The Brothers Down The Street

Chapter 30

Ross's POV:

A paramedic hopped out of the back of the ambulance, landing before Liam, Will and I. "Are you Ross?" He asked Liam. "She wants you."

"No I'm the father of the baby."

"Who are you?" He questioned Will.

"Her boyfriend."

"And you?" He asked, finishing with me.

"The guy she's asking for." I replied. Why was she asking for me? What had I done now?

"Follow me." He climbed back into the ambulance.

"Why does she want you?" Will asked, his hand slamming around my arm.

"How should I know?" I questioned, brushing him off and stepping inside to see Maddy screaming and giving a paramedic a hard time.

"Ross." She sighed in relief, seeing me before dropping her head back.

"You know she's only trying to help." I said, referring to the midwife.

"I'll write her a thank you card later." She snapped, fully aware the paramedic was still there.

I laughed, crouching beside her and taking her hand in mine.

"I guess this is karma, huh?" She laughed.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "Karma for what?"

"All the pain I caused you, this is the world kicking my ass back."

"I'm sure mine was more painful." I laughed, knowing she wouldn't think so.

"We'll have to agree to disagree." She said, panting. "Either way, I wanted to apologise."

"Maddy none of it was your fault, Will makes you happy and he loves you, I can understand that because I love you and you love him. I was selfish to even try getting in the way."

"Some people don't make it through child birth." She said. "I had to get it off my chest in case anything goes wrong."

"What?" I stood up in disbelief. I examined her face with my eyes and it saddened me that she didn't believe she could make it through this.

"I'm seventeen Ross, I have no idea what I'm doing. For the past nine months I've tried to put on a hard front like I have all my life but I'm terrified Ross." She explained. "If I don't make it, make sure Liam doesn't get full custody of Jules."

"First of all, Jules? No, I don't think so." I scoffed, trying to lighten the mood for her. "Second-"

"No Ross, I don't think I can do this." She argued.

"You're Maddy flipping Kingsley, if you can't do it then no one can!" I stated with soft confidence in my tone.

Her breathing hitched and her yelling began again as she experienced another contraction. "We really need to go now." The paramedic said and I nodded.

Landing my feet firmly back on the ground, Tom stepped into the ambulance and they closed the doors before driving off.

"We'll follow them." Ian said, rushing to his car with Gale.

"Mine will be faster." Liam argued.

"Oh why don't you do us all a favour and not even come?" I snapped.

"I am the father."

"But you don't give a damn about Maddy."

"And I hear you do, a little too much." Liam smirked.

My fists tensed by my side, I had no reason to hold back, Maddy wasn't here to scold me for it so I threw a punch at his smug little face.

"Ross there's no time." Ian urged me from the car.

"Come on Ross, he's not worth it." Will said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"We'll take Toms, he gave me the keys." Claire said, standing by Rachel. We all agreed and sped off, leaving Liam on his own to catch up.

"So what did Maddy want you for?" Will asked in the back of Ian's car.

"She was scared." I said.

"Then why didn't she ask for me?"

"She's your girlfriend, ask her." I replied.

"Ross!" He boomed.

"Alright, alright." I sighed. "She thought she was going to do, guess she didn't want to freak you out."

"You set her straight right?" Will asked.

"No Will I put a pillow over her face. What do you think?" I snapped. "You ought to trust me a little more."

"Trust you, with Maddy, ha!" He eye rolled as we pulled up in the car park.