by Walsh, Chloe
“I need you. Don’t leave me,” he grunted.
I could hear the emotion in his voice. His words were gruff, tormenting.
“I won’t,” I panted.
He ground upwards, rubbing against my clit.
“I mean it,” he hissed, pumping me, hard. “Don’t go. I don’t need people….Never have. But I need you.”
His words caused the tightening feeling to explode, shattering me, completing me.
*****
Lee
“Okay, I think we need a night apart,” I said, as Kyle and I walked up the driveway towards the house.
We’d been shopping all day, and had gotten all the supplies on my list.
I’d felt shitty about the money, but if Kyle wouldn’t let me go back to work, there really was nothing I could do. Oh, and he’d bought me the changing table I’d seen in that posh baby store…
Kyle frowned, linking my arm with his. “You see, this is exactly where I disagree, princess. I think we need to spend a little time together, on an intimate level.”
I gaped at him as he unlocked the front door and gestured me inside.
“Is sex all you think about?” I asked
Taking off my coat, I hung it on the rack on the back of the door. “We are supposed to be taking this slowly, Kyle.”
Okay, I realized that was a ridiculous statement, considering we’d been sleeping together for a month, but still…
Kyle threw his head back laughing as he removed his jacket. “As tempting as taking you upstairs to bed is, I meant intimate as in emotional; getting to know each other better.”
I eyed him warily. “Get to know each other how?”
He smiled and brushed a hand against my belly.
“I could take you out on a date?”
I snorted. “You’re asking me to go on a date with you? To date you? Um, don’t you think, that’s a little backwards?” I asked pointing at my stomach.
Kyle’s smile faded.
“I was trying to be romantic,” he muttered running a hand through his wild mane. “Look, forget about it. It was stupid.”
He turned to walk upstairs and I found myself tugging him back.
“It wasn’t stupid, it was just surprising.”
Kyle scrunched his brow. “Why do you find it surprising that I want take you on a date? I love you, I’ve asked you to marry me on numerous occasions, and you’re having my kid. Does a date, sound so strange to you?”
“Fine, I’ll date you, you weirdo.”
The smile Kyle flashed me had my heart fluttering crazily.
“That’s not a very nice thing to call your baby-daddy, now is it, princess?”
He arched his brow, as a wide teasing smirk, flickered across his face. His dimple puckered in his cheek.
I shook my head and snorted. “Classy title, Kyle, very original.”
Kyle grabbed my hips and tugged me towards him. “Baby-daddy, boyfriend, sex slave, hot stuff… Call me what you want, baby, no wait, you’ll scream it, when I’m through with you.”
His lips dipped to my neck, and I lost all power of speech when his hot, wet tongue scorched my skin.
“Is that a threat?” I breathed.
My skin tingled with pleasure, burned from his hot, sweet lips.
Kyle chuckled deeply. “Oh, baby, you know my threats are never empty.”
I knew that already, and from the hungered look in Kyle’s eyes, I guessed, I was about to be re-educated on that theory.
“My lips,” I breathed, needing to feel his mouth on mine.
Smiling in triumph, Kyle lowered his mouth to mine. “Just so you know,” he whispered, a hairs-breath away from my mouth. “You have the sexiest lips, I’ve ever kissed.”
Running his tongue over my lip, he pulled it into his mouth and sucked gently.
“So fucking sexy,” he growled.
His hands gripped my hips. “And these hips...”
He lifted his head.
“Marry me,” he grumbled, kissing my jaw, trailing his tongue towards my earlobe.
“It’s not time to repeat that question,” I all but screamed out, as Kyle’s hand slid under my skirt and his fingers traced the outline of my panties.
“One of these days,” he muttered stepping back from me. “One of these days, you’ll ask me to repeat the question.”
“So, about that date?” I asked smiling and changing the subject.
His smile returned.
“Could I interest you in the second part of The Notebook, a pint of chocolate chip, and my bed,” he kissed my neck. “I’ll make sure you stay awake the whole time.”
Giggling, I pushed him towards the kitchen. “Okay, you had me on the ice-cream.”
Kyle grinned and went in search of ice-cream.
There was a knock on the front door and I couldn’t keep the stupid grin off my face as I went to open it.
The smile on my face slipped, the moment my eyes met Rachel’s.
“Hello Delia,” she said sweetly. “Mind if I come in for a moment?
Not waiting for me to answer, she pushed past me, into the hall.
“Princess,” Kyle called out from the kitchen. “I can only find one spoon, so you’ll have to share with me, or you could always lick it off my…”
His voice trailed off when he came into the hall and saw our visitor.
Glaring at Rachel, Kyle strode forward and pulled me behind him.
“What the hell are you doing here?” he growled. “Can you not get a fucking hint?”
Ignoring Kyle’s threatening tone, Rachel dug her hand in her purse.
“I came to give you this,” she purred, handing Kyle a familiar looking black, leather wallet.
Kyle’s wallet.
“I found it on the floor after you left the hotel room,” Rachel continued, smiling. “I meant to give it you sooner, but it slipped my mind. It must have fallen out of your pocket when we, well, you know...”
I gaped at Rachel and then at Kyle, who was frowning at his wallet, blinking rapidly.
My body went bone cold, as my brain put the pieces together.
It wasn’t hard…I wasn’t idiot.
Breaking out of his momentary trance, Kyle swung around and grabbed my arm.
“It’s not what you think.”
I pulled my arm out of his grasp. “Don’t touch me.”
I meant it. I didn’t want him anywhere near me.
“I’m going to go,” Rachel said, smiling broadly before opening the door. “I’ll talk to you soon, Kyle.”
Rachel closed out the front door and Kyle ran his hand through his hair roughly as he stared down at me with an incredulous expression.
“I can explain that. It is not what you think, baby.” He hissed loudly. “Jesus, she is fucking crazy.”
I shook my head in disgust, and turned for the stairs.
Kyle grabbed my arm again and I pushed him away.
“Don’t fucking touch me, I said.”
He stepped back, splaying his hands out. “I know the way this must look, but I haven’t done anything wrong. Rachel, she must have taken my wallet out my pocket.”
“Why would she have her hands in your pockets?” I spat. “You know what, I don’t care anymore. Do whatever the hell you want, Kyle, you always do.”
“I didn’t fucking touch her, why won’t you believe me?” he roared.
I laughed humorlessly. “Why won’t I believe you? Is that a serious question?”
“I’m not lying to you, Lee,” Kyle growled, following me up the stairs. “Just give me a chance to explain.”
Swinging around outside my bedroom door, I poked his chest with my finger.
“You are a compulsive liar. Your word means nothing to me. Do you hear me, you mean nothing to me.”
Kyle staggered away, chest heaving. “I’m not bulletproof, Lee. Jesus Christ, I have a heart, too, and right now you’re crushing it.”
Opening my door, I stepped inside my room, and glanced back at
Kyle.
My wounded pride and battered heart were what forced the next words to come out of my mouth.
“Good. I hope it hurts.”
****
Kyle
“You really mean that?” I whispered. “I’m nothing to you?”
Lee nodded stiffly.
I turned around and walked away.
I couldn’t look at her. I was too hurt.
The fact that she was so quick to think the worst of me, and what she’d said…Well I didn’t think I’d get over that, any time soon.
She meant it. She never said anything she didn’t mean. That fucking bitch had ruined everything, again.
She wasn’t getting away with it.
My phone rang as I made my way outside to my car.
I pulled my phone out of pocket and groaned when number of the New York hotel appeared on the screen.
For just once, I wanted a breather from this fucking life.
CHAPTER NINE
Lee
“You’re sure?” I asked the nurse nervously, as she prodded my belly with the heart monitor.
“Yes, I’m quite sure. Can you hear that, Delia? That’s a strong healthy heartbeat,” she assured me kindly.
Thank God.
I’d woken up with twinges in my stomach this morning and came straight to the hospital.
The taxi I had paid to drive me here had wiped out my paltry savings, but money had been the least of my worries.
The cramping pain I had experienced was all too familiar to me, and I wasn’t taking any more risks. Not with this baby.
“Everything is fine? You’re absolutely sure?”
I couldn’t help but ask. I needed the reassurance. I was terrified. I wanted my baby so desperately.
“Honey,” the nurse said in a soft voice. “Are you feeling okay? Have you been under any excess strain recently?”
“A little,” I muttered, Rachel’s name coming to mind.
Checking my blood pressure, the nurse clicked her tongue, and frowned.
“I’ll be back in just a moment,” she muttered. “Stay lying down and try to relax.”
Twenty minutes later, the door of the examination room swung inwards, and my mouth dropped open.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, scrambling off the bed, adjusting my shirt.
Kyle’s eye locked on me and he darted over to where I was standing.
“Jesus, baby,” he breathed, pulling me into his arms.
His voice was laced with concern as he kissed the top of my head. “I got a call from the hospital, said you were here. What happened? Are you okay?”
I was baffled. Absolutely stunned… I couldn’t move a muscle with the shock of him being here.
“I’m fine,” I muttered, patting him on the back, awkwardly. “I had some pain when I woke up, so I came in to get it checked out.”
Even my voice sounded confused, as I comforted Kyle, whose powerful body was trembling against mine.
“I’m sorry about Rachel. I’m sorry, baby.”
I dropped my hand from his back and pushed him away.
“I don’t want to talk about her, ever. Don’t bring her up in conversation with me, ever again.”
“Ah, Mr. Carter, thank you for coming so quickly,” the nurse who had been treating me earlier, said. “I have some concerns about Delia and checked her file. You’re signified as her next of kin, and the baby’s father, is that correct?”
Kyle straightened, and nodded. “Yes, that’s right,” he confirmed, masking his earlier emotion. “Why, what’s wrong with her? Is it the baby?”
I could do nothing but gape, at both the nurse and Kyle. Since when was Kyle signified as my next of kin?
I wanted to see those damn files.
“The baby is fine,” the nurse reassured. “It’s Delia, who I am concerned about.”
“Me?” I asked in alarm.
What the hell was going on?
*****
Kyle
“I called you in because I’m concerned for Delia. Her blood pressure levels are rather high, not dangerously, but enough for me to be concerned about the level of anxiety and stress she’s under.”
My heart dropped, and my guilt overrode me as the nurse continued.
“As you already know, Delia is only nineteen and has had a traumatic pregnancy. At thirty-six weeks gestation, I can’t stress to you enough, the importance of a calm and stress-free environment.
“You may not be aware, but Preeclampsia is a common, but in many cases, fatal, medial issue during late pregnancy, in particular to girls as young as Delia.”
“But I’m fine though, right?” Lee asked calmly, too calmly, as she picked up her purse from a chair. “I’m fine and so is the baby?”
The nurse nodded slowly. “Your blood pressure is a little high, but yes, you and the baby are well.”
“Well then,” Lee muttered, moving to the door. “If that’s all, I would like to go home.”
*****
I followed her out of the hospital, expecting to have to chase her down the street.
She surprised me by walking silently to my car.
“I don’t have enough money to get home, and I’m tired,” she said quietly.
My heart fucking fell.
Jesus.
I unlocked the car, and we climbed in, driving in silence, until we reached the house.
“Lee,” I sighed, turning off the engine.
“Don’t,” she warned, climbing out.
I got out and walked ahead of her to open the door.
“Do you hate me?” I asked, as she stormed into the kitchen. “Did you mean what you said?”
Lee swung around, facing me. Her mouth was hanging open a little.
“My feelings for you haven’t changed, Kyle. Don’t confuse hurt with hate.”
“You still love me?”
Lee shuddered and looked me straight in the eye.
“Yes, I still love you, Kyle. And apparently, that won’t change, no matter how many times you betray me, or shatter my trust.”
The door opened inwards and Derek hurried inside, closing it, sliding the deadbolt.
“Kyle, where the hell have you been?” he panted, out of breath, face flushed, concern etched across his features.
“What’s wrong?” Lee demanded, moving towards Derek. “Derek, what’s the matter? Is it Cam? Is she okay?”
Derek eyes slipped from her to me. “I need to talk to you, in private.”
*****
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I asked, closing the kitchen door on us. “That was really, fucking rude, dude.”
Derek paced the floor, his movements frantic. “Believe me, Kyle; you do not want Lee to hear this.”
Okay, now I was getting worried.
“Jesus, just tell me already, you’re freaking me out.”
Derek stopped moving, shrugged off his coat, and I froze.
His white t-shirt was covered in blood.
“Fuck,” I hissed, charging towards him. “What the hell happened to you, man?”
Tearing his shirt off, he tossed it in the trash.
“I don’t know what happened, dude,” he whispered, trembling.
Moving to the sink, he turned on the faucet and grabbed a bar of soap. “One minute, everything was fine, and then the next, he just started pissing blood.”
Scrubbing his hands, his body shook. “I tried, Kyle. I fucking tried to save him, but the blood; there was so much fucking blood. He went down so quickly.”
I stood, frozen to the spot, and confused as fuck.
“Derek, who are you talking about?”
Tossing the soap in the trash, he grabbed a towel. “I got him in the car. Kyle, took him to the vet, but it was…too late.”
My mouth dropped open.
“Bruno?” I asked, breathless. “Bruno died?”
Oh Jesus, no…
Derek threw the towel on the floor, and ran his hand over his shaved head.
/> “He didn’t just die, Kyle.”
Shaking his head, he rubbed his jaw. “He was fucking poisoned.”
The kitchen door blew in, and Lee stood in front of us, tears streaming down her face.
“Poisoned?” she cried. “Who would poison my dog?”
She sank to the floor, and I rushed to her side. “Baby, are you okay?”
“No,” she sobbed, curling her face into my shirt.
“I’ll tell you who would poison him,” Cam hissed, storming into the kitchen, red eyed, and raging. “Your crazy bitch of an ex.”
“Rachel?” I asked, shaking my head. “No, she wouldn’t do that.”
“She would,” Cam countered. “She did. She was here this morning. I caught her snooping around in the kitchen. Bruno was fine and after I kicked her out, he…”
Cam stopped, her voice cracking with emotion.
“Oh, my god,” Lee wailed. “Of course.”
“Hang on guys,” I said, trying to be rational about this fucked up situation.
I stood up and paced the floor. “Maybe he ate something…soap, or washing detergent, or something?”
“It was no accident, Kyle,” Cam snapped as she knelt beside Lee and pulled her into her arms. “Stop defending her. She did it. And I’ve called her ass on it.”
“What do you mean?” I asked warily, finding it fucking, unbelievably hard, to believe that anyone, including Rachel, would poison a dog.
“I called the cops on her crazy ass,” she snapped. “Something you should have done a long time ago.”
“You okay, Lee?” Derek asked, hurrying across the kitchen.
I swung around to look at her.
My heart fucking broke at the sight.
She was huddled into Cam’s side, shaking and crying uncontrollably.
“Lee,” I whispered, rushing towards her.
“Don’t,” she screamed, staggering to her feet. “This is all your fault. You are the one who brought her into our lives, and look what’s happened.”
“Come on, babe,” Cam crooned, wrapping an arm around Lee as they walked out of the kitchen.
