Chapter 71

Finally arriving at the hospital, forty grueling minutes later, we park and burst through the hospital doors, heading towards the reception desk.

“Sasha Thompson, please,” I ask in a rush. The receptionist taps on her computer, scanning her eyes across the screen.

“Fourth floor, east wing, room 404.” She picks up on our urgency and directs us quickly. We run through the hospital, skipping the elevator, and stride up the stairs until the fourth floor.

We need a short breather, but we walk briskly towards the east wing, looking for room 404.

“Alex!” I hear my mom’s voice and run to hug her. “Just in time, she’s in labor right now. Come with me, Knox. The boys are in that room there with your poor mother! Tell her I’ll be back soon.”

I give his hand a light squeeze and follow my mom towards the room where Cole and Sasha are. He sends me a small smile and opens up the door. “I’ll ask later,” my mom smirks, picking up on the interaction between Knox and me.

“I need to talk to you, Delilah, Sam, Andy, and Hannah too. Nothing serious, just... I’ll tell you later!”

We rush into the room and I see Sasha with her knees bent, sweating and gripping my brother’s hand like her life depends on it. He’s whispering into her ear and kissing her head, showing his support.

She’s cursing under her breath, her face bright red.

“Oh thank fuck, Alex! I couldn’t hold it in anymore! I need to push! Fuck, baby!” Sasha screams from the pain and I run over to stand on the other side of her, not before hugging my brother, Sam, and Sasha’s mom.

“It’s alright, sweetie, keep breathing and push! You’ve got this, baby! I love you so much,” my brother comforts her, but she looks like she’s going to kill him with her bare hands.

“Cole, I swear to god! I’m done pushing any more of these kids out! No more! I’m done—fuuuucccckkkk! Oh-ooh-oh-ooh,” she breathes out, trying to control the pain she’s experiencing from pushing a human out.

Cole sends me a pleading look to help him and I can’t help but laugh, earning a smack on the side of my head. The midwife positions herself where the baby will come out and tells Sasha to push as hard as she can.

“Sorry! I couldn’t help it. Well, at least you haven’t fainted! But Sasha, girl, you gotta push this beautiful baby out! You’ve got this, come on, squeeze my hand and scream it out!”

Following my instructions, I begin to tell her over and over to breathe and push and tell Cole to say it too. She does what she’s told and another half hour later, Cole holds his beautiful baby boy, weighing 7 pounds 7 ounces.

Welcome to the world, Reign Alexander Thompson. They gave him my name as his middle name, which wasn’t the best part. I’m also his godmother, along with Austin Carter as his godfather.

I find myself standing next to Cole, who’s cradling his newborn son, while his wife dozes off in the hospital bed. The baby stirs in the white blanket swaddling him, his bright blue eyes opening to gaze at his father. Cole is utterly captivated by his son, and I can’t help but share in his fascination.

“Here, take him out to everyone in the other room and introduce him to the family,” Cole suggests, passing the baby into my arms. Sam follows me as we head into the next room where the rest of the family eagerly awaits the baby’s arrival.

Sam holds the door open for me, and as I enter with Reign cradled in my arms, everyone rises to their feet, their faces lighting up with joy.

“It’s a boy. Everyone, meet Reign Alexander Thompson. Reign, this is your family, buddy.” The room fills with a chorus of ‘awes’ as everyone gathers around to admire the baby, who yawns adorably.

His tiny hands grip the edges of the blanket, pulling it slightly. His head moves around, taking in his new surroundings.

“He’s such a beautiful boy. Oh my goodness, look at those chubby cheeks!” Delilah coos, completely smitten with the little bundle in my arms.

Cole enters the room behind me, and everyone rushes to congratulate him. Lena and Noah join us, smiling down at their new brother.

“Your mother says no more kids, but I think we can squeeze one more out of her,” Cole jokes, eliciting laughter from everyone in the room.

“As long as it’s another girl. I can’t have three younger brothers, Dad. It’s something we have to strongly consider,” Lena says, gently stroking Reign’s cheek without waking him from his slumber.

“Try three older brothers, Lena! Younger ones are easier. Do you want to hold him, Lena? It’s cool if she holds him, right Cole?”

He nods his head, “Yeah, but sit down first. He’s a lot heavier than you think.” I help Lena settle into a seat and carefully place Reign into his big sister’s arms, showing her how to properly support his head.

I give Reign a small kiss on his forehead and stand up to my full height. Cole gives me a kiss on the forehead and I hug him.

“Congratulations, Cole. He’s absolutely perfect. I’m so happy for you both.” He thanks me and gives me another squeeze before sitting next to Lena and lifting Noah onto his lap.

I turn to hug Hannah and Andy, filling them in on my trip, but leaving out the details of my date and the events of last night.

Before long, my mom bursts into the room and gathers all the girls together for a meeting. So it’s me, Mom, Delilah, Hannah, Sam, and Andy. Mila, Jane, and Hannah’s mom Serena have gone to sit with Sasha for a while. Stella, Wes, and the rest of them are on their way.

My mom closes the door to the private room and locks it, “Just to be safe, you never know. I raised nosy boys,” she shrugs.

“So did I!” Delilah laughs.

“You look like you’ve got something to tell, Missy,” she points at me as I pace the room nervously.

~Oh god, how do I tell them this?~ I think to myself. ~I know they’ll all freak out when I do. Just rip the band-aid off, Alex. Nike that shit and just do it.~

“Spill, Alex! Something’s up, it’s written all over your face!” Hannah says, a smug smile on her freckled face. ~Just say it, they’ll know eventually after a while.~

“Okay, so don’t freak out, alright?—” I see their heads nod before I continue, “Soooo... I may have... went on a date... while I was in New York?”

Their eyes widen in shock. I don’t think they were expecting that. There’s a moment of silence before anyone speaks.

“How did Knox take it?” Delilah asks, unsure how her son would react. I laugh, and everyone looks at me as if I’ve gone mad.

“He took it well...” I giggle, trying to hold back my laughter. They exchange questioning looks.

“Really? I thought he would’ve fought with you about it?” She asks in disbelief.

“Well, he... was the... um- he was the one who took me out... on the date...” I stutter out the words, and the room falls silent.

Suddenly, high-pitched screams fill the room. I roll my eyes, trying to suppress the grin creeping onto my face. I bite my lip to stop myself from feeling giddy with them.

My mom and Delilah run to each other, hugging and jumping up and down.

“I knew it,” they all say in unison.

“What?” I blurt out, taken aback by their declarations.

“It was only a matter of time before my boy decided to grow a pair of balls and ask you out, Alex! Oh my god, I’m so happy for you both!” Delilah exclaims, clasping her hands together in excitement before rushing over to hug me. My mom and the others join in on the group hug.

“Relax, you two, it was just one date. We’re taking it slow, I’m still fresh from a breakup...”

“Has he asked you out on another?” Sam asks over my shoulder. I can feel the grin on her face as she asks the question. I sigh and start to laugh, “Yes, yes he has.”

Suddenly, there are multiple bangs on the door behind us. The boys are trying to get in. We all break out in laughter as Sam jogs over to unlock the door, and the guys burst inside, panting.

“What’s going on? Why the commotion?” they all demand in unison, their eyes wide with alarm. Our laughter only intensifies at their reaction.

“Oh, boys! We’re just thrilled about Reign’s arrival, that’s all!” My mom dismisses them with a wave of her hand, causing them to roll their eyes and retreat from the room. I have to give it to her—she’s a master at deception. I make a mental note to learn from her.

“Knox, sweetheart, could you come here for a moment? We need to have a quick chat,” Delilah coos, her voice dripping with so much sweetness it could thaw the iciest heart.

His gaze meets mine, and I press my lips together to suppress a smile. Breaking eye contact, I turn to Sam, who’s giggling at our exchange. I swat her arm to quiet her just as the door closes.

“Is everything okay, Mom?” Knox’s voice is laced with suspicion. Poor guy. Six girls against one guy—it’s hardly a fair fight. He stands with his hands on his hips, his gaze darting around the room, landing on each of us in turn.

A smile tugs at his lips, and his jaw tightens. His eyes meet mine again. “You told them, didn’t you?” His question is directed at me, his gaze never leaving mine.

My heart races, and goosebumps prickle my skin under his intense stare. I want to tear his clothes off and have him right here, right now. But I can’t—I have to control myself. I bite my thumb and nod in response.

He shifts his weight from foot to foot, shaking his head and biting his lip. The room fills with soft squeals and clapping, and I can’t help but laugh, turning my back to them to face the window.

“It’s about damn time, Knox Carter! Do you have any idea how long we’ve been waiting for you to take my baby girl out on a date?”

My mom grabs his arm, looking at Delilah, who’s wearing the proud expression of a mama bear. Knox’s cheeks flush slightly under their scrutiny.

Delilah rushes over to hug him and pinch his cheeks. “You’re blushing, Knox! When did you tell her?” She asks him as if I’m not even in the room.

“On the plane ride over. She kind of forced it out of me. We were teasing each other, and she wanted to know who the girl was... So I told her it was my best friend’s sister.

“It was funny because she thought it was Sam first, then Maddie—”

“What?” Delilah whips her head around to look at me, a Cheshire cat grin spreading across her face. I press my lips together, forming a tight line.

“Yeah, it took her a while to figure it out. So I asked her out. She said yes, and we had dinner at the Empire State Building, followed by a photography lesson after her talk.

“She looked beautiful, so I took her home with me, and we went to sleep. The end. Can I go now?” He rushes through a simplified version of our date, reaching for the door handle.

His account of our date is brief, but they don’t need to know all the details. It’s between him and me, and I’d like to keep it that way. I don’t want to jinx anything.

I have to admit, I’m looking forward to our next date. Hopefully, he remembers he asked me out again.

“Wait! One more question! A very important one... Did you guys kiss?” Sam points at him as he grips the door handle.

He rolls his eyes and catches my gaze. “You’re such girls, you know that! Yes, we did. Are we done now? The guys are going to start wondering where I am.” We wave him out, and he sends me a smile that makes my heart flutter.

I clear my throat, trying to hide my embarrassment, and he pops his head back in. “Oh, and let’s keep this between us for now. I don’t know about you, baby doll, but I’d rather Kyle didn’t find out just yet...”

I nod in agreement, as does everyone else in the room. The door closes behind him, leaving us in silence. A moment later, another round of squeals fills the room. They sound like a bunch of strangled cats.

“Oh, Alex! He’s head over heels for you! You can see it in his—”

“Mom, it was just one date. He can’t be smitten after one date! Let’s not rush things. We’re just seeing where it goes.” I hold up my hands in surrender, trying to temper her enthusiasm.

She’s always been quick to jump to conclusions, even more so than Andy. A few seconds later, Cole comes in to fetch my mom and Delilah to help with the kids.

Before they leave, they shoot me a knowing wink. I roll my eyes, leaving me alone with Andy, Hannah, and Sam.

Let the girl talk commence.

“So, you two went on a date, huh?” Andy’s smugness is evident in her tone. I smile down at the floor and nod. “Did you guys have sex?”

“Andy!” Hannah slaps her, and they all burst into laughter. But they notice my silence, and their laughter turns into screams.

“You guys seriously need to stop doing that!” I scowl at them, my ears ringing from their shrieks.

“When? Where? How? What was it like—” Sam tries to get my attention.

“Last night. And that’s all I’m telling you. It’s none of your business! I don’t pry into your dating lives or sex lives, so stay out of mine, please...” I plead with them.

I bite my lower lip, praying they’ll keep this to themselves, especially Andy. I can’t afford for them to talk about this when the boys are around.

Kyle would kill Knox if he found out he’d touched me like that. Everyone knows that. They agree to keep quiet until I know for sure where things are headed.

“Okay, one more question, then we’ll leave it to our imaginations... is he a grinder or a pumper?”

“Jesus, Andy!” I clutch my sides, laughing, but she’s actually waiting for an answer.

She’s blocking the door, her back pressed against it and her arms folded over her chest, making her boobs look even bigger.

I huff and roll my eyes. “Not a word!... he’s both.” The room erupts with screams and I see Andy thrusting her hips at me.

“Yes, yes, yes! Get it, Alex!”

I push them out the door, earning glances from the nurses at their stations. We all wave and apologize, telling them we’re just so excited about the baby. Like they believe us.