Page 68 of Penalty Kill

“You need to calm down. Everything’s going to be okay.” Madi’s words didn’t seem to reach him.

He just kept going back and forth until the door opened and the doctor stepped out. He nodded once at us before walking away, and we flooded back into the room.

Chloe looked stunned, and Reese’s face was white.

“What’s going on?” Erik demanded.

“It’s time,” Chloe announced.

“What? I thought you had a few more hours,” he argued.

“The baby is showing signs of distress. They don’t want to wait for him to get critical,” Reese explained.

“Are they doing a C-section?” I asked.

Chloe nodded silently.

The women moved to surround her, whispering.

I moved to Reese. “This is a good thing. Your baby will be out in just a few minutes and they can start treating him and work on getting Chloe healthy again.”

He nodded, but he still looked terrified.

“You’re about to become a dad.” I squeezed his shoulder. “Don’t let fear take this moment away from you.”

He met my eyes and smiled. “You’re right.”

A nurse walked in and told us it was time to take them, so we moved out of the way. For several moments, no one spoke.

Erik fell back onto the chair. “Our parents should be here. They would know what to say to make it better.”

Madi wrapped her arms around him. “They’re here. They’re watching over her and baby boy.”

I felt like I was interrupting a moment, so I slipped out of the room. Olli, Emma, and Sydney followed. She walked past me and glanced over her shoulder. “Come on.”

We ended up at the end of another quiet hall. She stopped and crossed her arms over her chest. I didn’t know what to say. I had no words left.

“Emma called and said that Chloe wanted me here,” she said to the ground. “I tried to tell myself she had enough people to take care of her. Whatever was going on, she didn’t need me.” She shook her head. “It took me about two seconds to realize that even though it was true, it didn’t matter. Chloe’s my friend, and she wanted me here. After all she’s done to help me, how could I possibly say no?”

She finally looked at me. “I’m not a bad person. I don’t desert people, especially when they need me.”

I was tempted to argue that, but she kept going.

“From the moment we met, she accepted me. She stood by me when I needed someone the most. She never once let me down. I didn’t have a choice. I had to come.”

“But you have a choice with me and the boys?” I was trying to understand, but it felt like she was speaking in code.

“You were changing my mind, Brandon,” she rushed out. “Before you left. Before the accident happened. I thought.” She shrugged. “I thought about staying.”

“So, what changed?” I asked the one thing that had been bothering me for weeks.

“You pulled away.” The disappointment in her voice was a punch to the gut.

“You were hurt. I was letting you heal.”

She sighed. “Chloe, Emma, and Addison—women I barely knew from the Pride—came every single day. They kept me company, they told me to push through and not give up, they were there. Every. Single. Day.”

“So was I.”