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“I know!” I screa in my face!”

Marcello laughs as he holds ht

“It’s not funny!” I squeeze his hand so tight even his face flinches “It fucking hurts”

“You can do this, Harper,” he replies

The feel of a football-sized hu I could mentally or physically prepare for, and it makes me want to punch and kick and bite

“I’ve never er woman than you,” he adds

“Thanks,” I say “But that’s not gonna help oddamn baby out!”

He raises his brow and pulls so out of his pocket “Maybe this will”

It’s a tiny box, and when he opens it, the sparkle of the ring inside makes me dizzy

“Will you marry me?”

“Holy shit,” I mutter

Marcello snorts “Well, that’s not the reaction I expected, but I’ll take it since you seem to like it”

I shake my head

“What, you don’t want to marry me?” he scoffs

“No, I mean, not now It’s too sudden Unexpected”

Another wave of contractions hit ht now”

“Of course,” he says, tucking the box back into his pocket

But I could give two shits what he does with thatI don’t care if he shoves it up his ass for crying out loud I just need this fucking baby to come out already

I push again, straining against the bed as a sheen of sweat covers my skin

“FUCK!” I scream

“That’s it! I see a head!” the nurse says “Keep pushing!”

“SHUT UP!”

Marcello laughs again, and I squeeze his hand so hard that he starts to bite his lip and turn red from the pain Good I want hi at me

I push again, giving it reat speed With a ragged breath, I lean over to witness a little girl being caught by the nurse She’s so small, and her cries immediately wrench my heart open and make me cry

“It’s a girl,” the nurse says, looking at Marcello, who has a proud smile on his face