The Tyrant (Banker #3)(21)
He shook his head. “The only way we’ll be family is if Cato marries you. And that’ll never happen.” He walked past me and headed to the office where he and Cato usually met.
Getting married had never been important to me, but now that Martina was almost here, I wished Cato and I were something more. I wished he would tell me he loved me. I wished he weren’t just the father of my child…but also my husband. But I couldn’t rush Cato into anything. If I questioned him about it, I would only be met with his silence.
Cato walked out of the kitchen, dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt. “Everything alright?”
“Your brother is waiting for you in the office.”
Cato knew me better than anyone, even my own brother. He could read my body language like it was words written on a page. Even feelings I tried to hide from him somehow got pulled to the surface. “What did he say to you?”
“Nothing.”
He didn’t believe me at all. “What did he say, Siena?”
“Nothing that I want to disclose.” I moved past him. “I’ll see you later.”
I couldn’t sleep at all.
She was kicking so hard. In the beginning, it was cute, but now it was just annoying. Her feet slammed on my belly constantly, my feet were so swollen, and everything hurt. It didn’t matter what the AC was set to, I was always hot. I became so uncomfortable that I didn’t even want sex, which was shocking since my lover was Cato, the most beautiful man in the world.
I rolled from side to side then eventually settled, breathing through the discomfort as I fantasized about it being over. Labor would be painful and terrifying, and even when I returned from the hospital, I would be sore and exhausted. On top of that, I would have to take care of a crying baby nonstop. I had a long way to go before I had a good night’s sleep.
I suddenly felt a sensation between my legs, a flood of wetness that dripped over my thighs and to the mattress beneath me. “Oh god…” Both of my hands flew to my stomach as the panic settled in.
Cato was instantly awake at my words. “Baby, what is it? What’s wrong?” He opened his eyes, and his hand flew to my stomach.
“My water just broke…”
He stilled at the announcement, taking it in while half asleep. Then he sprang into action. “Alright. Let’s get you to the hospital.” He grabbed his phone off the nightstand and told his men to prepare the car for the hospital. Then he called someone and told them to prepare for my arrival. He pulled on jeans and a t-shirt with a jacket then helped me change into my clothes for the hospital.
“I can’t believe this is happening…”
“She’s here, baby.” He helped me slip on my shoes. “She’s coming. All we have to do is push her out.”
I scoffed. “You mean, I have to push her out. As if that’s going to be easy.”
“Easy or hard, you will do it.” He stood upright then got my jacket around my shoulders. “The hardest part is coming, but soon, it’ll all be over. The three of us will be home in no time.” He grabbed my bag from the dresser and then took me by the hand. “It’ll be alright, I promise.”
By the time I arrived at the hospital, the contractions had started.
And Jesus, they were painful.
I was put into a room right away with the nurses and the doctor, and after my examination, they said she was already coming.
“Wait, aren’t I supposed to sit around for like ten hours before I go into real labor?” I wasn’t prepared to give birth right this second. Everything was moving so fast. I was about to be a mother. Oh my god, I’m about to be a mother.
“No, the baby is coming now,” the doctor said. “I’m going to need you to start pushing.”
I looked at Cato, like I expected him to fix this somehow.
He stood at my bedside and held my hand. “She doesn’t like to waste time. She’s definitely my daughter.”
“I don’t think I can do it.” I looked into his blue eyes and admitted my weakness. I was usually strong, regardless of the situation, but right now, I was terrified. “My mom’s not here, and I always thought she would be here… I can’t do this. I can’t push this person out of my body. It’s not physically possible.”
“Baby, baby.” He gripped my hand. “Calm down.”
“You calm down,” I hissed.
“I’m sorry your mother couldn’t be here, but I am here. We’ll get through this together. There’s no time to be scared, Siena. Our daughter needs you to push, so you need to start pushing. Think about her.”
That seemed to be the exact advice I needed. Now that she was coming into the world, I wasn’t important anymore. She was the most important thing in our lives, and instead of giving in to the fear, I needed to get her into my arms as quickly as possible. “Alright…I can do it.”
“I know you can, baby.”
Hours later, she arrived.
The doctor cleaned her up and wrapped her in a warm pink blanket before he carried her to me. She was crying at the top of her lungs, but the sound didn’t irritate me at all. It was a normal reaction when entering the cold air of the world. “Here she is.” He handed her over.