Page 41 of Bae

I nodded. “Seeing you with Nova…” I began but couldn’t finish.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” He rolled onto his back so his arms could tuck me along his body, my head pillowed on his chest.

“I wish it wasn’t so hard,” I whispered, a weight pressed on my heart.

We lay there in the center of the pink and purple castle without saying a word. He just held me, stroking my back as I listened to the sound of his heart beating beneath my ear.

I finally accepted the fact I was really struggling today, and with that acceptance, it became a little easier to breathe.

“I’m better now,” I whispered a little while later.

I felt his lips on the top of my head.

“We should probably go in the house. Everyone’s probably here.”

His arms tightened around me.

I sighed. I could stay here another minute.

The sound of what sounded like a door slamming and the rumble of low voices had me sitting up. Romeo followed, keeping one arm around me.

Trent and Drew were on the back deck, their body language stiff.

“Something’s wrong,” I said immediately.

All thoughts of myself and my feelings were forgotten as we started for the door.

Romeo

You know what pisses me off?

When good days are ruined by bad shit.

And no, I’m not talking about Rim. Of course today was going to be hard for her. Fuck, it wasn’t that easy for me either. She had a right to her pain, and so did I. She wouldn’t be the sensitive, deep-feeling woman I loved if our niece’s birthday party didn’t make her think about the child she lost.

I saw it last night; she didn’t know it, but I did. The closer we came to today, the more anxious she became. It was one of the reasons I took sex off the table last night. I didn’t want the pressure of the condom. I didn’t want to ask her and for her to have to say no, but at the same time, I didn’t want to not ask and make her wonder. So no sex. No condom. No worries.

Besides, there were other ways, hella good ways to get it on.

Rim didn’t go around shoving her pain down people’s throats (unlike other people who shall soon be named), causing more hurt and making a thing out of something that wasn’t supposed to be a thing.

In fact, my girl went out of her way to stuff it down. She tried so hard her body shook with it. I loved her. So goddamn much. It killed me she hurt like this. I lay there holding her, trying to come up with some way to make it better.

I could give her another child, but she had to let me.

Just when I felt some of the tension leave her body, drama came to the hood. You know, I thought having a gate would keep that shit out.

Clearly, I was wrong.

Trent and Drew were still on the back deck when we walked up.

“What’s the matter?” Rimmel worried, hurrying over.

“Everyone’s here,” Drew said, his voice oddly void, and stared out across the view.

“Who’s everyone?” I asked, my tone steely. I had a bad feeling I knew what he was going to say.

“Drew’s father,” Trent replied, his eyes meeting mine. They were shadowed and angry at the same time.

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