Chapter 36 - Ashton
ASHTON
I’m rubbing the crick in my neck when a shadow covers my face.
It’s been five nights. Five nights I've slept on this porch. I leave in the morning to go to work. A job I hate, but it was worth it. Then I go back to my house, change, and come here to sleep. I’ve thought about bringing a blanket or pillow these last few nights, but I don’t deserve them. My neck hurts like a bitch, though.
I look up to see a large polka-dot sphere in front of my face. Turning my head, I see it’s attached to a woman with short brown hair, a scowl on her face, and her hands planted firmly on her hips.
Emory’s foot starts tapping on the wooden floor.
“Hey, Em.”
“Don’t ‘Hey, Em’ me,” she snaps. “What happened?”
“It’s complicated.”
“So uncomplicate it, Ashton. That’s my best friend and you broke her fu—” She flattens her hands on either side of her swollen belly. “You broke her fucking heart,” she whispers.
“Are you covering her ears?”
“His ears,” she corrects me.
“I thought you guys weren’t going to find out the gender?”
“We didn’t. I just know.”
I’m surprised it’s taken her this long to come over here, but I guess she was respecting Allie’s wishes to leave me alone.
Allie sure has. She hasn’t said one word to me since I showed up on her porch a little under a week ago.
Sometimes she stops and listens when she’s coming or going.
I take those opportunities to tell her I’m still waiting and I won’t be going anywhere, but she never responds.
“Look, Em—”
Just then, Luke comes running up Allie’s front steps. “We’re gonna be late, baby,” he says, catching his breath.
Emory narrows her eyes at me. “You’re just lucky I have an ultrasound appointment right now. But don’t think you’ve gotten out of this. You’re going to explain everything to me when I get back.”
I don’t respond. I can’t tell Emory the truth before I’ve even gotten the chance to tell Allie.
I meant what I said. I’ll sleep here every night until she talks to me.
That’s my main reason for being on her porch, but it doesn’t hurt that I know she’s here and not in Nashville finding the truth out for herself.
No matter how hard I try, I can’t stop wanting to protect what’s left of her heart.
Emory huffs and stomps off toward Luke’s truck, but I still feel his eyes on me.
Looking up, I’m met with a fierce blue gaze. Luke’s one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met, but mess with Emory and he turns into a scary motherfucker.
“Look, man—”
“No, you look.” He points to his truck, idling in the driveway next door.
“That’s the love of my life and she’s only weeks away from delivering our child.
The last thing she needs is added stress from your bitch-ass drama.
” He squats down in front of me, his heavily tattooed arms stretched across his knees.
“I didn’t—”
“I’m taking the fact that Allie is like a sister to me out of the equation,” he interrupts.
“I’ll be kicking your ass for that later regardless.
But my wife has been a mess these past few days because she’s worried about her best friend, and I can’t have that.
I’m only going to say this one time. Get your fucking shit together.
I don’t care what it takes. Figure it out. ”
“I’m trying,” I sigh. I don’t point out that Emory is not technically his wife yet.
“Try harder,” Luke snaps. Then he stands to his full height, turns on his heel, and disappears into his truck.
Try harder. If only it were that simple. I’d quit my job, consequences be damned, and sit on her porch twenty-four seven if I thought it would make a difference, but I know it wouldn’t.
The problem is I don’t know how to fix this without making it worse for her.
Ten hours later, I’m walking up the steps to Allie’s cottage, ready for another night of soreness and frustration when I hear a scream coming from Emory’s house.
I run as fast as I can, noticing Luke’s truck isn’t in the driveway but am met with a locked door.
I pound on it, yelling for her. My first thought is that something is wrong, but maybe she just saw a spider.
I continue to throw my fist at the door, but no one answers.
Luke is obviously not here, and she’s nine months pregnant. What if she fell?
“Emory, if you don’t answer, I’m going to have to knock down the door.” It’s a fairly empty threat. I’m not sure I could kick down a door if I tried, but I would have to figure something out. Thankfully, I don’t have to because the door creaks open and I’m met with a wide-eyed Emory.
“Are you okay?”
“Ashton, I—Luke is at a bike show two hours away. What if he doesn’t make it?”
“Make it?” That’s when I notice the clear liquid dripping down her legs.
“He didn’t want to leave me. I begged him to go. He gets so much business from those shows, and I thought I had two more weeks. The doctor said I was on track for my due date this morning.”
“It’s okay, Emory. How long ago did your water break?”
“A few minutes. I’d been cramping for a few hours, but I thought it was Braxton-Hicks, and then I—”
She’s spiraling. I can see the panic in her eyes. “Emory, look at me. I’m going to get you to the hospital, but I need you to calm down. Have you called Luke?”
“I texted him. I was having a contraction, and it was too painful to talk.”
Shit. I know from my niece’s birth that once it’s hard to talk through a contraction, it’s not going to be long. Plus, her water already broke. Emory’s a nurse. I’m sure she realizes the same thing I do, and she’s freaking out that Luke isn’t going to make it in time.
Suddenly, her face twists in discomfort. “It’s starting,” she grits out.
“It’s okay. I’ve got you. Breathe, Emory.”
She slumps to the floor, unable to stand through the pain, so I sit beside her and rub circles on her back. When it’s over, I help her get to my car.
“My bag,” she whimpers as I click her seatbelt into place. “Can you grab it? It’s packed and ready to go by the coat closet.
I go to head back into her house, but then I see dark hair out of the corner of my eye. Allie is running down her steps.
“What the hell is happening?” she yells.
“Emory’s in labor,” I explain. “Luke is out of town. I’m taking her to the hospital.”
“I’ll take her,” Allie calls out as I rush up the stairs to Emory’s house. I quickly grab the bag and I’m back at my car just in time to see Allie attempting to transfer Emory to hers.
“Allie, stop,”
“She’s my friend. I’m taking her to the hospital.”
Emory’s clutching her belly, clearly in the middle of another contraction. They’re coming closer together.
“I’m taking her,” I shout.
“Oh, fuck of—”
“Get in the car,” Emory growls, her pain having subsided for the moment. “Both of you.”
Allie finally relents, sliding into my back seat as I yank open the door to the driver’s side.
It’s only a ten-minute drive to the hospital, and Allie talks Em through another contraction on the way.
When we arrive, I pull up to the front, leaving my car there to help Allie walk Em up to the entrance.
It’s probably going to get towed, but I don’t give a shit.
Who has time to find parking at a time like this?
We’re greeted by a nurse who knows Emory, and before I know it, we’re set up in a delivery room on the maternity floor, and Emory is hooked up to an IV and a monitor measuring the baby’s heart rate. She starts to have another contraction, and Allie lets her squeeze her hand.
“In Lamaze,” Emory whimpers. “Sometimes it helps when the partner is behind—”
Allie doesn’t waste another second, climbing up onto the bed behind Emory, allowing her to fall back onto her chest as she holds both her hands. “Can’t you give her something for the pain?” Allie shouts at anyone willing to listen.
The nurse, Kristi, according to her name tag, nods her head. “We can, but that’s completely up to Emory.”
Emory mutters something about a birth plan, and I think for a second she’s going to pass out, but instead, she leans her head over the side of the bed and pukes.
The color immediately drains from Allie’s face, her eyes wide, sweat beading on her forehead. I know that look. Complete panic.
“She needs help,” I yell.
“Oh, it’s okay,” Kristi says as she checks the monitors. “Her vitals are fine. It’s not uncommon to vomit during childbirth.” I know that. Cassie threw up during labor too, but that’s not what I’m concerned about.
“No, I mean,” I point to Allie, who is nearly passed out now.
“Oh my goodness,” Kristi yelps. “Let’s get you out of there.”
I help her move Allie out from behind Emory. “No, I’m not leaving her,” she chokes.
“Allie,” I touch her cheek. “I’ve got her. I promise.”
She looks hesitant, but when another nurse comes in, Allie lets her guide her out of the room. As I watch her leave, every part of me wants to go with her to make sure she’s okay, but I can’t leave Emory to have her baby alone.
I sit beside Em, and she takes my hand, squeezing hard just as another contraction hits. This one seems to last longer than the others, and when it’s finally over, her face is damp and crimson. I sit with her for the next hour, just breathing with her while she crushes the shit out of my hand.
When the door finally opens, I’m praying it’s Luke. Not for my sake, but for Em. She’s starting to panic again. But an older woman in scrubs walks in, and my heart plummets.
She eyes me up and down, with a look of confusion painted on her face.
“Hi, I’m Dr. Sanchez.” She looks down at her clipboard as if that might help her figure out who I am.
“Ashton,” I hold out my free hand to shake hers.
“Nice to meet you, Ashton. And Luke is…”
“On his way,” I tell her. I called him from the car on the way here to make sure he got Emory’s text. I made him promise not to speed. The last thing we need is for him to get into an accident. He seemed pretty frazzled, but I know he’ll be as safe as he can.
“Great. Well, Emory, let’s see how we’re doing, shall we?”