The Billionaire's Baby (Key to My Heart Book 3) (5 page)

It was early. I wasn’t far enough along for the baby to come now.

"No!" I said, grabbing my belly while Lewis whipped out his cellphone and called an ambulance, "It cannot come now!"

It was only 34 weeks, we still had another month. Sebastian wasn't home, and I wasn't prepared.

"Calm down." Lewis whispered, staring at me, "Take a deep breath. They're going to be here any minute."

He slid the phone in his pocket and gently grabbed my shoulders, rubbing them with his warm palms.

I inhaled, holding the breath like a hostage in my lungs. My heart was pounding, my jeans were soaked through, though I was too terrified to care. Lewis pulled me up against him, as best he could with the giant baby bulge in between us, his hands now rubbing my back.

I clung to him, releasing the breath in a huge whoosh as a giant, crippling pain suddenly seemed to clamp down on my whole body.

With a sharp cry, I doubled over, Lewis catching me in his arms and helping me down to the ground.

"Remember to breathe." He whispered into my ear, rocking me back and forth as tears burst into my eyes.

I clung to his shoulder, burying my face against his cotton shirt like an ostrich burying her face into the dirt.

This couldn't be happening, not yet.

I struggled to keep my breathing calm and even, listening as the shrill whir of an ambulance rolled down the street.

The red and blue lights circled the inside of the shop as a few of the EMTs rushed inside.

In a blur of needles, blood pressure cuffs and phrases I didn't understand, they settled me in the ambulance.

"I'm coming with you." Lewis said firmly, leaping in beside me.

I felt his hand on my own, fingers interlacing with me own.

"It's going to be fine." He said gently, and his face was the only one I could see through the panic growing inside of me, "Everything will be okay."

"Karina." I gasped, "You need to call her right now."

"Already did." Lewis responded, grinning at me, "They're going to meet us there."

My eyes closed as another painful contraction rocked me. I gritted my teeth, gasping for breath.

I'd been mentally preparing myself for this for weeks, but it was unlike anything I'd ever experienced in my life. It was torture.

I could only hope that the baby made it through this fine. Poor little thing, it wasn't supposed to be ready yet.

Why had it decided now was the right moment to enter the world?

Quicker than I would have expected, I found myself being wheeled into the hospital with Lewis rushing at my side. Our hands still clenched tight, I squeezed his palm every time another contraction came on.

Despite the fact that I must have been yanking his fingers clean off, he didn't say a word.

"Macy!" Karina called as we reached the maternity ward.

She rushed forward, bending down to wrap her arms around me as Lewis's fingers only just slid away from my grasp.

"I'm okay." I said quietly, struggling to smile though it felt as though my entire body was turning against me.

"I know how it is." She responded gently, wiping hair away from my already damp forehead.

"We need to get her into a room, ma'am." The nurse said, pushing the wheelchair down the hall, "We need to see what's going on here."

"Of course." My mother in law responded quickly, following her.

Harry lingered behind us uncomfortably as Lewis followed Karina.

"Just us ladies." Karina said, frowning at Lewis as he attempted to come in the room.

"It's alight." I said, shaking my head as the nurse helped me up onto the hospital bed, "If he wants."

"I do want." Lewis said firmly, gently moving past Karina, "I need to make sure she's okay."

Karina stared at me, then Lewis, her lips pursing slowly. I could see something rising inside of her, her chest heaving just once. She chose, however, not to say anything at that moment.

Her premature grandchild was of the priority.

"Alright then, Mrs. Davis," The nurse said, handing me a hospital gown, "We're just going to get you changed into a hospital gown then, "Mr. Davis, could you give me a hand?"

Lewis balked, face going slightly pale as Karina stepped forward, "I'll help. Mr. Davis isn't here just yet." She took my hand in her own, shooting a death glare towards Lewis, "And you will turn around if you insist on being in here."

Obedient as a puppy dog, Lewis turned tail as Karina and the nurse wrestled me out of my clothes and into the gown.

Dr. Alvarez walked in as we finished, greeting me with a warm and sure grin. The woman had been with me every step of the way, there was no other doctor I would have trusted.

"Hello again, Macy." She said calmly, "I see we're a bit early, aren't we? Not too bad."

"Is it going to be okay?" I asked frantically, "It's too early!"

"Everything's going to be just fine." She replied, "But I'm going to have a look to make sure."

I nodded, allowing her to help my feet into the stirrups.

"Is Mr. Davis on his way?" She asked, glancing up towards me.

"Yes." Karina chimed in, "Bast is doing his best to get here as quickly as possible."

I bit my tongue, glaring at the ceiling.

If my husband hadn't left me behind in the first place, he could be here now.

But it wasn't him that was here. It was Lewis. Lewis was the only one I could count on, that was becoming more and more clear. Sebastian would put his business over even the birth of his own first child. Perhaps he was more invested in Alissa’s baby right now…

"He'll be here." Karina said gently, rubbing my shoulder as she observed my glare.

Why would he be? He was never there.

Just why did I expect this to be any different than normal?

"Alright." Dr. Alvarez sighed, scooting back in her wheelie stool as I put my legs down and sat up.

Lewis finally turned back around now that I was fully covered, the nurse gently draping a blanket over me. I hadn't even realized how cold I was, goosebumps exploding over the surface of my forearm.

"We're not fully dilated yet, so we have some time. I'd guess we have about ten hours." She said gently, "It's late, why don't we all try to rest while we can? I'll be checking in on you frequently."

"That’s a good idea." Karina said with a sigh, pressing her hand to her chest, "So everything's good, then."

"It's definitely going that way." Dr. Alvarez said, sweeping blond hair behind her ear as she inspected the monitoring devices, "So far so good. Is the pain medication in your IV helping?"

I nodded, trying not to look at all the different needles in the back of my hand.

When she left the room, Karina tucked the blanket further up by neck with a pensive shot at Lewis, who settled into the most uncomfortable looking chair while leaving the couch for Karina.

Harry, who watched the doctor leave, hesitantly poked his head in.

"Come in Harry." Karina said, glancing at me to make sure it was alright.

He walked in, settling in by Karina as he glanced towards me, "So have we had a baby yet?" He asked timidly while Karina stared at him in disbelief with a frown.

"Is Sebastian even on a flight yet?" Lewis asked from across the room.

"He's doing his very best, young man." Karina glared, "He's a very busy man, I’ll have you know."

Lewis just shook his head, crossing his arms.

The hours crawled by in a blur of intense pain and doctor checkups. Sometimes I managed to rest, but most of the time I Just struggled not to cry.

By the time the early morning rays crawled through the window, rousing a sleeping Harry, Sebastian was still nowhere to be seen. Karina hadn't given any updates on his status in quite a while, and I had given up all hope of him even arriving before the baby.

"Good morning, dear." The nurse whispered, creeping past a sleeping Lewis. With each hour that passed, the blond man had moved his chair closer and closer to my bedside.

"We're going to check your dilation one more time and then we think it'd be best to get an epidural if you're going to go that route. It's almost time."

"Yes." I cried, voice more demanding than I realized, "Oh god, yes."

I couldn't take the pain anymore, it was near constant.

"I thought you may feel that way." The nurse winked, "The anesthesiologist is on her way."

"It's time?" Lewis said, one eye cracking open as he hurriedly pulled himself up straighter.

"It's time?" Karina gasped, doing the same.

"Almost show time." The nurse responded, glancing towards the doctor as she entered the room.

"Open wide, sweetheart." Dr. Alvarez joked as she settled in front of my legs.

Lewis, thankfully, averted his gaze while Harry went pale and looked as though he may pass out.

"Yep." The doctor said, gesturing towards the anesthesiologist as she entered, "Let's get this show on the road. It's almost time to meet your baby. Just a few more hours now."

Carefully, they rolled me onto my side as Lewis settled in front of me, grabbing my hands.

"Will it hurt?" I asked him terrified of the gigantic needle that was going to be entering my spine. I'd watched videos of the procedure on YouTube the week before, almost wishing I'd never gotten pregnant.

"Not at all." He said gently, "If it does, you hold on tight."

I nodded, absorbed his green eyes as there was a strong pinch in my back.

I sucked in a deep breath, clinging to his hands for dear breath as I held my breath. The nurse gently rubbed my shoulder.

"All done." She said before I even knew it had happened, "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"No," I sighed, relieved, as they rolled me back onto my back. I felt like a beached whale.

"It'll take just a few minutes to set in." The doctor said as she scribbled on a chart.

Lewis still held my hands, thumb stroking my palm as I finally began to relax.

"Thank you." I murmured, turning my head to look at Lewis.

Just beyond him, in the doorway, stood my husband with a bouquet of pink and blue flowers, watching us in silence.

"Hello." I whispered, as Sebastian Davis finally entered the room.

"Alright, Macy!" Dr. Alvarez said firmly, "I just need one more big push."

Just how the hell did she sound so calm when it felt like my entire body was going to be torn apart?

I felt as though I were having an out of body experience, the noises come from within me were so guttural and unreal, my body was acting on its own volition.

Sebastian held my hand tight, and thighs he were speaking to me, I couldn't hear the words coming from his perfect lips.

Harry, Karina, and Lewis were ousted to the waiting room as soon as I began pushing.

I couldn't bear the thought of them watching something so intimate. Though I let Sebastian stay, I almost had him expelled as well. He hadn't been there through the whole of my pregnancy, why should he get to be in the room while the baby was born?

Suddenly, stars burst in front of my eyes as the doctor leaned forward, a baby in her hands.

I gasped for relief as Sebastian stared, eyes huge. This time, it was his hand that clung to mine as he leaned heavily against the bed.

"There was really a baby in there." He murmured, as though he were shocked to believe it.

He turned his gaze to me, hand cupping my face, "You did so well, Macy." He whispered, "You did so damn well."

Tears of happiness poured down my face. It was over, I was done. I didn't think I'd really be able to have that baby, it seemed as though it'd never end.

I waited to hear those first precious cries from the child, but it was quiet.

"The baby?" I managed to ask, lightheaded, "Is everything okay?"

Sebastian somehow tore his gaze away from me, looking expectantly towards the doctor.

"Dr. Alvarez?" He asked, fingers going slightly limp in mine, "Doctor?"

Her back to him, she and the other two nurses huddled over a small table, their hands working quicker than I could believe. It was like magic.

The baby, was it okay? Was it a boy? Was it a girl?

"Doctor?" I gasped, struggling to straighten up as Sebastian helped me, "You have to tell us."

Suddenly, a high pitched squeal erupted from the tiny little baby as Dr. Alvarez slowly turned around, sweet, tiny little bundle in her arms.

"It's a girl." She whispered, wiping at her forehead, "You have a new baby girl."

"A girl..." Sebastian murmured.

As I turned to look at him, I could have sworn I Saw a tear of joy in the corner of his eye, though that could have simply been a trick of my dizziness and the light.

Dr. Alvarez crossed the room, laying the newborn on my chest. It writhed a bit, giving a heavy sigh and closing its tired eyes.

"She’s having a bit of trouble breathing on her own." The doctor said gently, her voice calm as ever, "We're going to have to incubate her for the at least night and give her antibiotics. We’ll know more in the morning."

"She can't stay here?" I whispered, "I want her with me."

I could feel desperation rising inside of me as one of the nurses approached for my new baby. I couldn't give her away, I couldn't let her leave me.

Sebastian gently took my chin in his strong, sturdy hand, turning my face towards him.

"We have to let her get stronger." He said gently, "We have to do what's best for her, even if it's not what we want."

I bit my lip, turning my gaze down towards the sleeping little angel. She had a tuft of dark hair on her head, just like her daddy.

Slowly, I allowed the nurse to take her. Sebastian was right. We needed to do what was best.

"I'll come back and check on you in a bit." The doctor said, "I'm going to help Baby get settled in for now."

I simply nodded, watching as they all exited the room.

Exhausted, I collapsed back against the bed, turning my attention towards my husband.

"How could you leave me for so long?" I asked him tears brimming in my eyes, exhaustion was overwhelming, even now, the room was going dark, "How could you leave us?"

The last thing I saw before slipping into a drained sleep, was the sadness of his blue eyes.

When I woke, it was dark again outside.

Lewis and Harry were gone, but Karina sat on the couch in the corner, eyes in a book.

Sebastian was also missing, though that hardly surprised me.

"How are you feeling, dear?" Karina asked when she realized I was moving around.

"The baby, were is she?" I asked, glancing around.

Even though I'd slept all day, I was still so tired. Maybe it was the medication they'd given me.

"She's being taken very well care of." Karina said gently, standing up to move to my side.

A nurse walked in with a chart, surprised to see me awake.

"Well good morning, sunshine." She chuckled, even though it was dark out, "How are you?"

"Is she okay?" I asked desperately.

My heart ached with every inch that child was away from me.

"How about we go see her?" The nurse replied, waving in a wheelchair, "Does that sound good?"

I almost cried out of joy, allowing them to help me get settled in the chair.

Every inch of my body hurt, but my heart had the strongest pain out of all.

"Can I hold her?" I asked the nurse.

"For a moment, I'm sure." She replied cheerily, pushing me through the halls as Karina followed.

As we turned the hall into a new room, I saw a lone figure at the end.

His back to me, his once perfectly pressed suit jacket lay tossed on a chair. His body swayed back and forth, every muscle in his strong shoulders rippling slightly beneath his button up shirt.

When he turned, his perfect blue eyes glanced up in surprise.

"You're awake." He said gently, moving towards me with a small pink bundle in his arms.

He knelt down, pressing the child into my arms.

I stared down at her, admiring the perfect curve of her lower lip and the way her nose crinkled.

"She’s beautiful." Sebastian said gently, "Just like her mother."

I glanced at him in disbelief, attention turning back to the baby as she gurgled.

"Do you want to try and feed her?" The nurse asked, "I can help you."

I nodded quickly, glancing up at Karina.

"Why don't we grab some coffee?" My mother in law said to Sebastian, "We'll meet you back in the hospital room."

I nodded, watching their backs fade around the hall.

Feeding that child was way more complicated than I would have believed. It hadn't been easy, and I wasn't sure it'd even been successful. We'd only had a short time before the baby was needed back in the incubator.

Dr. Alvarez was waiting when I was wheeled back into the hospital room.

"Good to see you out and about." She said happily, "I'll be releasing you tomorrow morning. You’re doing great."

"We can go home?" I asked excitedly, "Really?"

"Well, darling," Sebastian began gently, squeezing my shoulder, "You get to go home. The baby needs to stay a bit longer..."

I turned my gaze back to the doctor, almost leaping out of the chair to go bet my baby back, "No. I won't go without her. She needs me."

"She needs you to understand that she needs a little longer to stabilize." Dr. Alvarez said gently, a conversation she had with much routine, "She didn't finish developing, she needs a bit of extra time to get nice, strong lungs."

"I can't abandon her." I whispered, sinking back in the chair as though I were melting away, "I can't leave her."

"She's in the best of care." Sebastian said softly, "We can come see her every day until she comes home."

"Of course you wouldn't care about leaving her." I shot back angrily, "You leave all the time, don't you?"

He cleared his throat, clearly taken aback by the venom on my tongue.

The doctor arched a blond eyebrow, shifting her feet, "Well, okay then, I'm going to make sure the discharge papers are ready for tomorrow morning." She finally said, nodding her head as she escaped the sudden tension between us.

"Now, now." Karina said, holding up her hands, "Is this really the place for such a thing? You two have better things to discuss, like what you’ll name that beautiful little girl."

I allowed Sebastian to help me back in bed, not making eye contact with him as I rolled over.

I was tired, and it was the time for sleep. I didn’t want to talk about names yet, I didn’t want anything but for my baby to be in my arms.

Though, there was one more thing that I did want. I wanted my relationship with my child’s father to make sense for more than five minutes.

By the time we left the next morning after a long goodbye with the newest addition to our family, I had still not said a single word to the man I'd married.

Now that the baby was here, I had to start thinking about our happiness.

Would she be happy growing up in a family where the parents cared so little for each other?

Or would it be best to break away from all that had become my life?