Tragic Love (11 page)

I pull into the driveway, going a little quickly then suddenly bring the car to a halt. I move to the passenger side of the car and lift my precious girls into my arms. I will forever be their protector. As long as I’m still alive on this earth, I will do anything to make sure nothing harms either one of them.

Presley nestles her face into my chest as I take the stairs two at a time, carrying her into our room, laying her on our bed, which has been naked without her. I look down to see her hair fanning out in waves across the pillow. She is so undeniably beautiful and I am one lucky bastard that she is mine. We still have healing to do from what happened between us, but I won’t shut her out anymore. I need her more than I need the air in my lungs. She’s my life, the very reason I breathe.

I climb onto the bed and lie beside her, rolling her onto her side. It’s like she knows exactly what I’ve been missing. I’ve been dying to feel her wrapped around me and she does exactly that. I move my hand under the hem of her shirt and rest my palm on my baby girl growing inside her stomach.

I can’t believe this is my life. I feel like I won the lottery because nothing is more valuable than the two girls who will occupy my life forever. Desire and need bursts from Presley as she rolls herself on top of me, discarding her shirt in the process. I run my hands up the soft skin of her back and unfasten her bra, allowing it to slip down over her shoulders, past her arms and onto the floor. Palming her breasts in my hands, I can feel how they’ve grown and firmed. It’s making me strain harshly against my zipper.

I sit up, wrapping my arms around Presley. She locks her legs around my waist and tightens her arms around my neck. Her warm skin is electrifying, heating me up with each touch. When I take her nipple into my mouth, it pebbles instantly with one flick of my tongue. Then the most irresistible sound releases from Presley’s throat, making me want her more than I already do.

She paws at my shirt and I help her yank it over my head. Then, I flip her over to her back, running my fingers inside the waistband of her pants and pull them down. I kiss my way up her legs, letting my tongue taste her skin as I move back to her belly and repeat the motion with her red panties.

I stand, pulling my jeans and boxers down as I gaze at the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known. She is so much stronger than she gives herself credit for and I know she will be a great mom, once she accepts this is going to be her life…our life.

I’m careful not to smash her belly. I lie on the bed and pull her onto me, her legs on either side of my hips. Then she takes me in and fire erupts in my groin. The feel of her soft, warm skin is unbelievable and all I want to do is feel her this way forever. She starts to rock her hips back and forth, and I’m completely heldcaptivated by her movements; shepossesses me with every sway of her pelvis. I move to a sitting position, swinging my feet off the bed. I need to feel more of her against my skin. I slowly join the rocking, matching my movements perfectly with hers. We are not moving hard or fast, it’s been so long since we’ve had this together. We both agree with our bodies that this will be savored and cherished for as long as our bodies will allow.

I grip my arms around her back, holding onto her shoulders, pushing her as close as she can be to me while my mouth never leaves hers. Her tiny legs are wrapped around my waist, locked at the ankles as she holds my face between her small hands. We move as one, feeding off the desires we’ve withheld for weeks. I can feel the building of her orgasm clenching around me when her body twitches and she falls lax in my arms, right after whispering my name. Holding on as long as possible, I push deeper inside her one last time and then allow my release to spill into her.

We fall back on the bed and lie face to face on our sides, our eyes never breaking from each other. Our bodies are sweaty and our breathings labored, yet I’ve never felt more amazing in my entire life. Her eyes glisten over and I place a gentle kiss to the corner of her eye. I want to kiss away any heartache she still has because she’s my love, my life and the possessor of my soul. I belong to her, no questions asked. She owns me and now there will be two of them.

Chapter 8

Presley

This pregnancy is crap. I am as big as a freaking truck, I waddle when I walk, and my belly has grown into an inhuman size. Drake constantly tells me how beautiful I look and says I have the pregnancy glow, whatever the hell that means. I think he’s been reading too many of those damn books to prepare himself for this new arrival, but the only thing I wish is that the day will never come. I still don’t want to be a mother, and the bigger I grow, the more my doom is turning the corner.

I just had my forty week check up and the doctor says any day now. I am dilated to two centimeters and if I keep myself up and walking I could be popping out this thing by the end of the week. So I do the opposite and keep my ass planted in bed, allowing Drake to wait on me hand and foot. The longer it stays inside me, the longer I don’t have to face this foul situation. Of course, I promised Drake I would never deceive him again. I would always be honest with my feelings. Well, I screwed that up the day I promised I would never do it again. If he really knew I wanted to give this baby up for adoption, then our life and my comfortable bubble would burst.

Then there’s the situation of having a girl. Everyone in the house is completely over the moon that the thing is going to be a girl, but I have no excitement. That means I have to be her role model, she will learn how to be a lady by looking at me. Look how well that has turned out for me. I am a husk of a person; there’s no way I can give advice and raise a girl to be a strong, independent woman. I’m not Delilah or Darcie for hell’s sakes.

Drake has saved every penny he’s earned and even took up a second job at
The Slab
working Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights so we can afford to move into our own apartment. I can tell he’s tired, only getting a couple of hours of sleep Thursday and Friday nights, but is insistent it won’t last forever, just long enough to start a large savings. He is so much like Reggie sometimes it’s scary.

I don’t even know how much money we have. Drake takes care of all the bills and he gives me money whenever I need it. The apartment complex we moved into is like any complex you see in a typical, rundown neighborhood. The only difference between our building and the one across the street is ours has a security gate entrance and a pool. Neither of them work properly, but they’re there. All the entrances to each apartment are outside and face the courtyard where the broken pool is the hub. Scrubs are overgrown, blocking the view for the first floor tenants. We reside on the second floor, which is the top floor. It’s been a bitch walking up the stairs with my alien sized stomach.

I’m so glad to be out of the house, away from the baby name discussions, hands touching my belly and all the talk surrounding what’s to come. We’ve moved into the apartment a couple of weeks ago and Delilah made the fourteen hour trip to help set up the baby’s room and get everything organized. She decorated the room with presents I received from my shower, hosted by Darcie, and added a few special things of her own since she wasn’t able to make it. I missed her talking nonsense and, believe it or not, I missed hearing her fight with Jake. It helped me take my mind off everything else building inside my body.

Since moving to the apartment I met a really nice neighbor, Mrs. Fields. She is a retired school teacher and is willing to help with the baby whenever I need her. I’m glad because I don’t know if I can even enjoy any part of what’s to come.

Now moving into my forty-first week, Drake insists sit at the house instead of the apartment during the day while he’s at work. So, now, I sit and watch TV in the house I was trying to escape because I can’t upset the precious balance between Drake and myself. Our relationship has taken me away from the ledge I was ready to jump from, and I can’t remember being so happy in his arms. I know our days are numbered with the baby on its way, but it feels amazing to have a little more time with just us.

The day is a cloudy spring day. It finally stopped raining after a week long spell of constant showers. It is shaping up to be as eventful as any other day. Jake has been spending his afternoons keeping me company on the couch. I never knew he and I could have a normal conversation, but we find lots of things to talk about; sports, which I know nothing about, baby names—Axl being his favorite—and of course his favorite topic, Delilah. He’s always asking questions about her and telling me how much he thinks her boyfriend is a jackass.

“I mean…what the hell does she see in that douche?” Jake asks while scratching his manhood and downing a can of Mountain Dew.

“Delilah comes from a family of privilege and lavish ambiance. She only knows one type of guy and that type of guy is Emerson Knox. Why do you care so much?” I ask while popping a chip in my mouth.

“I don’t care. I just don’t get it. I would consider her a friend now, since we talk or text almost every day, but I get a feeling this dude is not good for her. It doesn’t seem he knows the real Delilah. The Delilah I know. And what kind of name is Emerson Knox anyway? Sounds like a fucking tool to me.”He makes no move to hide the distain in his voice.

“It’s a family name. It’s very common for the rich upper class families, especially in the south. I’m sure he will be taking over some kind of family business, doing the brandy and cigars thing with all the other rich old assholes.” I am finding this conversation rather funny. Jake is undeniably preoccupied with Delilah, and yet, they can barely speak to one another without fighting. It’s so weird.

“How the hell did the two of you become friends anyway? From what you’ve told me, your parents were never rich or anything.” The mention of my parents sends a pang of heartache throughout my body. I miss them every day, especially my mother. She was the best.

“For the same reason she’s friends with you. Delilah doesn’t judge people and can make friends with just about anyone. She stood up for me when we were six and we’ve been close ever since.” Never mind the fact that she can read me like a book and has been by my side for every struggle throughout my life. However, I purposely kept her at a distance with this one. I don’t want anyone knowing how much I hate my baby.

I kick my leg up to help give myself some leverage to get off the couch and Jake just laughs at me. “Help me up, jerk!” I shout over his laughter.

I take his hand then stretch my aching back when a trickle of pee leaks from my bladder. That’s fucking great! Not only do I pee my pants, but I do it in front of Jake. He will never let me hear the end of this one. Before he catches on, I waddle as fast as I can down the hallway and into the bathroom, but I soon realize this is not pee, it’s water constantly dripping from my crotch. What the hell?

“HOLY.SHIT!” I shout from the bathroom. Water is leaking from my body, which means this is really happening. The doctor has been preparing me for this and now the day is finally here. Tears start to leak from my eyes. I don’t want this to happen. Not now, not ever.

Jake is shouting down the hallway as he walks toward the bathroom. He doesn’t bother to knock as he pushes open the door and takes one look at me. “Holy. Shit. Are you having this fucking baby now?” His voice is short and loud as he stares down at the puddle collecting on the floor.

“Yes!” I snap. “Call Drake!” I hear Jake shouting on his phone and yelling at me to get the hell to the hospital. What he neglects to realize is Drake is my ride to the hospital and I doubt he wants to drive me.

I slide my back down the wall, planting myself on the floor while feelings of overwhelming dread start flooding my body. I try to shut down the gloom building in my heart.

God, I can’t do this. I can’t be a mother. What will happen once this baby is born? How will Drake love me and her at the same time? He’s my lifeline, and if I don’t have all of him, I will surely drown; won’t I? I lay my head back and try to make myself forget the invading doubts. I have to have faith in him like he has faith in me.

Drake

“Come on Jake! Jesus…fuck we’re leaving now!” I shout down the basement stairs waiting for him to get his stupid ass in the car. My nerves are on end and we need to get to the hospital, like right now. I received Jake’s frantic phone call ten minutes ago, and Darcie and I flew home from the bar to take Presley to the hospital. Now he’s taking his sweet ass time getting dressed, knowing it’s bothering the hell out of me.

When we got to the house I found Presley crumpled on the bathroom floor clutching her stomach. She said the pain was starting to get intense, but the contractions were not consistent. I help her off the floor and guide her into the kitchen. Snapping my fingers, Darcie jogs up the stairs to help Presley down and put her in the car. I can hear Darcie screaming at me to get my ass in gear, however for some reason, Jake is in no rush to leave.

“Sorry, man. Slow your role! It’s not like she’s squeezing the kid out now.” Jake pushes past me and we head down the back stairs.

“I’m about to leave your ass!” Darcie yells in frustration as she slides into the driver’s seat of Reggie’s Camaro. Presley’s overnight bag has been packed and sitting in the backseat of the Chevelle for the last month. Luckily, I was smart enough in my frenzied state to grab it. Being the planner that I am, I pull out my to-do list so I don’t forget to get something or call someone. I know there is someone I’m suppose to call, but for the life of me I can’t think of who.

Darcie snaps, “Drake, stop looking at that damn piece of paper and get your ass in this car, time’s running out, bud. Did you call that awful girl and tell her we are on our way?”

Breathing through the pain Presley shouts, “Hey! Delilah is my friend!”

“You’re right, sorry, Pres. I will try to get used to her. Maybe I need to ask Jake for advice because he seems to get along with her well.” Darcie smiles in the rearview at Jake who’s frantically texting on his cell.