Warped (20 page)

“That’s a secret, beauty.”

****

The night is going great. Every so often I catch glimpses of Spencer and Faith, but I can’t look at them without cringing so I have pretty much avoided all eye contact. I stand to clear up all the dishes, and Faith stands too, picking up the remaining plates and following me into the kitchen.

“I'm sorry. I didn’t mean for that to happen,” she says quietly, as we reach the kitchen. I shake my head, not really wanting to think about that happening in my kitchen.

“Really, let’s not talk about what you and my soon-to-be brother-in-law did on my kitchen counter. Okay? It’s like it
never
happened.” I shudder at the thought and Faith giggles.

“Thank you for not saying anything to anyone and for what you said to him. I never thought that would ever happen. I’ve wanted him for so long, but he always treated me like the baby of the group, and then when I saw him with all those women, I hated him. Well I wanted to, tried to, and each time was like a slice to my heart. I love him. I’ve loved him for a long time.” I spin to face her, surprised by her words. I hadn’t realised it was as serious as that.

“I really hope it works out for you both. I like you Faith.” She gives me a warm smile and grabs me for a hug which throws me off a little bit. She really is a sweet girl.

****

It's almost 2am before Damon and I stumble into bed. All the others are staying in the guest bedrooms, and I put Faith in the one that’s furthest away from us. I do not want to be hearing if Spencer makes a little visit during the night, if he’s not there already. 

Damon is drunk. He is actually quite adorable, and right now his head is on my stomach as he kisses the baby goodnight. I run my hand through his hair and realise he has fallen asleep. I push him so he is back on his side of the bed and snuggle into his arms, tucking myself against him. Tonight has been so much fun. The more time I spend with everyone, the more I realise how lucky I am to call them friends.

The thought plays on my mind leaving a smile on my face as I drift off to sleep.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

SEPTEMBER 8
TH
2014

DAMON

I sling my arm around the back of Ella’s chair as we wait in the hospital to see baby Hunt. I missed the first scan because I’m a fucking prick, but I won’t be missing anything else. Every doctor’s appointment, hospital appointment, and midwife’s appointment since I’ve been present and will continue to be.

I won’t let my beauty down like that again.

I run my finger through her hair whilst she browses through a pregnancy magazine. The silky strands are soft against my hand. Ella turns to look and me and gives me a small smile. I can’t believe she’s mine, can’t believe she’s going to be my wife in just a week.

My mum is sitting the other side of me, just as engrossed in a magazine as Ella. When we asked mum to come to the twenty week scan with us she cried for an hour straight before she could actually say yes. She was overwhelmed and so grateful.

“How’s your feet? No doubts?” I suddenly ask Ella. I want her to want this marriage. She has to love me. Ella looks at her shoes before she replies.

“Achy. I could do with a massage,” she says. I can hear the smile in her voice, but she keeps her gaze trained away from me, not letting me see the grin that I know is gracing her lips.

“Not what I meant and you know it,” I growl playfully. My beauty has been like this a lot recently, playful, happy, and carefree. I love it. I love when she shows the real Ella.

“Does that mean you won’t rub my feet when we get home?” She sounds offended and it makes me laugh out loud, which results in a thump to my stomach. Her moods have been erratic but in a funny way, making me recipient of a lot of thumps recently.

I hear my mother mumbling something about me being brought up better than that, making me groan.

“I’ll rub your feet all night if you want me to baby,” I say aloud, before bringing my lips to her ear. “But you know as well as I do, you won’t be able to take my hands on just your feet for long. Not without wanting them elsewhere,” I growl. I hear her breath catch and she squirms in her seat, making me grin.

“Stop it Damon. You know my sex drive is higher than usual. You’re doing it on purpose,” she hisses. I laugh at her as she fidgets.

“I can take care of that for you, beauty,” I say. “You know I can make you feel better baby.” Just as she’s about to reply, a nurse calls her name. We stand and Ella sends me a glare. I love her in a bratty mood. She pouts without realising it, and it makes me want to kiss the shit out of her.

I send her walking with a slap to her arse and hear her gasp, and her cheeks turn pink as she walks along next to my mum and behind the nurse, with her head held high.

****

  I’m glad we have a fucking female nurse. I don’t like anybody else’s hands on my woman, and certainly not on my baby’s bump. Possessiveness grips me and I want to snatch Ella away. I want to growl with each touch, fucking obsessive prick that I am, when it comes to my beauty anyway.

The technician warns Ella about the cool gel before applying a large dollop on her rounded stomach. She smears it around the bump with a handheld device. I hold my breath as the monitor changes from black to a grainy image, and in the next breath I see it. I see my baby.

Tears fill like eyes like a pussy, but I can’t fucking help it. I’ve never seen something so amazing before. I can actually see my baby. Right. Fucking. There. I look at my mum and she has tears brimming in her eyes, as she clutches tissues in her small hands.

I look at Ella and I’m at a loss for words as tears stream down her face. She isn’t looking at the monitor though, she’s looking at me, watching my reaction.

I swallow hard as I try to form a thought to speak but my mind is blank. I turn to look at the baby again and instantly need to sit. I drop down into the chair against the wall behind me and don’t take my eyes from the screen.

Holy fucking shit.

I’ve never seen anything like it. I can really see a baby, our baby. I draw in a lungful of air before a grin splits my face. I can’t fucking believe it. This is so surreal. I can actually see my baby.

“Everything seems to be looking really good. Baby is growing nicely, and seems to be wanting to know if you’d like to know the sex. Can you see there?” She holds the wand still against Ella’s stomach and points at the monitor. “Legs flailing all over in there. It looks like baby is having a party,” she laughs. “Would you like to know?”

Her question is directed at Ella but my beauty just looks to me for my answer. I nod my head. We’ve spoke about this already, and I know she’s just checking if I’d still like to know.

“Yes please,” Ella answers.

The nurse presses the wand deeper into her belly before she looks at us. “Congratulations, you’re having a girl.”

“I knew it,” I shout.

My smile is so fucking big it hurts my face, and as I look from Ella to my mum I know everything I’ve ever wanted, and everything my mum has ever wanted for me, is being given to me by Ella.

Ella’s smile is breathtaking as she sobs and smiles at the same time. I stand and rush to kiss her all over her face. I’ve not felt this overwhelming protectiveness of love before now. This is a completely different kind of love.

It must be a father’s love.

I quickly wipe the goo from Ella’s belly with the tissues handed to me by the nurse. Once she clean enough I cup Ella’s bump and get face level. “Hi princess, I love you.” I kiss the bump before returning my lips to my beauty’s. “I love you, baby,” I say against her soft mouth.

“I love you too, Damon.”

“We’re getting a granddaughter.” I hear my mum say. I turn and look at her and see her sitting down, on the phone and crying happy tears. “A baby girl, George.”

I smile and walk over to pull her into my arms.

I fucking love my life.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

SEPTEMBER 12
TH
2014

ELLA

We are sitting on the sofa watching a movie when Damon's phone rings. He leans forward and picks it up off the table, and frowns when he sees the name. I instantly know that it’s Leona. Hitting the button, he speaks into the phone.

“Leona... What do you want?... Really?... Are you okay?... What happened?... Have you spoken to the police?... What am I meant to do?... I don’t see how me being there will help the situation Leona...Okay, I will see what I can do, but I’m busy with Ella at the moment... Bye.” With that he hangs up and places his phone back down on the table.

“Everything okay?” I ask, and wait for his answer when he just stares at his phone for a minute.

“Leona got attacked. She’s at the hospital,” he announces. “She said she wanted to see me.” He shakes his head, but I know part of him wants to go and see her.

“Why don’t you just go see her, Damon?” I say. I trust him. I know I have no reason to be jealous of her and if she’s lying and not really at the hospital then Damon will see her for what she really is. He turns his attention to me at my words.

“Do you think I should?” He looks at my face for reassurance that I am okay with him going. Part of me believes this is another one of her games, but another part of me wants to know for some reason if she really is hurt. I don’t know why he feels he has a duty to her. I don’t know what secrets they hold, but I want to. I nod my head that I do think he should go.

Damon kisses me chastely before jumping to his feet and moving around the living room to gathering his things. When he reaches the table and bends to pick up his phone, he stops and looks at me with a frown.

“Are you ready? Do you need me to get anything for you?” I look at him with confusion in my face, not understanding his question.

“What do you mean Damon? Am I ready for what?” I ask. He walks over to me and bends over placing a quick kiss on my lips before speaking.

“You’re coming with me, baby. I told you I won’t leave you again, and if I go and see Leona you’re coming with me.” I jump up and slip my feel into my ballerina pumps before taking his hand, and smile at him. I feel like I have won a small victory, even though I’m no longer playing a game.

****

When we arrive at the hospital Damon helps me out of the car and takes my hand and we walk to the entrance. Just as we’re about to go in I spot a familiar face that shakes me to the core. I’m sure I just saw Simon, but it was too quick of a peek to actually tell if it really was him. I snuggle closer to Damon’s side and pray I’m wrong. We ask at the reception where Leona’s room is, and make our way up to see her.

When we finally get to Leona’s room she is sitting up in bed. She has a bruise to her cheek, but other than that, she looks completely fine. When she sees Damon walk in, her face lights up with a smile which quickly turns to a scowl when she sees that I am standing beside him.

“Leona, how are you feeling?” She completely ignores his question instead she glares at me.

“What the fuck is she doing here?” she snaps. Damon’s grip on my hand tightens as he takes a step toward to the bed.

“Leona, Ella is with me. If you can’t accept that then it is probably best if we leave.” He tells her calmly but I can see his mask slipping. She’s pissing him off. I let go of his hand, sit down in the chair, and place my bag on the floor. If she expects Damon to be here then I will be too. I’m going nowhere.

Leona doesn’t take her eyes off me, and her scowl is firmly in place, as she silently fumes. I really struggle to stop myself from smiling at her.

“Fine. Get the fuck out. NOW,” she screeches. Damon reaches for my hand and pulls me to my feet, before dragging me out the room without another word. I dig my feet into the ground to get his attention. He didn’t give me chance to pick up my bag, which I have left at the side of the chair.

I pull my hand free of Damon’s and he turns to look at me.

“Damon, go and speak to the nurses to find out what happened. I’ve left my bag so I’m going to run back and grab it.” He hesitates for a second as though he is wondering if he should let me go back in there alone, or if he should go for me. I raise my chin and dare him to object, but he reluctantly lets me go.

When I get back to her room, I hear Leona on the phone. I stop outside for a second and listen to her conversation.

“He fucking brought that slut with him... Can you believe it?... He actually had the nerve to walk in here holding her hand... I really thought this would work... Maybe you didn’t hit me hard enough... I don’t fucking know,” she says, her voice getting higher by the minute. “I don’t know okay... I have to go... Oh no, it’s not over, not by a long shot... I'm not letting him go without a fight... See you soon.” Leona hangs up and throws her phone down on the bed in a huff.

I walk into the room, and gain her attention. Her head snaps up at me as I reach the chair and grab my bag. I give her a grin and turn to walk out without speaking. I ignore her vicious stare and as I get to the door I turn and look at her, really look at her. She really is a pathetic bitch.

“What the fuck is your problem?” she asks. I have to hold back a laugh at how stupid this bitch is.

“You won’t win Leona. Don’t you get it? He doesn’t love you, he will never love you. Damon is mine. If you want a fight I will give it back to you and then some. Except I will win because for some reason, he actually does love me, and nothing you say or do will ever ruin that.” I turn and push open the door not giving her the chance to reply before I leave.

When I get to the nurse’s station, Damon is standing waiting, and I watch as a couple of nurses walk past and take in all that is Damon Hunt. It used to make me jealous to see women fawning all over him, but now I feel so special just knowing that this man has chosen me, for whatever reason I'm the one he wants to spend the rest of his life with.

Damon really is mine.