Page 8 of Van

“I try,” he winks. He continues kneading my flesh until I relax. When the door opens and guys start filtering in, I figure he’s going to stop, but he doesn’t. He keeps going even as he gets strange looks from the others.

“What the hell, Van?”

“She has leg cramps. You remember when Ellie used to get them bad?” he asks, talking to Mask.

“Yeah. She would cry for hours,” Mask says.

“Yeah. They get to that point sometimes,” I tell him. He nods his head but still strangely looks at Van. I don’t know what he’s thinking, but if it’s something other than helpful, he’s wrong.

Van’s hands never stop massaging, and I relax a little more until my eyes flutter closed. That’s when I hear him chuckle. My eyes snap open when he stops his movements.

“I’ve never knocked a girl out before,” he says, causing me to smile.

“I’m sorry. I got too relaxed,” I apologize, pulling my legs from his lap and placing my feet back on the floor.

“Don’t apologize. I’m sure it’s a lot to work and be pregnant.”

“Did your sisters work?” he shakes his head.

“No. They got lucky with the pricks they married. They didn’t make them work,” he says.

“That would be nice,” I tell him. It would be great, but Derrick was never that guy. He wanted the money coming in. He wasn’t about to find a second job just to allow me to be at home.

“You know you don’t have to pay shit while you’re here,” he tells me.

“Yeah, I do.”

“No. Mask isn’t gonna take your money, and neither am I. If you need time off, take it.”

“I need to pay rent, buy groceries, and get baby stuff,” I remind him as he shakes his head.

“I’m not takin’ your money for that shit, Chy. Rent is on us, and so is the food.”

“That’s nice of you, but I won’t take no for an answer,” I argue. I won’t live off them for free.

“You don’t have a choice, darlin’. We’re not takin’ it,” he tells me before motioning for Mask to come over. I watch him stroll over and sit in a chair across from us.

“What’s up?”

“She thinks she’s payin’ rent and groceries while she’s here,” Van tells him. Mask just smirks.

“No, you’re not. I don’t charge for that shit. You needed a place to stay and we offered. I didn’t offer it to take your money,” Mask tells me.

“I feel like I need to pay something.”

“Just worry about savin’ it. Wasn’t that the point to begin with?” he asks. I nod my head.

“Yeah, but I still don’t feel right not paying something.”

“You worry about you and that little one. The rest is on us, sweetheart. You have nothin’ else to worry about here.” I nod my head, grateful for what they’re doing for me.

“I don’t know how to thank you guys,” I tell them both.

“No need to. You needed a place, and we had one,” Van tells me. I smile my thanks as Mask stands and pats my arm. Van doesn’t move, though. He stays right where he was.

“Can I ask you somethin’?”

“Sure.”