Текст книги "Blurred Lines"

Автор книги: Tamsyn Bester

сообщить о нарушении

Текущая страница: 6 (всего у книги 13 страниц)

Chapter 10

Reid

I’d Rather Fight With Her, Than Love Anyone Else

The bar I’d spent the last few hours in was just off campus, and had already started filling up with the Friday night crowd. I was tucked away into a dimly lit corner booth, away from the excited bustle of my fellow students.

What I wanted was to speak to Jade, but after our row earlier, I thought it better to give her some space, and myself the chance to process her news. It had come as a shock, but what surprised me was the relief I felt knowing it was my baby she was expecting, and not some other assholes’.

The waitress came by and placed another soda in front of me before removing the empty bottle on my table, and I nodded my thanks. It would have been easy to get drunk – I sure as hell needed a drink – but I wanted a clear head in order to put everything in perspective. When someone sat down on the bench opposite me, I looked up and saw that my father had taken a seat. His dark blond hair stuck up in all directions as a result of the rain, and his fancy suit was all but dripping on the floor. The likeness between us was uncanny, and no one would doubt that I was his son.

“I was hoping I’d find you here,” he said, taking off his wet coat. He shook some water from his hair, and relaxed, eyeing me with wariness and concern.

“A little out of your way,” I replied. I hadn’t seen him in a few weeks, and couldn’t deny that I was happy to see him. Out of everyone close to me, he was probably the only person I could talk to right then.

“Dane called me, he said he was worried about you.”

I fiddled with the cap of my bottle, and gave my father a half-smile. “Doesn’t surprise me, he was never good at keeping his nose out of my business.”

“He cares about you, and the fact that he called me, means something must be wrong.”

My father’s eyes green matched mine, and when he looked at me I saw that he really was worried. He wouldn’t have sought me out if he weren’t. He was a busy man, and although I missed him, he’d always taken the time to be there for me when I needed him. Aside from Dane, my father was also my best friend, and I knew I could trust him with anything. I never feared his judgment, or worried that he’d be disappointed. He simply listened, and helped me where he could.

“You didn’t have to come all the way out here, Dad,” – I took a sip of my soda – “A phone call would have sufficed.”

He waved his hand, and rested back into the booth, his bulking shoulders taking up most of it. “I’m here now. Start talking, son.”

If I weren’t feeling so all over the place I would have chuckled at the authoritative way he spoke to me. It was one of many reasons why people respected him so much, both in and out of the courtroom. You’d think being a tough-as-nails attorney would have hardened him too much, but he was a family man at heart, and he’d taught me what it meant to be a man, a loving father, and a devoted husband. All the things I wanted to be for Jade and our baby, and that scared me.

I was going to be a dad.

I rubbed my hand over my head, and let out a heavy breath. “Where do I even start?” I mused. “It’s such a fucking mess.”

My father ordered a beer, and then rested his clasped hands in front of him. “Easy, you start at the beginning.”

Was there even a beginning?

I started telling him everything that had transpired between Jade and me, from the moment we blurred the line between ‘friends’ and ‘lovers’ to how I dated Stella in the hopes of moving past my feelings for Jade. While I left nothing out, my father listened with intent, and I could almost hear the wheels turning in his head. His occupation had taught him to analyze every fact, and every detail, and to determine the appropriate course of action. I needed him to do that for me now, or at least guide me in the right direction because I was at a loss.

“And then today, I found out she’s pregnant. I freaked out because I thought it was someone else’s, and I humiliated her in public because I was too angry to be rational about it. Turns out the baby’s mine.”

I avoided my father’s knowing gaze, afraid that his concern would shift into disappointment, but that’s not what I got, at all.

He let out a loud woosh of air, and leaned forward. “That’s...shit, that’s a lot to take in.”

This time I did chuckle. “Lucas Cole, at a loss for words? That’s a first.”

My father’s response was to give me a crooked smile, and immediately I relaxed. That one gesture gave me the reassurance I’d been looking for.

“Shut up. You just told me I’m going to be a grandfather. I need a minute.”

“Join the club,” I muttered. “I’m going to be a dad, and I don’t even know if Jade wants me to be part of the baby’s life.”

With thick, furrowed brows, he asked, “Why wouldn’t she want you to? That doesn’t sound like the Jade I know.”

My lips twitched at his comment. He’d always had a soft spot for Jade.

“Yeah well, the Jade I knew wouldn’t have kept something like this from me. I feel like I don’t even know her anymore, Dad. I keep retracing my steps, and wondering where we went so wrong.”

My father huffed wistfully, a smile of remembrance pulling at his lips. “I remember the first time you told me you loved her. We were at her twelfth birthday party at Erik and Raquels’, and Jade was wearing this pink poufy dress with her hair in curls. You stared at her for over an hour, and then you turned to me and said, ‘Dad, one day, Jade and I are going to get married’. I asked you how you knew that, and you simply replied ‘because I like her’.”

“I don’t remember that,” I replied, trying to recall the memory.

“Your mom and I always knew you two would move on from being just friends, and I think Erik and Raquel knew it too. You guys were inseparable for most of your lives.”

“And now look at us,” I laughed bitterly. “We’re not friends, not a couple, but we’re going to be parents.” I pushed my bottle away, and rubbed my hands down my face, “I’m scared, Dad.”

“You know what happened the day I found out your mother was expecting you?” He asked. “I fainted, right there in the bathroom. Passed out cold.”

“Mom must’ve loved that,” I snickered. “Were you scared too? When mom told you she was pregnant?”

“Oh yeah,” he scoffed, “I was terrified for the whole nine months, and when your mother went into labor two weeks after her due date, I thought I was going to give myself a heart attack. But, then you came home, and we figured it out. Your mother wasn’t stressed out, so I relaxed, and after a while, everything just...worked out.”

“What if Jade decides she doesn’t want to keep the baby?” It was the first time I’d aired that concern out aloud, and saying the words made the possibility so much more real. Could I deal with it if she decided not to keep our baby?

No.

It was that simple.

“What if we can’t make it right?” I continued, needing to get all my worries out of my head. “What do I do then?”

My father’s expression turned serious. “Then you fight.”

“But how can I be sure it’s the right thing? How do I know for sure that it’s love, and not just lust?”

It felt silly to ask that question, because until now I’d never questioned my feelings for Jade, but her news suddenly had me questioning everything I thought I knew.

“If you looked ahead ten years from now, and saw Jade standing next to you, and if you know without a shadow of a doubt that you’d put up with all the hardships that life throws at you if it meant waking up next to her, then you know.”

I thought about it, and my father gave me the time to process it before he asked, “Tell me in one sentence, right now, how you feel about Jade.”

Without preamble I replied, “I’d rather fight with her, than love anyone else.”

He smiled knowingly. “That, son, is love.”

I knew in that moment he was right, and that only left me with one choice.

To fight.

I was going to fight for Jade, even if it meant I had to wait forever. I had to make her see I wasn’t going anywhere, and I would be there for her and our baby.

I KNOCKED ON Jade and Kennedy’s door and waited with two coffee cups in my hands. After my morning jog, I stopped at Bean Me Up on campus, and figured after two days, Jade would be ready to talk. I’d given everything my father had said a lot of thought, and it was time I was honest with Jade. I was nervous, but also certain, and knew the only way to get through to her was to only give her one choice. To trust me.

The door opened, and a sleepy-looking Kennedy was standing on the other side.

“Hey, Reid.”

She yawned, and I stifled a smile. Dane must’ve kept her up all night again, and thank the Pope they were at Kennedy’s and not at our place. The last thing I wanted while sorting the shit out in my head was hearing them have sex.

“Hey Kenny. Hope I didn’t wake you.”

“Not at all,” – she yawned again – “But Dane isn’t here.”

“I was actually looking for Jade.”

Kennedy’s brows shot up, and she was suddenly very much awake. Her eyes darted between me and Jade’s bedroom door, and my forehead scrunched into a frown. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine, it’s just...”

“What’s wrong, Kennedy?” I asked sternly. “Is Jade okay?”

Kennedy’s shoulders dropped, and she stepped aside before I barreled her over.

“She’s fine, she’s just sick.”

I placed the two cups on the kitchen counter, and walked through Jade’s bedroom door into her bathroom. She was hunched over the toilet, heaving, with her one hand braced on the floor, and the other on her stomach. She reached over, and flushed the toilet before settling back down on her knees, working to catch her breath. Her head whipped up, and she startled when she saw me standing there.

“Reid, what are you doing here?”

I grabbed a washcloth from the drawers under the sink, wet it with some warm water, and knelt down so that I could help her clean up.

“I came to see you,” I replied, wiping the sides of her mouth. She snatched the washcloth from my hand, causing me to drop my hand with a sigh. She was still pissed with me.

Well, that was too fucking bad. We were going to talk, and if it meant I had to tie her down to get her to listen, I would do it.

“Come to accuse me of something else?” Her brown eyes bore into my face, and I could only laugh – on the inside – at how easily Jade was riled up.

“I’m sorry,” I breathed out, daring to meet her gaze. “I shouldn’t have acted the way I did. There’s no excuse except that I was in shock, and pissed that I had to hear it from someone else.”

“So you decide the best way to handle it is accuse me of sleeping with someone else when I was with you?” Jade looks ready to slap me, and cry at the same time. Dammit, this isn’t going as I’d planned, but I should’ve known it wouldn’t – it never does with Jade. She had the ability to keep me on my toes without realizing it. It was one of many things about her that drove me crazy.

“I jumped to conclusions,” I replied. “But I came to apologize, and to talk.”

Jade opened her mouth to speak, but in the next breath she had her head bent over the toilet, heaving all over again. I cringed. I’d heard about morning sickness before, but had yet to witness it, and from the pained expression on Jade’s flustered face, it wasn’t fun. I rose to my feet, and leaned over her, taking her hair in one hand and rubbing circles on her back with the other.

“Can I get you anything?” I asked. She wiped her mouth, and shook her head as she stood up. She leant on the wall for support, and I got a good look at what a toll everything had taken on her. She looked tired, and what concerned me was that she looked leaner too.

“I’m still angry with you, Reid.” Her voice quivered, making my insides roll with guilt. “I don’t know if I want to talk to you right now.”

“Then don’t, but I have some things I need to say, and considering you kept your pregnancy from me, you owe it to me to listen.”

“I owe it to you?” She asked dubiously, walking out of the bathroom and into her bedroom. “I don’t owe you anything.” She grabbed a hoodie from her bed, and threw it on over her head. That’s when I saw what little clothing she had on. It was fucking freezing outside, and she was in nothing more than a black tank top, and bright pink sleep shorts.

“You need to dress warmer,” I admonished, not bothering to hide my disapproval. Wasn’t she taking better care of herself?

With a harsh pull, she covered her torso with the hoodie, and shot daggers at me.

“I get hot, which is normal for pregnant women. Now are you going to tell me what I did to deserve your extra sunny disposition this morning, or did you just come to tell me what I can and can’t wear to bed?”

She turned around and stormed out, causing me to throw my hands up in defeat. God, why did she have to be so fucking difficult?

“I didn’t come here to fight,” I half-yelled, following her out into the living room. I stopped in my tracks when I realized that Kennedy, Dane and Ashley were all watching us from the sofa. Jade started pulling plates from the cupboard, and slamming them onto the counter.

“Can we please have this conversation in private?” I asked her. I shot Dane a look, and he caught my meaning, showing me his understanding with a brisk nod. He stood up, and pulled Kennedy up with him. He leaned down, and murmured, “C’mon Kitten, let’s give them some privacy.”

Ashley stood too, but before they could leave, Jade exited the kitchen with determination on her face.

“No,” – she looked at our friends and then back at me – “Whatever you need to say can be said in front of our friends.”

I had officially started running out of patience. Jade was being so fucking stubborn, and kept shooting me down when I was trying to amicable. If she wanted to challenge me, she could bet her tight Spanish ass I’d be up for it.

“Fine,” I said. “I came here to apologize for acting like an ass yesterday, and to let you know that you won’t keep anything else regarding your pregnancy or our baby from me. I will be part of his or her life, whether you want me to or not. Your next appointment is in three weeks, and I will be going with you. You get sick, you call me. You need anything, you call me.” She opened her mouth to speak but I put my hand up to silence her. She wasn’t going to get a word in edgewise until I was done. “You walked away from me once, but that’s not happening again. I’m fighting for that baby,” – I pointed at her stomach, and ignored her tearful gaze, “and I’m going to fight for you. We are in this together Jade, and whether or not we sort our shit out our baby will have two parents who make the decisions together. I have loved you for most of my life, and I will wait for you forever if need be. You don’t get to do this without me, and if you try, I will fight you at every turn.”

The room fell quiet, the only sound was Jade’s whimpering, and just when I thought she wasn’t going to respond, she opened her mouth, and whispered, “Okay.”

Chapter 11

Jade

“Damn straight it’s my kid.”

It was late, and Reid was probably already asleep, but I had to see him. He’d walked out of my apartment earlier, and I hadn’t heard from him since he left me a blubbering mess. I hoped it wasn’t going to be a new habit of his.

I unlocked the door to his and Dane’s apartment using my spare key, and quietly shut the door. Dane was next door with Kennedy, so I didn’t have to worry about waking him up. I stepped lightly across the cold, tiled floors, and slowly opened Reid’s bedroom door, a smile teasing my lips when his sift snores met my ears.

I walked closer, and sat down on his bed. The slight movement jolted him, and he startled awake. I reached over and switched his bedside lamp on.

“Jade,” he sat up right. “Are you okay? Is something wrong?” His eyes darted from my face to my stomach, and his worried expression made me soften.

“I’m fine,” I replied quietly. My eyes couldn’t help but roam the defined contours of his chest. He’d had the nerve to criticize me for being underdressed in this weather, but he was shirtless with only a pair of long cotton draw pants on. His sandy blond hair was ruffled from sleep, and his green eyes looked tired. But he was still the sexiest man I’d ever laid eyes on. My heart tripped in my chest, and my stomach fluttered. It was a nice change from the irritation I’d been feeling towards him lately.

“I couldn’t sleep,” I said, clutching the ultrasound picture close to me. “You walked out earlier, and I realize I should have stopped you.”

“You looked upset, and I thought it was best I left.”

I nodded, suddenly feeling like a girl talking to her crush for the first time. I chalked it down to how easily my moods changed lately, and reasoned that most women had to feel some kind of attraction to the father of their children.

“I wanted to give you this.” I handed him the photo, and held my breath as he stared down at it.

“This blob,” he muttered. “Is our baby?”

“It is.” I half-smiled and tucked my hair behind my ear. “I was sixteen weeks when I had my first scan, after I got back from Cabo.”

“You only found out two weeks ago?”

I shrugged. “I had no idea until then. It didn’t even cross my mind because I wasn’t sick, and I was still getting my period.”

I wasn’t sure if that was too much information or not, but I thought he deserved the same explanation I got from Dr. Burke.

“I’m due around the eighteenth of August, which means the baby was conceived – ”

“Over Thanksgiving,” he finished, looking down at the picture in awe. The way he breathed it out put any worry I had over whether he not he questioned the paternity at ease, and there was no way he could doubt that he was the father.

My chin tipped down, and he continued to rub the picture of our baby with reverence.

“We’ll find out what the sex is at the next appointment,” I told him. “But I have a feeling it’s a girl. At least I hope it is. Not that I would mind a boy, but I just – ”

“Jade.” Reid covered my hand with his. “You’re rambling.”

“Sorry,” I huffed, trying to dispel the anxious energy coursing its’ way through my body. “I’m nervous.”

He yawned, and I suddenly felt contrite for waking him at – I glanced at his bedside clock – two a.m.

“I should go. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

I stood up, and as I turned my back I felt his hand wrap around my wrist.

“Wait.” His voice was soft, and rough, strong, and vulnerable. “Stay. I don’t want you to go back outside in the cold.”

“I’m right next door Reid,” I argued half-heartedly. “And I don’t think Stella would appreciate it if I stayed the night, even if I slept on the sofa.”

Reid’s brows drew in. “I thought you knew...” He trailed off, and I turned to face him, leaving my wrist in his hand. If I was being completely honest with myself I didn’t want him to let go just yet. The small touch had reminded me of how much I’d missed the feel of his hands, and his fingers on my skin. His thumb skirted over my pulse, over and over again, and I was certain he could feel the erratic rhythm of my pulse.

“Knew what?” I asked.

“I broke up with Stella.”

My eyes widened in surprise. “When?”

He shook his head, his eyes downcast. “Doesn’t matter. I just couldn’t be with her anymore.”

As badly as I wanted to ask why, I could tell he didn’t want to talk about it. I also had no desire to recap the conversation we’d had about how he would try to love her if it meant getting over me. So what exactly did it mean then? If they were over did that mean he still had feelings for me?

Of course he did, I reminded myself. He said he was going to fight for you.

I shoved those thoughts aside with more mental force than necessary. I had to adjust to us being a constant in each other’s lives again, and more importantly to us being parents. The rest would have to wait.

“I would say I’m sorry,” I laughed awkwardly, “but we both know I wouldn’t mean it. I would have had a hard time letting her anywhere near our baby if you’d stayed together.”

“Yeah, look, there’s something else I should have mentioned.” He let go of my wrist, and leaned against his brown leather headboard. “Stella was the one who told me you were pregnant.”

Until he mentioned it, the thought of how he’d come to know I was pregnant hadn’t even crossed my mind. I was too busy being upset with him that I’d never stopped to wonder who’d told him.

I frowned, and my body involuntarily took a weary step backwards. “How did she know?”

“She said her friend works as a receptionist at the doctor’s consulting rooms, and she was the one you spoke to the day you rescheduled your ultrasound.”

I was going to have to talk to Dr. Burke about that. Stella’s friend was going to lose her job thanks to that little stunt, but I didn’t want Stella to be a problem.

“Hey.” Reid moved from the bed and came to stand in front of me. He tipped my chin back, and forced me to look into his eyes. The light from the lamp cast shadows over his face, accentuating the cut of his jaw, and the roundness of his lips. My heart did that stuttering thing again, and I felt my body wanting to sway towards him. In spite of the cold temperature, his hard body radiated heat. A warmth I was all too familiar with. And apparently so was my body.

“Don’t worry about her,” he told me softly. “She won’t be a problem.”

“And if she becomes one? If she decides she wants you back?”

His stoic expression gave nothing away, but I could see he understood the underlying meaning to my question. I wanted his reassurance – albeit over and over again – that our child would be put above all else.

“She never really had me, Jade. I know it, and she shows it. But the question is,” – he leaned closer, until we were inhaling the same breaths – “do you know it?”

I pinched my eyes closed, and fought the pull between us. It had nothing to do with the fact that I was pregnant with his baby, and everything to do with the raw physical and emotional connection we shared. On some deeper level, my soul still yearned for his, and it brought back the familiar ache of having lost my missing piece. I wanted us to find our way back to that place, but not under the guise of our impending parenthood. I wanted him to want me because he couldn’t live without me, and not because he felt an obligation towards me as the mother of his unborn baby.

He trailed his hands down my arms until he held my hands in his. “C’mon, let’s get some sleep.”

“I should go next door,” I said, my voice unconvincing. I opened my eyes, and found Reid regarding me with a frustrated intensity. Maybe now he understood just how crazy he made me because I’d give him that very look many times.

“Stop being so damn stubborn, and do as you’re told.”

When I didn’t move, he started unbuttoning my light grey cardigan, and a shiver worked its way up my spine when his fingers brushed my skin. I hated how my body reacted to him, to his touch, and I hated all the confusion that had me fumbling when I was around him. I might have been angry with him every time we had anything to do with each other now, but there was one thing I couldn’t deny. I missed him.

He led me back to his gigantic bed, switched the bedside lamp off, and pulled back the covers before sliding in and turning on his side. I removed my knitted Ugg boots, and climbed in, turning away from him. He covered me with his thick comforter, and I closed my eyes thinking that was it, but he surprised me when he wrapped his arm around me waist and pulled me into his chest.

“Sleep,” he muttered into my hair, as if he knew I was overthinking it. He splayed his hand over my stomach, and my heart leapt into my throat. He might not have intended it that way, but I saw it as his silent way of claiming our child, and that alone was enough. For now, it was enough.

I threaded our fingers together, resting over and protecting our little Peanut, and fell asleep with no trouble at all.

** ** ** ** **

Reid and I seemed to slip into a pattern after that. For the past three days he’d been at my side constantly, always checking up on me, walking me to class, carrying my bags, and making sure I was eating and drinking enough. When he looked at me, I could see the possessive gleam in his eye, a new kind of protectiveness that made me equally possessive. Although we hadn’t spoken about the exact status of our relationship, something had shifted and we now moved in synch. Everything we did centered around our Peanut, and for once, it felt easy. Right.

“Can I grab you some lunch?” Asked Reid. He leaned in close, trying to be heard above the noise in the cafeteria. His nose brushed my neck, and my skin broke out in goosebumps. I wasn’t sure if he’d done it intentionally or not, but either way I was acutely aware of everything he did, every point of contact, and the exact position of his body in relation to mine.

I turned my head, aware of how intimate the position looked, and smiled. “Please. I’m starving.”

He nodded once, and signaled for Dane to follow him. Kennedy shifted at my side, and we both sighed as we watched Dane and Reid walk away. Reid and I weren’t together, but hell if I didn’t ogle him. My hormones were in fact in overdrive, and the sight of him always made me rub my thighs together.

“Sorry I’m late, bitches.” We all smiled when Grady sat down at the table, and laughed when he gave Ashley and Chase the evil eye. They were hunched closely together in conversation, and because we all knew they were kind of together, they didn’t bother hiding it.

“I swear Ash, if you start making out with my brother right now, I may have to knock you unconscious with that fabulous next-season Chanel purse.”

I snickered behind my hand, but stopped short when everyone around our table stiffened. Their eyes were trained behind me, and when I twisted in my seat, I saw why.

Stella was walking towards our table with Amy and their friend Desiree at her flanks. I straightened, and the hair at my nape rose at the vicious expression on Stella’s face.

“You’re pathetic,” she said with a sneer, stepping up to our table. “What lie did you tell Reid to get him to stick around when you’re pregnant with someone else’s baby?”

Kennedy stood up, followed by Ashley and Grady and they walked around the table until they were side-by-side with Kennedy. I stayed seated, hoping that Stella would say whatever she came over to say before I got myself worked up.

Kennedy folded her arms over chest, and straightened her stance. “Stella, get real. Jade didn’t have to lie about anything. You and Reid are over, and the only one who looks pathetic here his you.”

Stella bristled. “That may be the case now, but he’s been texting me for two days saying he wants us to get back together.”

My head shot up at that, and the look on my face caused Stella’s eyes to flash with sickening satisfaction. She’d hit me where she knew it would bother me, and I hated to acknowledge that it was working.

I slowly rose from my chair, and turned to face the smug bitch. “Your relationship with Reid is none of my concern, but this baby is his, and he knows it – ”

Stella’s maniacal laugh had my words tripping in my mouth. “You’ve reached new levels of desperation, Jade. Were you so threatened by me that you had to get yourself knocked up just to keep Reid to yourself?”

I stayed calm, keeping a firm grip on the tempest of feelings threatening to spill over. I couldn’t allow Stella a glimpse of the doubt fighting its way to the surface.

“I’m obviously not as desperate as you are, if you have to lie in an attempt to make me jealous. Are you that insecure?”

“Or maybe you’re just delusional for thinking that Reid would ever pick you over the mother of his child,” remarked Kennedy.

Stella’s face had started to redden, and she let out a shrill scream before her hands shot out and landed on my chest, giving me a hard shove. I stumbled backwards, and landed against Grady, who looked ready to rip Stella’s hair extensions out.

“You liar!” Screamed Stella. “You’ve been trying to break us up from the moment we started dating! You took him from me!”

I wanted to open my mouth and respond, but I stopped when Reid appeared at my side. “Are you okay?” He asked softly.

“She’s fine,” replied Grady, “But psycho Hobbit won’t be if Kennedy gets her hands on her.”

Dane took Kennedy from Ashley’s grasp, and pulled her away, while Ashley kept Stella from getting closer to me. The tension was rolling off Reid’s body in waves, and he looked murderous.

Reid turned, his back to me, and bellowed, “Stella!”

Everyone stopped mid-action, but it was Stella who cowered on the spot. She swallowed, looking guilty.

“Reid,” she pleaded, “baby, you don’t understand. I was just defending myself, your friends started.”

I couldn’t help but stare incredulously. The entire cafeteria had seen her push me first, but that little seed of doubt over whether Reid would believe her or not wriggled around in my head. The last time Stella had attacked me, Reid took her side.

Things are different now, I told myself.

Surely he must’ve seen it?

“They didn’t start anything,” he replied. “I saw the whole thing. You pushed Jade first.”

“N-no, you don’t understand,” Stella stuttered, looking for her friends. They were smart enough to sneak away as soon as Reid had shown up. “She took you from me Reid.”

“Enough!” Snapped Reid. “You are fucking crazy. We broke up before I found out Jade was pregnant, and for good reason. I saw you lay your hands on her Stella,” he leaned in close, and lowered his voice until it was grave, and threatening, “and that is the last time you ever touch her. Do you hear me?”

She whimpered, and started crying. I had to hand it to her, the bitch could act. “But Reid – ”

“Be quiet,” growled Reid. “Don’t ever come near Jade again, understand? You’re lucky she didn’t get hurt. We are over, Stella, move on.”

I stepped forward, and wrapped my hands around his forearm. His head whipped to the side, his face marred by an irate frown.

“It’s okay,” I said, conveying my meaning with a meaningful stare. We’re okay.

With that he turned his back on Stella, pulled me into his arms and kissed my forehead. Everything else melted away.

After another minute, he’d calmed down, his heart thumped steadily under my palm.