Page 71 of Breaking the Rules
“Sassy, I’ll always want you. You pregnant?”
She bit her lip, shut her eyes, and nodded.
“Look at me, baby. I’m not going to hurt you,” he assured tenderly. “I would never hurt you.”
It was evident that someone had. He sat on the ottoman and placed her on his lap.
“I want to celebrate this moment. But I need to know where this fear is coming from first.”
Savanhi looked down at her hands. “The butterflies on my waist. It’s for each child I miscarried.”
“There’s two butterflies.”
She nodded, face frowning more into a sob. “When I told him I was pregnant, the first time he threw me down a flight of stairs. The second, he stressed me out so bad. I don’t want to go through that again. Wanting something and losing it. Or having it snatched from me on purpose.”
Noble closed his eyes. His being now vibrating with anger. “I want you, Sassy. And I want us to have a family.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, finally giving him her eyes. “If you don’t tell me now and I’ll get out of your way and not ask you for a thing.”
“That’s fear talking, and I don’t fuck with that. I don’t fuck with not being a man and not taking care of mine. You are mine. That baby growing inside of you is mine. You have nothing to worry about, and I put that on my life. I told you I love you and I meant that shit.”
Like his words were balm to her troubled spirit, Savanhi allowed the vulnerability to be safe to crumble into his arms. The floodgates opened. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t you apologize to me for healing. You’ve been holding that in. I’ll hold everything – your fears, your anxieties, your troubles – everything. I’m sorry that that bitch ass nigga hurt you like that. And I’m tempted to find him and put him through the fuckin’ floor. But you, our baby, and Areli are my reason. I got y’all.” He swiped her cheek. “I got you.”
She laid her head on his shoulder and kissed the curve of his jaw. “I love you, Noble. I’ve thought about the way I was loved before, and nothing was it. And nothing will ever be this. And no one will ever be you. You came in right on time, even though I fought you on it.”
He chuckled, leaning forward to pick up the test. “I’m inclined to believe you left with more than my heart that night.”
“It seems like I did. We’re doing this?”
“We are doing this. You know, Areli did say that if I kept kissing you, you were going to get fat.”
“Not fat, just round. I hope.”
“The way you’ve been leaping and twirling across the floor, you’ll be fine. More for me to hold.” Noble placed a series of kisses on her lips. “I’m happy you’re having my baby. Are you? ”
She nodded. “Yes. I am.”
“You ain’t leavin’, get that out of your head. I will chase you down, drag you back by your ankles. And you’ll like it.”
“Like you did to me last week?”
“You were running,” he said with a devilish smirk. “You want to get back in bed or lay on the couch. I had your receptionist email your girls. Practice will start back next week. This week, you’re home with me and our very bossy girl. Soup, water, rest, and whatever else you need. I owe you a new leotard, too.”
“I love how every conversation surrounding me feeling better results in you taking us shopping. Never mind the stuff at my apartment. That side of the closet is damn near full.”
“Speaking of your apartment. You’re building was up for sale…Kendrick and I decided to go in together and buy it, gear it toward low-income and single-parent families.”
“I love that. So that means I need to go clear it out?” she asked.
“Just the stuff you want, everything else I’ll have a team pack up and put in storage.”
“No need for storage. Donate it. I’ll get what I need out of it.” Savanhi kissed his face again. “I’d like to watch Areli run around the living room.”
“I got you come on.”
“You know I have to have this implant removed.”
