38. Hadley
Chapter thirty-eight
Hadley
“Hadley,” Holt hollers.
I frown, climbing off my bed, my heart hammering in my chest. It’s not normal for him to yell for me. Normally, he’d come up here or text me.
“What’s up?” I pad to the top of the staircase.
“Where’s your phone?”
“I …” I can’t remember when and where I had it last.
“Doesn’t matter.” He waves the question away. “Madison’s in labor.”
“Are you and Becca going to the hospital? I can watch Hazel.”
He shakes his head. “No, you’re coming with us. We’re going to drop Hazel at Caleb’s. Jenna’s sister is in town and volunteered to watch the kids.”
“Alright.” I glance down at my tattered leggings and my oversized shirt with holes in the hem. “Let me change.”
“Be quick.”
“Oh, you mean I don’t have time to take a shower and do my hair?” I sass.
“Hadley Jane.”
“I’m kidding,” I tell him over my shoulder as I hurry into my room.
Forty minutes later, we’re stepping into the lobby of the hospital.
“We need to go to Labor and Delivery on the third floor,” Holt says, staring down at his phone.
“Don’t we need to check in?” Becca asks as he leads us past the security desk and toward the bank of elevators.
“Caleb said we check in up there,” he tells her as the elevator doors open and we step inside.
The ride to the third floor is quiet and fairly quick, and soon, we’re getting off. I peer around the bright, sterile hallway.
“This way.” I point toward the sign guiding us to Labor and Delivery.
Caleb comes our way as we’re approaching the nurses’ station.
“They’re with us,” Caleb tells the nurse at the desk.
She hands us name tags with “Rhodes” and today’s date printed on them and explains that’s how they keep track of the people on the floor. She tells us to go on ahead to the waiting room, and we follow Caleb.
“They put us in one of their private waiting rooms. Lounge really. I think Coach pulled some strings,” Caleb says as he opens the door and we go inside.
The room is packed. There are only a few empty seats.
Elias and Sebastian are deep in conversation in one corner.
Madison’s aunt and her husband are chatting on one of the two couches off to one side.
Jenna and Sutton are sitting on the other sofa, Ansley perched on the edge of the coffee table in front of them.
Jake is pacing the room, staring down at his phone, a to-go cup in his hand.
“Look who I found,” Caleb announces, and everyone turns our way.
“Any news?” Jake asks.
Caleb shakes his head. “Just that everything is going well, but slow. Sounds like it could be a few hours at least. Hunter told the nurse to tell us to go home, but I told her no way in hell.”
Everyone laughs.
Caleb takes the free chair next to Elias and Sebastian, while Holt and Becca claim two of the chairs along the other wall.
Becca pulls out an e-reader from her purse, and Holt closes his eyes, leaning back and resting a hand on Becca’s thigh.
I can’t help the small smile that graces my lips as I watch them.
Everyone’s conversations continue, and I walk over to Sutton, Jenna, and Ansley.
“Room for one more?”
Ansley scoots over and pats the coffee table next to her. I peer at it warily. It seems as though it’s barely held together.
“Not sure we should be sitting on that.”
She nods, standing up, and we grab the last two empty chairs from the other corner of the room and bring them over.
The conversation picks back up, but I barely pay attention.
Why isn’t Wes here? I would have thought he’d have been one of the first people to arrive.
Did something happen to him? Is he okay?
No, I’m just being silly. He’ll be here eventually.
The guys wouldn’t be so relaxed if there was something wrong with Wes. Plus, I know I would have heard about it from my brother. I try to listen to what Ansley is saying, but it’s hard to focus.
The door to the lounge squeaks open behind me, and I know that it’s Wes who’s walked in. I can feel his presence. I turn around, and my heart sinks when I see him. He looks the way I feel—dark circles around his eyes, a grim expression on his face, a far cry from his usual happy demeanor.
Our gazes lock, and I hold my breath, wondering what he’s going to do. Ignore me? Be cordial? We need to talk, but I’m not sure that a hospital waiting room filled with most of our closest friends and his coach is exactly the best place.
“This is not a good idea,” I mutter as he strides toward me.
Ansley elbows me and leans closer. “Go talk to him.”
“I don’t know …” I hiss under my breath.
“Go.” Sutton tips her chin toward Wes. “Stop being stubborn and talk to him.” She gives me a look that I can’t argue with. She’s going to be a great mom one day, that is, if she decides to have kids.
With a resigned sigh, I rise to my feet and move toward him. I can feel everyone watching us. I was not prepared for this. I still need another week until I can put my grand plan in place. I didn’t account for Madison going into labor and seeing him here.
“Maybe we should do this outside,” I whisper when we’re standing in front of each other, barely a foot apart.
I slide my hands into the pockets of my shorts, rocking back on my heels so as not to reach for him out of habit.
He shakes his head, clearing his throat and glancing around.
“We’re really doing this here?”
“We are,” he says, and I realize I asked my question out loud. “I’m sorry, Hadley. I really fucked up.”
“No, you didn’t, Wes. I did. I’m—”
He holds up a hand. “Let me finish.”
I swallow, gesturing for him to continue.
“I was only trying to help with the job situation, but in hindsight, I realize I shouldn’t have interfered.
Especially after you told me you wanted to figure it out for yourself.
” I go to tell him that I understand now why he did it, but he continues talking.
“Hadley Jane Abbott, I love you.” He runs a hand through his hair.
“I think I’ve loved you since the day I saw you in that red bikini at the beach a few years ago. ”
“Wes,” I whisper, blinking back tears.
“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You’re the only woman I want.” He sinks down to one knee, and I gasp as he pulls his mom’s ring from his pocket and holds it out to me.
“Weston,” I murmur, glancing around to see everyone’s attention on us.
“Be quiet, tornado.” Laughter rings out around us. “Hadley Jane Abbott, will you marry me? I know we haven’t been dating for long. I know our engagement started off as fake, but let’s make it real. We can have a long engagement if you want. Just say you’ll be mine forever.”
“Wes, I should be the one apologizing. It’s me who screwed up.”
“Yes or no, tornado. And if it helps any, I got your initials tattooed right here.” He puts a hand on his chest. “Even though the guys told me it was a corny idea, I think it’s romantic, so I did it anyway.”
I snort.
Now Holt’s comment from the other day makes a lot more sense.
I peer down at him—the man who captured my heart one small moment at a time, the man who I now realize was the one I was waiting for all along, the reason none of my other relationships lasted.
It was all to bring me here.
To this moment.
To him.