Page 117 of A King’s Obsession

"Both babies' heartbeats sound good," one of the nurses assured me.

I released a shaky breath, my eyes filling again.

Thank God.

The doctor came in shortly afterward, examined me, and explained that because I was early and carrying twins, they needed to watch how labor progressed. I tried to pay attention, but another contraction had me gripping the bed rails before she finished speaking.

"OOOOOH, SHIT!"

Yara hurried to my side, rubbing my shoulder.

"Okay, okay, just brea—"

I whipped my head toward her.

"YARA!"

She threw both hands up.

"MY BAD! I FORGOT!"

The doctor gave us a sympathetic smile before stepping out to speak with the nurses. I sank against my pillows, exhausted, while Yara adjusted the blanket over my legs.

Her phone started ringing.

She glanced at the screen, rolled her eyes, and answered with one hand on her hip.

"Ezra, not right now, motherfucker. Ashlynn's having the babies, and I'm at the hospital with her."

Whatever he said made her glance toward me before rubbing her forehead.

"Yes, both of them. Her water broke, Malachi's on his way, and I'm trying to keep your sister-in-law from cussing out the entire maternity ward."

"I'm on my way," I heard him say through the phone.

Yara frowned. "What the fuck you coming up here for?"

I turned my head toward her. "Yeah, what the fuck he coming up here for?"

Yara looked at me, shrugged, and put the phone back against her ear.

"Whatever, Ezra. Just don't come up here with no bullshit."

She ended the call and slipped her phone into her pocket.

I shook my head, adjusting myself against the pillows. Ezra King was the last person I felt like dealing with while my body was trying to split itself in half. The man barely knew how to have a normal conversation without looking like he wanted to fire somebody.

Another contraction started creeping through my back, and I grabbed the bed rail before it could get worse.

"Shit," I whispered, closing my eyes.

Yara moved beside me, letting me squeeze her hand while I breathed through the pressure. She didn't say anything this time, and I appreciated that more than she knew.

When the pain eased, I opened my eyes and found her watching me with a worried expression.

"You okay?"

I nodded weakly. "I'm tired."