Eternal

Everything was going to be totally fine.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Alec

I WAS GOING TO have a nervous breakdown. Seriously. I was never having sex again. Ever. I don’t care what that woman says to me to try to get me to break down. Hell, prance around naked. Nothing, and I mean nothing, could have prepared me for the pain she was enduring while I did nothing but hold her hand, feed her ice, and watch.

“Are you cold?” I patted her forehead. “Hot? Do you need more ice?”

“Fine.” Nat’s teeth chattered. “I told you I’m totally fine.”

“But—”

“Alec.” Nat glared. “My dad’s an amazing surgeon. He trusts our doctor. So should you.”

“Okay.” I sat back in my chair, legs shaking. I winced as Nat gripped my hand again, a little whimper escaping her lips before she released my hand and exhaled.

“So...” Dr. Turner walked in and smiled. “…how are we doing?”

“Awesome.” Nat laughed then winced again, her hand finding mine and squeezing the hell out of it.

“Hmm.” Dr. Turner sat in a stool in front of the birthing bed and lifted the sheet. “I’m just going to take a look and see where we’re at.”

Just let us be close. I couldn’t handle seeing Nat in pain. It was destroying me, shredding me. How did people do this more than once? HOW?

“Alright, you’re dilated to around a seven. Let’s see if we can get you there faster. I’m just going to stretch—”

As he talked, I felt myself pale more and more. He was going to do what? Sweating. I was sweating.

Nat turned her head into my chest, gripping both of my hands as the doctor worked.

“Alright.” Dr. Turner replaced the sheet. “Shouldn’t be long now.”

“Thanks.” Nat’s teeth kept chattering.

“Sweetheart…” I kissed her head. “…we’re having one child. That’s it. One child. I can’t… I wish I could take away your pain, and I can’t. This kills me.”

“No drugs,” she whispered. “Not this time. Maybe next time.”

“Nat, no…”

“Don’t argue with a pregnant lady!” she snapped.

Thirty agonizing minutes later, the doctor examined her and gave us the good news. She could start pushing.

“Okay.” Dr. Turner looked at me. “I need you to focus, Alec. You need to coach her, help her out, alright?”

“Right.” I breathed in and out and grabbed both of Nat’s hands. “You’ve got this, sweetheart.”

She whimpered as sweat ran down the sides of her temples.

“I need you to give me a really big push,” Dr. Turner instructed. “Go ahead, honey.”

Nat pushed, her face contorting with pain.

“Harder,” Dr. Turner said a bit urgently, then yelled, “Stop, stop!”

“It hurts!” Nat shouted.

“I know. I know.” Dr. Turner quickly maneuvered his hands. “The baby has the cord wrapped around one of her arms like a feather boa. Just gotta fix her up real quick.”

“Your child,” I whispered in Nat’s ear.

She laughed.

“One more push,” Dr. Turner said.

Nat pushed.

“And one more big one!”

Nat screamed, and then my world tilted. What used to be the definition of my life shattered into a tiny little scream, erupting from the mouth of the tiniest most beautiful baby I’d ever seen in my entire life.

And rather than pass out…

…I burst into tears.

“Aw…” Dr. Turner handed the baby quickly to Nat, setting her on the hospital blanket. “…welcome to the world, little one.”

Nat’s sobs joined my own as we stared at our little girl.

She had some lungs on her.

She was taken too soon by one of the nurses to get cleaned up. I felt that loss of her tiny body as if someone had reached into my heart and crushed it with his bare hands.

And again, hell no. How did a person survive this type of trauma twice?

I kissed Nat on the mouth and cried softly into her chest as her tears mixed with mine.

“You did so beautiful, baby.” I kissed her neck. “I’m so damn proud of you right now.”

“It hurt.” Nat sobbed against my chest. “It was worth it.”

“Yeah…” I sighed. “…it was.”

Our baby was brought back to us in a few minutes and offered to Nat, but she shook her head. “Let her see her daddy.”

Daddy.

Torn.

Pulled.

Shattered. Funny how a year ago I would have said my world was shattered because of my reputation and everything that had gone down with Nat and the drama with Demetri.

And now? All it took was holding my little girl in my arms. She was so small, tiny, helpless. The love of my life, and I had created her, and she was absolute perfection.

“I hope you like pink.” I nuzzled her neck and kissed her face, of course, prompting Nat to burst into tears again. “And you’re almost as beautiful as your mama,” I whispered. “One day… one day you’ll get there. You may be my new princess.” I kissed her forehead again and looked directly into Nat’s eyes. “But your mama is my queen.”

CHAPTER NINE

Demetri

“YOU’RE GOING TO GET a cavity.” Gabe pointed at the taffy clenched in my hand. I growled and threw the wrapper at his face.