Page 34 of Perfect for Her

Her gaze locks on mine for a second before a small smile appears and I lean in and give her a light kiss on the lips.

“He’s coming back, I promise.”

* * *

It wasn’t even half an hour later that the cops called and told us they had Ethan and he was fine. Dean was arrested on the spot, charged with kidnapping and stalking since they found a whole shrine to Harlow with some pretty graphic photographs and descriptions of what he wanted to do to her. The cops told me to be prepared for a trial but they assume he will be deported once it’s over.

Once the officers and paramedics checked him out, we arrived at the hospital to bring Ethan home. Harlow squeezed that boy so tight I think he has a permanent indent of her arms around his waist. The second we got through that front door, we all lay on the couch, putting in one of Ethan’s favorite movies, some dinosaur Pixar movie, and acted as if nothing happened. Harlow was adamant that we make home seem as normal as possible for Ethan and so we did exactly that.

“I think he’s passed out,” Harlow whispers, her eyes roaming over our son as if he’s the most precious thing she’s ever seen in her life. “Do you want me to carry him upstairs?”

I smile, shaking my head as I get up, lifting him effortlessly off the couch and into my arms. “I’ll be back. I’m just going to put him in our bed.”

Harlow smiles, watching as I head out of the room. We decided that for the first few nights he can sleep with us until we can get him in to see a therapist and unpack everything going on in that little brain of his. We don’t know if that’s the right thing to do, but for now, it’s what feels best.

I take the stairs up toward Harlow’s room, knowing soon it will be mine too. There is no way I’m leaving these two now that I have everything I ever wanted in the palm of my hand. Harlow might not know it yet, but me moving in is coming a lot sooner than she thinks.

The second I set Ethan down in the middle of the bed, he curls into a ball and hugs his stuffed dinosaur to his chest. I lightly kiss the top of his head, pulling the cover up past his shoulders, and just stare at him for a minute. Nothing prepares you for the way everything changes when you’re so close to losing it all. The way his eyebrows crinkle while he sleeps, the way his legs flail about no matter if he’s in his own bed or in ours. Everything he’s doing is a miracle right now and I’m just glad I get to see it all with my own eyes.

I take one last look at him before I turn and head toward the door. But just as I touch the doorknob, a small voice filters through the air.

“Mark?” Ethan whispers, his small head popping up above the blanket.

I smile, making my way back to the bed and sitting on the edge. “Ya, bud?”

His eyes search mine for something, and he must find it because he smiles. “Is it okay if I call you daddy?”

My chest tightens, my eyes begin to water as the words sink into my body.

“Is that something you want?” I ask, trying not to let my excitement influence him in any way.

When he nods his head, all that curly brown hair falling into his eyes, my heart almost bursts.

“Then go right ahead. I would be honored if you called me daddy.”

His smile lights up his face as I lean down and kiss his forehead.

“Daddy?” he asks again, that word washing over me like pixie dust. “Can you lie with me until the monsters go away?”

I cock my head to the side, wondering what he means. “Monsters?”

He nods, pulling the covers down so I can get in with him.

“What monsters, bud?”

“The ones that come when I close my eyes.”

God. I know he didn’t mean to gut me with those words, but they slice through me like a knife. If I could fucking kill Dean for what he put into my son’s head, I would.

“I’ll stay for however long you want. Nothing will ever hurt you while I’m here, okay? I’ll make sure of it.”

His eyes flicker closed, the exhaustion overcoming the fear I saw seconds earlier. “Promise?” he whispers, his voice barely audible.

“I promise.” And it’s the easiest promise I have ever made in my entire life.

Harlow

I look at my phone for the millionth time and wonder where Mark went. He told me he would be back in just a few minutes and it’s been over an hour. I sigh, gather my things and turn off all the lights downstairs, remembering to lock all the doors and windows even though I know I’ll be up half the night wondering if I missed one.

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