His voice started to cut out and she knew that it the phone from seconds away from dying, ending her call to him.
“Skylar. Can... hear...?”
“Nate. I love you.” Those were the last words she said before the screen went black.
She cried as she threw her phone across the car. She should have never taken out her bloody charger. If she had left it where it was, she would be still talking to Nate, until someone arrived. Now, she was lying in the back of her car, listening to the noises outside. A dog started barking, further up the road from what she could tell. She never should have turned down a road that she didn’t know very well.
She would remember that for next time, if she ever decided to take a trip by herself. After the way Nate was on the phone, there was no way she was ever going anywhere by herself anymore. And that didn’t bother her one single bit.
Closing her eyes, she laid there, waiting for the next pain to overtake her body. She really hoped it was Braxton Hicks and not actual labour. She was upset with herself letting all the stress get to her. She knew it was wrong to do so, but when you cared so much for a friend that you classed as a sister to you, you would do anything in your power to do what you could to help them. No matter the cost to yourself. But it wasn’t just her anymore. Rubbing over her large belly, she knew she had another to think about besides Nate. Their child. Their child came before anyone else. It came before her. It came before Nate. This was a miracle child. It brought her and Nate back together. It gave her a meaning to be here. To love another besides Nate, unconditionally. Her world revolved around this child she was carrying, nothing else. Nothing else mattered besides her child and Nate.
******
N
ate threw his phone across the seat beside him. He knew he should have followed Skylar the moment she left his place, but he thought that maybe given a little time she would be back. When the first hour went by, it didn’t bother him so much, but as it rounded close to the four-hour mark, he was livid. He tried so many times calling her, but no bloody answer. How could she just drive around for so long? He was close to ripping his house apart; he needed to know where she was.
When his phone rung, he missed it. He was on another call. He was trying to figure out if she had driven to any of the places that they had went to. Ready to dial Craig’s number, his phone rung in his hand. Once he answered it, his heart started to beat like it was for the first time, again. Hearing her voice come across the phone was a blessing. He was super pissed at her, but he was happy.
He needed to tell her exactly how he felt. And he was ready to really let her have it, until she told him that she could be in labour. Now, he was driving as fast and as safe as he could to get to her. He hated hearing her in pain over the phone; he couldn’t do a damn thing from where he was for her. He prayed that she wasn’t in labour. It was way too early for that to happen, it couldn’t happen yet.
He was only thirty minutes into getting to her, when his phone rung. He reached over for it where he threw it last, and answered.
“Yeah.”
“I’m here, Nate. But she isn’t opening the door. I don’t know if she is asleep, or unconscious.”
Seriously, this was all screwed up. “Can’t you just break into her car; it shouldn’t be that bloody hard?.”
“Sorry, I left my break-in kit at home, Nate. Come on. Give me a second and I’ll see what I can do,” Joey said.
He heard Joey obviously talking to his brother on the other end. After arguing, there was a loud crash heard over the line. “What the fuck was that?”
“Jet broke the back window. He’s climbing in now and unlocking the door.”
“Why couldn’t you have done something else, instead of that?”
“Do you want me to get in there or not? It was the only option. If I started to fuck around with the locks, we’d still be waiting.”
Ok, well he didn’t want that. He heard the door open. “She is still breathing, her pulse is steady, cold to the touch. Skylar, can you hear me?”
God he hoped she was all right. He pushed down harder on the accelerator; he was only fifteen minutes out from her. He had called
000
, before he left his place, giving the exact area as to where Skylar was. He explained the situation to them, and they would be there, minutes after he would be arrive. At the rate he was speeding, he would be there within five to ten minutes.
“Skylar, sweetheart. Open your eyes,” Joey said.
“What’s going on?” He needed to know all the details.
“Jet’s just wrapped a blanket around her. She’s getting colour back to her face, but still out cold.”
“Can’t you just slap her a little to wake her up?”
“There is no way I am doing that. One, I won’t live it down from you, and two, I’m not dealing with a pregnant woman pissed at me from slapping her.”
He couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Fine. But you need to do something to wake her up. At this point I really don’t care what it is, Joey.”
“Go to my truck and grab the water bottle in back!” Joey yelled out, and Nate assumed he was talking to his brother.
The silence was killing him. Nothing was said, no noises were heard as he turned down the road she was apparently on.
Finally, he heard her groan across the line. He had been holding his breath, waiting to hear anything from her.
“How is she?”
“Skylar, its Joey. Can you hear me, darling?”
“Nate.”
“Nate’s will be here very soon, Skylar. Can you tell me if anything hurts?”
He loved hearing his name come from her mouth.
He could see both Skylar and Joey’s cars ahead. Screeching to a stop, he launched himself out of his truck and ran towards them.
“Baby.”
Just seeing her curled up in her backseat, shivering but still moving, was a blessing. Moving to the passenger side, he kneeled up on and looked over the seat, so he could see her better.
He watched as her body pulled taut, both of her hands quickly going to her belly, as she moaned.
He grabbed for her hand, and held it, as she squeezed.
Looking over at Joey, he said, “She can’t be in labour. It’s not possible yet.”
“I don’t know, Nate. But by the look of it, she is.”
Red and blues lights started flashing from the back end of the car; the sirens from the ambulance were getting louder and louder as it stopped behind all the cars on the road. Nate never moved from where he was. Joey jumped out and ran over to where the paramedics were grabbing their things.
“It hurts, Nate,” she cried as she dug her nails into his hand.
“I know, baby. Just breathe through it. The paramedics are here to help you.”
The backdoor nearest to him opened as a paramedic stood there. “Skylar, my name is Janice. Can you tell me what is going on?” the female paramedic asked.
“I started having these sharp pains, across my back and stomach. I think I’m in labour.” She gritted her teeth from the apparent pain she was in.
“Ok. I’m going to check you over; can you sit up for me so it is easier to access you?”
“I don’t think I can,” she mumbled.
“That’s fine. I’m going to come in here and lean over you.” Janice climbed into the back the best she could and did exactly what she said. “Danny, can you do the same on your side, please,” she instructed the other paramedic.
There was no way he was moving from where he was. Skylar still had a grip of his hand, as they started poking and prodding her. Another shot of pain took over her body, as Janice placed her hand over her belly. “Danny, you need to see if she has dilated at all.”
“No!” Nate growled. There was no freaking way he was going to sit back and watch as some male was going to check down there.
“Sir, we need to see if she is dilating. If she is, we need to move this along real quick.”
“I don’t want him going down there. You, on the other hand, can,” he gritted out.
“Ok. Danny, swap places with me.” Janice removed herself from his side as Danny came around and placed his hand over her stomach. Even though he was a paramedic and just doing his job, he bloody hated it. He couldn’t contain the growl that he let out.
Ignoring him, Janice continued, “Skylar, I need you to pull your knees up to your bottom and spread them apart.”
Nodding, she did as she was asked. Janice placed one hand down on her lower stomach and the other between her legs. Skylar gasped, and Nate stroked his thumb over her wrist as he sat there waiting to see what the verdict was.
Removing her hand from Skylar, Janice said, “You’re only dilated two-centimetres. How far apart are the contractions?”
Looking towards Nate and back to the female paramedic, she whispered, “I haven’t really been keeping track of them.”
“You had a contraction five minutes ago, when we arrived, right?”
“Yes.”
“Danny, can you go and grab the gurney?” Janice asked her partner, before turning back to them. “We are going to place you on the gurney and take you up to the hospital. When you feel another one coming on, let me know, so I can record the time in between.”
Skylar nodded, and Janice smiled down at her, while they waited until the male paramedic came back with the gurney. “Skylar, I need you as best you can to move closer to the door, so we can help you onto the gurney.”
Nate jumped out of the car, and ran around to the side that they were taking her out from. Once she was on the gurney, they pushed her towards the back of the ambulance.
Facing Joey and his brother, Nate asked, “Can you get someone to come and pick up Skylar’s car, and it will need to be towed home. And can one you follow me to the hospital.”
“Jet can organise the tow truck, he has a friend that does that for a living. I’ll follow you,” Joey said.
“Thank you both for being here, when I couldn’t. You have no idea what it means, that you both dropped whatever you were doing and did this for the us.”
“Nate, we are all family. We stick together no matter what. You know I would have been here for the two of you,” Joey said as his slapped Nate on the back in a friendly jester.
“Well, thank you.”
“You better get in the back of that ambulance, Skylar doesn’t look too happy at being there without you.”
“Ok. I’ll see you at the hospital. Can you give Chantal a ring? I left Dom a message to give me a call back.”
“Will do, Nate.”
Nate took off towards the back of the ambulance. He needed to touch her again, hear her voice, anything to remind him that she was all right. Sitting beside her as the ambulance started to move, he heard Janice talking to dispatch up front. They were calling it in for a doctor to be on standby as soon as they arrived.
Knowing their child could be in danger of coming early scared the life out of him. He started reading the books that Skylar had at her house, and read about premature birth. Only a small percentage survived after the first few weeks. He wouldn’t be able to handle it if he lost his child over a stupid argument, over a secret that he shouldn’t have kept from her.
He really couldn’t think of that, he needed to be here for Skylar and the baby. Whatever happened, they would deal with it, when it came. Not earlier.
––––––––
C
hantal sat in Dom’s truck, as still as possible. If she moved the smallest inch, she would be all over him, so she did as she was told, and sat there. When she had opened Nate’s front door, her heart leaped out of her chest, the seam between her legs was damp, and her nipples hardened. He stood there in a tight pair of black leather pants, boots and a black studded belt. That was it. Nothing more. His chest glistened in the light coming from the hallway. His own nipples were taut from the slight breeze coming through the open door. Every single one of his muscles, above his waist, was on display. Licking her lips as her eyes travelled over his beautiful body, she knew she could never get enough of him.
It was all still a dream to her—that this man, standing in front of her, wanted her as bad as she wanted him. This was a long time coming. She had almost been to the point that she was close to giving up on him, on them. Thank God, he never did on her.
Not one word was mentioned between them since they had left Nate’s place. She was nervous; she didn’t want to say the wrong thing, to make him turn the truck around and drop her off at home. She had never kept this still or quite, ever.
She felt the truck turn left, then right, and then all of a sudden it pulled to a stop. All she heard was the gravel under the tyres as he slowly stopped. His door opened and closed, and then hers opened, making her jump slightly. She had no idea where he was taking her; the only thing that she hoped was that it wasn’t somewhere public. She could not wear what she was out in public. It was too revealing, although, it was sexy, it was for something at home, not displaying what you have to the world.
Spinning, she faced the door. Dom reached for her hand, and very slowly helped her down. She stood there on shaky legs, waiting to see what he would say or do next. Closing the door, he told her, “I’ll walk ahead. I want you to hold on to me, as we move.”
He placed her hands on the top of his pants, and she slid her fingers into them and gripped. He stepped forward and, step-by-step, she followed slowly behind. He stopped and she heard a door open. “Step,” He instructed.
As soon as she walked through the door, she heard
Skin
by Rihanna playing in the background; there was no other noise but that song. No one talking, no other movement but from them. She couldn’t tell where she was due to the silence in whatever room they were in. The temperature in the room was mild, no breeze whatsoever.
Her body was covered in a light mist of sweat. She was unsure whether it was from the excitement for what was going to be unveiled or her nerves over the night, but she trusted Dom with everything she had. He would never mislead her in any way—well, she hoped he never would.
Dom stopped in front of her. Her hands moved from his pants as he held them in his own. “Chantal, I’m going to leave you for just a second. I need you to stand where you are for that time. Do you understand?”