Page 94 of Pas de Trois
I can’t ignore the pain that creeps in from the lowest part of my stomach, radiating out across my taut skin, a pain that feels like stretching, pulling, kneading, punching. A muffled groan escapes me when it goes on for…
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight.
Seven full counts of eight.
No.
That contraction was longer and it came sooner than the last two. It was immeasurably more painful, and I don’t know how no one around me seems to notice what’s happening to me.
This can’t be happening.
Not now, not now, not now!
I gasp for air when the pain recedes and grants me a break from the relentless ache and suddenly, Ezra’s performance is over.
I didn’t even see it because the pain was too great for me to focus. There’s a standing ovation for him and I realize I’m the only one still sitting. I’m sure anyone could argue that it’s because I’m so massively pregnant, but the last thing I want to do right now is draw attention to myself. Pushing through my hands on the armrests, I get to my feet and I feel a sudden trickle of fluid flow down the inside of my thigh.
What is that?
Am I bleeding?
What the fuck is happening?
Before the fluid reaches my knee, I side-step out of my end seat onto the red carpeted aisle, hoping that if I’m dripping blood—or whatever the hell this is—it will blend with the carpet and I can hide it with my long gown. I can’t risk having the O’Sheas step in it and slip on the hardwood floor beneath the seats as they step out of the row after me.
No one can know.
No one can know what’s happening right now.
I just have to wait for them all to leave, just like Nikolai always did to protect his secrets.
Everything will be okay.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight.
I count as the four families move toward the exit. I hold my head up high, breathe intently through my nose, keep the coldly indifferent expression on my face, though inside I’m screaming and begging for help.
Only Ezra can help me.
Just wait.
Someone touches my elbow and I flinch, turning sideways as Renata moves to stand in front of me. “I look forward to catching up with you at the reception,” she says coldly, dark shadows beneath her eyes and a sneer across her lips. She glances down at my stomach. “Olivia had her baby early…last week. Why do you think yours hasn’t found his way out yet?”
Because I’m fucking cursed.
I force a condescending smile. “He’ll come when he’s ready. I don’t think you and I need to do any catching up. I don’t particularly care how your life has been since we saw each other last.” My voice goes up on the last word as pain grips me again. I have to end this conversation quickly. “If you don’t mind, I need some time alone with my talent slave. You can head back to the grand entrance with the others. Please, enjoy the reception.”
“Don’t think that you and Ezra have gotten away from me just because Murphy took pity on you. Your baby is one of us now, and I intend to make certain that’s how he’s raised.”
I swallow hard as my face contorts in pain, though I mask it as barely controlled anger. It seems to work as she gives me a vile grin, satisfied that she thinks she’s upset me. I let out a long breath when she finally turns and walks away, marching back up the aisle like she owns the goddamn place.
She can fucking have it.
As she walks away, my hand falls to my stomach as the contraction takes over and grips me entirely. I glance up to Ezra, who is still standing center stage, his chest heaving with his fists clenched at his sides. He’s eager to get to me, but he has to wait until she’s gone, too.
Somehow, I manage to hold on, to keep my posture, my expression, my composure, as an invisible boulder crushes my stomach. When the final person clears from the house, I reach down with one hand to grip the back of the chair in front of me, folding forward, breathing, and counting through the end of this god-awful fucking contraction. I hear Ezra’s footsteps jogging after me as he rushes down from the stage and he sprints down a row of chairs to get to me.
“Shit,” he says, “it can’t be happening now.”
