by LeAnn Ashers
But one thing I do know is my self-worth; I know I deserve love and to be treated well. I have been dealt a shitty hand, but that doesn’t mean that cycle needs to continue.
So without a word I let him massage my feet, and I close my eyes, basking in the feeling of being taken care of.
After minutes, hours—I am not sure—I feel a hand on my face. I open my eyes and notice the movie is over. I push myself up on my elbows, my eyes connecting with Chase. “I must have fallen asleep,” I admit, yawning.
He smiles, but this time it’s a soft, sweet smile, one that is rare. He extends his hand and I freeze, waiting to see what he’ll do. He pushes a lock of hair behind my ear. I can feel the goose bumps breaking out across my arms. “You did, sweetheart. You’re exhausted.”
I sit up and lean forward. “Yeah, I haven’t even finished my nursery yet.” But the truth is I am terrified that I won’t put things together correctly and it’ll come crashing down on Hunter.
“Where is the nursery?” Chase asks.
Why does he want to see it?
I lead him to the only spare bedroom in my apartment and turn on the light. Chase walks to the boxes with the crib, bassinet, and other furniture. None of it has been put together.
Fuck my life. I really need to get on this.
“I think I am going to head out.” I hear a bit of hesitancy in Chase’s voice, but did I imagine that?
“Well, thank you for watching the movie with me, even though I missed all of it.” I laugh. I fell asleep beside him without a second thought. It took me a long time to fall asleep around Lee. Yeah, I don’t want to think too much about that.
I hold the door open for Chase, and he steps out. “I had a good time, Jessica. See you soon, yeah?” He winks and touches my chin. “Lock up.” I step inside and shut the door, locking it.
Chapter 2
Jessica
Today is my day off, and I am going to lie on this couch in front of the TV all day long—well, until I get the urge to get up and finish the nursery. I sink into the couch with my blanket just as the doorbell rings. I stare at the door. Who could that be?
I take my pistol off the counter, putting it in the back of my leggings. One of the first things I learned when I got here was how to shoot because, honestly, I want to be able to protect myself and my baby at all costs. I look in the peephole to see Chase standing there with a bag. He knocks and I finally unlock the door. He grins the second he sees me.
“Chase?”
“We have a nursery to put together, don’t we?” He slips past me as I stand there in shock.
A few beats later I close the door and turn around to look at him. He sets his bag down and pulls out a white sack. “I got you breakfast too.” He sets it down on the coffee table.
I am speechless.
“Chase, you don’t have to do any of this,” I manage to say.
He just smiles sweetly. “Angel, I want to help you. I want you to plant your fine ass on that couch while I finish the nursery, yeah?” He pats the seat and I laugh in disbelief.
No one has ever gone out of their way to do something like this for me, never. I take my gun out of my pants and put it on top of the counter.
Chase watches me, and I can tell he wants to ask questions, ones I’m not going to answer yet.
“I live alone, better to be safe than sorry.”
He nods slowly. “That’s right. I’m glad you’re careful, sweetheart.”
He brings his tools into the bedroom, and my mind is just whirling. He narrows his eyes. “Ass on the couch, food in your mouth.”
I snort and he laughs, holding his stomach. I do as I’m told, because I want to. The smell coming from the bag is making my stomach growl.
* * *
Chase
She was shocked to see me, but fuck me if she doesn’t look sexy in her short, baggy shirt and her red hair wild all around her. I didn’t want to leave her last night, but I want to make sure she is comfortable with me.
She opened the door with a gun on her. What I want to know is what has her so scared? She played it off like she’s just using it for home protection, which I am glad as fuck about, but I feel like there is more to it than that.
Now she is sitting on the couch eating her breakfast sandwich, blanket in her lap, watching TV while I put together the crib. She doesn’t need to do this shit. I know she can, but I want to make things easier on her.
In the next five or six hours, I finish the entire nursery, and I call Jessica to come in here. She’s changed into a pair of leggings. Her eyes widen as she takes in the room. “Oh Chase, it looks so amazing!” I couldn’t stop the smile even if I wanted to.
She studies every detail in the room and stops at the rocker, which I just finished putting together for her. She grabs the pillow out of the chair and sits down, holding the pillow to her chest. Her eyes fill with tears, which just fucking kills me.
“Angel…” I stop, not knowing what to say, and just stand in front of her. She lowers her head.
I kneel, press my finger to her chin, and lift her face so her eyes meet mine. “Sweetheart, tell me what these tears are for?” I brush my finger across her cheekbone, drying her tears.
She smiles slightly and looks at the room around her. “This. You didn’t have to do this, Chase.”
I laugh. “Is this what you’re in tears for? I don’t deserve your tears, no one does.”
She rolls her eyes, her sadness completely forgotten. “Isn’t that the truth,” she sasses.
“That’s my girl.” I laugh and stand up, taking her with me.
“Oh yeah, dinner is done.” She pats my stomach and walks out of the room, and my eyes go straight to her ass.
Fuck me.
Jessica
The nursery completely blew my mind; he did such an amazing job that it shocked me.
I made him dinner. I’d heard from a little birdie somewhere that his favorite food is lasagna, and I make a mean lasagna. I already have everything laid out on the table. I sit down and watch his face as he takes in the meal I made.
He looks at me. “How did you know?”
I shrug, smiling. “I have my ways, but honestly I just listen.” I’ve always paid close attention to everything he says. I put a huge piece of lasagna on his plate with some garlic bread. He takes it and I make my own plate.
I watch eagerly, waiting for him to take his first bite. I’ve known I wanted to be a cook since I was young. I loved taking care of others and watching the joy on their faces when eating my food.
I grin when his mouth closes around his fork, his eyes roll back, and he lowers his head. “Jessica, just marry me now, yeah?”
I hold my stomach laughing. He doesn’t say anything else; he just eats. He comes back for seconds and thirds. I will wrap up the rest for him to take home.
“You’re lying to me, right?” I ask in disbelief.
He shrugs. “I just never got around to watching it.”
My mouth opens and closes like a fish. He just told me that he has never watched Supernatural. I put my hand up, with my eyes closed, letting his words sink in. “Chase, we have to fix this.” I take out my remote and put on the first episode. “Just so you know, prepare yourself to not be doing anything for the next couple of days.”
Chase grins at me. “Doesn't sound like a bad idea to me, darlin’,” he says, ever the flirt. I roll my eyes and pretend to ignore him, but I can see the smug little smile on his face.
Do I dare to admit that I’m going to love every single second of being around him? But I am also glad that I’m not alone; I am sick and tired of being alone. Solitude is peaceful, but it does get old really fast.
I try not to think about my ex, but when I do, I hope that he isn’t looking for me. I hope he has completely forgotten about me.
I yawn, snuggling deeper into my blanket. I am itching to lay my head on Chase’s chest, but would that be too bold?
I hold my breath as Chase scoots a little closer,
putting his arm around me, and I take my chance to burrow into his side. I want to rub myself all over him like a cat. Oh my goodness, Jessica, you’re crazy! These hormones are getting the best of me.
I close my eyes and bask in the heat radiating off of Chase and the strong muscles under my cheek. His hand sinks into my hair, his fingers trailing through the strands. This is literal heaven.
The butterflies inside my stomach take off, and I feel safe. That is something I have not felt in a long time. Do I dare think that he may be interested in me? This situation is not a conventional one. I’m pregnant, and any day now I could go into labor.
But hey, I’m not going to tell him to get out of my house, because I’d literally have to be crazy to do that.
My eyes drift closed and I soon fall asleep.
I sigh, raising my arm, and I hit a nose. I open my eyes and see a chest and an arm. Then I connect the dots.
The clock on the TV says it’s 3:00 a.m. The show is paused and a blanket is covering me. Chase has one arm wrapped around me, and the other is resting on my stomach like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
I feel Hunter kick, and I smile and close my eyes. I am not about to move from this spot.
* * *
Chase
I feel her wake up, but I don’t move a muscle. I’m waiting to see her reaction. She fell asleep hours ago, and I have enjoyed every single second of holding her.
She is so tiny; I want to make sure she is protected. What is she running from?
This scares me. Not that I can’t protect her, because that fucker is a dead man walking if he ever hurt her in any way.
I will get her to trust me, and when she is ready she will tell me.
Chapter 3
Jessica
One Week Later
Since the day Chase fixed up my nursery, he has been here every single day, and we’ve gotten into a routine. Every night I fix dinner and we binge-watch Supernatural.
I look forward to him coming over. It’s like the minutes drag by while I’m waiting for him, and that kind of scares me. What if I get attached to him? I don’t want that to happen, because this situation is a weird one. Liking him is scary. I don’t want to admit that I like him, because then it gets real, and that’s when I might get hurt.
It’s like I woke up one day and it hit me: I kind of like him, and we are in a weird place. I don’t know what this is. I don’t know what to call it.
It’s a stressful mess, but I do know I want him to be around all the time.
I shake my head and go into my apartment. I take the hamburger patties out of the refrigerator. I have thought about these burgers all day long. Chase better hurry and get here before I decide to eat them all myself.
I change into my pajamas, which are just leggings and a baggy shirt. What I really want to do is take off this stinking bra, but I can’t do that with Chase coming over.
Being pregnant is a bitch. My back hurts, my shoulders ache, and don’t get me started on my vag—she has been a little extra bitchy today. I bend over, resting my elbows on the counter, and rub my temples, trying to relax.
There’s a knock, and I grin and hurry to the door, trying to ignore the fact that I just got way too excited. I pull the door open, and Chase is leaning against the wall with an overnight bag. Why does he have to be so beautiful?
He grins at me. “Damn, I could hear you running from out here.”
I was just called the fuck out. “I have no clue what you’re talking about.”
He laughs and wraps his arm around my middle. “Mhm, sure.” And adding to my shock, he kisses my forehead.
I close my eyes at the feel of his lips on my skin. I let out a breath that sounds ragged, even to my own ears, as heat from his kiss flows through me.
He slips past me, and I stand in the hallway outside my apartment for a few seconds before I walk inside. He sets his bag down on the floor by the couch. We usually fall asleep on the couch, until one of us wakes up and we go crash on the bed.
I walk into the kitchen and get out the seasonings for the burgers. “Chase, do you want cheese on your burger?”
Hands touch my back, scaring me, and I spin around and glare at him. “That was not nice.”
He grins. “Sorry, darlin’.”
I roll my eyes, because we both know he is not sorry. “You’re not supposed to lie.”
He pretends to be hurt, touching his chest and sticking out his bottom lip. “That’s hurt me deeply, Jessica Lynn.”
“Aww, poor baby.” I rub his cheek. His pout drops and his face turns serious. My heartrate picks up because I feel like something is about to happen. He moves closer, my hand still on his face.
His grips my face. “Tell me I shouldn’t kiss you, Jessica, that you don’t want it,” he says softly, his eyes searching my face.
“That would be a lie,” I whisper.
He closes the distance between us and kisses me, oh so sweetly. I move in closer, opening my mouth. He takes over the kiss, and he makes love to my mouth. I can feel the passion behind his every move.
This is the kind of kiss that stays with you forever, the one nothing else will ever compare to.
He pulls back and rests his forehead against mine. “I have been wanting to do that since the day I met you.”
I grin. “Yeah, well, you’re not the only one.” It’s true. The moment I met him, I wanted to do that and also some very naughty things to him.
I feel something wet move down my legs. I pull back and look down, and it hits me what just happened.
“What is it, Jessica?” he asks, touching my arms.
My eyes connect with his. “My water just broke.”
His eyes widen. “Go change. I’ll put everything in my truck.” He takes off in a sprint that looks absolutely ridiculous in my small apartment.
I put the burgers back in the fridge, and I walk into my bedroom and hurry into another pair of leggings. I grab the bag I packed for myself, along with a throw blanket. I make it back to the living room by the time the first contraction hits, and I bend over the back of the couch and wait for it to pass.
Chase pounds into the house, coming to a dead stop when he sees me in pain. “We’ve got to fucking go now.” I can hear the pure panic in his voice.
I stand up straight when the contraction ends. “I’m fine now.” He takes my keys and my bag from me. He locks the door behind us, and he holds my hand as we walk down the stairs. It hits me that I am going into labor, and let me tell you…I’m terrified.
I settle into my bed. I just changed into my gown and gave them all my information.
The door opens, and Chase walks in with all the bags, even his overnight bag. He puts everything on the table next to the window and looks at me.
“You don’t have to stay with me.” I want him to stay. Doing this alone is one of the last things I want to do. Right now I wish, more than anything, that I had a mother or some kind of family to be here with me. But I don’t want Chase to feel obligated to stay.
He gives me a look.
“What?” I ask.
He walks over and takes my hand. “Sweetheart, there is nowhere else I’d rather be than by your side.”
Yeah, that does it. Tears fill my eyes and I cover my face.
“Angel,” he whispers, and the next thing I know, he is hugging me and rubbing the top of my head.
“I am sorry for being a crying mess.”
He leans back and shakes his head. “Never apologize for showing emotion. Do whatever you want, honey.”
Jeez, he better be careful. It would be easy for a girl to fall for someone like him. The door opens and the nurse walks in. “All right, honey, let me check you to see how dilated you are and get an IV started.”
Chase touches my arm. I look at him and he nods to the door. I shake my head—I don’t want to be alone. I grip his hand. “Just look away,” I whisper, and he brings over a chair, plopping down beside me.
The nurse lifts my gown.
Chase looks directly at me the whole time; we’re staring into each other’s eyes. “Alright, you are six centimeters dilated. He is coming fast.” She pulls my blanket down just as a contraction hits me hard. This one is worse than the others. I turn my head to the side, away from Chase. I feel him massaging the back of my neck.
He is precious.
Once the contraction eases, the nurse puts in the IV and I start to tremble.
“Sweetheart.” Chase runs his hand up and down my arm.
“I’m scared, Chase.” I don’t know what’s going to happen, and I’m scared of a million things.
He kisses my forehead. “Sweet girl, I have you. Don’t be scared. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
His words are like a balm on my nerves. “Thank you.” I am beyond thankful; words couldn’t describe how I am feeling.
Little by little the contractions get worse and worse, each one making me more exhausted. I am absolutely freezing, but sweat is pouring off of me. Chase walks over to the sink, wets a rag, and sets it on my forehead. Then he smooths my hair back out of my face.
He smiles at me. I smile back and close my eyes, enjoying the seconds of peace I can get.
“I told Sydney and Braelyn you’re here, they wanted to come.” He rubs his thumb across my forearm.
“Can you tell them to wait until I have him?”
“Sure, honey.”
Don’t get me wrong. I love my friends, but right now I am not feeling the best, and I need to concentrate on having my precious boy.
A couple of days ago I had false labor at Braelyn’s house, and everyone freaked out. I mean literally went batshit crazy, and I’m not sure I could deal with that.
