Page 71 of The Best Friend Problem
She hung up, clutching her phone tightly in her grip.
“He didn’t answer.” She glanced up to Lilly, fear once again causing her voice to tremble. “Probably on a call or something.”
Lilly helped her stand and gently led her to the door, face filled with sympathy and concern.
“Oh, sweetie, I’m sure he’ll call you as soon as he can. Finn cares about you and the babies, but his job—”
“His job is important.” She knew that. He had a very important, very dangerous job that would always come before any other obligation in his life. Like kids or a relationship. She didn’t need to be reminded of it.
But, apparently, she did, because for the past few weeks, they’d been playing house, pretending everything was fine and they could carry on with this situation that looked remarkably like a real relationship. The forever kind.
But things weren’t fine. Something was wrong. She needed Finn and he wasn’t here for her. That wasn’t entirely fair of her to think, but her mind was so consumed with fear for the twins, all rationality had flown away. The only thing she knew was that she was scared, she needed Finn, and he wasn’t here for her.
…
Finn had never driven faster in his life, not even in the fire truck with sirens blaring. The moment he got Pru’s voicemail, his heart shot up into his throat.
Finn, I’m having some slight pain.
Pain. Pru was in pain. Where was the pain? How bad was it? Was she okay? Were the babies okay? The fear in her voice came through clear as a bell in her message, even though he knew she’d tried to hide it. Dammit! If he ever found the punk that pulled that prank fire alarm they’d been called to, he would make the kid scrub the rig for a solid month with nothing but a toothbrush.
Luckily, the station wasn’t too far away from the urgent care, and the chief had given him the all-clear to take off. No one pulled him over. Even if they had, he would have explained the situation and gotten a police escort. He knew a lot of men and women on the force, having worked with them from time to time. Cops and firefighters might have a rivalry on the baseball field for the annual charity game, but off pitch, they both worked to keep the city safe. They needed each other. And right now, he needed to get to Pru.
He’d never heard distress like that in her voice before. Not even when her aunt Rose took a turn for the worse and they knew the end was coming. Pru was always so strong, so fearless. Truth be told, his gut had jumped up into his throat the moment she uttered his name in a broken whisper on the message. It hadn’t settled since.
He never dreamed of being a father. It hadn’t been his plan to have kids, ever. But when Pru told him she was pregnant, something sparked to life inside of him. No. That’s wasn’t it. Something in him had always sparked when it came to Pru, he’d just been damned good at shoving it way deep down into the darkest corner of his soul. But it was becoming harder and harder to deny the truth.
He loved Pru.
It was time to stop hiding the way he felt. They were friends, lovers, and they were having babies together. Time for him to man up and have a good sit down with her. A heart to heart. He knew she had to feel…something for him. Pru didn’t sleep with people on a whim. There had to be some secret feelings she’d buried like he had. Otherwise none of this would have happened. Right?
First things first.
He had to get to the doctor and make sure the woman he loved and the unborn babies who already held his heart in the palms of their tiny hands were all okay. Everything else he could deal with later.
He pulled into the urgent care parking lot, racing inside to find Mo and Lilly pacing the waiting room floor. But no Pru.
“Where is she?”
The two women stopped their frantic movement, both staring at him in shock.
“Finn?” Lilly raised her brow, pushing her glasses back up her nose when they slipped down.
He cut her off. “I got Pru’s message. I was on a call, but as soon as I could, I raced over here and—”
“It’s okay, Finn.” Mo came over to his side, giving him a strong hug for such a small woman. “She’s back in the exam room now. Can he go back?” She angled her head to the side, speaking to the woman at the front desk. “He’s the father.”
The woman nodded, smiling softly at him. “Room Four. Just straight on back and on your right, sir.”
With a slight nod, he gave Lilly and Mo an appreciative smile, or as much of a smile as he could muster with all this fear and adrenaline rushing through his veins. Pulling away from Mo, he turned and rushed down the hallway, stopping in front of the light brown door with the number four on it. He needed to take a moment and breathe. Pru needed him to be calm, in control. He had to be strong for her. He couldn’t rush in there all high-strung and freaked out. It wouldn’t be good for her or the babies.
He ran a hand over the top of his head, fingers tangling in his hair, tugging on his scalp, trying to use the slight sting to center himself. After a deep breath where his heart went from a hundred to a mere ninety miles an hour, he decided it was the best he could do. With a quick knock and the turn of the knob, he entered the room to find the woman he loved sitting on the exam room table wearing nothing but a cloth gown and a worried expression.
“Pru.” His heart slowed at the sight of her. Rushing to her side, he cupped her face in his hands, a small measure of relief filling him at seeing her sitting up. That had to be good, right? Nothing could be too terribly wrong if she was sitting up, right?
“Finn?” She shook her head, her soft cheeks rubbing against the roughness of his palms. “What are you doing here?”
Where the hell else would he be?
