The Heartbreak Factor - Part Three

Chapter Fifty-Eight.

“Come on,” George grinned to me as he turned around to watch me walk, or in my case – waddle, towards him.

“George,” I said as I finally managed to catch up for him.

“This was supposed to be a cute stroll through London,” George laughed. “Not me having to stop and wait for you every ten seconds.”

Leaning against the wall that backed onto the River Thames, I looked at him in disbelief. “Well I am sorry for being eight and a half months pregnant!” I snapped. “You should try walking around carrying a huge ass baby in your stomach because believe me, it ain’t as easy as it sounds.”

George stood grinning at me before walking over and leaning against the wall next to me. “I’m sorry,” he smiled.

“What?” I asked. “For dragging me out for a walk or for getting me in this pregnant position in the first place?”

“Oh, shut up,” George grinned, holding his hand out. “Let’s go get a coffee.”

Groaning, I took hold of George’s hand. As we began to walk down the path towards Embankment, George began to swing my hand back and forth into the air. “You are so annoying,” I giggled.

“You do realise that this baby will be twice as annoying as me, right?”

“Yeah,” I smiled. “That’s why I’m praying to God every night that he blesses this child.”

George laughed at me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder as we got to Embankment. “God, this brings back memories,” he grinned as we walked through the street and passed the Corinthia hotel where we spent four months for the duration of the X Factor days. “You do realise that we haven’t been down here in nearly three years?”

“Time flies by when you’re having fun,” I giggled, looking back at the hotel as it brought all the memories back.

We walked under the bridge and into the surprisingly quiet Costa. We joined the queue of two people and stood grinning at each other as I stroked my baby bump. “Don’t you find it weird though how three years ago we used to come in here before rehearsals as friends and now, here we are, coming in here a month before our baby is due?” George whispered to me so nobody else could hear us.

“Weird?” I smiled. “It’s insane. How did I ever end up falling for you?”

“Oh, shut up,” George grinned. “You loved me from the moment I hit you with my guitar.”

“So after three years, you’re finally admitting you did it on purpose,” I laughed.

“No,” he winked. “It was fate.”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “What was fate was me not hitting you. I could have easily taken you out there and then.”

“I’d have loved to see you try,” he grinned. “You wouldn’t have been able to hit me.”

“I so would have,” I said as he ordered the coffees.

“Sammy,” he laughed. “You were the cute, little, innocent, shy student from York. You would not have been able to take me down.”

“I could easily take you down, Shelley,” I smiled as the barista handed our coffees to us. “I could take you all the way down to China town.”

George stood looking at me, grinning as we walked over to the sofas by the window. Sitting down on the sofa, I felt a twinge in my side.

“What?” George asked, looking worried.

“Nothing,” I smiled, holding onto the side of my bump as I felt another.

“Sammy,” George said. “What is it?”

I shook my head. “It’s too early.”

“Sammy..”

I shook my head, taking a sip of coffee, flinching again as a huge pain hit me.

“That’s it,” George said, standing up and pulling me up. “We’re going to the hospital.”

“No,” I said, trying to sit down. “It’s nothing.”

George shook his head and adamantly pulled me up off the sofa. “I love coffee, but I don’t want you having our baby in Costa.”

“It’s noth..”

Before I had chance to finish my sentence, I felt the whole of my baby bump tighten. “Ouch!” I said, struggling to breathe.

*

“My girlfriend,” George said as he rushed me to the reception. “She’s going into labour.”

“Sammy,” a familiar voice said from behind us. “George.”

I tried to turn around but another pain hit my bump again.

“Sammy,” the voice said.

I turned around to see Doctor Carter looking at me, carrying a clipboard. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“She’s in labour,” George panicked. “But it’s too early, isn’t it?”

Doctor Carter led me to the bench at the side of the reception desk and sat me down. “How far apart are the contractions?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” I said. “All I know is they really hurt.”

“Have your waters broken?” he asked.

I shook my head.

“There’s nothing to worry about,” he smiled. “It’s just practice contractions for the actual labour. It’s uncomfortable but completely natural. Just go home, and snuggle in bed until they go away.”

“I told you they were nothing,” I said to George.

“I’m glad you brought her in though,” he smiled to George. “It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“If this is just practice, I don’t want the actual ones,” I sighed, trying to get up from the bench but struggled.

“Come on,” George smiled, helping me up. “Let’s go home and watch movies all day.”