Page 37 of Protecting Tiffani

I push my hands under the shirt that she’s wearing, rubbing her bare back. “You have nothing to apologize for, but I do. I left you alone to go through all those emotions by yourself. I should have been here for you. It’s no excuse, but I didn’t know how to make sense of what I was feeling. But Dad was right. I think all we need to do is love each other. If we do that, then we can make it through everything.”

She raises her head from my shoulders and frames my face with her hands, “I’ve always loved you, Levi Dane Hill. Nothing will change that. There is something I should have said to you weeks ago.”

“What’s that, Cupcake?”

“Thank you for protecting me.” She leans down, pushing her soft lips against mine in a kiss that ignites fireworks behind my closed eyes. My hands move from under her shirt to tangle in her hair, pulling her lips harder against mine.

“I will always protect you,” I say against her lips. As her lips open for me, I explore her warm mouth with my tongue. I stop focusing on the decisions I made when I was younger, ones that I thought were weak, but now I see them for what they were all along, protecting everyone I loved. Instead, I focus on what lies ahead for me, the girl in my arms that loves me completely and has never seen me as something to be ashamed of. “I love you too, Tiffani.”

Chapter twenty-two

Tiffani

EversinceLevisawhis dad and our child in his dream, all the guilt he was weighed down with has left his shoulders. I came clean about stumbling across the box with his awards and metals. Instead of being mad at me, he surprised me by pulling out a bigger box from under the bed. This one held photos from the places he had been and friends he had made. We spent hours lying on the bed, going through everything. He told me story after story of his adventures. I heard the excitement in his voice when he spoke about the culture he loved learning about in Japan. I made a mental note to plan a trip back for a birthday soon. Before he put all the pictures, medals, and awards back, he took his dog tags out and placed them around my neck. I might have shed a few tears. Not just because I have wanted to wear them from the first time I saw them but because, finally, he's proud of himself. He has let go of the ominous cloud over his time as a Marine.

I’ve been working hard to let go of things I can’t change and focus on things I can, like getting enrolled back into college. Levi encouraged me to reach out to see if I could start up classes again, and my advisor was all too happy to help me. I can’t start until the new year, but that’s only three months away. I still haven’t found a job yet, but that’s okay because in the meantime, I’ve been helping Emilee and Parker prepare for their baby.

“Thank you for doing this,” Emilee says for the hundredth time in the last hour. I’m sitting in the middle of what would have been my bedroom had I moved in here when I should have, surrounded by a pile of baby clothes. When Parker called me, frantic because his nine-month pregnant wife wouldn’t take it easy, I jumped at the chance to come help. Emilee was afraid that it would be too much for me. But I assured both her and Levi that I would be okay. Does it make me sad to be around so many baby items? Yes, but my overwhelming happiness for my two best friends makes that sadness minimal.

Picking up another blanket, I fold it up nicely and neatly, placing it in the drawer of the changing table Parker’s best friend Zak bought and built them. “I told you to stop thanking me. I want to do this for you. I’ve missed spending time with you, and plus, he is my nephew.” I wave a hand at her belly, while grabbing a bib and placing it in a pile.

“I know we said no to talking about sad things, but can I ask you one little question?” Looking up from the little pants I’m folding, I see her wringing her hands in her lap, not looking at me.

“Go for it.” I place the pants down and give her my undivided attention. I have a feeling I know what she is going to ask me.

“Why didn’t you come to me when Levi broke up with you? I understand not coming to me about the baby but that... Tif, we have been through so much together. You could have come to me.” She finally looks at me, and her nose is red from crying.

“I know I could have and should have, but Em, I was hurt by his words. After you guys graduated, he was the only person I had. I was trying so hard to be the perfect daughter, that I made no friends until Parker and you. I knew how close you two were with Levi, and I didn’t want to come between you guys. The next day, I heard that he had not only dumped me but had also left town. I was positive you would hate me and blame me for it all. Then, everything happened with the baby, and I just spiraled. I didn’t feel worthy of anyone’s love, especially someone I was hiding a massive secret from,” I explain, hoping she understands and can finally let it all go.

“I’m sorry I hurt you in the process, Emilee. That is not what I wanted at all. I was actually trying not to hurt you at all.” Her hands are rubbing her belly, and I worry if I’ve upset her too much when she grimaces a second later. Pushing to my knees, I crawl over to her, “Emilee, are you okay? I didn’t mean to upset you so much…”

“Oh fuck!” she says, grabbing my hand in a death grip that feels like she’s trying to break my fingers. “You didn’t, but you need to call my husband now,” she grits out between her clenched teeth.

“Are you okay?” I try to get my phone out of my pocket, but she has a hold of the hand I need to use. I see her phone lying beside her. “Password, Emilee?” The hand she’s holding has a pulse of its own, but I don’t say anything to her about it. Too afraid I will upset her more than she is right now.

“Zero, one, two, three!” She screams the last digit.

“Got it. Hold on.” Once I found Parker in her phone, I put the phone up to my ear. “We need to get you to the car. Can you stand and walk?” I ask as he answers the phone.

“Hey, Butterfly…”

“Wrong. Get your ass to the hospital now. Emilee is in labor, and I’m getting her to the car right now.” We are slow, but we’re moving toward the front door. Emilee’s and the baby’s to-go bag is sitting at the front door, which I remember to grab.

“What?” He screams so loud I almost drop the phone.

“You heard me correctly, Parker West. You and Levi get your asses to the hospital now.” I hang up because I have to focus on Emilee. “Breathe, sweetie, like you learned in your classes.” I try to soothe her, but it doesn’t work.

“Fuck breathing. Get Parker here so I can rip his balls off for doing this to me.” I try and fail at not laughing at her.

“You both did this. Come on, let’s go meet little George.” Parker calls back, but after Emilee tells him what she’ll do to his baby-maker, he stops calling and promises to be there when we get there, which he was.

Parker comes through the delivery doors three hours later, telling us George Nolan West is here. Mom and baby are doing great. He weighed in at eight pounds, five ounces and was nineteen inches long. I worried about how I would feel holding him in my arms and whether I could do it in the first place, but I had nothing to worry about. He is the most adorable baby I have ever seen. He’s a mini-Parker with a little sprinkle of Emilee in there. Levi and I left after congratulating the happy couple and kissing George’s chubby cheeks one more time.

Levi’s mom stayed in Cape to help with baby George when he comes home from the hospital, so the house is quiet when I flop down in the twin size bed we still share. The apartment I was going to move into was a small studio, so I told the landlord I didn't need it anymore. Plus Levi lost his shit when I told him I planned on moving an hour away. The one that Levi found for us should be ready to move into next week, and it’s in town. I can’t wait to get a bigger bed, although I will miss having to cuddle close to sleep.

“You were a rockstar today, Cupcake,” Levi says from the doorway where he’s watching me stretch out. “I’m so proud of you and how you handled everything.”

“I’m proud of myself and you too, Uncle Levi.” The smile that pulls at his lips makes his dimples pop out, and my thighs clench. His eyes narrow on the slight movement, and that smile turns into a wicked grin. He pushes off from the door frame, reaches behind him, and pulls his shirt off. I can’t decide what I want to marvel over first, his chiseled chest, rigid abs, or his deep Adonis belt. My mouth waters, wanting to taste his skin.

---