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owen
“No! Damn it.”I turned from where I was working to see Carolina slam her hands on the wheel of her car angrily. I set the wood down and walked over to her, knocking on the window to get her attention.
“Everything okay?”
She faced me, grabbing the handle and rolled down her window. Much like her apartment, this little thing was running on prayers. “My car won’t start.”
“I can see that,” I said, tucking my hands into my pockets to keep me from touching her. The urge got stronger every time I was near her. The longing to take care of her in every way was nearly unbearable.
“I’m going to be late for my appointment.”
“I can take you,” I tilted my head toward my truck. “C’mon, and then we’ll come back and see what’s going on with this.”
Pulling a hand free, I opened her door for her and stepped back to help her out. She looked at my outstretched hand like it might burn her before she slipped hers into it. My eyes fell to the soft swell of her belly where that babe was growing safely, and my chest ached.
“Thanks, Owen. I feel like I owe you a hundred times over by now.”
“It’s not a big deal. I like helping you.”
We walked to the truck, my words hanging between us. She didn’t say anything else as I pulled the door open and let her climb in before carefully closing it on her. I hurried to my side, climbed in, and started the truck. We drove in silence toward the main road as she remained lost in her thoughts.
“I’m going to need directions, Carolina.”
“Oh, right, sorry. We’re going to Pleasant Lake General.”
I nodded, and once again, we fell into silence. There were a thousand things I wanted to say, but none of them seemed appropriate. Just when I worked myself into saying something, I chickened out. Instead, I spent the drive stealing glances at her out of the corner of my eye, wondering if I was a perv for crushing this hard on a pregnant woman.
“Do you want to come in with me?” She clicked her buckle and turned to look at me.
Her question caught me off-guard, and I stared at her in surprise. “Your ex isn’t meeting you?”
“It’s—” She frowned for a second. “It’s complicated. You’re welcome to join me if you’d like.”
“Sure, I’d love that.” I smiled at her, undoing my belt.
I hopped out, rushing to meet her on the other side. I caught the door as she pushed it open, offering her my hand again as she climbed out awkwardly.
“Thanks, Owen.”
“Anything for you.” The words slipped off my tongue before I could catch them and Carolina stared up at me in shocked silence. A long time went by before either of us did or said anything. But finally, Carolina snapped out of it and walked right by me, heading up to the hospital.
Moron.
I hurried to catch up with her, following her through the hallways of the hospital like a puppy. Maybe to her, I was.
She stopped outside of the ultrasound department and nodded at the waiting room chairs, “I just have to check-in. I’ll be over in a moment.”
“Alright.”
I kept one eye on her as I walked over to the chairs, sinking into them as she signed herself in. After a few minutes, Carolina returned to my side. I wanted to know why she’d offered me the opportunity to go with her. This felt like something a family member should join her for, not her boss, but she didn’t look ready to answer any questions. She was too nervous, jittery, and chewing on her lip.
“Everything’s going to be okay.” I touched her hand, making her look up at me.
“The last time I was here, they told me they couldn’t find a heartbeat.”
I frowned, unable to imagine everything she’d been through trying to get to this point. The heartbreaks she had endured up until now.
“Everything’s going to be okay,” I repeated, taking her hand in mine and squeezing it.
