by Alexis Gold
Delilah was not asleep. She was sitting in her bathroom, crying. She knew she had no reason to cry, she was sure it was just another hormonal mess, but that didn’t explain the ache in her heart, and the pain she felt tear through her when she saw Cameron and the redhead holding each other and kissing.
Her lipstick was on his mouth, his shirt was open and his chest was bare. She was sure they’d walked in on what might have been an overnighter for him, even if Renee didn’t like the woman.
She hadn’t given it much thought, but she was just beginning to realize that she was probably cramping Cameron’s romantic style a bit. He might not be interested in having a girlfriend, but he probably had overnight guests from time to time, and her presence in the house had certainly snuffed out any possibility of that. Guilt on top of pain brought a flood of tears from her that lasted well into the night, until she finally calmed down somewhat and went to the kitchen for a glass of water.
She saw the two wine glasses there on the counter and knew that she had indeed interrupted something she should never have seen, and in that moment, she felt horrible, and she reminded herself that no matter how good Cameron had been to her, no matter what lengths he had gone to in taking care of her, she was still just a surrogate mother to his son.
She was there for one reason, and one reason only, and she’d have to focus on that, and school, and forget that he had begun to creep into her heart and her thoughts, and forget that he had kissed her once. This was business, and she needed to get her head back in the game.
In the days that followed, she spent most of her time in her office in the library, studying and doing homework, or out walking on the beach. She’d passed the spot so many times where Cameron had kissed her, that she was able to put it from her mind and just enjoy her walks up and down the shore.
She ate dinner before Cameron came home and spent the evenings in the library or in her room. He would check in on her, and she’d smile and say that things were good, and that she was busy, but she wouldn’t talk to him much at all, or spend time with him, and it made her heart sad, but she knew it was for the best.
He felt her absence keenly, and he hated it; it felt worse than the house just being empty. When the house was empty, it was like he was alone in a sanctuary, but with her there, yet not there, not really present, it felt broken and he couldn’t stand it, but he reminded himself that she was just there for the purpose of giving birth to his son, and then she would be gone.
He focused on his games, and tried to keep his mind on football, but somehow it kept coming back to her, and it began to show in his playing. Coach John sat him down and lectured him, trying to figure out what was wrong and reminding him that he had a responsibility to the team, the fans, the club and to himself, and he’d better get his act together post haste. He agreed and said he would.
He left for his away game and said an awkward goodbye to Delilah as she sat at her desk. “Is Renee coming to help you?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No, the cast is coming off on Monday, so I’ll be almost as good as new. She doesn’t need to come. Thanks, though.”
He tilted his head to the side. “Your cast is coming off? Do you need a ride-”
She smiled at him and interrupted him. “I’m fine. I don’t need anything. Thank you, Cameron. Have safe travels and a good game.”
He stood there looking at her for a moment, and then rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully, and glanced at her to say goodbye as he walked out of the library. He was deeply bothered by the way things had turned between them. He felt like he’d lost a friend, and he hated the feeling.
He went to his game, and he pushed hard to keep his mind in the field. Every time it drifted to her, he’d force it back to the game. Every time he thought of his son, he’d bring his mind back to the game, and somehow he managed to keep it together and play a good solid game, and he even brought his stats up higher.
Delilah watched him play, cheered him on and wiped tears from her eyes as his face flashed onto the camera over and over and then the reporters cornered him for an interview in the post-game.
One of the reporters asked what they’d all been scrambling to know. “Who was the woman you were pictured with in the papers?” He looked right at the camera and didn’t even blink. “She’s a friend of mine. She’s one of my best friends.” Then he turned away.
Delilah sobbed into the pillow she was holding onto, and struggled with her heart, wrestling the truth away as fiercely as she could. Her cast was removed on Monday and she felt better. She felt freer, as though she had a bit of herself back.
She emailed her parents a message that she was right in the middle of her work and couldn’t talk to them just then, but she’d be in touch with them before the holidays, and she promised them that she was fine and everything was okay.
When she got back from the doctor’s office late that afternoon, the first thing she wanted to do was get into loose clothing and head out to the beach. She’d waited and waited to be able to be in the water, to swim in the sea by the house, and now that the cast was gone, she was determined to get in, no matter how cold, no matter if she could fit into any clothing that would work as a swimsuit.
She’d found a long thin dress from summer that was comfortable and wouldn’t get in her way, and she headed out to the water with a grin on her face. It had been so long since she was able to swim, and it was all she thought about as she went into the water.
It felt so good, curling around her legs and body -- washing up against her and then sweeping away. It was cold, but she didn’t care, she dove in and began to swim. It was a strange and surreal experience for her, swimming while she was pregnant, especially as far along as she was, and not having been able to swim for a couple of months.
It took her a few minutes to grow comfortable in the water, and as her confidence grew, the laps she was swimming grew in distance as she went further and further each time she went out.
A short while after she’d been swimming, she began to grow weary. The energy sapped from her body. She knew she’d have to come back in to shore pretty quickly. Then her leg was suddenly seized with a cramp and she could not move it. She tried to swim but couldn’t make herself get anywhere, and she struggled to stay afloat.
Panic overtook her and she began to gulp for air and splash wildly, trying to get onto her back so she’d have a better chance of getting in, but her body wouldn’t cooperate with her. It felt like no matter what she did, she just couldn’t fight the drag that was pulling her under.
Tears flowed from her eyes and just as she cried out the last time, thinking that she and the boy in her belly would die, a strong arm closed around her ribs and she felt herself being hauled swiftly through the water. She couldn’t turn or move, so she stopped struggling and just let herself relax and it made the going faster.
Before she knew it, she could feel the sand beneath her, and she was on the shore, the waves licking at her feet. She opened her eyes and looked up to see an extremely distraught Cameron, looking back down at her.
“What were you doing?” he panted.
She coughed and wiped her hands over her face, brushing away tears and water. “I was swimming, but my leg cramped up and I couldn’t make it back in,” she managed to say in between coughs.
He shook his head in utter denial and frustration. “Do you realize how close you came to drowning? Do you know that you could have lost your life? You could have lost the baby’s life?”
Fresh tears sprang to her eyes and she began to weep again. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” she cried. He grabbed her shoulders in his hands and pulled her up into his arms.
“I almost lost you just now! I can’t even imagine that! Delilah,” he panted, tears running down his cheeks, “I can’t lose you! Don’t you understand?” He rested his forehead against hers and his hot tears fell on her face.
“Delilah, you can’t risk your life like that! I knew you’d come out for a swim, I knew it, because y
ou got your cast off today, and you’ve been wanting to come out here, and look at this! You could have lost your life, you could have lost the baby…”
He wept and held her close to him, pressing her against his heart, overwhelmed at what had just happened, and at what had been prevented from happening. He looked down at her and ran his hand over her face, looking into her olive green eyes and struggling with all the emotion raging through him.
Then he leaned down and kissed her, pressing his lips firmly against hers and holding her tightly. She was absolutely still with shock, feeling fire bursting through her from his lips, and her heart began to ache and she closed her eyes and turned her head away from him.
“I… I’m sorry…” he stammered, holding her closely still, “I just can’t imagine losing you…”
Anger and frustration rushed through her and she turned her eyes sharply on him. “Well you’re going to lose me! That’s the plan! You hired me to have your baby, and as soon as he’s born,
I have to leave; that’s what you’re paying me to do, and that, Cameron, is losing me. I will be gone and you can have your son and your girlfriend and you won’t have to worry about me ever again!”
If she could have moved her body easily, she would have stormed off the beach. As it was, she was locked in his embrace and very pregnant and wet, lying on her back on the beach, so storming off was not an option. She tried to glare at him, but she couldn’t, so she closed her eyes and let the tears fall where they may.
“My… my girlfriend?” he asked, confusion tangling his mind. “I don’t have a girlfriend!”
“The redhead you were with the other night,” she said, miserably, keeping her eyes closed. “Don’t you think I could see what was going on? You don’t owe me anything, and I know I’ve been in your way, but I’ll be gone soon and the two of you can be together and raise the baby.” She couldn’t hold back a sob, and it escaped her, so she turned her head away from him.
He was stunned. “She’s not my girlfriend… she’s… well she was, but that’s the girl from college, the one who broke my heart. I don’t want her, I don’t want anything to do with her! What you saw was her trying to get me back, but you left and you didn’t see me kick her out of the house. Delilah, I don’t want her, I want you!” He could hardly believe he had said it out loud, but he had, and it was liberating for him.
Delilah opened her eyes and stared at him. “What?” she asked, sure that she’d heard him wrong.
He looked like a school boy with his hand caught in the cookie jar, but he’d said it and there was no going back. “Delilah, I’m sorry… I know we have this deal, I know you’re supposed to leave when the contract is up, but I just can’t stop thinking about you. You’re in my head all the time and it’s kind of driving me crazy, because you’re so close to me, and so far away.
“I have feelings for you, Delilah, I keep telling myself that I can’t, that I have my son and my career to think about. But every time I’m around you, it’s like there’s some kind of gravity just pulling me closer and closer to you, and I just can’t stay away from you. I want to be around you, so much. I want to be with you.”
His loud frustration had calmed to a soft tone, and his pleading eyes gazed into hers, hoping that somehow she would understand, that she would feel the same and tell him that she wanted him, too. Another part of him was terrified at the idea of being bonded to a woman again, and getting his heart broken worse than it already had been.
She watched his internal struggle, she watched him aching for her and she reached up and touched his face, lightly running her fingers over his cheeks and across his lips. He closed his eyes and absorbed the heat and electricity of her touch.
He leaned down and gently touched his lips to hers, kissing her softly, though his arms held her to his chest in almost a vice-like grip. He moved his mouth over hers, feeling the softness of her and tasting the salt from the sea on her lips. “Delilah…” he whispered, his breath touching her warmly.
Her answer was a loud groan and then a sharp cry, followed by clenched teeth. He was startled and moved backward suddenly, looking anxiously at her as she lay in his arms. She clamped her hands on his arm and screamed, struggling to breathe. Then she held her breath and finally released it, looking up at him with wild eyes.
“What is it? What’s wrong? Did he kick your ribs again?” Cameron asked, worry washing over him.
She shook her head. “No… something’s wrong. He’s coming, Cameron, he’s coming right now.”
Cameron went into sheer panic. “He can’t come yet! It’s too soon! Oh my god… we’ve got to get you to the hospital!” He stood up and pulled her carefully to her feet, walking with her, until she doubled over in pain again as another contraction shot through her body, crippling her. When she was able to move again, he got her to the car and grabbed her hospital bag, and they were off.
He only made one phone call. “Aaron, buddy, we’re on the way to the hospital. Delilah is in labor… would you do that for me, please? Thanks, brother.”
Cameron put his phone down and got Delilah to the hospital in record time. The emergency room was ready for her when she got there, having received a call from Aaron. Jim, Aaron, Mikey, and Josh all arrived within fifteen minutes of Cameron and Delilah’s arrival, and by that time, she was already being cleaned up and taken into the delivery room.
The doctor on call in delivery took one look at her and told Cameron, “We can’t stop this, she’s too far along. If you’re going in, get scrubbed up and dressed right now.”
Cameron looked at Aaron in shock, and Aaron pushed him after the nurses. “You’re going in. You’ll always regret it if you don’t. Get in there. We’ll be out here waiting for you. Go on.”
Cameron nodded and rushed after the nurse, barely making it into the room to get prepped, and taken into the delivery room. He felt faint when he saw Delilah there, sweat pouring down her beautiful face, her body racked with pain, breathing heavily and heaving as she tried to gasp for air. He went to her side and grabbed her hand.
“I’m here for you. We’re going to do this together. You can do it, just breathe,” he encouraged her.
One of the nurses looked up then and stared at him. “Oh my god! You’re Cameron Bellamy!” She turned and looked at one of the other nurses. “That’s Cameron Bellamy!”
The doctor looked up at Cameron and then over at the star struck nurse and said, “Get her out of here.” She was escorted out of the room and none of the other nurses said a word to Cameron. They all focused on Delilah and the baby.
Her contractions grew closer together and each one ravaged her with pain, but she held tightly to Cameron’s hand and struggled through them all. He looked at the doctor and pleaded on her behalf, “Don’t you have something? Can’t you give her something for the pain? Look at her!”
The doctor shook his head. “I’m sorry; she’s too far along for anything I could give her now. We’re just going to have to do this, and if the baby doesn’t turn soon, this will have to be a C-section.”
Cameron felt panic course through his whole body. “What do you mean turn? What’s going on?”
The doctor explained it to him quickly. “The baby is sideways. If he doesn’t turn so that he can come out naturally, we’ll have to cut her open and pull him out so he doesn’t die. We don’t have much time between now and when we’d be forced to do a C-section, so we’re hoping he turns and gets his head into the birth canal.”
Cameron looked at Delilah, who was weak with the struggle and the pain, and flushed with fear. “It’s going to be okay, we’re going to get through this. I’m right here, Delilah.”
He ran his hand over her forehead and squeezed her hand, then he leaned down to her belly and spoke to his son. “Hey little man, it’s me, I’m right out here waiting for you, but you have to help me out here, you need to turn for this to work, buddy, you have to turn around in there and come out head first. Can you do that for me? You can do it, I know you c
an. Come on, little guy!”
Delilah threw her head back and screamed as another contraction ripped through her body and made her writhe in agony. Cameron hadn’t felt so helpless in his whole life. He held her hand and she managed to make it through the pain until it subsided again.
He took a wet towel and wiped her forehead, telling her how well she was doing and that it would all be over soon. She looked up at him and knew that there was no way she could have gone through this without him. She clung to him, grateful that he was there, and fearful for what might happen, and for the health of the baby inside her.
The doctor monitored the baby carefully, and finally he said, “I’m sorry, we’re going to have to do a C-section. He’s not turning. Neither the mother nor the baby can continue like this and survive it,” he said, looking at Cameron. “Prep for the C,” he told his staff.
Minutes later, they were standing around her and Cameron watched in wonder as the doctor sliced Delilah’s belly open and deftly lifted the baby from her body.
