Page 2 of Choose Me

“You mean babysit me?” I spat out in annoyance.

“Oh, come on, baby girl, think of me as less of a babysitter and more as the majorly fun, super intelligent, and sexy big brother you never had.” Everett persisted, a sly grin stretching across his face. He playfully ruffled the hair on the top of my head, and I moved out of his reach, scowling.

“Oh my God. There is something severely wrong with you.” I shot back, rolling my eyes and fighting the urge to hit him. I swept a hand through my hair, trying to smooth it down as he continued to grin.

“Maybe I should rethink this,” James grumbled, giving Everett a stern look.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be a good roommate. You won’t even know I am here.”

James’s gaze hardened as he said, “Speaking of that, no bringing girls here.”

“Wait, what?” Everett exclaimed in surprise.

“You heard me. Take care of that shit somewhere other than my apartment. I don’t want strangers coming in and out of here around Ava and my baby. Until we know more about what we are dealing with, this place needs to be safe for them.”

“No argument there. I’ll be on my best behavior, but only because I like you, Ava. And James would kill me, and I very much enjoy being alive.”

“I am glad you value your life then.” I grinned, glancing at my phone, and saw it was 11:59 p.m.

“I will be back in the morning with my shit. If you need me, I will come right over.” Everett announced before heading toward the door.

“Thank you, Everett.” I smiled at him appreciatively.

“Of course.” He winked and closed the door behind him.

Once he had left, I nuzzled into James, pressing my lips against his neck. His fingers moved lightly up and down my arm as though he was tracing a roadmap to distract himself from his thoughts.

“What are you thinking about?” I whispered softly against his neck.

He blinked out of his thoughts and shifted his gaze to me. “Protecting you and our baby,” he sighed, forcing a smile, although the smile on his face failed to reach his eyes, which I could see were filled with worry.

“If anyone can keep us safe, it’s you.” I pushed myself off the couch and crawled onto his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck.

His head fell back on the couch cushion as he exhaled a heavy breath. “What if this time I can’t? I almost lost you in Oregon because I couldn’t keep you safe.”

His words hung in the air like a thick mist. I had almost died because I sacrificed myself to save him. I didn’t realize that he felt like he didn’t keep me safe. He never told me that he felt any guilt for what happened. But I don’t blame him. He had to know I would make the same choice again every lifetime. I would give my life for him and our baby. There was no question about that.

“What happened in Oregon doesn’t matter anymore. The important thing is that I survived. We both survived. Our baby survived. We are here together, and I trust you with my life and our baby's life. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared right now, but I know in my soul that you will protect us, and David or whoever this person is will be caught, and we can focus on what truly matters. I refuse to live in the past again. I only want to live in the present with you and, think about our future together and focus on bringing our baby into this world with you next to me. Whatever that world looks like, I want it to be with you. Nothing else matters but you and this little life inside me.”

His gaze softened as he pulled me close and kissed me tenderly. “How do you always manage to see the light in every situation?”

“It’s not always easy. But having you and our baby girl to love every day helps.”

“Baby girl?” He quirked an eyebrow inquisitively. “What makes you think it’s a girl?”

“I don’t know. A feeling, I think.”

“I would love to have a little mini-you running around.” He chuckled softly.

“You would, huh?”

“Yeah, with your olive skin, dark hair, and beautiful gray eyes.” He tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear. “But that means I will have to sit on the porch with a shotgun and scare off all the boys that come asking for her.”

I smirked. “Is that so?”

“Yep. No boy will be good enough for my little girl.”

“What if he’s a boy?”

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