Page 67 of Wrapped Around My Heart
I will never understand how some people act like getting your pregnant partner a drink or whatever food she’s craving is aninconvenience. While she’s out there literally growing a human, her body working overtime to support both herandthe baby, the least anyone else could do is make things easier. Is it always feasible to go out and get whatever she’s in the mood for at all hours of the night? No, some things are out of our control, like restaurants being closed. But there’s almost always a way to find the next best thing.
Like when Ari was craving a very specific milkshake at one in the morning last week, but the place that makes them was closed. It literally took me fifteen minutes to find an open gas station that had similar ice creams, whip out her blender, and make her a knockoff version that she claimed was better than the real thing.
It’s seriously not that hard to be a decent partner.
Not wanting to insert myself into her life and tell this random woman to go find a better man, I offer her a small smile and finish going through the last bag. Once I make sure I have everything, including the guacamole that was missing from the bags, I head back home.
Home.
Just the fact that I get to end each and every day with Arianna beside me makes my heart beat like a kid with some teenage crush. I always hoped that things with us would head in this direction. That she would continue to let me in, to let me love her in every way possible.
And now that it’s here? That I have the honor to show her what she means to me, day in and day out? Fuck, I am the luckiest man alive.
Eagerness to get back to Ari thrums through me and I don’t waste another second after making sure the food is secure before starting my drive home. Thankfully, tonight’s craving was only five minutes away.
I’m humming to my favorite pop song when I pull into the driveway, mindlessly parking beside Ari. Only to freeze when the sound of a dog growling echoes through the silent night.
I glance around, expecting to find a stray lingering close by, only to come up short. Slowly, I close the car door and look around at the houses to find where it’s coming from. The homes in the neighborhood are far enough apart that we’re not all up in each other’s business, but close enough to be friendly. I know a few dogs live on this street, so if one of them got out…
A vicious bark snaps from somewhere behind me and ice pours through my veins. I turn around, finding the front door to our house wide open, and am moving before I fully process it. Somewhere in the back of my mind, things start piecing together enough for me to pull my phone from my pocket and dial the police. I hesitate on pressing call, wanting to make sure that Ari wasn’t just trying to do something on her own, like take the trash out.
When another warning growl, frommy dog, greets me as I approach the front door, I know something is wrong. Cora is the friendliest dog ever, always excited to meet new people and even having more patience than I would around kids who want to cover her in glitter.
I spot the guy in a hoodie at the end of the hall, blocking the way to the kitchen, before I hear him. Quickly, I duck out of the doorway, staying outside while I tell the operator my address and that there’s been a break-in. Faintly, I hear her trying to tell me to stay outside, but the chances of that happening fall toabsolutely the fuck notwhen I hear Arianna groan in pain.
Concealing my phone in the waistband of my shorts, I slip into the house and immediately turn into the living room. My pulse throbs in my ears, making it hard to make out what the guy is saying, but I notice he sounds young. Shaking it off, I tiptoe through the room toward the secondary entrance to the kitchen.Once I get to the doorway, there will be no hiding my presence, so I cross my damn fingers that the reason Cora is growling like I’ve never heard before is because the guy isn’t actually close enough to them.
Sucking in a deep breath, I take the final step and am hit with a mix of relief and the need to hurl.
Just as I suspected, Cora has placed herself between Arianna and the intruder. Her hackles are raised, tail pinned between her legs, and ears trying to stand straight. It’s the first time I’ve ever actually seen her fully resemble a purebred German Shepherd.
How is this guy not shitting his pants?
Ari’s eyes widen when she spots me, tears streaming down her face as she clutches her stomach.
“My water broke,” she whimpers. Her words combined with the look on her face are enough to make me forget about my own safety as I beeline for her.
The guy finally moves then. Stepping closer to intervene and I hesitate just as Cora snaps at both of us. Even though she’s trying to keep me away, I can’t help but be proud of her for protecting Arianna.
My teeth grind together as I’m forced to stop. I’d only made it halfway around the kitchen table, but I didn’t want to risk this dude getting closer to Ari. Keeping my eyes on her, I speak up to the guy.
“The police are on the way, and my girlfriend is in labor,” I say loudly, hoping the operator on the other line hears me. “If you want money, here. Take it and go.”
I reach for my wallet, but the kid laughs hysterically. The fact that it’s such a young sound makes my head snap in his direction.
And then everything I thought I knew up until this moment falls out from under me.
“Tristan?” My stomach churns when he lets out another manic laugh.
“Trying to throw money at a problem. Must be nice not to worry about trivial shit anymore.”
My face scrunches at his words. “What are you talking about?”
That snaps all humor from his face completely and he turns his attention fully to me, knife now pointed in my direction instead. Which probably shouldn’t be a relief, but it means he’s less likely to hurt Arianna now.
“I’m talking about how, now that you have money, you can easily forget about everything you went through. You don’t even care who you left behind to suffer.”
“Tristan, I didn’t leave you.” There’s no hiding the emotion from my voice. All the guilt, the heartbreak, and loneliness I’ve felt ever since my aunt left with him all those years ago hit me tenfold.
