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He’s not going anywhere.
Crazy Carly and Jealous Jenna and Petty Penelope—or whoever was his past—no longer matter. I won’t let his past come between our future.
I end up falling asleep on the couch and vaguely remember Alex carrying me to my room and tucking me into bed. His lips brushed along my cheek before I fell deeper into sleep.
“Holy fuck,” I shout, sitting up in bed. A sharp pain stabs me in the back, waking me up from a dead sleep. Pressing my hand against my lower back, I trying adding pressure to where the pain is, but it doesn’t let up.
“Shit,” I mutter, shifting my body to see if that works. I’ve never felt this kind of pain before, and it feels much worse than just a regular back spasm.
I sit on the edge of the bed and try taking a few deep breaths. The stabs keep coming, stronger now, and I’m worrying it might be the start of labor.
“Alex!” I shout through the pain. I’m not sure he can hear me, so I say his name again. When I get no response, I reach for my phone and call him. I don’t hear his phone ringing in the next room or him, so I somehow manage to get up and walk into the hallway. “Alex! I think the baby’s coming!”
I thought for sure that’d wake him up, but since it’s two in the morning, he’s probably in a dead sleep. I knock on his door before walking in, another sharp stab riveting down my spine. “Fuck!”
Flicking the light on, I look around and see he’s not in bed. The sheets are pulled back, but he’s not here. “What the hell?”
I search the bathroom next, and it’s empty. Then I walk into the living room and kitchen—nothing! Where the hell could he be in the middle of the night?
“Ah! Oh my God!” I lean over the kitchen table, panting and trying to breathe through the pain. About thirty seconds go by, then I’m able to walk back to my room and grab my phone. I call him again with no answer, then text him. My entire back feels like it’s contracting, and I’m so goddamn pissed that Alex isn’t here.
Why the hell would he leave in the middle of the night and not tell me when he knows I’m eight months pregnant?
I decide to call John next just in case there was another cattle emergency. When he doesn’t answer, I call Jackson. “Fuck,” I shout. Evan’s phone is always on, but I hate to call him since he lives a half hour away. He probably works in a few hours, too, but after calling Dylan and not getting a response, I have no choice but to call him.
“River?” he answers, picking up right away. “Everything okay?”
“No,” I whimper. “I think I’m going into labor, and Alex isn’t home. He’s not picking up my calls.”
“What’s wrong? Did your water break?”
“No, but I woke up with these really sharp stabbing pains in my back, and they last for about thirty seconds, but they take my breath away. They just came out of nowhere.”
“How much time between when they stop and start up again?”
“Um…I don’t know. A few minutes, maybe?”
“Okay, hang tight. I’m on my way.”
I feel so unprepared even though I’ve been reading What to Expect When You’re Expecting with Alex for the last couple of months. He surprised me one day when he came home and said he’d ordered it for me. I started reading it while he was at work all day, then when he’d get home, I’d recap all the highlights, so he knew some of the basics, too. I’ve worked with kids and babies for years, but it just feels so different when you know it’s going to be yours, and you have to take this baby home and raise it.
Another sharp pain rips through me, and I swear they’re getting more and more intense. I text Alex three more times before calling again and leaving another voice message. Finally, as my last resort, I call Mrs. Bishop.
“Hello?” she answers, sleep evident in her voice.
“Hi, I’m so sorry to wake you, but I can’t find Alex. He’s not answering his phone, and neither are Jackson and John. Do you know if there was an emergency or anything that he would’ve needed to leave for?” I ramble on as quickly as I can, then wonder if she caught any of that.
“River, darlin’ is that you?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m in a lot of pain, and Alex isn’t home. Do you have any idea where he could be?”
She curses under her breath, and I hear her muttering her husband’s name. “Scott, wake up. Did you send the boys out recently?”
A few silent moments pass until I finally hear his mumbled response. “No, why?”
