Series: The Laws of Opposite Attract Series by Vi Keeland
Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 105253 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105253 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 526(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
“Ow!” Devyn screamed as if answering her.
“What’s happening? Tell me what you’re feeling now,” I asked, starting to panic despite my vow.
“I don’t think we have much time,” she answered between breaths.
Think, Owen. Think! “Okay. Here’s what we’re gonna do. There’s more room in the backseat.” I removed my seatbelt. “Devyn, let’s get you back there. Heath, get out. You take the wheel. If traffic starts moving, just drive to the next exit.”
Devyn and I made our way to the back, switching places with Heath and Hannah.
Heath flashed a goofy smile. “I can’t believe you’re letting me drive!”
“Yeah, well, desperate times call for desperate measures—sometimes illegal ones.” I sighed. “Sadly, you proved yourself the day you took my car for a spin without me knowing and came back unscathed.”
“Ow. Ow!” Devyn moaned. “It’s getting worse!”
“Where the fuck are they?” I yelled, rubbing her leg. I looked behind me, unable to see anything besides rows upon rows of car lights.
Forcing myself to feign calmness once again, I tried to reassure her. “We got this, Devyn. Everything is going to be okay, baby. I promise.” Where the hell is the ambulance?
“I’m not gonna make it until they get here!” She screamed.
Oh my God.
“Sir, do you need my help?” the dispatcher asked.
I’d nearly forgotten she was still on the line.
“I need you to get the ambulance here!” I shouted. “That’s what I need!”
“I’m not sure what’s causing the delay, sir. But let’s get you prepared in case you need to deliver the baby.”
Me?
Before I could process her statement, the dispatcher asked, “How far along is she?”
“She’s full-term, past her due date, scheduled to be induced this week,” I shouted into the phone.
“Okay.”
“It’s coming out!” Devyn announced. “I can feel it!”
Oh no.
She and I worked to pull her pants and underwear down as I started to sweat profusely.
“Help!” I yelled. “It’s coming!”
“Do you have spare clothes you could place around her?” the woman asked.
I immediately took off my jacket and turned to Heath and Hannah. “Give me your coats.”
“Aw, man. I just got this jacket,” Heath muttered.
“Hurry up!” I ordered.
After they handed me their coats, I placed one under Devyn.
“You’re gonna need something to wrap the baby in as well.”
“I can’t do this,” I muttered.
“Yes, you can. Just breathe and do as I say.”
I took a long, deep breath in and let it out slowly.
When Devyn screamed in pain again, I felt it in every fiber of my being. There was no more “I can’t do this” after that. I had to do this.
Our baby was coming, whether I was ready or not.
A few seconds later, when I looked down between her legs, I saw it.
“Oh my God. There’s something there. I think it’s the baby’s head! I see hair!”
“Okay. Make sure there’s a towel near you, and place your hand down by the head to keep it from coming out too fast.”
Devyn let out the loudest scream I’d ever heard as I reached down and guided our baby out of her. Then came the crying—the most beautiful sound.
The baby was in my arms, wiggling. Time seemed to stand still for the most surreal moment of my life. My mouth fell open as I froze, in complete awe, staring into my child’s eyes. Then I snapped myself out of it long enough to wrap the baby in my coat and place her on Devyn’s chest.
The sound of sirens registered in the distance. The ambulance was finally making its way toward us through the traffic nightmare.
I’d been so in shock that I hadn’t checked to confirm whether we’d in fact had a baby girl. Or was it a boy?
Devyn finally looked up from the baby on her chest and whispered, “It’s a boy.”
What? “A boy?” A tear fell from my eyes. I have a son.
It was radio silence from the front seat. I think the kids were just as shell-shocked as I was.
The paramedics finally converged upon our car and cleared a way for us to pull over. They assisted with the delivery of the placenta—which I had no freaking idea was even a thing. (Probably good that I hadn’t a clue, or I might’ve fainted after all.) Then they brought Devyn and the baby into the ambulance. Since Heath couldn’t legally drive, I wasn’t able to ride with Devyn to the hospital. Letting her and my son go ahead while I figured out the quickest way to get to them was excruciating. It felt like my entire life was in that ambulance as I watched it speed away.
***
The following day, Devyn and I were alone in her Connecticut hospital room while she cradled our son. Mia had just left, so we were in between visitors.
I rubbed his delicate caramel brown hair with the back of my finger. “I can’t believe how wrong I was.”
“About having a girl?”