Page 42 of Van

“You were a fuckboy, Van. You fucked and walked away. Hell, you did that with half the girls here,” he reminds me.

“Not anymore.”

“Better not be anymore.”

“I’m good, Mask. I want Chy.”

“I can see that. Gave that baby your last name,” he muses.

“Yeah, I did for more than one reason.”

“Which are?”

“He isn’t touchin’ them. He isn’t gonna throw around I’m the father like it’s nothin’. The other reason is because they’re mine.” I hear the tiny gasp behind me, and I know it’s Chy. I turn my head, look over my shoulder, and see her standing right behind me.

“You okay?”

“I can’t sleep,” she tells me. I nod and shove out of the chair I’ve been sitting in and walk over to her. I lean down and press my lips to the top of her head.

“Come on.” I walk back down the hall with Chy behind me and back into the room. I know she’s tired. I can see it all over her face. Once we’re inside, I motion for her to get back in the bed, and she does, but not without a little protest first.

“I’m really fine,” she says.

“You’re really tired,” I tell her as I drag the bassinet right next to her side of the bed. I lay Nate down in it and snuggle him under a blanket while she watches me. Then I kick off my boots, walk around the bed, and climb in behind her. I get as close to her as I can and wrap my arm around her body, keeping her close to me.

“God, I missed this,” I tell her.

“You did?”

“Fuck, yeah, I did. You think I didn’t miss you, Chyanne?”

“I didn’t know what to think. It was all so much. I was so scared, Van. He kept me chained to a bed.”

“It’s all over now. He’s never gonna touch you again, baby. I promise you that much.”

“Are you sure about all this?”

“I’m very sure about this. Now sleep before I spank your sore ass,” I tease. She laughs and pushes back into me as I sigh and hold her.

Soon, I hear her breathing even out, and I know she’s asleep. I close my eyes and try to catch a nap with her.

Nightmares come, and I can see him. Derrick. I know it’s him, and he’s close. Too close to her. To the baby. I don’t want him that close. I try to move, but it’s like I’m in quicksand. My legs are heavy as I try to take a step toward them. I call out to her but she can’t hear me. I struggle to move my legs as he raises the gun and aims it at her. My heart beats wildly in my chest as I take in the scene in front of me, knowing there’s nothing I can do. I try to pull myself free of whatever is holding me in place, but it doesn’t work. There’s no use.

Then he pulls the trigger, and Chy falls to the ground. I scream, but nothing comes out. There’s only silence as Derrick picks up the baby and walks away. I look down, and there she is, slowly sinking into the quicksand. I reach for her just to be startled awake. I almost want to thank God for waking me up.

I blink my eyes rapidly and see that Chy is still in my arms, sound asleep. I lift my head and see Nate still sleeping in his bassinet, and I sigh in relief. Fucking dreams. It was vivid and so scary. The only thing it did was solidify the fact I was going to kill him. I’m going to end his life for trying to take hers.

I don’t know how long we stay cuddled up like this when I hear Nate start to stir. Chy pops up quickly and sits on the edge of the bed, ready to grab him.

“I could have done that,” I tell her. She looks over her shoulder at me and smiles.

“You have been doing it. It’s my turn,” she tells me. I nod my head, not wanting to step in her way, but I also want to help so she can rest. It’s such a strange turn of events. I never thought I’d want this. I never dreamed I’d have this, and here we are.

I sit up and scoot against the headboard as she gets to work changing his diaper and wrapping him in his blanket. Then she makes him a bottle and feeds him while I sit back and watch her.

“You’re already a good mom.”

“You think so?”

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