Bait (Wake, #1)(79)

“Good luck, honey. And congratulations,” the sweet ER nurse told her as she walked away from her and back toward me and the way out.

She grabbed my arm and whisper-yelled in my ear, “You better find that dad. Fast.”

“Yes, ma'am,” I said and smiled at her.

By the time I was walking to the room they'd wheeled a miserable Micah into, my phone went off.

It was Troy.

“Hey, you find him?” I asked, before I knocked on the door.

“Yeah, he's on Angel Island riding with Joey. I got a hold of him. They're going to try to see if they can get a ride back somehow. Cory is freaking out. They’re going to take the 12:25 ferry.” But even if they could catch the ferry back, to the city from Angel Island, it would still be some time before he would get there.

“Does Joey have a phone on him?” I asked.

“Yeah, I just talked to them.”

“Okay, I'll talk to you later.”

I dialed Joey's phone and Cory answered it on the first ring, “Hey, are you with her?”

My brother was frantic, I could tell by how loud he was. Cory wasn't a guy who yelled a lot, but neither was I normally.

Only when it came to her.

“Yeah, I'm with her. We're at Seton. She's okay. They've got her in a room.”

“Okay, good. God. I'm freaking out. How's she doing?” His panic turned into concern.

“She’s fine. She's breathing funny, just like she's supposed to. Do you want to talk to her?” I asked as I gently rapped on the door. I heard the nurse tell me I could come in and so I let myself inside.

The room was nicer than I'd ever expected. It sure as f*ck was nicer than any I'd been in. Micah was changed into a gown already and they were getting her information and setting her up in their system.

I walked over to the bed, where she looked pretty much the same. Sweaty. In a lot of pain. And terrified.

“Cory is on the phone do you want to talk to him?” I asked.

“Oooo... Yes! Oooo...,” she panted.

I gave her the phone and relief washed over her face. I don't know what he was telling her but she closed her eyes. Tears falling down her flushed cheeks.

“Just get here as fast as you can. Please. I need you,” she told him. “I will. I love you, too,” she added before she handed the phone back to me.

“Hello?” I said into it not knowing if he'd hung up on not.

“Hey, you take care of her until I get there. Whatever she wants. You got me? You take care of her. We're getting the 12:25 ferry. I'll be there in an hour,” he instructed.

“I've got this. She'll be fine. I swear.”

After I ended the call with Cory I made sure that she didn't need anything. She didn't need anything except Cory.

The nurses had attached all sorts of gadgets to her and had monitors gauging all kinds of things. After she was checked and they told her that she was already dilated to five centimeters and something else—something about a face—another doctor came in and gave her an epidural.

They said that she still had a little time to go and that she should try to relax. That epidural thing was magic. Almost instantly she looked better.

I thought about how glad I was that Cory didn’t have to see her the other way. It wasn't that great.

“So, now will you call Blake?” she asked. I couldn't distract her and her contractions were at bay, so I was kind of f*cked.

“Really, Micah. I'll do anything for you right now. Just, please, don't ask me to call her. You can use my phone.” I handed it to her, but she didn't reach for it.

“Nope, I need you to call her. Tell her I'm here and that I'm fine. Tell her that the baby is coming and that she needs to get her ass on a plane.” Then the bitch smiled. “Please.”

I shook my head at her, knowing what she was up to. “You're evil. Seriously though, I don't think she wants to hear from me.”

“I think she does.” Micah said.

“What the hell? On New Year’s you basically said to leave her alone. Now, I'm leaving her alone and you’re telling me to call her. I don't get it,” I confessed.

“I don't know. She hasn't been the same lately. Maybe we were wrong,” she said as she situated herself a little better on the bed pushing her body up with her arms, her legs no longer cooperative.

She added, “I guess I thought that you two were just having a fling. But now you’re both so…so meh. You know. I saw how happy you were and I could hear it in her voice, too. Maybe I should have told you to fight for her.”

I looked at her eyes, and they were focused on mine. Her short pixy hair was still in disarray, but since she wasn't in as much agony, she sort of looked cute. Big belly, silly gown. I'd really grown to love this girl and I was happy she was the one my brother had found. She was perfect for him.

That's what a relationship was supposed to look like. Not like what Blake and I were.

“She's still getting married, Mic. I don't think I can change that.”

“Try,” she said.

Try.

I looked at the face of my cell phone, knowing I hadn't deleted her number. It was right there in my hand. Every time I picked up the phone to give in and apologize, but mostly to hear her voice again, I'd remember it was there and I'd have to fight myself not to call.