by Rye Hart
Whistles, applause, whoops and hollers roared around the room as I held her close.
“I love you, Delia,” I said, into her ear.
“I love you, too, Drake. I love you so much.”
I led her back to her seat before I started in on my set. I played through the rest of my songs, with one moving right into another. People were dancing with smiles on their faces and holding their drinks in the air and swaying. Every once in a while, I caught Delia dabbing at her eyes, shaking her head. I sang my songs to her. I kept her in my vision for the rest of the concert. Delia was more than an average woman. She was a force to be reckoned with. A light desperate to shine in the darkness of the world. A mountain of laughs, an exploding volcano of desire, and an endless treasure trove of surprises and twists. There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t learn something new about her, or a morning I woke up when I didn’t reach for her.
She had etched herself into my life—permanently.
And now, I was going to make her my bride.
I finished up my set with my ears ringing. The crowd was cheering harder and louder than I’d ever heard before. Louder than the grand stadiums I’d packed when I was drinking, and louder than the throngs of fans that chased after my tour bus. I took my bucket hat off and tossed it into the crowd, smiling at the voices of women squealing and shrieking as one of them caught it.
But the only voice I could hear was the one rising up from the back. The one voice that was screaming just a little louder than the rest.
“I love you, Drake!” Delia yelled.
I wasn’t gonna yell it back to her, though. Instead, I would whisper it in her ear as I took her in my bed. I would pepper it along the nape of her neck as I pressed her against the wall. I would murmur it into her pussy folds as I sat her on my face. I vowed to myself that I would do all these things. I would do whatever I could to make sure Delia knew she was loved and cherished.
And I vowed to murmur those sentiments in her ear as she fell asleep against me every night for the rest of her life.
CHAPTER 40
Delia
I hugged Stacia after the performance, before I went to find Drake. We were heading back to his house, a place I now felt comfortable calling home.
Our home, where we would share our lives and raise our child.
“So, I was thinking.”
“About what?” Drake asked.
“My apartment.”
I felt Drake’s hand squeeze mine tightly, the fear of my next words obvious in his movements.
“It seems sort of a waste, doesn’t it?” I asked. “You know, paying rent and bills for a place I’m hardly at anymore.”
I looked over at Drake and saw his eyes connected with the road in front of him. His hand was still gripping mine tightly and his gaze was unwavering. He was holding something back. I knew he was.
So I figured I would have to take the first step with this.
“What if I moved some more of my things in?” I asked. “What would you think about that?”
“You really wanna know what I think?” he asked.
“Of course I do.”
“I think I should’ve hired movers to get your stuff weeks ago.”
I giggled as I scooted over in his truck and placed a kiss against his cheek.
“We could put your furniture in storage. Or redo one of the unused rooms. We could make it your own personal space. Put your television in there and your laptop. Make it your place to retreat from everything when you need it,” Drake said.
“All I need is you,” I said.
“And a place to get away from me when life becomes too much.”
“Which is code for ‘when you become a dick,’ right?”
“Hey, I ain’t perfect.”
“But you’re perfect for me,” I said.
We rolled into his driveway with my hands massaging his thigh. I wanted to feel him. To hear his need for me and feel his body against mine. He threw the truck into park and pulled me into his lap, my paunch pressing into his abdomen. My lips were all over him. His neck, his cheeks, the tip of his nose. Our tongues battled as his arms drew me closer to him. My breasts pressed into the swell of his chest and I could feel his muscles flexing for my pleasure. Showing off the strength of his body as I ground down onto his hips.
“Thank you,” I said, breathlessly.
“For what, beautiful?”
I rose up and looked into his eyes as my hand cupped the stubble on his cheek.
“For not giving up on me,” I said.
“Hon, it was you who didn’t give up on me.”
“You kept pursuing me. Even when I walked out of my own apartment and left you there, you didn’t stop. Thank you for not stopping.”
That signature grin of his crept across his cheeks as his lips reached for mine again.
“Well I’m no quitter, sweetheart. You’re stuck with this stubborn fool,” he said.
“As long as you realize I’m just as stubborn, I think we’ll be all right.”
“Our neighbors might not like us with some of our fights, but they’ll really hate us with our apologies.”
“Ooooh—is that a challenge, Mr. Blackthorn?”
“Nope.”
He cupped the back of my head and drew my lips into his, our heads tilting as our tongues intertwined once more.
“That’s a promise, soon to be Mrs. Blackthorn.”
I smiled, giggling into his lips as I drew in a deep breath. I nuzzled my nose into the crook of his neck, breathing in the scent of him. He smelled like his cologne. The earthy scent of a man coupled with his own musk that trickled through his deodorant. I buried myself into his body as he held me, rocking us side to side as his truck settled with its creaks and groans.
“When do you wanna call the movers?” I asked.
“Yesterday,” Drake said.
“I’m being serious,” I said, with a giggle.
“So am I. But, if you want a realistic timeframe, we could call ‘em tomorrow. Have your stuff in here before you set off to work again on Monday.”
“I’m glad you’re not fighting me on that anymore. I love working there.”
“What does Sophie do again?” he asked.
“Stacia?”
“Cindy?”
“Stacia, Drake,” I said.
“You mean Savannah.”
“Now you’re being a dick. Where’s that room I was promised?”
His chuckle filled my ears as his stubble nuzzled into my neck. I fell apart in a fit of laughter, feeling him leaning hard against his truck door. He gathered me up in his arms and slid from the truck, my body leaning against his frame as he kicked the door shut. He walked me up to the porch and I dug his house keys from his pocket, making a show of massaging his thigh as a groan escaped from his lips.
“You’re gonna get it tonight, beautiful,” he said.
“That a promise?” I asked.
I unlocked the door before his hand threw it open. We walked into his dark house as we made our way to the couch. I could hear his chest lightly panting with his efforts. I could feel his arms trembling as he settled me down onto the cushions. His body was draped over mine, his lips hovering millimeters away from my skin.
Then, the lights came on with a flash.
“Congratulations!”
People started popping out of every corner as Drake ripped me up from the couch. Elsie and Tammy walked in from the kitchen and Hank was standing in the hallway. Paul was on the fucking loveseat across from the couch we almost got naked in the dark. Even Stone and Landon were there, standing on the damn staircase grinning like idiots.
“Where the hell have you guys been?” I asked.
I saw Drake quirk an eyebrow as I stared the guys down hard.
“Been takin’ care of Ma,” Stone said. “And possibly getting some help with some things. Drake’s night that night sort of—well—to be honest? It scared the shit outta me.”
“I ain’t gonna bea
t around the bush. I checked myself into rehab,” Landon said. “Drinkin’ wasn’t really my problem. That was just fun since Drake was doin’ it. But those pills I was slingin’ back with my shots? Definitely an issue. And don’t let Stone fool ya. He’s still gettin’ counselin’ for this sex thing he’s got goin’ on. Did ya know you can actually be addicted to sex? I thought that was just him bein’ a dude.”
“Asshole. It’s a real thing,” Stone said. “And I’m managin’ it. With some help.”
A round of chuckles reverberated across the room as my mind tried to wrap itself around everything taking place. His bandmates hadn’t abandoned him?
“Hank? Did you know about this?” I asked.
“Yeah. Because he told me Landon and Stone weren’t tourin’ because they told him I wouldn’t be any fun sober,” Drake said.
“What?” Landon asked.
“The fuck kind of excuse is that?” Stone asked.
“I didn’t have a lot of time to improvise, okay?” Hank asked. “And I knew a little bit. But at the time, you were going through your own shit, Drake. Just out of rehab. Floundering around with what to do about Delia. Hell, all three of you needed to cool your jets, if you ask me. I didn’t think it would be good for him to know his bandmates had just checked themselves into rehab, too. You know, triggers, distractions and stuff,” Hank said.
“I can tell you as someone who’s got a degree in all this that knowing his friends were struggling could’ve given him a great support system,” I said. “You should’ve told him, Hank.”
I was staring at Hank hard as Drake broke away from me and headed for the stairs. He clapped his friends on the back, holding them for much longer than they would’ve ever done in the public eye. There was a bond between the three of them I was just now witnessing. A bond I had been blind to, because of dealing with my own confusion and anger over issues while under Drake’s employ. I stood there as Paul approached me from behind, his hand descending between my shoulder blades as I looked up at him.
“Ya thirsty?” he asked.
“Whatcha got?” I asked.
“Sparkling apple juice,” Elsie said.
“Then I’d love some,” I said, with a grin.
“Sparkling apple juice for everyone!” Stone said.
“I got pizzas comin’ for all of us to eat, too,” Landon said.
The smile on Drake’s face was one I would never forget. The joy in his eyes and the clarity of his words was something he would’ve never had if he had still been drinking. I smiled as my eyes studied him. Watched him interact with his bandmates and listened to him shoot the shit with people who loved him. People who cared for him.
People he trusted with the private little world he’d created for himself.
Paul handed me a sparkling apple juice as Elsie and Tammy helped hand them out. I took it from him and thanked him, then watched as he tipped his hat to me. I snickered, shaking my head as I took small sips from the plastic champagne glass. My hand migrated mindlessly to my stomach as Drake turned towards me, his eyes flickering up and down my body before he tossed me a little wink.
His little signature move that was reserved only for me.
I was standing in the middle of a place I thought I’d never be, surrounded by people I never thought I’d ever have. I was immersed in a place I called home, watching a man I would soon call my husband, surrounded by people I now considered my family. For the first time since my parents died, I felt at peace. Content.
I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath, committing all of it to memory. The sounds and the smells, the laughter and the conversation. I memorized the way everyone’s voices sounded and the stories that were being tossed my way. I sipped on the sparkling apple juice as I dipped down for my purse, then made my way into the kitchen for some peace and quiet.
Then I pulled out my phone and called my boss.
“Hello, Mr. Hart. It’s Delia. Yes, I’m all right. I was calling to see if I could possibly have Monday off? Why? Well, I’m in the middle of celebrating an engagement. I wanted to surprise my—really? That’s okay? Yes sir, I’ll be into work on Tuesday. After lunch? That’s awesome. Thank you. Thank you so much. Yes, and—yes. Thank you. I’m very happy, too. I’ll see you Tuesday after lunch. Uh huh. You, too. Have a good weekend.”
“A surprise, huh?”
I jumped at the sound of Drake’s voice as he leaned against the kitchen doorway.
“Got until lunchtime Tuesday off,” I said, as I held up my cell phone.
“And uh—what did you plan on doin’ with that time?” Drake asked.
He pushed off the doorframe and started walking towards me. Stalking me, with his eyes on fire and electricity igniting the air around him.
“I don’t know. Figured I might rest. Eat. Lounge around. Take some showers.”
“Hmm. And when do you plan on—takin’ these showers?”
Drake’s arms cloaked my body, his face nuzzling into my neck as I giggled.
“Whenever you’re ready to take them, handsome,” I said, with a grin.
“You wanna take one now? We could sneak it while everyone’s occupied.”
I actually pondered the idea, thinking it over before the front door sounded out with a ferocious knock.
“Pizza’s here!” Landon said. “Come and get it!”
“Maybe after we eat,” I said.
His eyes grew dark as his hand rounded the globe of my ass. He squeezed it, shooting a jolt of heat up my spine as I gasped. His lips crashed down, encompassing mine as my back bowed and his arm supported the weight of my body against his.
I shivered, melting into him as people began to pile into the kitchen with hot pizza steaming up the place.
“Break it up, you two,” Stone said.
“Let us eat first. Damn,” Landon said.
“Leave them alone. It’s a big night for them,” Paul said.
Promises of what was to come hung heavily in my mind as we ate pizza, laughed until we were hoarse, and bonded with those we cared about most. I stayed by Drake’s side and kept up with the conversation, and even got into some insightful and deep discussions with both Stone and Landon. My fingertips circled around the ring on my hand, my mind still trying to digest the whirlwind of events that had just transpired.
But nothing could have sunk it in more than hearing those three little words whispered into my ear.
“I love you,” Drake said.
I nuzzled the side of my head into his lips as he puckered them, gracing the shell of my ear with his warmth.
“I love you, too,” I said, as my body leaned into his. “Forever.”
EPILOGUE
Five months later
Delia
Drake had received an award for his new acoustic album and we were heading home from the ceremony. I was eight months pregnant and huge, but Drake still found me irresistible. We were in the limo and had barely gotten the door closed before he was all over me.
I giggled as he peppered my neck with kisses. “I can’t believe you still want to touch me. I look like a whale,” I said.
Drake pulled his head back and looked me square in the eye. “No, you look like the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. And you are carrying my child, which makes you even sexier.”
I smiled up at him and pulled him in for a kiss. His hand slid up under my dress and his fingers trailed up my inner thigh. I stopped and sat upright for a moment, feeling a strange sensation. I pushed Drake’s hand away and winced.
I was flooded with a warmth between my thighs that dripped all the way down my legs.
“Delia?” he asked. “Are you feeling okay?”
I felt another gush as a searing pain ripped through my back.
“Ooooh no,” I said, as I leaned up. “Oh no. Drake.”
My water had broken.
Holy shit.
I looked over at Drake as he rose up from the seat and I gathered my dress up my thighs. He opened the partition and gave the driver
some directions, and before I knew it the limo was whipping a u-turn in the middle of the road.
“What do you need from me? Are you remembering to breathe? Sweetheart, tell me what I can do,” Drake said.
“I need you to call Paul. My hospital bag is in our room. The—shit!”
I drew in a deep breath as Drake ripped his phone from his pocket.
“Paul? It’s me. Yes, yes, yes, the speech was good. Listen to me, Delia’s in labor. Yes, labor. In the limo. We’re headed for the—yes. Her bag. It’s in our room, it’s—?”
“Pink and yellow,” I said. “By the—door!”
“A pink and yellow bag by the door in our room, Paul. Get it to the hospital. Yep. Thanks, man.”
Drake hung up the phone before he slid his body behind mine. He pressed his hands into the dimples in my lower back, trying to alleviate some of the pain. Fluid was still leaking down my legs as I kept them spread, my body in agonizing pain. I yelled out in the back of the limo as the driver kept calling out how many minutes we were from the hospital.
I just wanted the man to shut the hell up.
Drake kept pressing kisses into my shoulder as I braced for the contractions. They were coming a hell of a lot faster than I thought they would. My pain was mounting, and my head was spinning.
“Once we get to the hospital, we’ll get you some drugs,” Drake said.
“All of them. Every fucking one of them,” I said.
The limo pulled up underneath the emergency overhang, where there were nurses there ready to receive us. They helped me out of the car and put me in a wheelchair, but it was getting harder and harder to sit upright. They raced me into the emergency room and barreled me down the hallway as I held Drake’s hand. I was trying to stay calm and keep my wits about me, but none of this was happening the way I had read it would.
I wasn’t prepared.
I thought I was—but I wasn’t.
