Chapter 61: Labour(2)

Janice groaned, clutching the duvet wrapped around her lower midsection. She shut her eyes, gritted her teeth, and breathed as another contraction hit.

Her nostrils flared, and her back ached from lying on the bed since the contractions began.

"Someone should get this out of me!" Janice arched her back, and sweat dribbled down her forehead.

"My lady, you'll be fine," Grace assured, gently wiping the sweat off her face.

"I doubt that," Janice gasped out.

When the pain lessened, she added, "I need Jules. I don't care wherever he is; I need him right now!"

She bit down on her lower lip hard, enough to draw blood. She couldn't tell if the blood came from the bite, as the only apparent pain she felt was from her stomach.

Her wide blue eyes darted to the door, imagining Jules magically appearing in the room. Janice wondered if his mother had reached him earlier, as she promised she would. She overheard her trying to call him and speaking on the phone shortly after.

It had been thirty minutes of grunting and cussing due to the contractions, which seemed to multiply with each passing second. Yet, there was no sign of him.

She only wished he was at the palace, making it easier for them to reach him. She couldn't help but wonder if he was intentionally stalling, considering they had barely talked since he left. Would he rush to be with her as soon as possible when he heard she was in labour?

"He'll be with you soon, my lady," Grace said again, her eyes flickering towards the door each time she mentioned Janice's husband. "I doubt His Majesty would want to miss the birth of his first child."

Janice nodded, gritting her teeth.

The door creaked open, and Janice's heart skipped a beat. She tilted her head to see who had come in and let out a disappointed sigh when she saw Maggie striding towards her.

"I came as soon as I heard," Maggie mumbled, sitting by Janice's bedside. She clasped Janice's hand and squeezed gently.

"How is she?" Maggie asked the midwife, who was tending to Janice. "Is the baby coming anytime soon?"

"No, not yet. She still has two more hours to go before she needs to push the baby out. She isn't fully dilated yet."

"This sucks," Janice grunted. Two more hours of excruciating pain, and she doubted she'd survive it.

She had been trying her best not to scream bloody murder since the contractions started, but having to endure more hours might be the end of the line for her.

An hour later, Janice felt like she might die as the pain grew more intense. It hadn't even been an hour since the nurse's prediction, and she didn't think she could hold it in any longer.

Waiting to be fully dilated was an experience she didn't think she would wish to go through again. Perhaps, she would change her mind once it was all over. But for now, all she could think of was surviving the ordeal.

Jules still wasn't in the room, and she wondered what was holding him down, considering she was told he was on his way.

"Jules isn't here yet?" Jeremy raised his eyebrows as he peered into the room. He wrinkled his nose and grimaced.

"Giving birth is a bloody business. I don't think I would like to engage in such," he remarked.

"I believe you prayed too late," Janice winced.

Maggie glared at Jeremy. "That is nice for you to say," she responded sarcastically. "But, I know you'd like to stick around to see your child being born, unlike your brother."

Jeremy shrugged. "I doubt that."

Although he meant it as a joke, he noticed his wife glaring at him, but he ignored her and looked at Janice.

"I'm sure he is on his way. I don't think he is intentionally coming late for the birth of his child. Perhaps, something held him down."

It was the same thing Janice had thought of. As much as they had a fallout, she doubted he wouldn't come to see their baby being born. Yet, the explanation wasn't enough for Janice, and his absence made her more agitated.

"I swear to God, if Jules doesn't get his arrogant f**king ass here before the baby is born, I will assume our marriage is null and void, and he can choose to be with whoever he wants!"

"Is that a threat, madame?"

Janice's heart fluttered as she heard the deep timbre of his voice. She glared at him and tossed the pillow beside her in his direction.

Jules caught the pillow and strode towards her. Maggie stood up from where she sat beside Janice to make room for him.

"I hate you for putting me in this condition!" Janice shouted, clenching the hand he extended to her.

"I don't think you do," Jules mumbled. He winced as her grip tightened, but he didn't let go.

"I look like a mess!"

Jules chuckled, noticing that she still cared about her appearance despite being in anguish.

"You look beautiful, darling," he said, brushing the hair out of her face. He placed a slight kiss on her lips, then the tip of her button nose, before kissing her cheeks.

"I bet you're just saying that to make me feel better," Janice murmured.

She leaned into him as he kissed her once more.

"Looks awkward. I hate seeing both of you smooching each other; it makes me want to puke," Jeremy gagged, earning a swat from his wife.

"I'll leave you here with her, and I hope the next time I come back, I'll get to see my Godson or daughter," Maggie said, tugging Jeremy's hand.

"You're the godmother of their child? What about me? I have no title!" Jeremy whined.

Maggie dragged Jeremy out of the room, sensing that Janice and Jules needed some privacy. "That's because you don't deserve any title."

Janice giggled as she heard Maggie scolding him. "That's mean!" Jeremy retorted.

Sighing as their voices faded, Janice stared at Jules. The pain had subsided, and she could move her body a bit without feeling like something was about to claw its way out of her.

"I'm sorry," Jules said after a while.

Janice tilted her brows, unsure of the reason he was apologising since she knew he had a lot to apologise for. But she assumed he was referring to coming late, until he spoke up.

"I shouldn't have acted the way I did before I left. I didn't know the reason I was mad or acted cold. I believe it was one of those phases I often go through, and I just needed a clear head."

"Then I was an easy target for you to lay your anger on?" Janice asked, her winter-blue eyes boring into his slate-grey ones.

She shook her head, and her hair, which was in a messy bun, followed suit. She grasped the pin that had fallen out and used it to secure her hair again.

Jules exhaled, his shoulders moving with each breath he took. "I didn't mean it that way. I didn't want it to affect you."

Janice rolled her eyes. "If you had told me you were going through a phase, I'd understand. I mean, I've seen you get furious and frustrated with me before for no apparent reason, and I still understood that you needed some time to yourself."

"But what happened last week was uncalled for, and you didn't even bother to talk to me about anything. You literally just ignored me!" She gritted her teeth. "Imagine if I wasn't in labour; you wouldn't have come over, right?"

Jules sighed, shaking his head. He would have come because he missed her. Seeing the other person who had slept by his side was enough for him to come to his senses.

"I don't really know. I hate that I love you. You take advantage of my love and make me feel like trash. I wish I could stop myself from falling so hard for you." Janice sobbed.

Jules creased his brows, and his heart clenched as he saw the tears gliding down her cheeks. "I have never and would never take advantage of you."

"Please, don't cry," he groaned, shutting his eyes. His hand went to her face to wipe the tears away.

"I'm sorry, darling," he said, clasping her hand and caressing it softly.

He loathed seeing her in tears, especially in her vulnerable state, where she often cried at the slightest thing. Usually, Jules would have found it irritating and dismissed her, but now he wanted nothing more than to gather her in his arms and comfort her, assuring her that everything would be fine.

He felt his resolve break every time he gazed at her. He found himself cherishing her presence more than anything else and willingly doing whatever she wanted. Jules wondered if this was what love was supposed to feel like. He had never experienced this sensation before, but now it engulfed him, wrapping him in its warmth.

Feeling her pain as she clasped his hand, a sense of protection invaded his mind as he stared at her. Jules was aware that he had loved her for a while now, but he had been trying so hard to deny his feelings for her, even hardening his heart for reasons he couldn't quite understand.

Now, allowing himself to feel it again, he realised that love was an incredible feeling he didn't want to let go of anytime soon.