Page 72 of The Best Friend Problem
“I got your message. I’m sorry I didn’t answer my phone. We were on a call. Is everything okay? What did the doctor say?”
“They haven’t been in yet.”
So many emotions passed over her face—worry, panic, confusion, anger—each one piercing his heart like tiny stabs from a hot poker.
“I’m sure everything will be fine.” He pulled her into his arms, trying to give her the reassurance she needed even if he knew nothing of the sort. “You’re going to be okay, the babies will be okay. I’m here for you, Pru. I love you.”
She stiffened in his arms. “You what?”
Shit.
Had he really said that? Out loud?
Yeah, he had. Dumb move. Now was not the time to tell Pru how he felt, but his brain was so scattered. Going from fear to relief back to fear all in the space of a few minutes kind of killed his mind-to-mouth filter.
“Finn, what the hell do you mean you—”
A soft knock on the door interrupted her. Finn stepped back, releasing her from the circle of his arms, but grabbing on to her hand. He knew he’d chosen the wrong moment to declare his feelings, but right now he needed the physical connection to her. Evidently, she needed it, too, because instead of wrenching her hand away, she held tight, squeezing as the doctor appeared.
“Ms. Carlson?”
Jim Gibbs, a doctor Finn had worked with before on a few emergency calls, stepped into the room.
“Dr. Gibbs.”
“Finn. I wasn’t aware this was a fire department emergency.”
“It’s not. Pru is my…she’s…we’re…” Shit! What did he call her? His girlfriend? His friend? His lover? None of those terms fit.
“Oh. I see.”
Thank God the doc did, because Finn couldn’t see anything beyond his blind panic.
“So, Ms. Carlson, I understand you are fifteen weeks pregnant with twins and experiencing some abdominal pain?”
“Yes.”
She squeezed his hand so tight he feared loss of circulation. Didn’t matter. He’d cut the damned thing off if it would help her in any way.
The doctor glanced at the chart in his hands. “Any bleeding? Excessive vomiting? Heart palpitations? Severe back pain?”
She shook her head. “No. My morning sickness disappeared about two weeks ago, and other than a little stiffness at the end of the day, my back is fine.”
“Okay, I believe I know what the issue is, but why don’t we have a look, just to make sure?” Dr. Gibbs grabbed the small, portable ultrasound machine from the corner of the room.
“Yes, please.”
Pru kept a tight grip on his hand as she lay back on the exam table, lifting her gown to expose her bare, round belly. He stood by her side, stroking her hair with his free hand, kissing her temple, whispering encouraging words he didn’t feel.
“Ah yes, this looks good.” Dr. Gibbs smiled at them. “See, baby one and baby two.”
He pointed to the screen, where Finn could see the two blobs had formed into almost human-like shapes. Holy crap!
“Healthy heartbeats, healthy sizes. Everything looks just fine, Ms. Carlson.”
The doctor pushed the machine away and handed Finn a tissue, which he used to gently wipe the goo off Pru’s belly.
“So what is this pain I’m experiencing?”
