Second Chances (28 page)

Not too much later they pulled into his driveway. Dustin grabbed her bags and met her at the front of his truck. Grabbing her hand, he led her up to the front door where Dylan met them and enveloped Stacy in his arms. His brother held her for a long time before he finally led her into the living room and got her settled on the sofa. Dylan had overdone it with the food. Dustin knew it was because they all knew Stacy wasn’t eating hardly anything and he was just as worried as Dustin was. Ever since Stacy’s ordeal, the bond between Dylan and Stacy had grown strong, for which Dustin was grateful.

They all sat in front of the TV as they dug into their Chinese food—well, he and his brother did. Dustin watched Stacy out of the corner of his eye to see she was picking at her food. She’d take a tiny bite and looked like she had to force it down. Her eyes were on the TV, but it was like she was looking right through it. Dustin looked at his brother, who was openly watching her, too. Everyone thought Dylan was a hard-ass, but really he was the most devoted, compassionate man Dustin knew.

His brother hadn’t mentioned the girl from Florida anymore, but he’d seen his brother staring down at his phone several times over the last couple of weeks. Dustin knew his brother was looking at that picture on his phone. Dustin would never understand why neither one of them gave the other more information about themselves.

Dustin watched Stacy set her food down on the end table as she got up and headed to the bathroom. As soon as he heard the snick of the door shutting, Dustin turned to his brother. “I’m worried about her, bro. I know she’s going through a lot right now, but she’s lost a lot of weight already. It can’t be good for the baby.”

“No, probably not, but she’s got those protein shakes. I’m sure once she has the ultras—what the fuck!”

Dustin and Dylan both jumped up at the sound of retching coming from the bathroom. Dustin ran to the bathroom, not even bothering to knock as he threw the door open. The sight before him caused him to freeze. Stacy was gripping the side of the toilet so hard that her knuckles were white. He pulled her hair back for her and rubbed circles on her back with his other hand.

“Baby, is it morning sickness?” Dustin asked, his voice sounding urgent to his own ears.

Stacy shook her head. “Sometimes when—when I get upset my stomach gets mad at me. I can’t keep any food down, but it just won’t stop. I’m s-sorry.”

Dustin got down on his haunches in front of her and took the wet washcloth his brother handed him and began wiping off her face as she leaned against the wall. He hated seeing her like this. Her normal olive complexion was so pale. Her big beautiful eyes had lost that sparkle that they always used to have.

“Baby, you don’t have anything to apologize for. You can’t help that you got sick.” He helped her off of the floor and stood behind her with a protective arm around her middle as she rinsed her mouth out. It wasn’t lost on Dustin that she refused to look at herself in the mirror. Dustin walked her down the hall to his room, helping her get settled in his bed. “I’m gonna walk Dylan out and then I’ll be right back.” He handed her the remote for his TV. “Will you find us something to watch?”

Stacy nodded her head as she turned it on and started flipping through the guide. He kissed her forehead and went to find his brother.

Dylan was putting the leftover food away in the refrigerator when Dustin walked out. As soon as Dylan was done, Dustin watched him wash his hands and then turn to his brother.

“How’s she doing?” Dylan asked as they walked into the living room.

“She’s lying in bed and finding a movie for us to watch. I’m so fucking worried about her. The girl lying in my bed right now is not the same girl I fell in love with and I’m scared that no matter what I try to do for her she’ll never be the same. I know deep in my heart that she’s carrying my baby, but what if she doesn’t want to have it, regardless of whose baby it is?” Dustin scrubbed both hands over his face. “I know it’s her choice, but I’m just scared that what he did ruined her.”

“I hear what you’re saying, Dustin, I do. I can’t even begin to understand what she’s going through, but what I do know is that she loves you. She’s still seeing someone, I gather. As far as the baby, well, I think she’ll have it no matter what. Just give her time. Once she knows for sure it’s your baby, I think she’ll be better and the rest will get better with time. I love you, bro, and just love her enough for the both of you.”

Dustin pulled his brother into hug. “Thanks, Dylan, for everything.” He watched his brother grab his bag and head out to his truck. After closing and locking the front door he went through the house shutting off the lights. When Dustin made his way back to the bedroom, he found Stacy curled up with his pillow against her chest and was sleeping peacefully. He went ahead and jumped in the shower and when Dustin finished, he slipped into bed and couldn’t contain the smile that touched his lips when Stacy snuggled in to his body.

Just as Dustin started drifting off he heard Stacy whisper, “I love you, Dustin.”

Chapter 20

Bellamy kissed her baby girl’s head as she laid her down for the night in her crib, with a full tummy and a clean diaper. Her little girl was getting so big already. Bellamy smiled when Carrington’s little body went limp with sleep. Her chest was rising and falling in a slow, steady pace, and the soft sound of Carrington sucking her pacifier calmed Bellamy’s nerves. Her mind quickly drifted to Stacy and Dustin. Bellamy couldn’t imagine what they were going through right now. Stacy had broken her heart when she stopped by to see her earlier.

She was just glad that Stacy was going to a therapist to talk about everything. Bellamy knew how helpful they were. She hadn’t been lying when she told her brother that she knew that the baby was his. She knew once Stacy knew for sure that it was Dustin’s that it’d hopefully ease some of her stress. Dustin would stand by Stacy no matter what and Bellamy hoped Stacy realized that.

Once Bellamy knew that Carrington was out, she quietly left the nursery and made her way to her and Luke’s bedroom. She could hear the shower running in their en suite bathroom and decided that she needed her husband. Bellamy stripped off her nightgown and made her way into the bathroom. She tried to be sneaky, but the man had super powered hearing.

“Hey, baby, I’ll be out in a minute,” he said from inside the stall.

Bellamy opened the door and stepped inside, wrapping her arms around Luke’s waist. He turned to look at her with a twinkle in his eyes. She didn’t say anything as she moved around to his front, plastering her body against his. Bellamy stood on her tiptoes, kissing his lips with the briefest touches. She felt his arms wrap around her, pulling her closer to his chest.

“Is she asleep?” Luke asked Bellamy with his lips against her ear.

She nodded and Luke attacked Bellamy’s mouth like he was starving for it. His lips were firm, but soft against hers. Bellamy licked at the seam of his lips, his tongue reaching out to hers. She gasped when her bare back hit the cold shower wall. Luke took the opening and flicked his tongue against the roof of her mouth. Bellamy groaned and slid her hand down his body until she reached his erection. She felt his body stiffen against hers as she jerked his cock in a slow speed that Bellamy knew drew Luke crazy.

Luke pulled his lips away from hers, resting his forehead against hers. “I love you so fucking much, Bell. You and Carrington are my life. I’d die if something happened to either one of you.” Bellamy whimpered when his lips crushed against hers. She slid her hands up his shoulders to his hair, holding Luke to her. Bellamy wrapped one leg around his upper thigh and ground her pussy against his hard, swollen length. She gasped when he reached down and lifted her. Before Bellamy could even react, Luke impaled her. Theirs cries and moans mixed as she attacked his mouth. She reached one hand out to brace herself as Luke’s thrust became more frantic. His lips on her nipple had her feeling the oncoming orgasm. Luke’s lips sucked it further into his mouth and when she felt the nip of his teeth she exploded around him.

It couldn’t be possible, but Luke fucked her with deeper, digging strokes until he finally pushed deep inside her and groaned against her breasts. Bellamy’s pussy was rocked with tiny aftershocks from that incredible orgasm. She whimpered as Luke lowered her back down, making sure she didn’t slip. Luke kissed Bellamy’s shoulders, her cheek and her lips as he slowly washed her with her body wash. He had her rinse off while he got them towels. Luke returned with a towel wrapped around his waist and one in his hand. He held his hand out to Bellamy, helped her from the shower, then proceeded to dry her off.

With a baby it was sometimes hard to find a moment together, but now that Carrington was approaching four months old, she was settling in to a much better sleep pattern. Granted, there were nights where she was fussy. Those nights Bellamy would bring the baby to their bed and nurse her and she would finally start to settle. Luke never slept through it, even though she was the one that was staying home with her. She loved it when he’d lay on Carrington’s other side, rubbing a gentle hand over her dark fuzzy head. The soft sucking sound of the baby nursing was the only sound that could be heard as they’d watch her or each other.

After Luke slipped her robe over shoulders and then tied the front, he kissed Bellamy softly on the lips. She couldn’t help the sigh that left her. Someday Bellamy would want another baby, but it had taken such a mental toll on her last time she was afraid that it would happen again. When things were more stable in their family, she’d bring it up to Luke. Stacy’s appointment with her OB/GYN had weighed heavily on everyone. Luke still had moments that he saw Stacy covered in blood in his mind. He’d been very open with Bellamy about it. Luke was worried about Stacy. Dustin, too.

So every night before bed, Bellamy said a silent prayer for them both. She crawled into bed and shut the light off. Lying down, Bellamy felt Luke’s hand wrap around her waist and drag her so her back was against his front. “Night, baby,” he whispered.

“Night, honey. I love you, Luke.” ,” she whispered back.

“You know everything is going to work out for them, don’t you? I know you’re worried, but you’ll see, baby. Now let’s sleep before Care Bear decides its party-time.”

Bellamy could feel Luke smile against her shoulder and he was right. Things were going to work out for Dustin and Stacy. She snuggled further into Luke and let sleep claim her.

***

2 weeks later…

Stacy watched the scenery go by as her mom drove her to the appointment that she’d been dreading for the past four weeks. She had considered going alone just in case the baby turned out to be Mark’s. She didn’t know if she’d be able to face anyone if it was his. Stacy knew for sure though that she was in fact pregnant. Over the past week she was nauseous all of the time, her breasts were very tender, too.

The past two weeks, Dustin and their friends and family had done their best to keep Stacy occupied. Last weekend Dustin and Dylan took her to their parents’ for a cookout and she’d been so surprised when Chloe and Carter bolted out the front door of their parents’ house and ran to her full speed. Stacy had sobbed as she held those precious babies to her on the ground in the driveway. Dustin had arranged for Garrett and Ian to come down with the kids, hoping it would lift her spirits, which it did.

It had been a nice relaxing day, and of course Chloe had been attached to Stacy’s side the whole day. Things were still tense with her uncle, but she wasn’t completely ready to welcome him back into her life. Stacy wasn’t mean and didn’t ignore him, but there had been an uncomfortable distance between them. Garrett assured Stacy that all Chloe knew was that Stacy had an accident and that the bad man was gone and wasn’t coming back. Stacy had such a nice time that when she was saying goodbye to everyone, she felt herself truly smile for the first time in weeks. Dustin must’ve noticed her happiness because he had come over, wrapping her in his embrace and kissing her with a passion that had been missing between the two of them since her attack. It had been enough to arouse her a bit and feel like for the first time in a while things were going to be okay.

***

A whole week had gone by since their kiss and Dustin hadn’t made any attempt to make love to Stacy. She knew she was ready, but every time she thought things would go further Dustin would put the brakes on and tell her she needed her rest. Stacy didn’t think it was possible to get any more rest than she was already getting. He’d just give her a kiss on her nose, wrap her in his arms and then go to sleep, leaving Stacy frustrated and a little lost.

After three weeks of being a shut-in, Stacy had felt ready to go out on her own.

While Dustin and Dylan were gone Stacy would walk to Bell and Luke’s or just around the block. She’d also started getting back in to work. Due to her attack, she’d only missed one wedding and she even helped the bride-to-be book another photographer. Stacy had to lie to her and tell her she was in a bad car accident. She didn’t want to have to explain anything. She hadn’t been back to her house, but her dad had everything moved into a storage unit until she decided where she was going to go. Her landlord had been very understanding and Stacy’s dad had paid to have someone clean it up.

***

Last night had been the first fight that she and Dustin had had. Stacy knew she was being bitchy, but she was scared. Her ultrasound was going to change things forever for her, and maybe him. He’d asked to go with, but when she refused to let him. Dustin accused her of shutting him out…again. Stacy hated to see the hurt in his eyes, but she was hurting, too.

“I just want to be there to support you, Stacy. Why are you shutting me out?”

“What if it’s not your baby, Dustin? I’m so scared right now I can’t even see straight. I know you say it won’t change anything, but it changes everything!” she shouted. “Are you really going to want to raise another man’s child?”