Addicted After All(99)

“Rose,” Connor says, impassive like usual, “put your legs on the seat for me.”

She’s pretty much doubled over now, clutching her knees that have broken apart. Shit. “It’s too early…” Her voice breaks in pain.

Connor doesn’t wait for Rose to comply. He seizes her legs and spins her so she’s lying along the stretched limo seat, adjacent to where we sit. My pulse races. This is not happening.

“Her water didn’t break,” I point out. This is not happening right now.

Daisy scoots behind Rose, propping her head in her lap, and she rubs Rose’s sweaty hair off her forehead. “It’s probably false labor,” Daisy says.

Lily is wide-eyed and slack-jawed, unmoving from her spot beside me. It’s more nerve-wracking when Connor says nothing, when he hides his emotions, leaving us to guess.

He rests one of Rose’s feet on his thigh, so she has room to open her legs. And then he covers her waist and lower half with his suit jacket, maybe so he can remove her underwear.

Ryke and I inspect the traffic out the window at the same time. The accident up ahead must not be cleared yet because we’re still barely inching forward.

“Connor,” Rose cries in pain—her face full of it. I’ve never seen her like this.

The floodgate to Connor’s emotions finally cracks, and I catch a glimpse of concern in his blue eyes. He reaches out, holds her hand tightly in his, and then glances between her legs. He keeps one palm on her bent knee. “I need someone to call 911,” he says to us.

Rose doesn’t even complain or put up a fight about it, which means she’s hurting badly right now.

“I got it,” Ryke declares, dialing the number in his cell. While he starts speaking to the operator, I talk to Connor.

“Her water didn’t break,” I mention again. “That has to mean this is—”

Rose screams, like a horrific, blood-curdling scream. Connor’s grip tightens on her, as though he’s holding her life in his hands. The terrifying thought: he just might be.

Lily is shaking, and I hug her closer to my chest, wrapping my arms around her body, and placing my hands flat on her belly.

“I want…an epidural,” Rose demands, hot tears rolling down her cheeks.

Connor rubs her knee and squeezes her hand. “We both know it’s too late for that. You probably broke your water in the shower this morning…” He checks his watch. “Around six, and you didn’t realize it.”

It hits me. She’s been in labor for fourteen hours already. Thinking each tiny pain wasn’t the real thing, not until right now.

Rose sits up more, leaning against Daisy’s chest, and she clutches her legs. “Connor…” The fear in her voice rings through the limo, chills biting my neck.

He cups her face, his thumb brushing away her tears. “I won’t let anything happen to you or our child. You’re going to be fine.” I can tell that he’s partly convincing himself.

He’s the smartest person I’ve ever met, but intelligence has its limits. I feel like I’m watching one.

Rose starts shaking her head at Connor, and his fingers firmly hold her in place so she stops.

“Rose,” he says softly, “your body is ready to have this baby. And if you just let go, your mind will catch up, darling.”

“I’m scared,” she cries, wetting his hand with her tears.

Connor eyes grow red as he stifles more emotion. “I’m not leaving you.” The limo is quiet, Ryke already off the phone. Rose’s forehead wrinkles as another contraction begins. She shuts her eyes, and Connor glances between her legs before looking back at his wife.

And he asks her, “When you were fourteen, what was the first thing I ever said to you?”

It looks like she wants to scream again, but the noise dies in her throat as she concentrates on Connor’s words. “Are you…quizzing me?”

“Yes,” he admits. I almost want to ask how much she’s dilated, but then I don’t want to imagine it at all. I’m guessing Connor can tell though, even if he’s not a doctor. He’s smart enough.

She chokes back a cry and lets out a trained breath. Rose opens her eyes as she answers, “You said that I was your greatest competition.”

“And now,” he whispers, “you’re my greatest ally.” With one hand on her knee, he says, “I need you to push.”