Page 74 of Little Nightmare

And Ace De Lange just stared, the protective shield shattered in front of my eyes as he opened his mouth and closed it.

I’d seen men cry—my family was very open to expressing themselves.

But I’d never seen someone actually break. I never thought I would be the one to break them.

In one second, I wasn’t just a nickname, I was his nightmare.

A tear slid down Ace’s cheek before he could stop it. He didn’t say anything. He just left.

The door shut quietly behind him.

When I looked down, his phone was still on, but the podcast wasn’t True Crime—it was an audio book on how to be a good father.

23

RAVEN

The one where words mean nothing and actions are long gone…

8 Months Later

Iwas dying.

I always imagined it differently, that I would be taken too soon from this world by way of violence—not by way of life and beauty.

She hadn’t cried yet, why wasn’t she crying? “Ace?”

“One more push,” he whispered against my sweaty neck. I was in too much pain and yet not even a part of my own body as I weakly nodded my head. “She wants to meet you, desperately.”

I wronged him.

In so many ways.

Maybe this would be the one right thing I did, the last gift.

“She’s losing too much blood.” It was Sergio’s voice I think. After two days of labor they’d finally let him in, and he was pissed they’d let it go on this long.

“Options?” someone said.

“Emergency C-section,” someone else said.

Ace never left my side.

Everything happened too fast; I wasn’t in my body or was I? Suddenly a cry erupted through the room. It was loud, just like me.

“Good job, Raven. Good job.” Ace was either sweating as much as I was or he was crying, his face was wet against my cheek. “She’s perfect.”

“I’m sorry.” I choked out a cry. “I’m sorry for everything I know I keep saying.” My vision blurred. “You know I-l?—”

“Do something!” Ace yelled. Was that Ace?

Alarms went off or was it a clock beeping?

The pain was gone.

I was dying, wasn’t I?

The pain left.

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