WANT (completed)

ch. 67 | Ready or Not

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.