.”
Gaining more control over my breathing, I will myself to calm down. I need to remain tranquil for the baby. The doctor excuses himself to order the steroid and I turn to Caleb.
“Can you try calling Holden?”
He smiles. “I already did. It went to voicemail but I left a message.”
“Thank you.”
A short while later, the doctor returns with the injection and administers it through the IV. I watch as he slowly pushes the medication in then uses saline to drain it out the rest of the way. When he’s done, he places the blanket back over my arm.
“So, this will help her lungs?”
He nods. “Yes. I will give you another within the next 12 to 24 hours depending on your reaction to it.”
“Is it supposed to make me this tired?”
Seamless Forever (Sleepless November Saga Book 3) Page 20