The Carrero Heart - Beginning (Friends to Lovers)

Emma just looks, well, like she’s having a baby. Panting, sweating, writhing around and breathing hard. Trying to keep herself controlled and listening to him, looking to him for direction, putting all her trust and faith in him that he will get her through this, and I suddenly feel overly emotional. Looking at Arrick and knowing I would need that of him, I do always need that of him.

Emma suddenly arches her back and groans like a wild animal and Jake reaches out to Arrick’s dumped pile of towels and grabs a few, pulling them back between her legs on the floor and creating a nest of absorbency. Intent on what he’s doing, oblivious to our presence, not that either of us is worth anything right now.

“Push, baby... the head right here. Just a little push and we get this one out. Fastest birth ever, Bambino.” Emma makes a horrible grunty, groany, almost scream-like noise, that has me screwing up my face in complete traumatization; mentally telling myself that I never want to do this, ever. It’s awful.

I only become aware of Arrick’s arm around my back when his breath hits my cheek. I realize we’re both cuddled close and watching the same thing, except he too seems totally freaked out now that I am not focusing on him to keep me sane.

Arrick, with an expression of utter horror and all ounces of facial control gone. It’s so not him at all, so unexpected that I let out an inappropriate giggle and it seems to catch his attention as, he throws me that ‘don’t even’ look, before nodding down at the sodden mess of ‘yuck’ I’m dressed in. I grimace and shake it off, giving up with dabbing the irreparable and watch Jake and Emma instead.

She grunts and arches again before lifting her head, curling forward like she’s trying to do an ab crunch and seems to go into serious constipation face. Her cheeks turning rosy red, her breath held, and stays that way for seconds. Crunching, grunting, God knows what? I only imagine pushing.

From this angle, I can’t see anything but calves under her hitched-up dress; his hands are definitely up around her baby factory deposit

take a second and try again, baby, pant it out. Breathe.” Jake is very calm, despite me assuming he would fall to shit. The master

already seems exhausted and ready to pass out, and it’s still in there. I squirm uncontrollably, biting on my lip as

eyes glued to what is unfolding. He moves his hand in my hold, to make a better fit, and doesn’t

up again, closing her eyes tight, making a low moaning noise, that would probably befit a scene from the exorcist, and sends shivers down my spine. Jake is curled forward, his butt on

about. Emma grunts and then suddenly a weird noise,

in childbirth! Moms die in childbirth! People bleed out, with babies born not breathing and they can’t revive them. So many things that can go wrong and it all rests in Jake’s hands. He’s not a

bear, and Arrick’s arm tightens around me, despite the disgusting dampness between us, blocking it all out to squeeze myself against his chest until this is over. I don’t want her to die. I don’t want baby Ava to die. I want this to be over and everyone fine and like a million doctors running in the door, to

I would die if anything happened to her. Please keep

close. His breath in the crook of my neck where my shoulder meets. He just encircles me tightly, breathing shallowly for what seems

hand coming to the back of my hair as he buries his fingers in the short silky lengths and runs fingertips over my skin. His other arm so tight around my waist and pulling me to him in a truly intimate hug that has us entangled firmly. “Sophs, it’s over... Open your eyes and look. She’s okay, the baby is out.” His soft, cheerful voice brings me out of my own head, and I look up at him in question. Suddenly realizing I can hear a