Chapter 9
brYCE
I arrive at Cook Memorial and follow the signs to the labor and delivery department.
After a lengthy explanation as to who I am and why I’m here to see Shelly, I’m finally given a visitor’s pass and told which room she’s in.
I try to keep my head forward, but some of the screams cause me to take a glimpse into some of the rooms. All I see are exhausted women, some begging for drugs, others swearing at their loved ones.
A rare few lie there looking content, and I assume that’s because they’ve already gotten their drugs.
Shelly’s room is the farthest down the hall, and I knock softly in case she’s already given birth, which I’m praying has happened. When I poke my head in, Miles is in a chair, looking as stressed out as I’ve ever seen him.
He bolts up as soon as he sees me. “I’ll be right back,” he says to Shelly, who I can’t see from where I’m standing.
“Well hello, Daddy.” I laugh, but he takes me by the elbow and guides me over to the window on the other side of the hall that has a small bench in front of it.
He spins me around. “You have to take over. ”
“Um… no. I’m only here because no one knows who Shelly’s boyfriend is, and he’s not listed in her paperwork, her parents are. And human resources doesn’t want to call them because they have privacy concerns about the situation. They didn’t even know she was pregnant.”
“Supposedly, she didn’t either,” Miles says, raising his eyebrows.
You hear stories and there’s a television show about it, but I’m still baffled by the concept. Then again, she didn’t look pregnant. Maybe if you’re going through your life, and it’s hectic… who knows?
“I don’t even know her,” I say softly in case she can hear us.
“I don’t either.” He runs his hand through his hair. For a moment, I’m distracted by his long fingers and remembering them inside me. His blue eyes watched mine for a reaction to what he was doing. “Bryce!”
I throw up my hands and pretend I’m paying attention. “I’m not sure what you want me to do. I’ve never had a baby or helped deliver one.”
“Well, her phone is ruined. I mean, who has such an old phone that it can’t get a bit of water on it without crapping out?”
“Those of us who don’t make millions, Miles, those who make things last as long as they can.”
His eyes narrow. “Don’t make me sound like a pompous ass.”
“You’re doing that all on your own. I’m just telling you how us common folk think.”
His face twists. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Excuse me.” A nurse approaches, and we turn to see her standing in the doorway of Shelly’s room. “She’s almost ten centimeters dilated, and things are moving fast now. The doctor is on his way to deliver the baby. ”
“Great. So, one of you will stay with her, right?” Miles looks between the two of us.
The nurse looks to me for clarification that Miles is in fact an asshole.
“Oh, he’s not the dad,” I say.
“We know. She’s been very open about the fact that he’s Miles Cavanaugh who plays for the Grizzlies.” She shrugs as if she doesn’t know the meaning of that.
I take in the pissed-off expression on Mile’s face. In his world, he probably thinks everyone should know who he is.
“I’m just her coworker and I barely know her,” I say. “We can’t get a hold of her boyfriend.”
A scream sounds from Shelly’s room, and all three of us look in that direction.
“Well, the baby is coming,” the nurse says. “Of course, the doctor and I will be in there, but it would be nice for her to have someone else there.”
“I’m sure she doesn’t want a man in there,” Miles says, stepping back as if it’s as easy as that.
“Miles!” Shelly screams.
I crack up before biting down on my lip to stop myself. He narrows his eyes at me.
“Listen, you two, having a baby is hard work, and she needs a village. For some reason, you two are here. You might not be her best friends in the world, but you’re not strangers either.
I’ve witnessed too many women come in here and go through a life-changing experience with no one by their side.
Sure, we’ll get them through the delivery, but it’s not the same.
And being that she’s had no prenatal care, we don’t know what to expect.
So, I’m suggesting that it would be nice if you two both let her know she’s not alone in this. ”
Miles turns to face me, and I sigh in resignation.
All three of us walk into the room, because clearly neither of us would tap out on someone in need.
It’s one side of Miles I’ve always respected—the way he’s always been there for his sister and his teammates.
Selfish would never be a word someone would use to describe Miles.
Seconds after we’ve entered the room, a doctor joins us, clapping once. “Are we ready for this?”
He smiles wide, and I can’t lie, the man is attractive. Sandy-blond hair just peeks out of his scrub cap with a tall, lean body and his green eyes sparkle with kindness.
The nurse motions to the two of us. “Dr. Turner, this is?—”
“Miles Cavanaugh!” His eyes go wide. “I know you’ve been with the team for a bit now, but welcome to the Grizzlies. That pick-six from two weeks ago, holy shit, insane.” He shakes his head as if he can’t believe it.
Miles actually looks embarrassed, his cheeks turning a soft shade of pink. It’s endearing. “Thank you, but what I do isn’t nearly as important as what you do.”
“Hello! I’m having a baby!” Shelly shouts, and our small huddle scrambles over to the bed.
The doctor washes his hands and puts on gloves then introduces himself to Shelly.
“Hello, Doctor McDreamy,” she says.
“Dr. Turner gets that a lot.” The nurse smiles. “Okay, if the two of you want to get on either side of her.”
The doctor sits on his stool at the end of the bed and looks under the sheet as her legs are in the stirrups.
I’m not sure I would want him between my legs as I’m having a baby, and I sure as shit wouldn’t want Miles to see me in this state.
Shelly’s face is blotchy, she’s sweating, her robe is disheveled, and she’s one push away from her tit falling out right in front of him.
“Thank you both for being here. I have no idea what my boyfriend’s number is, although he’s on a plane anyway.
He got a new phone a bit ago, and I just programmed it into my phone.
I just hit his name when I want to call him.
” She has tears in her eyes, her head volleying back and forth between us.
Then her smile dims and she squeezes my hand, harder and harder until I’m looking at Miles with my mouth hanging open because holy shit, it hurts. “Tell me I can push.”
Dr. Turner peeks his head out. “You can push, Shelly. Let’s meet your baby.”
She leans up in bed, and I instinctively move my hand to her back to help her stay there. Her face turns as red as ketchup, and her grip on my hand gets even tighter.
“Just so we’re aware, I need my hands to play,” Miles says, cool and calm across from me.
I glare at him. “She’s pushing a human out of her vagina.”
“I’m just saying, they are my career, my money-makers.”
Shelly falls back down on the bed, sucking in a deep breath.
“We’re going to go again to ten. Just a few deep breaths. When I say go, you push, okay, Shelly?” the nurse says in a soothing voice.
We each try to extricate our hands from Shelly’s, but she doesn’t allow it.
“I think what Shelly’s going through is a little harder than your hands hurting,” I say.
Miles balks, his eyes finding mine and locking. “I’m sure if I broke all your fingers, you’d be complaining. That’s how you make money, writing judgmental articles about athletes.”
“Oh my god, of course you bring that up. It’s my job to critique. No one wants to read an article that says this player does everything right. And hello, there is no player who does.” My volume escalates.
“You two, you need to calm down and make this a calm place for Shelly,” the nurse says.
But I can already see the fire in Miles’s eyes.
“Do you have any idea how hard it is to go out there and perform? Have all your mistakes and flaws out there in front of the world to see? After a shitty game, you have to read and hear people nitpick every single thing you did. Every bad thing you already think about yourself is right there for public consumption.”
“No one made you become a professional athlete. It’s not as if you’re not compensated for the downside.”
“Are you suggesting I get paid too much for what I do?”
“Push,” the nurse says.
Shelly grips our hands and leans forward again. The nurse counts her down, then Shelly falls back against the mattress with a huge exhale of breath.
“All professional athletes get paid too much. Look at Dr. Turner. He’s bringing new life into the world and doesn’t come close to making what you do. You catch a ball for your millions—or in your case, you don’t.”
As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I regret them. I went too far and let my temper get the best of me. Normally I would apologize, but I’m so fired up, I’m not willing to give him the satisfaction.
“You’re not even good enough to write about our team—or any national team, for that matter.”
I huff. “It’s called earning your stripes.”
“Enough, you two,” Shelly says. “I trump both of you right now. Woman in labor!”
“Sorry,” Miles says with a frown.
“Yeah, I’m sorry.” Why do I let this man drive me so insane?
After a few more rounds of pushing, Dr. Turner announces the birth of Shelly’s baby boy. He comes out screaming, covered in goo, with a little cone head.
“Does anyone want to cut the umbilical cord?” He looks at Miles, clearly not understanding that neither of us are related to the baby.
“Pass,” Miles says, and I can’t help but laugh. This entire situation is ridiculous.
Miles looks at me, and we share a soft smile with each other .
Shelly lies on the bed, looking exhausted.
They do a bunch of checks on the baby and, after a few minutes, declare him healthy, and the nurse brings the baby over and rests him in Shelly’s arms. In all the chaos and arguing with Miles, I lost sight of the fact that this little miracle was about to be born.
In retrospect, it was beautiful to be part of.
“Thanks for allowing us to share this with you,” I say, brushing my finger over his tiny ones.
“Thank you both. I can’t believe I have a baby,” she says and kisses his forehead.
I can’t imagine how Shelly must be feeling, but it’s clear that she’s not upset about the fact that she’s now a mother.
“Now you have to think of a name,” I say.
She nods, but she’s clearly enamored with her little bundle of joy.
Twenty minutes later, Miles has held the baby, and I’d be the world’s biggest liar if I didn’t admit that my ovaries were about ready to burst at the sight. Hot, muscled, giant football player holding a newborn—it’s almost as big a turn-on as porn.
The nurse comes over. “I’m going to take him for a few tests just as an extra precaution, and you get to rest a little bit.”
“Is he okay?” Shelly holds the baby a little tighter to her chest.
The nurse gives her a reassuring smile. “Everything seems to be perfect. We just need to be extra cautious since there was no prenatal care.” She picks up the baby, and Shelly yawns.
“We’ll get out of your hair too,” I say. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
Miles brings over the phone that’s currently broken and places it on the table next to her. “In case it works.”
“Thanks. I’ll call my parents in a bit. They’ve had the same number for decades. ”
We all share a laugh then say our goodbyes, and Miles and I leave the hospital room.
“I feel like I should spend the night or something,” I say. It’s my worst fear that I’d give birth without the father of my baby present. That I’ll pick someone like my father. I don’t know why I was so resistant to helping her when I first arrived.
“I know. I can’t imagine not knowing my baby was born because I’m on a plane and my girlfriend doesn’t know my number by heart.”
We step into the elevator together, and surprisingly, no one else is on it.
“I’m sorry for what I said.” My nasty comments from earlier have been weighing on me ever since.
“Me too,” he says.
When the elevator doors open and we’re on the main floor, we walk out onto the Chicago sidewalk, where we’re greeted with a wall of humidity.
We stand there awkwardly for a moment, neither of us really knowing what comes next.
We just shared a bit of a surreal experience that neither of us was expecting.
“Would you want to go grab something to eat?” he asks.
I’m unsure how to answer. But I don’t get the chance.
“B!”
I turn and Ellery is walking toward me with some guy in blue scrubs, to-go boxes of food in their hands.
“I’ll let you two talk. See you later,” Miles says and walks away before I can say anything.
As I wait for Elle to reach me, a text comes through on my phone and I pull it out of my purse.
Mr. O: Shelly’s officially on maternity leave, and since you have experience covering a national football team you’ll be taking over the Grizzlies from here on out. I’ll move Rachel over to cover the Tundra for the time being. Let’s chat tomorrow.
My gaze lifts to watch Miles’s back as he walks away, and I blow out a breath. Why are things so complicated between us?
I already know the answer—me.