94

CASSANDRA'S POV

5 months later

"What do you think you're doing?" Asa's voice comes from behind me as he enters the bedroom, startling me enough to make me jump slightly. I spin around, cradling my hand under my bump as I take in the sight of him stepping out of the bathroom.

He's freaking gorgeous as ever. I watch as he knots his tie, his tongue darting across his lower lip mindlessly. His hair is still slightly moist from his shower since he hasn't blow dried it yet, and even then, he's the most beautiful man to walk this planet.

And here I am — 38 weeks pregnant, unable to fit in anything comfortably unless I'm swimming in it. I can barely see my toes, and even though everyone loves to remind me how small I'm carrying and how great I look, I still feel like shit.

I've had on and off morning sickness these past few weeks, but that wasn't all that bad. If I watched what I ate, baby was happy and didn't seem to complain, but these past two weeks have been hell. The baby loves to kick, especially when I'm comfortable or laying in bed, and right at my ribs too. It's either that, or I can at times feel the baby right near my pelvis, and that too makes me impossibly uncomfortable. I'm ready to pop this sucker out.

"Nothing. I just thought maybe I could come to the office with you since you're only going to be there for a bit," I mumble, sitting down on the edge of our bed and rubbing my belly. The baby hates mornings, but I can't sleep through the night anymore, so I might as well be up and out of the bed if I can't lay down comfortably.

"Babe, we talked about this. We agreed with the doctor and said you'd stay home these last couple weeks. It's only been two days," Asa scolds me gently, buckling his belt and adjusting his tie against his torso.

I knew he would say that, but I think I'll lose my mind if I'm at home another day. If my mind isn't busy, then it's focused on the kicking, or the baby's position, and that only makes me even more uncomfortable than I've been the past few days, because I'm terrified of going into labor while Asa isn't here with me.

"But I wouldn't really be doing anything. I'll just hang out in my office until you're done. Maybe look at a few files," I sigh softly, hoping that he'll give in, but knowing that he won't at the same time. "Or I can just sit in your office, please?"

Asa wouldn't normally care. In fact, he was initially fine with me being in the office up until I was in labor, but after the last two doctors appointments, Asa refuses to even let me out of the apartment half the time.

"The doctor said you should stay home, love. Work will only stress you out and you could go into labor early. They really want you to carry to 40 weeks," he reminds me politely, walking over and pressing a kiss to the top of my head as his fingers glide through my hair. "It's only two more weeks. We're almost there. Friday is my last day in the office too, and then I'll be home with you. I just have to make sure Zac has everything he needs."

I smile softly, glad that Zac was able to come back from Australia for this. A couple of months back, he moved out there to help fix things at the Australian headquarters, but said he would be back for when the baby came. He had promised of course — but part of me was worried that he would just end up staying back. Knowing he was going to be here when the baby came, and would be covering for myself and Asa meant the whole world to me right now. I couldn't really feel comfortable with anyone else taking over while we were at home with the baby.

Plus, I want him to have a relationship with his niece or nephew. I'm really hoping to convince him to move back to New York in these next few months that he's here, because it's been way too hard without him. I miss him way too much for him to just leave again.

"I know. Ugh, I just...this baby just needs to come already! I can't sleep, I can't eat, and I just feel so exhausted from doing absolutely nothing," I whine, knowing very well that I'm the worst. I shouldn't be complaining considering that the baby is healthy and this situation is much better than it is for many others. The fact that I'm able to stay home and not have to worry about anything else is just to say the least.

Asa smiles down at me, giving me such an admiring look that makes my heart pound faster. Just as he's about to kiss me, I feel the baby move right against my bladder and kick me straight in the ribs, making me groan softly in discomfort and frown at once.

With his eyebrows raised in silent question, Asa places his hand on my belly, rubbing gently as he squats down in front of me. The baby loves him already. Literally. I can't even joke about it when I say that the baby loves his touch and voice.

"Hi sweet pea," he coos, pressing a kiss to the bump as he continues to rub. I roll my eyes slightly at his pet name. We still don't know the gender since we wanted to be surprised, but Asa is convinced that it's a girl. I personally think it's a boy, but we're both excited to be surprised nevertheless. The baby kicks again, but much more gently and right against his hand instead of in my ribs. I'm still uncomfortable with how the baby is positioned, but a sigh of relaxation escapes my lips anyways. "Stop kicking your mommy before you get me in trouble."

Asa glances up at me with a small smirk before going back to cooing the sweetest things to the baby. My heart melts even though I'm cranky as hell. I would say it's because I haven't had breakfast and I'm hungry, but honestly, I know I've been on edge these last few weeks. I reach out and brush my fingers through Asa's tousled hair. It's starting to dry a bit, but is still slightly moist, leaving it poking in certain spots.

"I love you," I mumble, playing with his hair as I relax a bit. "I'm sorry. I know I've been much lately."

"No," Asa shakes his head, standing up but still leaning down so his face comes to meet mine. His hands lay flat by my sides as he kisses me softly. "Don't apologize to me for anything. I love you. Both of you."

I can't help but smile almost shyly as he kisses my cheek, leaving a few pecks before standing up straight. I sigh softly, going to get up as well, but much more slowly and cautiously as I use the bed to support me up. Some people make pregnancy look easy, and I'm definitely not one of those people. My feet hurt, my body feels like it isn't mine, and god, I just want to eat a freaking cheeseburger and some sushi without feeling like hurling afterwards.

"I'll be back with lunch. Just text me whatever you're craving or wanting to eat, and I'll grab it. Everything else I can do from home, so that's only two hours I'll be gone," Asa says as he goes to fix his hair. Just as I'm walking towards the bathroom door, I feel a contraction.

It's okay. I've been getting Braxton Hicks for a few weeks now. They come and go, and it's the exact reason why the doctor wanted me to stay at home. Technically, I'm supposed to be on bed rest, but I'm close enough to 40 weeks now that it would be fine if I went into labor.

Just as the contraction comes and goes, and I'm almost to the bathroom, I feel it. At first, I'm almost convinced that I've just peed myself because of the baby putting pressure against my bladder, but I know it's not that.

I'm frozen, looking down at my feet as I feel the warm liquid leak down. It's disgusting, I know, but I'm literally can't move because I'm just so shocked. My jaw drops, and it's not until I hear Asa say my name a few times that I'm finally brought back to what is actually happening right now.

"Cassandra?" Asa steps back into the bedroom just as I jerk my head up to look at him. My eyes are wide, and I'm standing awkwardly, staring at him in complete shock. "What's wrong?"

He looks worried as he comes up to me, probably because of the look on my face. Good, because he should be worried. I'm terrified. As much as I wanted this baby out, I was expecting at least two more weeks after the doctor said I would carry to full term at my appointment just yesterday.

"I'm not ready," I exclaim, shaking my head quickly with slight tears welling up in my eyes. He shakes his head, frowning as he places his hands on my shoulder gently.

"What? What are you talking about?"

"My water just broke," I gasp out, watching him to a double take before looking down just as he steps on the now slightly moist carpet. Oops.

"Oh shit, okay," he says calmly, running his hand through his hair as he kisses the top of my head. "Well, the doctor said that we should wait for contractions to be pretty close together. Have you had anymore?"

"No, I'm not waiting," I shake my head at him. "I want to go right now." I'm already turning around, heading straight towards the door. I know he's going to tell me that we should call the doctor, but fuck that shit. If I stay here, I'll freak out. No way. Not happening.

"Okay, hold on. Let's talk about this," Asa rushes in front of me to stop me. He's right, we should talk about this. We had a plan. We would wait until contractions were close enough, and then go down a few blocks to Mount Sinai for the delivery. "Cas, let's just call the doctor, okay?"

I sigh, knowing that he's totally right, but just as I'm about to tell him to call the doctor, another contraction hits me. Hard. I gasp as grab his arm, totally taken back. It's a quick one, but I know that it's way too close to the other one to not be concerning. The baby is coming. There's no way.

"Okay, nevermind. Let's go," Asa says after holding me through it. By the time that I've reached the door and slipped on my Ugg slippers, he's already got my bag and all our things — phones and such — as well as my coat. Thank god for him, because it's freezing out considering it's early February, and I would have walked out in pjs and flip flops had he not been here.

I'm freaking out by the time we've got a cab. Asa said he'll come grab the car when we need it, but I know he just wants to get me there already, and probably doesn't want to leave my side to have to park. He won't show any type of fear or freak out in front of me, but I saw the look on his face when I had that second contraction.