Page 58 of The Surrender (Arlington Hall #2)

“Grandma,” I yell. She does that every time—sniffs him before she glowers at me. She knew about Jude before she even knew about him.

“How are you feeling?” Mum asks, breaking away and handing me over to Dad.

“Heavy,” I quip. “Hey, Dad.”

“I’ve been thinking,” he says as he hugs me around my giant stomach.

“Oh God.”

“About names.”

I peek at Clark and Rachel, who both give me looks to suggest they’ve had this already. “What about names?”

“You need something strong. Give the kid the best chance.”

“Okay, Dad.” I won’t ask him for suggestions.

Jude comes to save me, bringing his brothers too, making all the introductions, since it’s the first time my family and friends have had the pleasure of the other Harrison boys.

“Well,” Charley says, joining me. “More mercy needed.” She sticks her tongue in her cheek as she takes in Jude’s brothers. “Was there something magical in the air whenever their mum and dad screwed?”

I choke on nothing, laughing. And another bit of pee escapes. “Fuck,” I hiss.

“Pissed yourself?” Charley asks. “Get used to it. After two, you’ll never want to laugh, cough, or sneeze ever again.”

I indicate to Jude that I’m popping upstairs again, and he shakes his head, mouthing, “Again?”

I pout and leave, hurrying back up to our apartment, or going as fast as I can. I change, pop a spare pair of knickers in my purse, and go back down. Abbie’s coming through the doors as I reach the bottom of the stairs, looking a bit flustered. “Hey,” I say. “What’s up?”

She looks to the ceiling. “Hightower is running late. Something about a work emergency.”

“Oh, well, that’s okay. At least you’re here.” I link arms with her and start walking us to the Library Bar. “Everything going okay with him?” They’ve been dating for record time.

Abbie smiles, but it’s tight, telling me there’s something. “Want to have lunch next week?” she asks.

Oh dear. Maybe not so well. “Sure, if I’m still here. Everything okay?”

She looks down at my belly, smiling. “Everything is fine,” she says, not convincing me. “I still can’t believe you’ve got this.”

“Me either,” I admit as we enter the bar. It’s so lovely to see Jude with all my family together. It’s even lovelier to see Jude smiling, especially on a day I know he has always dreaded. Peace. It’s beautiful on him.

“Fucking hell,” Abbie breathes, coming to an abrupt halt.

“What?” I do not like the shock on her face. “Abbie?”

“That man,” she whispers.

I look to where she’s staring. “Casey?”

“Oh my God, he has a name.”

“That’s Jude’s brother.”

“What?” she blurts, just as Casey looks this way. His face falls. I’m so fucking confused.

“You know him?”

Abbie spins and leaves the Library Bar, and I hurry after her. Or wobble after her. “Abbie, what’s going on?”

She paces up and down, laughs out loud, then slaps a hand over her forehead. “That’s him,” she says. “The best fuck of my life.”

I gasp, my mouth falling open. “Casey?” I hiss. “The man from Paris?”

“Jude’s brother?” she says, high-pitched.

And then Casey appears, looking between us. “You know each other?” he asks, clearly as stunned as Abbie.

“Um, yeah,” I say, just as Jude finds us too, obviously wondering what the hell is going on. “This is Abbie.” I can’t believe this. “Abbie, this is Casey.” And now they know each other’s names.

“Fuck,” Jude breathes, his finger waving between them. “You two ... Abbie’s the girl ... Paris?”

Neither Casey nor Abbie confirms it—they just stare at each other as everyone else piles out of the Library Bar, joining the reunion in the lobby, everyone murmuring their concern. “Everything okay?” Mum asks.

Just as Hightower walks in. “Oh Jesus,” Abbie breathes.

“And this is Abbie’s boyfriend,” I declare on a sing of delight. It’s the nerves. Must be. Casey steps back. Abbie wilts.

“Welcome, everyone!” I look at Jude, like, What the hell do we do with this?

He shrugs, as lost as me.

And some pee trickles out. “Fuck, I’m peeing myself again.”

“Amelia!” Mum scorns me as I rootle through my bag and whip out my spare knickers.

But then a loud whoosh rings through the lobby, and I still, just as I feel a gush. Then hear a splash. “Oh,” I breathe, peeking down at the puddle I’m standing in.

“Yeah, I don’t think those knickers are gonna do the trick,” Rhys says, as Jude rushes over.

“And here we go,” he says, cool as can be.

“But we have another three weeks!”

“Something tells me we don’t, baby.” Scooping me up, he heads for the stairs.

“Rachel should be first!”

“You’re bursting my eardrums, Amelia.”

“We’re not ready!”

Jude winces at my sound level, giving me adoring green eyes. “Baby, we are so fucking ready.”

I puddle in his arms, my bottom lip sticking out. “We are?”

“For anything.”

My lips push into his rough cheek, emotion taking me by surprise. “I love you,” I mumble, my voice broken. I don’t know whether it’s the sudden movement, but my stomach clenches, the pressure below increases, and a very intense desire to push overcomes me. “Shit.”

“What?”

“I think I need to push,” I say, panicked, as Jude walks casually to the stairs with me in his arms.

“Already?” he asks, scanning my face.

“Don’t sound surprised, kids,” Grandma chirps. “Your dad fell right out of me into the loo.”

“Oh my God,” I breathe. Dad gasps his horror, and Clark and Grandpa cackle like old women.

“I definitely need to push,” I blurt, the pressure bearing down.

“Breathe,” Jude orders. “Come on, you’ve done this before.”

“Have I?” I start to pant. “Did we have a baby already, and I missed it?”

He looks at me tiredly as he takes the stairs, apparently in no hurry at all. “In classes.”

I start to pant. “The pool’s not even full.”

“We can fix that.”

“I don’t think there’s time.” My stomach tightens and a wave of unbearable pain washes over me.

“Oh my God,” I gasp, gritting my teeth, trying to keep up with the breathing.

“Oh Jesus, Jude, it hurts.” The pain’s taken me by surprise, not because I naively thought I’d sail through this with none, but simply because of how fast it’s come on.

He backs through all the doors to the apartment. “Do you want to sit, stand, walk?”

“I don’t know,” I admit as he lowers me to my feet. “Stand. No, walk.” I hold my belly as Jude starts to fill the pool, calling Glenda as he does.

A long, strangled moan falls past my lips, my hand shooting out to grab the cabinet. Jude looks up from where he’s kneeling by the pool. My eyes close, my hand waving his concern off. “Shit,” he curses. “Glenda’s not answering.”

He abandons the pool and comes to me, hooking his arms through mine from behind, taking most of my weight. I’m grateful.

“I need to walk.”

“Then let’s walk,” he murmurs, starting to step slowly, letting me set the pace. Three steps in, I have to stop again. “Another one?” he asks gently, and I nod jerkily, my cheeks ballooning. “Come on, baby, I’ve got you.”

I release a racked sob, his words, our words, hitting me in the feels along with the contraction. “This isn’t how I planned it,” I cry. “It’s supposed to be calm and serene and enjoyable.” Everything feels like a total rush.

“Everyone is here, Amelia. The whole fucking family. Both sides. That’s fucking amazing.”

The pain passes, but the desire to push remains, the heaviness bearing down unreal.

“Walk,” I say, clinging to his arms as he starts to move us again, taking us round the lounge a few times until the pool is suitably full.

He stops me by the side and puts my hands on his shoulders for support, then bends and takes the bottom of my dress, pulling it over my bump and head.

After removing my bra and knickers, he lifts me over the edge.

“Warm enough?” he asks, holding my hand as I feel my way down.

I nod and settle, the signs of another contraction on its way.

I wave my arm, silently demanding his hand, closing my eyes, bracing myself.

It’s another intense one, the pain like nothing I’ve felt before.

“I’m not sure I’m built for this,” I mumble, my head resting on the back of the pool, my eyes closed. I’m so tired already.

“What? Labour?” he asks, pulling my hair into a high ponytail.

“Yeah.”

“You’ve got no choice. My kid’s inside you. I need you to push it out.”

I blindly reach back and smack him on the head. “It hurts.”

“Try being involved in a high-speed RTA.”

“Jude,” I hiss, smacking him again. He chuckles. “You’re so together.”

“One of us has to be,” he replies. I hear a ringing tone.

He’s trying Glenda again. And I can’t tell you how relieved I am when I hear her chirpy voice answer.

“Amelia’s in labour,” Jude tells her, still so fucking calm.

I suspect inside is a different story, but I appreciate his effort.

“Yeah, can you turn around and come back? I don’t know, maybe every couple of minutes.

I think she’s been in labour longer than she thinks. ”

I frown and open an eye.

“She’s been pissing herself all day.”

I snarl, and he smiles, as I go back to breathing, feeling calmer. Until another wretched wave of pain comes out of nowhere and takes me out. “Oh. My. God,” I scream, the sound dragging out for an eternity.

A loud knock breaks through my noise.

“Come in,” Jude yells, and a second later, Abbie’s by the pool.

“The best fuck,” I mumble drowsily, sounding drunk. “It’s Casey.”

“No shit.” Abbie shakes her head in exasperation. “But that’s a crisis for another day. How are you doing?”

“In fucking agony,” I grunt. “It’s his fault.” I point a limp finger at Jude. “I only came for a spa day.” I frown to myself as Abbie folds over laughing and Jude snorts from behind me. “Fuck off, both of you.”

“Okay, enough of the sass, thank you, missus,” Jude says, serious.

“I’m a miss.”

“Maybe one day I’d like to change that.” He raises his brows, and I huff my revulsion.

“Sounds disgusting.”

“Can I get you anything?” Abbie asks.

“A gag?” Jude says.