The Best Friend Problem

by Mariah Ankenman

  Lilly grimaced. “I’m glad you didn’t, considering I was sitting next to you. But you’re right, it was very funny.”

  Pru concurred. Then again, anything with Kate McKinnon could make her laugh. That woman had a direct line to her funny bone.

  Grabbing the empty water glasses, she started to rise from the couch, but the second she did, a sharp, stabbing pain hit her right in the side of her lower abdomen.

  “Ouch!”

  “Sweetie?”

  “Pru, honey?”

  Immediately her friends were there, one on each side, holding her arms, gently lowering her back to the soft cushions of the couch. Mo grabbed the glasses from her hands, placing them on the coffee table while Lilly crouched in front of her, green eyes filled with concern.

  “Pru, what is it? What hurts?”

  “My side.” She placed a hand to her right side, fear seizing her lungs as she tried to pull in a deep breath. Why couldn’t she breathe? It wasn’t her chest that hurt, it was her side. What was going on?

  “You’re hyperventilating, sweetie. Now look in my eyes and breathe deep with me.” Lilly squeezed her hand. “In and out. That’s good. Again, in and out. Good. One more time, in and out.”

  There. There was the oxygen she needed.

  Now that she could breathe again, she could focus on the real problem. The sharp, pulling pain just above her hipbone.

  “The babies.” The words fell from her lips without thought. She had no idea what was going on, but based on the vicinity of the pain, all she could think of was the twins. She’d just entered her second trimester—the first held the most risk of loss, but she knew that didn’t guarantee anything. A million more things could go wrong.

  Her side pinched again. What was happening? Every pregnancy book and health pamphlet she’d read fell right out of her brain. She couldn’t think, couldn’t reason, couldn’t imagine what was going on, only that she was in pain. Her heart seized with fear that something was wrong with her babies. “Lilly…”

  “It’s all right, Pru. We’ll call the doctor. I’m sure nothing is wrong with the babies.”

  “Yeah.” Mo tried to give her a teasing smile, but it fell flat. “I’m sure it’s just indigestion from that monstrosity of a snack you inhaled.”

  She knew her friends were trying to keep her spirits up, but right now nothing would make her feel better. Nothing except the all clear from her doctor. Unfortunately—

  “The office is closed,” Pru said.

  “Then we’ll go to urgent care,” Lilly replied. “Just a few blocks away. Mo, go pull the car up front.”

  Mo hurried out the door, for once readily doing Lilly’s bidding. Pru took a deep breath, grateful Lilly was so good in a crisis and that they lived in the city, where the nearest all-night healthcare facility was less than ten minutes away. Right now, every second she sat there in pain, not knowing what was happening, felt like an eternity.

  “Why don’t you call Finn?”

  “I can’t. He’s at the station. His shift just started. He can’t leave.”

  “Prudence.” Lilly leveled her with a hard stare. “Call him.”

  Her hand slid to her phone, thumbprint unlocking the cell and hitting Finn’s number without her brain even being conscious of doing it. The phone rang and rang, each peel of the tone ratcheting her already frazzled nerves higher and higher.

  Where was he? Why wasn’t he answering his phone?

  She sucked in a deep breath, trying to push down the bile that threatened to rise in her throat due to the fear currently racing through every inch of her.

  “Hey, this is Finn. Sorry I can’t take your call, but you know what to do.”

  A shrill beep filled her ear, and it took Pru a moment to realize the machine had started to record. She took a deep breath, trying her best to keep the panic and fear out of her voice.

  “Finn—” She choked back a sob, gathering herself. She could handle this. There was no reason to fall apart. Not until she knew for certain something was wrong. Right now she had to remain calm. Be strong for the babies.

  Her hand rubbed her stomach, willing all the health and love she had in her directly into those two tiny lives inside.

  “Finn,” she started again, voice strong this time. “I’m having some slight pain, so Lilly and Mo are taking me to urgent care on Eighth. Just, um…wanted to let you know.”

  She hung up, clutching her phone tightly in her grip.

  “He didn’t answer.” She glanced up to Lilly, fear once again causing her voice to tremble. “Probably on a call or something.”

  Lilly helped her stand and gently led her to the door, face filled with sympathy and concern.

  “Oh, sweetie, I’m sure he’ll call you as soon as he can. Finn cares about you and the babies, but his job—”

  “His job is important.” She knew that. He had a very important, very dangerous job that would always come before any other obligation in his life. Like kids or a relationship. She didn’t need to be reminded of it.

  But, apparently, she did, because for the past few weeks, they’d been playing house, pretending everything was fine and they could carry on with this situation that looked remarkably like a real relationship. The forever kind.

  But things weren’t fine. Something was wrong. She needed Finn and he wasn’t here for her. That wasn’t entirely fair of her to think, but her mind was so consumed with fear for the twins, all rationality had flown away. The only thing she knew was that she was scared, she needed Finn, and he wasn’t here for her.

  …

  Finn had never driven faster in his life, not even in the fire truck with sirens blaring. The moment he got Pru’s voicemail, his heart shot up into his throat.

  Finn, I’m having some slight pain.

  Pain. Pru was in pain. Where was the pain? How bad was it? Was she okay? Were the babies okay? The fear in her voice came through clear as a bell in her message, even though he knew she’d tried to hide it. Dammit! If he ever found the punk that pulled that prank fire alarm they’d been called to, he would make the kid scrub the rig for a solid month with nothing but a toothbrush.

  Luckily, the station wasn’t too far away from the urgent care, and the chief had given him the all-clear to take off. No one pulled him over. Even if they had, he would have explained the situation and gotten a police escort. He knew a lot of men and women on the force, having worked with them from time to time. Cops and firefighters might have a rivalry on the baseball field for the annual charity game, but off pitch, they both worked to keep the city safe. They needed each other. And right now, he needed to get to Pru.

  He’d never heard distress like that in her voice before. Not even when her aunt Rose took a turn for the worse and they knew the end was coming. Pru was always so strong, so fearless. Truth be told, his gut had jumped up into his throat the moment she uttered his name in a broken whisper on the message. It hadn’t settled since.

  He never dreamed of being a father. It hadn’t been his plan to have kids, ever. But when Pru told him she was pregnant, something sparked to life inside of him. No. That’s wasn’t it. Something in him had always sparked when it came to Pru, he’d just been damned good at shoving it way deep down into the darkest corner of his soul. But it was becoming harder and harder to deny the truth.

  He loved Pru.

  It was time to stop hiding the way he felt. They were friends, lovers, and they were having babies together. Time for him to man up and have a good sit down with her. A heart to heart. He knew she had to feel…something for him. Pru didn’t sleep with people on a whim. There had to be some secret feelings she’d buried like he had. Otherwise none of this would have happened. Right?

  First things first.

  He had to get to the doctor and make sure the woman he loved and the unborn babies who already held his heart in the palms of their tiny hands were all okay. Everything else he could deal with later.

  He pulled into the urgent care parking lot, racing inside t
o find Mo and Lilly pacing the waiting room floor. But no Pru.

  “Where is she?”

  The two women stopped their frantic movement, both staring at him in shock.

  “Finn?” Lilly raised her brow, pushing her glasses back up her nose when they slipped down.

  He cut her off. “I got Pru’s message. I was on a call, but as soon as I could, I raced over here and—”

  “It’s okay, Finn.” Mo came over to his side, giving him a strong hug for such a small woman. “She’s back in the exam room now. Can he go back?” She angled her head to the side, speaking to the woman at the front desk. “He’s the father.”

  The woman nodded, smiling softly at him. “Room Four. Just straight on back and on your right, sir.”

  With a slight nod, he gave Lilly and Mo an appreciative smile, or as much of a smile as he could muster with all this fear and adrenaline rushing through his veins. Pulling away from Mo, he turned and rushed down the hallway, stopping in front of the light brown door with the number four on it. He needed to take a moment and breathe. Pru needed him to be calm, in control. He had to be strong for her. He couldn’t rush in there all high-strung and freaked out. It wouldn’t be good for her or the babies.

  He ran a hand over the top of his head, fingers tangling in his hair, tugging on his scalp, trying to use the slight sting to center himself. After a deep breath where his heart went from a hundred to a mere ninety miles an hour, he decided it was the best he could do. With a quick knock and the turn of the knob, he entered the room to find the woman he loved sitting on the exam room table wearing nothing but a cloth gown and a worried expression.

  “Pru.” His heart slowed at the sight of her. Rushing to her side, he cupped her face in his hands, a small measure of relief filling him at seeing her sitting up. That had to be good, right? Nothing could be too terribly wrong if she was sitting up, right?

  “Finn?” She shook her head, her soft cheeks rubbing against the roughness of his palms. “What are you doing here?”

  Where the hell else would he be?

  “I got your message. I’m sorry I didn’t answer my phone. We were on a call. Is everything okay? What did the doctor say?”

  “They haven’t been in yet.”

  So many emotions passed over her face—worry, panic, confusion, anger—each one piercing his heart like tiny stabs from a hot poker.

  “I’m sure everything will be fine.” He pulled her into his arms, trying to give her the reassurance she needed even if he knew nothing of the sort. “You’re going to be okay, the babies will be okay. I’m here for you, Pru. I love you.”

  She stiffened in his arms. “You what?”

  Shit.

  Had he really said that? Out loud?

  Yeah, he had. Dumb move. Now was not the time to tell Pru how he felt, but his brain was so scattered. Going from fear to relief back to fear all in the space of a few minutes kind of killed his mind-to-mouth filter.

  “Finn, what the hell do you mean you—”

  A soft knock on the door interrupted her. Finn stepped back, releasing her from the circle of his arms, but grabbing on to her hand. He knew he’d chosen the wrong moment to declare his feelings, but right now he needed the physical connection to her. Evidently, she needed it, too, because instead of wrenching her hand away, she held tight, squeezing as the doctor appeared.

  “Ms. Carlson?”

  Jim Gibbs, a doctor Finn had worked with before on a few emergency calls, stepped into the room.

  “Dr. Gibbs.”

  “Finn. I wasn’t aware this was a fire department emergency.”

  “It’s not. Pru is my…she’s…we’re…” Shit! What did he call her? His girlfriend? His friend? His lover? None of those terms fit.

  “Oh. I see.”

  Thank God the doc did, because Finn couldn’t see anything beyond his blind panic.

  “So, Ms. Carlson, I understand you are fifteen weeks pregnant with twins and experiencing some abdominal pain?”

  “Yes.”

  She squeezed his hand so tight he feared loss of circulation. Didn’t matter. He’d cut the damned thing off if it would help her in any way.

  The doctor glanced at the chart in his hands. “Any bleeding? Excessive vomiting? Heart palpitations? Severe back pain?”

  She shook her head. “No. My morning sickness disappeared about two weeks ago, and other than a little stiffness at the end of the day, my back is fine.”

  “Okay, I believe I know what the issue is, but why don’t we have a look, just to make sure?” Dr. Gibbs grabbed the small, portable ultrasound machine from the corner of the room.

  “Yes, please.”

  Pru kept a tight grip on his hand as she lay back on the exam table, lifting her gown to expose her bare, round belly. He stood by her side, stroking her hair with his free hand, kissing her temple, whispering encouraging words he didn’t feel.

  “Ah yes, this looks good.” Dr. Gibbs smiled at them. “See, baby one and baby two.”

  He pointed to the screen, where Finn could see the two blobs had formed into almost human-like shapes. Holy crap!

  “Healthy heartbeats, healthy sizes. Everything looks just fine, Ms. Carlson.”

  The doctor pushed the machine away and handed Finn a tissue, which he used to gently wipe the goo off Pru’s belly.

  “So what is this pain I’m experiencing?”

  “Round ligament pain. Very common in pregnant women, especially with twins, when the muscles and skin stretch more rapidly.” The doctor made a note on his chart. “Nothing to worry about, but if the pain gets intense or you experience any bleeding, please come back right away or call your OB-GYN. But right now I see no need to worry. Your babies look healthy and happy in there. Keep up the good work, Mom and Dad.”

  “Thank you, Doctor,” Pru said with a relieved sigh.

  Finn sent the man a grateful smile. “Thanks, Gibbs.”

  Dr. Gibbs nodded, leaving them alone in the room.

  Pru sat up with a sound halfway between a sob and a laugh. “Oh my God. I feel so relieved and like such a dummy all at the same time.”

  “You’re not a dummy.” He cupped her face in his hands. “You’re a good mom. Already you’re worrying about the kids’ health.”

  “Yeah, imagine the freak-out I’m going to have when they get their first cold.”

  He laughed along with her, leaning in to kiss her lips softly. “You’re going to be great, and don’t worry, I’ll be there to curb any mommy freak-outs you have.”

  The terror and stress of the past half hour fell away, common sense leaving his body along with all the anxiety, and he opened his mouth and uttered the last words he ever should have spoken at that moment.

  “I think we should move in together.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Could a person get emotional whiplash? Because Pru was pretty sure she was suffering from it at that very moment.

  I love you, Pru. I think we should move in together.

  She didn’t even know what to do with those statements. A sob escaped her lips right before a torrent of warm, wet tears started to pour down her cheeks.

  Burst into tears, apparently.

  “Oh shit.” He grimaced. “Don’t cry, Precious. Please. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

  But he had. Because on top of the stress of worrying about the twins, now she had to deal with her best friend thinking he was in love with her when she knew he wasn’t. They had a good system going. Why was he ruining it?

  “Y-y-y-you don’t l-l-love me,” she stuttered between sobs.

  One dark blond brow rose. “I don’t? Then why did I say it?”

  “Finn.” She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to figure out a way to reason with an unreasonable person. She took a few deep breaths to get her emotions under control before she spoke again. He didn’t love her. The very idea was… She didn’t know exactly what it was. Not possible.

  Once her breathing had gone back to normal and her tears h
ad dried, she used the corner of her gown to wipe up her face. Straightening her back, she stared Finn directly in the eye. One of them had to be logical in this situation. “We just suffered a big scare. Your emotions are all over the place right now. You’re not thinking clearly.”

  “I’m thinking clear enough to know you’re full of bullshit.”

  “Excuse me?”

  He ran a hand over his head, a common move she knew he did when frustrated. Join the party, buddy.

  “I know the past half hour was scary—hell, Pru, the past few months have been terrifying.”

  “Terrifying?” Sure, finding out she was pregnant by Finn, with twins, had been a bit of a shock, but she’d planned to become a mom. She wasn’t scared by it.

  “I don’t mean the babies,” he said, reading her mind. “I mean us.”

  “Us?” Great, now she was so confused she’d been reduced to repetitive one-word questions.

  “Our relationship.”

  “Finn, we don’t have a relationship.” Friendship, yes. Bedship, hell yeah. But an actual long-term, committed, this-is-going-somewhere relationship? No.

  “Really? You’ve practically moved into my place already. We sleep together almost every night, neither of us is dating anyone else, and we’re having kids together. If that’s not a relationship, then what the hell is it?”

  The frustration poured off him in waves. The long vein at the base of his neck, right below his ear, started to pulse in the way it did whenever he got angry. Which wasn’t often, but it tended to happen when he had to deal with drunk driver accidents. She’d seen Finn mad before, but the emotion had never been directed at her. He seemed plenty upset with her right now, though. And this was so not a conversation she wanted to have with her pants across the room.

  Slipping off the exam table, she crossed to the small chair in the corner where she’d set her clothes. She grabbed the leggings, shoving first one leg then the other into the soft, stretchy material, grateful she still had her underwear on. Being naked during a fight made her feel at a disadvantage.

  She knew Mo would tell her to use her nakedness to end the fight and win, and if it were any other argument, she might consider it. But this wasn’t a small argument about not doing the dishes or eating the last piece of pizza in the fridge. This felt big. An uneasy calm before an impending storm that would rip away everything she held dear. She had to stop this.