Jack & Coke (The Uncertain Saints Book 2) (25 page)

Shh, there’s wine in here.

-Coffee Cup

Annie

Hours later, I was still in the little world Mig had created for me.

I’d just gotten up, leaving Vitaly to Mig, and stretched my legs.

Plus, I had to pee.

Mig had practically fallen asleep on top of me, and he’d not moved for a very long time.

People had slowly trickled out, and now we were left with only Nonnie, and his parents.

They were all discussing what they were wanting for dinner, so I took the chance to get up and leave.

I needed a few moments.

My chest felt so full right now that I needed somewhere to just let it out.

And I found it in the bathroom stall at the very end of the corridor, near the waiting room.

And I cried.

I cried hard.

I didn’t know why.

Well I did, and I didn’t.

Mostly, it was because today was eventful.

Today had been terrible…and oh so beautiful.

I’d nearly lost Mig, and I never even had him completely to myself.

I wanted him.

I wanted his son.

I wanted to be a mother and a wife.

And I couldn’t say that, because Mig was going through enough as it was.

He didn’t need me adding to that.

I was in limbo.

I would be until I got this off my chest.

But I wouldn’t say a word about it until I got home. Until Vitaly was a few weeks old. Maybe even more.

I was crying so hard, in fact, that I didn’t even realize I wasn’t alone anymore until two huge, strong arms went around my middle.

I’d been sitting on the toilet, fully dressed.

I’d gone into a stall, and had ensconced myself inside, thinking surely Mig would never follow me here.

I was wrong.

“Why are you crying?” He asked gruffly.

I couldn’t tell him that.

But I could tell him that he’d scared me today, which I did.

Loudly.

“You scared me,” I sobbed. “I almost lost you.”

Mig groaned and took a seat on his ass, leaning his back against the tiled wall.

It was gross to sit on the bathroom floor, but I didn’t tell him that.

He had a weird look on his face.

“I was convinced I was going to die today,” he admitted.

I looked up at him, tears streaming down my face.

“Don’t say that.”

I needed him to tell me he knew he’d be ok…not agree with me.

“I did. And it was all because of some woman who used me. Got herself pregnant against my will. Then got me to marry her,” he said, leaning his head against the tile and looking up at me.

I didn’t say anything.

What was there to say?

What Jennifer had done was awful.

Beyond awful.

But could I say anything against her when she produced something as lovely as Vitaly?

Yes, I could.

But Vitaly was a light at the end of the tunnel.

He was proof that if God brought you to it, God would bring you through it.

“And as I was telling her that she’d never see her son again, besides the picture you sent me,” he rasped. “I felt bad…for her. At what
I’d
done to
her
.”

I didn’t say anything to that.

“And as I was leaving, I realized just how much I love you,” he said. “When I got to the room and saw you feeding my son, I realized that I’d never be able to live without you again. The thought of you not there when I wake up physically hurts.”

“That’s your bruised ribs,” I teased.

My tears were slowing, but they were still there.

However, I was always ready for a good joke.

And I’d do anything to get that look off Mig’s face.

Defeated.

“I want to ask you to marry me…but I don’t want you to think it’s only because of the baby,” he said, making my heart start to pound.

I waited.

And it was good I did, because he wasn’t finished.

“But then I’m a selfish fucker, and I couldn’t wait. I needed you to know that I love you, and that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. So I followed you out here, and broke in when I heard you crying in the bathroom,” he said, finally turning his eyes to me.

They were bruised.

Huge purple and blue bruises lined his face.

His lip was still split.

His nose was slightly crooked.

And he was the most handsome man in the entire world.

“I love you, too,” I said quietly.

He smiled.

“That’s why I want you to marry me. You’re gonna say yes. And we’re going to build a new house, way the fuck away from any of our old memories,” he said. “We’re gonna make new ones. We’re gonna live our life. And we’re going to be fuckin’ happy.”

I wanted to laugh.

He deemed it, so it would be true.

“Oh, yeah?” I asked, dropping down to my knees at his side.

He nodded.

Simple. Easy as that.

“And what makes you think I’ll say yes?” I teased, running my thumb over his lip so slightly that it barely even registered as a touch.

“You’ll say yes.”

My brows rose.

“And how do you know that?” I persisted.

He grinned.

Even though I could tell it was painful, he did it anyway.

Hooking me around the waist, he stood up, then walked out to the bathroom counter and set me on top of it.

I blinked, surprised at the sudden movement.

Then he walked to the door and flipped the lock.

“What are you doing?” I asked, starting to get down.

He was there in the next instant, stilling my movement with a hand on my belly.

“Stay,” he ordered, pushing up the skirt I was wearing in ungodly slow movements.

I bit my lip.

“You’re hurt,” I tried.

He shook his head.

“I’m not too hurt to prove to you just why you want to marry me,” he informed me, yanking my hips to the very edge of the counter.

I gasped when I was suddenly up against his hard erection.

Very hard.

Then my panties were shoved to the side, and I was being filled up with Mig’s hard cock.

I groaned.

“We need to get you some more slip on pants,” I panted.

He didn’t reply, but I could tell he liked the thought of easy access for me by the way he started to thrust.

Frantic.

All consuming.

I watched him as he watched me.

His eyes stayed on mine even when mine started to go hooded.

His balls smacked against my ass at the frantic movements.

His breathing was rough.

Mine was even more so.

His hard, thick cock plowed into me.

He was out of control, but then again, so was I.

We were having sex in a public bathroom.

He was hurt.

I was desperate.

And the entire moment was fucking beautiful.

We went over the edge together.

His come filling me up, and his love repairing my nearly shattered heart.

“So is that a yes?” He asked.

I smiled against his neck.

“Yeah, that’s a yes,” I told him.

He rumbled in happiness, then leaned back and reached into his pocket, only wincing slightly when his bad shoulder started to make itself known again.

And he produced a ring, a simple silver band.

“I was going to get you a big diamond,” he said. “But I wanted you to be able to wear it when you were cutting hair or massaging your clients.”

I looked into his eyes as he slipped the ring over my finger.

And when it was finally in place, I leaned my head forward, placing my lips against his heart.

“I think you’ve just made me the happiest woman in the world,” I informed him.

He grunted.

“I know.”

My sister said I treat her like a child, so I gave her a sticker for standing up for herself.

-Text from Annie To Mig

Mig

Two weeks later

“If you ever...
ever
tell anyone I took lessons for this dance, I will kick your ass and make sure your face matches your arm,” I growled at Casten.

Casten grinned unrepentantly.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to do this justice, though,” Casten jeered.

I narrowed my eyes, but decided to let it go.

“Just make sure you get the stupid fucking music up so I can get this shit done,” I growled, tugging my shirt at the back of my neck and pulling it over my head.

I threw the shirt on the floor next to the pile of clothes I was to wear, glaring at the stupid monkey suit I was supposed to be wearing.

“I can’t wear this,” I muttered to myself.

Then I smiled.

I’d wear it…but only the pieces I chose.

The moment my eyes lit on Annie as she exited the little cottage at the front of the lawn, my lungs froze in my chest.

My God, she looked beautiful.

So fuckin’ beautiful my heart hurt.

The feeling in my chest started to spread and soon nothing else existed but her.

God, she was something.

Her frown didn’t even make me wary.

The beautiful smile she gave me when she got mid-way to me and could see my complete outfit made me happy, though.

She knew me.

And she didn’t care that I only wore half of what she’d asked me to.

I had the white button down shirt. The dress shoes. But my jeans and cut finished the ensemble.

It was me, and I liked that she liked it.

But she frowned when she was two rows away from me and started to look around in confusion.

Then her eyes lit on Vitaly, my son—our son—and she smiled.

She patted her father on the arm to get his attention, then broke off from her father’s hold and walked to Nonnie who was holding Vitaly securely in her arms.

Nonnie gave Annie a glare when Annie gestured for the baby, but nonetheless handed him over.

I smiled widely as she snuggled Vitaly into her arms, propping him up on her chest, then walked back to her father.

I smiled even further when, once she got to me and I took her hand from her father, she handed Vitaly to me.

I loved my son.

He was my perfect mini-me.

And I loved that Annie loved Vitaly like he was her own.

I knew that he’d never feel unloved, because Vitaly was still just as much a part of Annie even if he wasn’t of her flesh. She loved him with her whole heart, and I would forever be grateful.

Annie had dressed Vitaly in the smallest little tux I’d ever seen.

Hell, I didn’t even realize they were made that small.

But, somehow, Annie was able to pull it off in the two-week time limit I’d given her for our wedding.

Her mom, sister, and my mom had accomplished a lot, in fact.

And done a damn fine job of it.

“You ready?” The minister asked.

Annie smiled.

“Almost,” she said, hurrying back to Nonnie.

There, she grabbed the burp rag that my son had started requiring since he’d started eating more, and placed it over my shoulder.

I rolled my eyes and repositioned Vitaly in my arms.

We’d found that the best way to situate him was up so he didn’t lose his previous bottle.

See, he had acid reflux, and it enabled him to projectile vomit about six feet in front of him.

So we tried to circumvent it before it happened.

And what better way to commemorate the wedding than to have him vomit like that, and every single camera in the room catching it.

Thankfully, I didn’t have anyone behind me, because that’s what he did in the next moment.

Swear to Christ, it never ceased to amaze me at how well he could aim it.

“Shit,” Annie said, watching in horror as Vitaly finally laid his head back down once he was done, almost like a sleepy little drunk who didn’t have a care in the world.

The crowd was stunned silent, and I couldn’t help the small laugh that leaked out of me at their amazement.

“See, I told you!” I pointed at Casten.

Casten held his hands up. “I was wrong. You were right. It is impressive.”

“I hope you got that on camera,” my father said, I guessed, to the camera chick that Annie had hired to take photos of us, since I didn’t bother to turn around.

I wasn’t mad at him anymore.

I knew he was just doing what he thought was best. However, I would never be raising Vitaly like that.

He would know what love was, and I would prove it to him by showing his mother every day that I was graced to have her.

“If you’ll both turn to face each other, we’ll start the vows,” the priest said.

When I faced Annie once again, I studied her.

She had her heart in her eyes, as she always did.

And she looked so beautiful.

“You look beautiful,” I said, interrupting the priest.

Annie smiled.

“Thank you,” she mouthed.

“Annie, do you take Vitaly to be your husband, to have and to hold from this day forward?”

“I do,” she responded firmly.

I wanted to laugh at how sure she sounded.

“And do you, Vitaly…”

“I do.”

The crowd laughed.

But I didn’t need him to say that stuff.

I knew it like I knew I’d draw my next breath.

I’d give anything and everything to have Annie forever at my side.

And she knew it.

“Well,” the priest said, sounding flustered. “Who has the rings?”

“Oh, that’s me!” Tasha said, jumping up and fishing down her cleavage for the rings.

“Really?” Annie asked her.

“It was the only place I had. Do you see any pockets in this bitch?” Tasha asked.

Annie closed her eyes, and I laughed.

“Eww, they’re warm,” Annie groaned, passing hers over to me.

I took it, and slipped it on Annie’s finger without waiting for the priest’s approval.

“You’re mine,” I told her.

She grinned, then followed suit, placing the ring on my finger.

“You’re mine, too,” she informed me.

“Was the priest even needed?” Casten muttered from behind me.

I flipped him off.

“Your tone’s not needed,” Tasha shot.

“Did I ask you?” Casten shot back.

And things deteriorated from there.