“Aren’t you a little excited?” I ask, hopping as I pull up a pair of jeans over my ass. “Our baby is coming.”
“I’m super excited,” he says. “Just not at three in the morning. He couldn’t have come at like three in the afternoon?” Michael rubs his eyes, a yawn escaping. He blindly grabs for sweatpants from the drawer in the center island of our shared closet.
I chuckle. He’s never been a morning person, and I’m surprised he even woke up with my phone going off. “Be prepared, baby. It’s only the start of the little guy upturning our lives.”
“I know, I know. I was just hoping we could start it with a full night’s rest. How far along is she?”
“Six centimeters.” We both toss on a plain white t-shirt and socks. “You can nap in one of the guest rooms.”
“No. I want to be there. I’m just being a brat.” He rounds the island to my side, kissing me. “I love you, sweetheart. And our boy.”
“I love you, too.”
When I make it back to my phone, I’ve already got a text from Rian that he’s here and ready to take us to Callum’s. The entire ride is quiet, Griffin resting his head against the window, eyes closed. And me twitching nervously. I can’t stop my leg from tapping while we head to the penthouse. The fifteen minute ride feels like eternity. I know that once we get there, it could be a long while before the baby is here, but when we leave Callum’s, it’ll be with a baby in our arms.
I still don’t know exactly what we’ll do with Camille. If I’ll trust her enough to live in her own home, yet. She can’t stay at Callum and Haley’s though. It’s not fair to have her impose on them when their relationship is still so new.
“Here,” Rian says, bringing the car to a halt in a parking space in the garage.
“Thanks, Ri,” I say, climbing out of the car. Griffin meets me on the other side, next to the penthouse, and I let out a groan when I see Sean sauntering toward us. “I thought I told Haley not to tell the family until the baby was actually here.”
“Bugs everywhere,” Sean says, pointing to his ear.
“Go home.”
“No. I’m here to meet my nephew.” He jabs at the button to the elevator.
“It could be hours. We’ll call you when he’s here,” I say.
“Nah. I’m gonna be the first out of us to meet him. The rest of them can come in the morning.”
Griffin laughs, stepping into the elevator when the doors open. “Just let him come, sweetheart. He can keep me and Haley company while you stress out and Callum the control freak yells at everyone for dirtying up his house.”
I don’t have a choice, because Sean’s on the elevator before I can stop him. The ride up is quick, and we all pile out of the elevator and right into the private hallway that leads to Cal’s apartment. Through the foyer, Camille’s groans can be heard.
Haley’s sitting beside her on the couch in the living room, digging her knuckles into the small of Camille’s bare back. She’s in a sports bra and shorts, leaning over the arm of the sofa on all fours. “That one was forty seconds,” Haley says, glancing at her watch. “You’re so close.”
“Please, fuck. Please let me go to the hospital for drugs!” Camille cries out, arching her back.
Haley shoots Callum a pleading look. He’s pacing the length of the couch, chewing on his nails. “Absolutely not,” he says. “You’re not to leave this penthouse. Have you forgotten I’ve got you on house arrest?”
“Then bring me the drugs. Please.”
“Serves you right,” Callum says. “Feel that pain, and remember what you did to get you here.”
“Cal, if the baby’s heart rate drops, we’ll have to take her in for an emergency C-section.” Haley’s voice of reason is calm and smooth. It usually serves to placate his high moods.
“You’ll do the surgery here,” he says, nodding his head toward the hall that leads to the bedrooms. “I’ll have the men get it all sanitized for you. Plastic on the ground even so we don’t stain the carpets with traitor blood.”
“Is everything okay?” I ask, heading for the foot of the sofa where Camille’s head is resting on the arm.
“I’m tired, Patrick.” Her voice is weak. “I can’t do this.”
“You can,” I say, placing my hand on her head. “Come on. Our son will be here soon.”
“I need an epidural or something.” She looks up at me with tired eyes, pleading. She knows how to manipulate me, though. And I have to remember that.
Looking over her shoulder, I make eye contact with Haley. “Can’t she have that?”
