Page 62 of Burning Obsession

Iwake with a groan, my fucking back and neck killing me. I stretch my arms above my head and arch my back. My shirt rides up, exposing my stomach to the cold air. Fuck, I’ve slept, for who knows how long, but I still feel exhausted.

My eyes drift over to the bed, and I see Nellie sitting up in the hospital bed, my sweet niece Miracle in her arms, as she breastfeeds her. I quickly avert my eyes, not wanting to see my sister’s bare chest. I know it’s a perfectly natural thing, but she’s still my sister.

Yesterday was chaotic. Nellie went into labor, something we weren’t expecting. The doctor had scheduled for her to be induced next week with a possible C-section. Guess Miracle had other plans. We were at a baseball game when it happened, watching one of Lincoln's nephews play, when Nellie’s water broke.

We rushed straight to the hospital without getting her bag. My sweet niece was finally delivered this morning around ten a.m. After we got into a room, Nellie sent Lincoln home to get some rest and to grab her bag. I stayed with her so she wouldn’t be alone. After sleeping in that damn recliner, I’m thinking I should’ve offered to get her bag from the house.

“Wakey wakey, Sunshine,” she sing-songs to me. “Sleep good?”

“Like shit,” I snort. “But I can’t complain when you were in labor yesterday and last night. I think you’d win.”

“Damn right, I would. Could you do me a favor and check on Lincoln for me? I’d love to take a shower.”

“Yeah.” I push myself out of the chair and cross the room, heading toward the little storage closet on the wall at the foot of her bed. When I get there, I see her phone’s off the charger and mine is now on it. I turn and stare at her, forehead furrowed as I try to figure out when that happened.

“When the nurse came in to check on me, I had her swap them out,” Nellie tells me. “I knew yours was completely dead and I didn’t want you to miss any client calls.”

“They can always leave a message, and I’d get to them later. Everyone knows I’m here with you and for the birth of my niece. My sweet little Miracle.”

“She is sweet, isn’t she?” I glance back over and see my sister running her hand over the scattering of blonde hair on Miracle’s head. I never knew babies could be born with so much hair. I just assumed they were all born bald.

I open her messages and see a new one waiting from Lincoln. A smile crosses my face as I read it.

“He said he should be here in about thirty minutes or so,” I tell her, summarizing his message. “Lincoln said he slept longer than he intended, but he’s showered, has your bag, and he’s getting us some food. He sent that about thirty minutes ago, so he should be here any time.”

“Thank God,” she says in exasperated relief. “I can already taste the shower.”

“Does a shower have a taste? I mean it doesn’t for me. Am I missing out on something?”

“Don’t piss me off. You know what I mean.”

“You’re hangry. That’s the problem,” I realize.

“Damn right, I am. Did you push out a baby the size of a pumpkin through a pea sized hole? I think not. That takes a lot of energy.”

I hold my hands up in defeat. There’s no way I’m arguing with her because I’ll never win.

We did have some food. The nurses had the cafeteria send us each up a tray but it’s long gone now. It’s not like I ate a lot of it anyway. It was bland and not appetizing at all.

She gives me a look that makes me laugh again. God, I’m so glad I was here for this. To see my little niece come into the world. I may have had my eyes closed at certain points.

I glance down at my phone, just to see if it’s charged or not, when I see a message waiting.

My entire body goes still because it’s from Jake, which means he unblocked me. I’m excited and scared shitless at the same time.

Is he planning to have me arrested for obsessing over him? Yes, I call it obsessing, not stalking. But it’s semantics. He does have friends on the police force since he’s a firefighter.

I can feel the color drain from my face. Not literally but figuratively. My sister must sense a change in me as well.

My fingers tighten around the phone, my knuckles white from how hard I’m gripping it.

"What is it?" she asks.

I look at her.

"Jake messaged me."

Her expression changes immediately. She presses her lips together, and I can hear her teeth grinding. I told her what happened between us, and she was a little pissed that he wouldn’t listen to me explain. She agrees that what I did wasn’t the smartest thing. Initially it was fine, but the way I carried on doing it for months, not coming forward to him and following him around without him knowing. All mistakes in my better judgment, but I can’t change the past.