And So She Waited

by Shakuita Johnson

  "Can you please lower the volume of your voice?" Matt groaned from the floor.

  "Why you little shit!" Mrs. Peters yelled. "I ought to slap you in the face."

  "You touch my son and I'll ruin you," Mrs. Masterson said.

  "You all need to leave. Now. Take your son and get out of my house, Mrs. Peters," Mrs. Sinclair said.

  "This isn't over," Mr. Peters said.

  Remy leaned heavily on his father as he picked him up off the floor. The room was spinning and he was sure he was going to throw up. He just wanted to lie down. Hopefully he would never have to deal with these people again.

  "He needs a doctor."

  Remy could barely understand his mother’s voice through the thick cloud of pain. Why were his parents talking so loud? His head felt like someone had bashed it in with a rock.

  "Please lower your voices. My head is pounding and I can barely hear myself think," Remy said.

  "Just hold on, honey; we will have you to a hospital in no time," his mother said.

  Remy closed his eyes and focused on not passing out. He hadn't thought he'd hit his head that hard on the floor but he'd obviously misjudged the damage.

  Remy awoke in a hospital bed. He must have dozed off on the ride over. His clothes had been stripped and his head had been bandaged. He still felt like crap but he wasn't dead. That should account for something. That's twice now that asshole had almost killed him. At least this time he'd gotten in a few hits of his own. He couldn't believe he'd gotten his ass kicked again by a fucking ballet dancer. What was this world coming to?

  "Mr. Peters, I take it you are feeling much better? You've been out of it for about two days."

  "Two days! You can't be serious. I just closed my eyes for a second."

  "Your parents brought you in two days ago. They were frantic—they thought you'd died. You were in a mini coma from the blow to your head. Had they been a few more moments later you very well might not have survived. You are extremely lucky to be alive."

  Remy couldn't believe it. He had to stay away from the Mastersons and Sinclairs. They were liable to kill him if he didn't. He just wanted to go home and forget any of this had ever happened. He also needed to take some kind of self-defense classes since it was obvious he couldn't take care of himself. He watched as his parents tiptoed their way into the room.

  "Remy, honey, the doctor told us you're awake. How are you feeling?"

  "Like I almost died," Remy deadpanned. "Do you see now why I didn't want to be tied to that?"

  Remy winced at the pain that shot through his body at his outburst. He didn't need to do this right now. He was still recovering.

  "I can't talk about this right now, Mom. I just need time to rest."

  "Of course, sweetie. The wedding is off anyway. Raven called it off before we all heard the fighting."

  She called it off. Was this real or a joke? Remy was shocked. He wouldn't have thought in a million years she would have called off the wedding. He was prepared to fight to the bitter end to not have to be with her forever. Now that he knew she had called it off he didn't know how to feel. Did she not want him anymore? Did she think she was better than him? Ha! He was losing his mind. This was a good thing, for god’s sake! It was what he'd wanted, wasn’t it? To be free of her forever. He'd gotten his wish. Why in the hell was he so angry? And why did he feel a tinge of sadness? Maybe because it wasn’t done on his terms. Like she had all the power and everything she wanted came true. That all it took was her saying no and it was done instantly. Yes, that was it. He was angry at the fact that Little Miss Perfect got everything she wanted, when she wanted it. He didn't care that she didn't want to get married. He was happy.

  "Good, I didn't want to marry her anyway. Now will you both stay out of my love life?"

  "Of course, sweetie. But they need to pay for what they did to you. Heads will roll over this," his mother said.

  "Leave it alone, Mother! It doesn't matter anymore. Just let me rest. Can’t you do what's best for me for once in your life?"

  Remy watched with satisfaction as his parents were overcome with shock. Good, he was tired of being second to their money schemes. They had enough to survive. They didn't need any more.

  "If that's what you want, son," his father said.

  "Yes, now I would like to be alone for a bit. I need to rest."

  Remy watched with heavy eyes as his parents made their way out of the hospital room. Finally he was free from their meddling, at least for a little while. The most important thing was he wasn't being forced to get married. He looked around for his phone to message his grandparents. He found it on the table beside him and noticed he had a message waiting. He quickly read through it and smiled. It seemed his grandparents were on his side after all. In their message, they said that if his parents tried to kick him out and take his money they would do the same to them. Remy laughed out loud and then quickly regretted his actions when his head started pounding. He pressed the button for the nurse. He needed some pain medication right now.

  He watched as the nurse came in to see what was wrong.

  "I need something for the pain, please."

  "Of course sweetie. I'll be right back."

  Remy closed his eyes and waited for the headache to go away. He needed to stay as far away from Matt and Raven as humanly possible. Raven no longer went to school and he could avoid Matt if he needed to. He was finally free from all that crazy and he couldn't have been happier. As the nurse came in and injected him with morphine he realized that that was a lie. He could be happier—in a drug-induced haze.

  In no time he was fast asleep.

  Chapter 23

  "Oh my god, Matty, are you okay?" Raven asked. "What were you thinking attacking him again?"

  "I was thinking he's an asshole," Matt groaned.

  Damn, his ribs were sore. He rolled over on the floor to lie on his stomach. He didn't want to move from this spot.

  "Get up and let me see your face," Raven demanded.

  "NO!"

  "Matthew, don't make me wobble over there. I'm going to be pissed if I have to squat down on the floor next to you."

  "Just let me be, Raven. I feel like I was hit by a car."

  "Well, that's what you get for fighting."

  "He deserved it."

  "Be that as it may, I still need to look at your face and your ribs. You may need to go to the doctor's."

  "Mom, tell Raven to leave me alone."

  "Stop being a baby, Matt, and get off that floor!" his mother yelled.

  Matt grumbled as he pulled himself up off the floor. His ribs screamed in protest and he barely silenced the yelp he wanted to make. He shuffled his way over to sit on the couch next to Raven.

  "I'll go upstairs and get the first-aid kit," Mrs. Sinclair said.

  "Thanks, Mom. Now let me look at your face. Goodness, Matt, you have cuts and bruises all over your face. Lift up your shirt."

  Matt sucked in a breath as Raven gently pushed on his sides. He hurt all over.

  "You may have fractured something. We need to take you to get some X-rays."

  "I don't want to go to the hospital."

  "Too damn bad, baby genius. You might have damaged something internally and we need to go see before you die in the middle of the night because you punctured something and didn't get it checked out."

  "Fine. But I'd like to say for the record that I'm going under protest."

  "Duly noted. Now let's go."

  Matt leaned on his father as he helped him out to the car. He slowly made his way into the backseat while Raven got in on the other side. Damn, fighting with someone who fought back hurt like hell. He didn't understand how people did this for a living. He was not made for this shit. He wanted some ice and a pillow. Matt closed his eyes as he felt the car move and prayed that they got there fast. He needed some of the good stuff for the pain he was in.

  Matt woke up in the hospital bed hooked to an IV and with tape around his ribs. He was feeling much better now
that he wasn't moving. He had no idea how long he'd been here but he was now ready to go home and get in his own bed. He looked over and found Raven curled up in a chair, fast asleep. That had to be hurting her. Why hadn't she gone home?

  "Raven, wake up. What are you doing in that tiny chair?" Matt croaked.

  Damn, he needed some water, he could hardly speak. Raven hadn't moved a muscle. He was going to have to get someone in here. He found the call button for the nurse and pressed it several times until someone came running in.

  "Mr. Masterson, is everything all right?"

  "I would like some water please, and could you wake up my friend? She's six months pregnant and that can't be good for the baby the way she's in that chair."

  "Oh dear, of course. I'll get you something right away and I'll wake up Raven. She insisted on staying until you woke up. She's been here for two days."

  "Two days! What the hell? You let her sleep in that chair for two days?"

  Matt was furious. How could they let her squeeze herself in that chair for two damn days? What kind of hospital was he in?

  "She wouldn't leave and she wasn't in the chair the whole time. A cot was rolled in and she was sleeping in it."

  "She still should have been home in bed."

  "Yes, but she's as stubborn as an ox, that one."

  Matt watched as the nurse woke up Raven and then left to get his water.

  "Hey, you're awake finally," Raven said around a yawn. "What took you so long?"

  Matt just shook his head at her. She was insane.

  "How could you sleep in that chair like that?"

  "It wasn't that bad," Raven said, laughing.

  "What did I miss for the last two days?"

  "Not much. You fractured a few of your ribs but you'll live. Remy almost died from the blow to his head. The Peters were screaming about it hysterically, and talking about suing. Your father told them they would just countersue, and seeing as how they had way more money it wouldn't be a good idea to go to war with them. They reluctantly agreed to let it go but said if you came near their son again they would shoot you on sight. So I think it went well."

  Matt snorted. What was that boy made out of? Teflon? He just wouldn't freaking die. Granted, Matt wasn't trying to deliberately kill him this time. But damn. It would have been nice if he'd succumbed to his injuries. Maybe next time.

  "Pity. Guess they got him to the hospital in time."

  "Matty, that's not nice."

  "Well, he's not a nice person, so it couldn't have happened to a more deserving guy."

  "You are so bad. I called the wedding off."

  Matt's eyes sprang open. Was he hearing correctly?

  "You did?"

  "He said some pretty hateful things. More hateful than usual and I just couldn't deal with it anymore. It doesn't stop the way I feel, but whatever."

  "Raven, I'm sorry but this is for the best. You'll see. I'll help you with the baby. I'm always here for you. We will be okay."

  "Yeah, thanks Matty. You get some rest. I'm gonna go home and shower now that you're awake. I'll be back later, okay?"

  "Yeah. Go home and rest."

  Matt watched as Raven got up out of the chair and left the room. Finally, she'd made a smart decision. Now all he had to do was make sure she knew he was on her side. He still had a shot at his happily ever after with Raven. He could help her raise the baby and she would forget Remy Peters in no time. They didn't need his help. Matt would raise the baby like it was his own, and Raven would be able to count on him to be there, every step of the way. Hopefully during that time she would finally come to realize that he loved her more than anyone else could. She wouldn't even remember the name Remy Peters once he's done.

  Matt watched as the nurse came back in with a tray. He was starving and thirsty. He thanked her and dug in. He regretted that decision after the first bite but had no choice but to continue to shove the disgusting hospital food down his throat. He had to get the hell out of here before he got sick from the food. Matt washed everything down with the water she had brought. It was disgusting as well. How in the hell do you mess up water? He barely managed to keep the food down. He pushed the button for the nurse to come back and pick up the tray and asked for some kind of juice. He needed to get the taste of what they believed passed for food out of his mouth immediately. How did people live off this shit?

  Matt mentally made a checklist of all the things he would have to do now that he was going to help Raven raise her child. He would need to buy baby stuff and he had no idea where to start. Maybe he could ask his mother. She had to know more about this than he did. He would need only the best stuff for the baby, very high-end and expensive. This baby would want for nothing as long as he lived. He would need a crib, baby clothes, toys, and whatever else parents bought newborns. Maybe he would stop at the bookstore and find a book on parenting. He had no clue how to be a parent. Did they have a manual for things like this? If they did he would find it. It was time he did his research. He was going to be the best damn parent the world had ever seen. He would show Raven that all she needed was him.

  Matt smiled at his intelligence. He had been going about this all wrong. He'd wasted months being angry when he could have used that time to show Raven he was the better choice as a parent for her child. Now he knew better and the next three months he would be there every step of the way in the baby's development. He had a plan now, one that was fool proof. She'd finally let that idiot Remy go and now it was Matt's turn to be in the spotlight. They day he'd been waiting for had finally arrived. He would not mess it up this time. He'd been given a second chance and he was going to own this shit. He was going to show Raven that he was worth the wait. Fuck Remy Peters.

  Chapter 24

  Three months later

  "I think my water just broke," Raven said. "Or I've peed myself.

  "Holy shit! Where's your bag? Honey, Raven's water just broke!” Mrs. Sinclair cried. “The baby's coming. We need to get to the hospital right away."

  "Mom, please stop yelling. I've only had one contraction. I'm sure the baby isn't coming right this minute. I think we have a little time. Besides, I'm the one in labor, shouldn't I be doing all the yelling?"

  "Don't be a smart ass. Stay on the couch while your father and I get your stuff together."

  Raven watched her mother leave and for the first time in a long time she was calm. It was almost over. She was in the final stretch and didn't have long to wait before she was free. She still couldn't believe Remy’s last words to her. The only reason she had waited was for her son. For him she would hold on a little longer. She was also glad that Matt had gotten over his shit enough to talk to her again. He was still angry and resentful but she knew when the time came he would do what she needed him to do. He would do it for her and that was all that mattered.

  Raven wobbled her way to her father's office to look for a notebook and a pen. She would need to write a few letters after the baby was born. She had some things she needed to say.

  "Raven, I told you not to get off that damn couch!" her mother yelled.

  "I needed some paper and a pen. I'm going to be bored out of my mind the first few days in the hospital. Besides, it's not like I ran a marathon. All I did was go to dad's office."

  "Well, get in here and change out of those wet clothes so we can get in the car and go."

  "I'm coming as fast as I can. Will you lighten up already? Women have been giving birth for years."

  Raven slowly made her way to the living room, grabbed the clothes her mother held out for her, and then went to the bathroom to change. It took longer than she liked and by the time it was done her mother looked like steam was coming out of her ears. She was going to make herself pass out in worry and drive Raven insane in the process.

  "Finally, let's go."

  "Mom, do I need to ban you from the delivery room as I'm giving birth? If you don't calm down Dad is going to be the only one allowed in."

  Raven laughed at her mother's
shriek and mentally patted herself on the back. That will keep her quiet, at least for a little while.

  "That's it, Raven. You're doing well. Just a few more deep breaths and another push or two and your baby boy will come kicking and screaming into this world. The head is already crowning, so not too much longer now. Just keep breathing, that's it," the nurse coached.

  Raven wanted to smack every last person in the world. Never in her life had she felt so much pain. Why in the hell had she decided on no pain medication again? Someone should have talked her out of that foolish request. She wanted to pass out or rip the baby out by the roots. She'd been in labor for the past twenty hours and she was ready for it to be over. Childbirth was hard fucking work! She didn't know how women did it a second, third, and sometimes fourth time after the first. It took a special kind of masochist to endure such torture again and again.

  "Come on, Raven, just one more big push. That's it, he's almost here."

  Raven pushed for what felt like another 30 minutes before a high-pitched scream rented the air. That boy had a set of lungs on him. Raven's heart skipped a beat. She had to be strong. She could do this. It was for everyone's own good.

  "I want to see him," Raven said as she fell back on the pillows.

  "Just a few minutes, sweetie. We need to get that placenta out of you first and clean you both up a bit. Just give me one more big push and we'll be done. Mr. or Mrs. Sinclair, would one of you like to cut the cord?"

  "I'll do it," Mr. Sinclair said while clearing his throat.

  "Dad, are you crying?" Raven asked with a smile.

  "Of course not. Don't be absurd!"

  Raven laughed to herself. She'd never seen her father cry before and it was cute. She watched as he cut the baby's cord and huddled behind the nurse to ensure she was taking proper care of his grandson. Raven closed her eyes as her mother wiped her face with a cool cloth. It felt utterly amazing after such a hard labor. She just wanted to see her son for a little while and then she had four letters to write.

  "Here you go, sweetheart. Here's your son, little Evan Michile. He's beautiful, just like his mother."