LATCH (19 page)

Like Scott, he wanted to permanently triple my going rate to keep working with him and Tracy. It was very generous of him, but not something that interests me any longer. The entire time that I’ve been away from Abby today, I’ve hated it. She’s been consuming my mind, overwhelming every part of who I am. The feeling is fucking crazy…I guess this is what love feels like. I shake my head, feeling weird that I’ve fallen in love, period. I really never thought I would.

The dryer buzzes and I remove the clean sheets, taking them to the bedroom to remake the bed. I’m so grateful that I never fucked anyone in here. Had I done that, I wouldn’t have been able to feel good about sleeping in this bed with Abby. I already put the couch on the curb, going to have to buy a new one…and hope Abby doesn’t ask why it’s gone.

“Hey, baby,” I answer her phone call as I finish making the bed.

“Everything okay?” she asks me. Her voice sounds a little panicked.

“Yeah, why, beautiful?”

“Uhh, you said you’d pick me up almost an hour ago.”

I glance at the clock. The time completely slipped my mind. “Damn, I’m sorry, I thought you were gonna call me when you were done shopping.”

“I texted you. Didn’t you get it?”

“I must not have. I’m just wrapping up here and I’ll be right there.”

“Okay,” she says quietly.

“What’s the matter?” I ask.

“Darrell did an interview with a local news agency.”

Sonofabitch!

“Did you watch it?” I ask her calmly.

“No, it’s airing tonight from what I hear.” She exhales heavily and I tell her, “Abby, don’t let him stress you or get into your head. It could just be about his career.”

“I don’t think so. The commercial for it said something like ‘Darrell McEllrath speaks out for the first time about his crumbling marriage.’” There is a hint of sadness to her voice, like she is about to crack, and she says, “I’m sorry, I’m just hormonal and bloated and worried about what it could do to us.”

“Baby, who cares what others think of us? You’re strong. Nothing he’ll say is ever gonna change that. And for me, you know I don’t give a shit.” I close the door to my place behind me and jog down the stairs. Hailing the first cab I see, a little pissed at myself for losing track of the time. “I’m already on my way to pick your sexy ass up, bloated and what did you call it?”

“Hormonal,” she giggles a little, settling my anxiety, and I tell the cabbie where I’m headed.

“Yes, that’s it, hormonal.”

“Okay, baby, be safe, I’ll see you soon,” she responds and hangs up. Sitting back as the driver weaves through traffic, I wonder what in the world the bastard could have to say about things. I don’t give a shit how he paints me because I live my life giving zero fucks about what others think. But now, I do have to worry about Abby and what this interview is going to do to her.

I walk through the door of my grandma’s house, spotting her and Abby at the kitchen island. “How’d things go? Did you scrub it down with bleach?” my grandmother asks me with a smirk.

“HA! HA!” I respond sarcastically and grab a water from the fridge “No bleach, but I threw the couch out and…” I trail off barely able to speak as Abby’s dress has my mouth fuckin’ watering. I’ve never seen her so dressed up before. She takes my breath away every day, but this is something new that I love.

“Latch?” Abby snaps her fingers at me and it takes me a minute to look her in the eye. “Whoa, where did you go?”

“Mmmm, nowhere…you…look amazing.” I kiss her on the cheek and then my grandma.

“So, everything went well?” my grandma asks me again.

“Yeah, yeah, really well. I got a hold of just about everyone and they were all pretty understanding.”

“Pretty?” Abby questions me.

“They were. Don’t worry about a thing, baby.”

“Okay. Why did you get rid of the couch?”

“You don’t wanna know,” I tell her and kiss her on the forehead.

“Well, it sounds like it all went swimmingly, dear,” my grandma adds, knowing why I got rid of it. I tell her damn near everything.

I look at Abby as she is chewing her fingernail and I ask her, holding both sides of her face, “You okay with everything, baby?”

“Yeah, but maybe we shouldn’t go out and eat.”

“Nah, fuck that, we’re going out. This is the beginning of our future. I don’t care what that prick has to say and you shouldn’t either.” My grandma smiles at us and I love how she always understands me. “Come on, baby, let’s go and forget about all of the drama. It’s just you, me, and the baby.”

I extend my hand to Abby and she looks down at it and smiles. We both hug my grandma saying goodbye before walking outside. The warm air hits me hard and I hope that I can keep Abby’s mind busy enough to stop her from stressing tonight.

I just want us to have a normal evening. “You okay walking?” I ask her, hoping the fresh air will clear her mind.

“Yeah.”

She’s got a tight grip on my hand and I can’t help but admire her body. “I’ve never seen this dress before,” I tell her, as we walk the few blocks to the restaurant.

“I bought it today, when Maris and I went shopping.”

“I like it!”

“Wait ’til you see what I have underneath.”

My cock twitches and I look up at the sky as the clouds roll by. I know that I am doomed, if a simple comment like that can make me forget all about eating and only has me thinking about fucking her.

“If you really wanna skip dinner, I guess we could. I could eat you.”

She smirks and says, “No, we’re going out, like you wanted. So now, you have to wait. Plus, I am really hungry right now.”

“Fine, I guess I can feed you. You are eating for two now.”

“Yes, I am!”

Just as I sling my arm over her shoulder, pulling her body close to mine, someone behind us says, “So the rumors are true?” We both stop and turn to see a paparazzo video recording us. “When are you due?” he asks.

My body fills with fury and I shout, “Who the fuck are you?” walking towards the guy. Abby pulls me away from the asshole and we start to walk in the other direction, but he follows and keeps talking. “Abby, what do you have to say in response to Darrell’s interview with—”

I stop again, turning around to look this bitch in the eye. All I can see is one eye as he is watching me through the camera. I tower over his pathetic stature as he hides behind the lens. Then he tries to walk around me to get to Abby. I smack his camera out of his hold, and it flies in the air before crashing against the pavement. Parts go everywhere and I shove him backwards. “Don’t fucking speak to her, you hear me?”

“Hey man, I’m just doing my job.” He pulls out his cell phone and I grab it from his hand.

“Well, stop. You’re fucking harassing us.” My face is mere inches from his and Abby yells, “Latch, stop!”

“Oh, God,” he says, “You’re the other guy! You’re the one who got her pregnant!”

I raise my fist to him, and everything blurs as rage burns inside of me and I land a hard blow to the center of his face. Abby grabs me and shouts, “Latch, we’re leaving now!”

Her words stop me from continuing even though I want to snap his neck. Throwing his phone as far as I can, he looks in the air as it goes flying, sitting on the sidewalk like a bitch with a bloody face. I follow Abby as she is getting into a cab.

“What the fuck was that?” she yells.

“He had that coming. He’s lucky I didn’t beat the piss out of him.”

“No, that was you losing control, just like you did with Darrell. You can’t let these people get the better part of you.”

“So what should I do, just walk away?”

“Yes!”

“And let him air our private business on a seedy celebrity gossip show. I don’t think so! That was a lesson to all those fuckers to leave you alone!” I yell at Abby, not liking how it makes me feel inside, but it’s the only way I know to be when I’m this upset.

“Latch, they won’t stop, trust me. He’ll probably press assault charges now, and it’ll just start a shit storm.”

“He’ll stop, and if he wants to run to the cops like a pussy, then good for him.”

“I’m serious. I’ve dealt with them for years.”

“I’m sorry, Abby, but I am not going to let anyone disrespect you and treat you like that. Maybe Darrell did, but not me.”

“Please, just ignore them?” she whispers under her breath.

I stay quiet, not wanting to stress her out any more than I already have. I’ll be damned if she thinks that I am just going to ignore some prick that is invading our personal space, walking behind us, recording our private conversation with the intent to air it to the world. If anyone thinks that they can fuck with Abby or me, then they are dead fucking wrong.

Watching the celebrity gossip footage that has flooded the Internet after Latch attacked the camera guy has my head spinning. I guess he didn’t break the camera well enough. It’s all over the web that Latch used to be an escort. Now, I’m afraid for what’s next – are the cops going to come knocking on the door? Then what? I’ll be all alone and vulnerable, allowing Darrell to do whatever he wants without Latch around.

Now, I have a whole new worry, and the resignation of what might happen or the possibility of Latch being arrested weighs heavily on me. Looking over at him, he is fast asleep, and I know I need to do the same. It’s almost two in the morning, but my brain just won’t quit. I lock my iPad, not giving any more of my time to the sickening drama, and lie close to him. Instantly he soothes me. I close my eyes and will myself to fall asleep, but I can’t, my mind is spinning thinking about Darrell. It upsets me to think that he could want to hurt me so badly. I know the man that he used to be, and it saddens me what our separation has done to him.

But I also know that I cannot change Darrell; I never have been able to and never will. He’s stubborn, spoiled, and very determined.

Latch and I decided to not watch Darrell’s interview and I really think it’s for the best. It would just set him off the deep end and probably upset me so bad…well…I don’t want to think about what could happen.

Looking at the ceiling fan as it spins around and around in the dim room, I realize then what I need to do. I place my hand over my stomach and know that I have to let the worry go, for the sake of the baby. Both Latch and our unborn child are my only priorities. Vowing to myself to turn over a new leaf by releasing the hold that Darrell has over me which I’ve lived under for so long, I exhale, hoping that I can hold true to this promise to myself.

I wake to the sound of sirens in the distance, which you’d think I’d be used to by now, living in New York as long as I have, but it rattles me. Blinking a few times, I take in the room and remember that I’m in Latch’s apartment, or I guess
our
apartment.

Turning next to me, Latch isn’t there. I get up right away, the sirens and empty bed sending me in search of him. As I exit the bedroom, I spot him in the kitchen folding a basket of laundry. It stops me dead in my tracks.

He is folding my clothes.

I don’t have many; all I took when I left Darrell was one suitcase. He is so meticulous and careful with each piece of my clothing.

My heart stammers watching him and a wave of happiness courses through me. How could someone put so much care into something so simple?

“Good morning, beautiful,” he says and looks over at me with a t-shirt in his hand.

“Morning. You’re the one looking drop dead sexy folding my laundry.”

“Hope you don’t mind me washing your stuff.”

“Nope, not at all.” I wrap my arms around him, standing behind him and rest my head on his back. Warmth expels from him and he places his hands over mine.

“Did you sleep okay?” he asks.

“Yeah, it took me a while to fall asleep, but once I did, I was out.”

“Good.” Letting go of him, he kisses me and I open the fridge looking in for the first time, “We need food.”

“Shit, I’m so sorry. I meant to go yesterday, but clearly, lost track of time.”

“I can go,” I offer.

He tilts his head and says, “Uhh, we can go. I’m not about to leave you alone with Darrell and the crazy ass paparazzi out there.”

I look up at him, loving how protective he is being.