Page 29 of Love Me

Chapter 16

A male voice shouted, but I couldn’t make out the words. With all my strength, I glanced towards the entrance and saw dress shoes, dark pants, leading up to broad shoulders and dark hair, green eyes that could burn the soul of anyone who hurt his love. It was Owen. He held a gun, aiming it at Poppy, freezing her in place, but Poppy didn’t stop squeezing. I tried calling out for Owen, but I couldn’t find any air to make words. Everything sounded like I was underwater, muffled, like a dream. All of them—Owen, Poppy, Coco—were shouting. In the commotion, Poppy forgot her grip around my neck. I turned over to the side, coughing and gasping for air. Though his hands still gripped the gun, Owen’s shoes nudged me, as if to remind me that he was there for me, keeping our enemy in place.

As my hearing came back, the police banged on the entryway.

“Police! Open up!”

“It’s unlocked!” Owen shouted.

“You called the police? You stupid sack of—” A policeman aggressively locked Poppy in handcuffs, jerking her out of her sentence. Her glare landed on us like a laser beam of hatred.

“You have a right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be—”

“I should’ve killed you when I had the fucking chance,” she hissed.

So much for her Miranda rights.

The policemen shoved Poppy into the elevator, to take her downstairs to the police vehicle. I knew they were taking her away, but I couldn’t relax. There were so many things on my mind. A paramedic eased me onto the couch to take my vitals. I think he asked me questions, but I was high on adrenaline, unable to make sense of anything.

Misty and Clay showed up shortly after. Coco had texted Misty in a panic, knowing that we knew each other, and Misty immediately got ahold of Owen, who was nearby. I guess the acting gig wasn’t as fun for Coco once she realized I was pregnant. She was a good actress, but she wasn’t heartless.

As the police questioned Owen, his eyes kept darting to me

“And that’s your—” the policeman asked.

“She’s pregnant,” he blurted out. Of course he knew. He knew everything. “She needs to be taken to a hospital immediately.” I felt silly, almost stupid for fighting off telling him for so long. Luckily, the police were sympathetic and asked for us to come into the station the following day to be questioned. We agreed, and the paramedics took us to the hospital.

The obstetrician smothered my stomach in warm jelly and put a flashlight-shaped instrument to my stomach. A black and white image, almost like a Rorschach test, flashed on the screen, a tiny throbbing dot in the middle.

“Ah! A strong heartbeat,” the doctor said. “Would you like to hear it?”

I nodded. Owen squeezed my hand, his eyes glistening as he looked from me, to the screen, back to me. A sound like a muffled alien soundwave came pulsing through the speakers, rhythmic, quick, and strong. A tiny person’s heartbeat.

“Your little one is doing well,” the doctor crooned.

I finally let out a sigh of relief and cried. No, I sobbed—stupid ugly tears until I was covered in snot. I was relieved. I realized then, that there was nothing in this world that I held dearer than the person growing inside of me, and Owen. Not even my art. Nothing was worth it if we weren’t in this life together as a family.

Owen and I walked slowly around the hospital’s courtyard. Despite Poppy’s efforts, the baby was okay—a strong, healthy baby at that. And I know Owen was glad Poppy was in jail, but I could see it in his eyes that he was beating himself up for not being able to protect me from her in the first place.

“I should’ve gone to the police a long time ago,” he said. He faced the fountain, his eyes angled downward, deep in thought. “I could’ve stopped this.”

“How would you have known?” I asked. “She was gone until she wasn’t.” In the water, a few pebbles and a heads-up penny shimmered at the bottom. I wondered if the penny held anyone’s wish. Owen held my hand, his eyes filled with such intensity that I shivered, even though we were standing in the warm sun.

“I need you, Riley. All of you. I can’t let anything like that happen to you ever again.”

He means us, I thought as I stroked my stomach. “I’m keeping this baby, Owen.”

“Of course, Riles,” he whispered. The tenderness in his voice, calling me my nickname for the first time, made my heart melt.

“I can’t be your slave,” I said. “My priority, from here on out, is protecting this child.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

That made my jaw drop. Owen could give up his control over me, for a child?

“You wouldn’t?” I asked.

“That baby is us.” He squeezed my hand, pulling me closer. That was my thought exactly.

“It’s not that I don’t want to do kinky stuff,” I said. “Maybe we can do it—”

He put a finger to my lips, shushing me like he had a few weeks ago. “We can push boundaries without ever involving pain, mental or physical. But there’s something I have to do.” He knelt down on one knee, removing a ring box out of his pocket. My heart started beating so fast, I thought I was going to pass out. “I need you in my life, Riley. Both of you. Forever.” He opened the box, revealing a perfect ring—a white gold band with a flawless two-carat diamond, surrounded by two rubies. It reminded me of the sculpture I had been working on locked in the studio. How did he know it would be perfect? He knew everything, even when I kept secrets. “I love you, Riley Glass. Will you marry me?”

“Yes, Owen! I will!” I squealed.

Tears welled up in my eyes, knowing everything was going to be okay. I pulled him up to his feet and threw my arms around him. We kissed like we had never kissed before, because we knew where our future was leading us. Stormy weather or the shining sun, Owen, this baby, and I would make it through, and we’d do it together, all three of us.

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