Wayward Angel (12 page)

Chapter Eighteen

When I wake up, I see Dom in the chair next to my bed. His eyes are closed and his breathing is deep, but he looks troubled even when he's sleeping. I look around the room, and when I don't see Brantley, my heart drops. I'm going to move on this time. I won't let him break me again.

I move to get up, but my body protests. Every muscle is sore. I hobble into the bathroom and shut the door.

After I do my business and wash my hands, I take a look in the mirror. My hair is matted with dry blood and I have bruises everywhere. I go to the shower and turn it on. Stripping my clothes off gently, I stick them in a pile by the sink, grab a towel and get in the shower.

I wash everything off of me. The blood, the dirt and the dried semen all wash down the drain. Sliding down the wall, I sit on the shower floor and cry for what feels like hours. The water has gone cold and I'm shivering, when Dom pulls the curtain back, shuts the water off and picks me up off the floor.

He wraps me in a towel and sticks me in my bed.

"Little girl, I'm sorry this happened to you." He looks pained when he talks. "I promise, I will kill any man who hurts you. I hate to see you hurting, but he’s hurting too. I hate to say it, but you're not the first girl Damien has hurt that B's cared about."

I grab onto his cut and smash my face against his chest. “Why did he leave, Dom? I hate that I’m in love with him.”

He wraps his arms around me. “I know, baby girl. I know he’s in love with you, but he’s beating himself up over not making sure you were protected.”

I cry into Dom’s chest, and fall asleep feeling safe for the second time since they found me.

Two Months Later

I've been back in Seattle for the last two weeks. Things feel different. Casey looks at me with pity and I hate that she feels sorry for me. I want my life to go back to normal, so I started school again and tried to keep my mind off Brantley. Dom told me he finally came back to the clubhouse a week after he left me. I don't blame him, but my heart hurts.

My period is late and I've been feeling crappy. Casey keeps telling me that it's because I'm probably pregnant.

"Hey bitch, I got you a test!" she yells from the living room. I walk out and meet her in the kitchen. She looks at me and gives me the 'you better take this test' stare.

I'm afraid to know the truth, but I take the test and go into the bathroom, where I pee on the stick and wait for the answer that could change my life for good.

Casey comes into the room. I've been staring at the test for the last twenty minutes. She grabs it out of my hand and her hand goes to her mouth. "Oh fuck, you're pregnant. What are you going to do? You know I'll be here for you no matter what, right?"

I look up at her, and I know she would do anything for me.

"Yeah, I know. I'm going to keep the baby." This is the only piece I have left of him.

Casey has been begging me to go out with her. I keep telling her I don't feel good, but she's not taking no for an answer this time.

We're meeting up with Charlie and a guy named Stephan at Black. I haven't been there since I went home with Brantley. Part of me is nervous, but I go along because Casey wants me to and I would do anything for my best friend.

Since I’m not showing yet, I put on a tight black dress and pull on some leopard print heels. As I curl my hair and add some lip gloss, I see the scar across my forehead from when Damien hit me with his gun. I walk out of my room and run into Charlie. His hands steady me.

"Wow." He breathes. "You look amazing, babe."

I blush. I haven't had anyone hit on me since the accident.

"Thank you," I reply.

I walk into the kitchen, where Casey and Stephan are taking shots.

Stephan passes me a shot and I shake my head no.

"Oh come on, take a drink with us." He pouts.

"Sorry, I can't drink." I walk to the fridge and grab a water.

"What, why not? You pregnant or something?" I look over at Casey and she shakes her head no. I nod my head yes and look at the ground. Stephan mumbles that he's sorry for pressuring me and takes his shot.

Charlie comes up to me and asks if the father is still in the picture. I tell him no and the rest of the night he's like a protective father, making me feel even more comfortable with him. We dance all night and he makes sure I drink plenty of water. We flirt and just have fun together.

Over next few months, Charlie and I hang out and get to know each other. We have such a great time that I almost forget about Brantley, until one of the babies kicks. Then I'm reminded that these are his kids.

I still haven't told him. I sent him a text and called a few times after I found out, but he never replied or called back. 

"Baby," Charlie calls from his bedroom. I walk into his room and sit next to him on the bed. He turns and looks me in the eyes."Babe, let's get married. I will help you with the babies. We can be a family."

I'm shocked. I don't even know what to say. What do you say to that?

“Can I think about it?” I croak out.

He looks down. “Yeah, babe. I know it's going to be expensive to have the twins and pay for the medical shit. Let me take care of you. I'll pay for it all.”

I'm picking the nail polish off my nails as I think it through. He grabs my face with his fingers and looks me in the eyes.

“Anslie, you are going to need help. I will raise the babies as my own. Plus my family already loves you, and I have more than enough money to provide for you guys.”

Looking into his eyes, I take a deep breath before sealing my fate.

“Yes.”

I tell Casey the news about Charlie and me getting married, and I can see the doubt in her face. “You sure that it's the right decision, Ans?”

“It's the only option I have right now. I can't afford insurance. I didn't even finish college. I know that we don't love each other, but this is could be the way to keep my dad and brother’s out of it. You know what they will do when they find out.” I sigh and drop my head into my hands. “Case, I don't know what else to do. Charlie says he’ll take care of us.”

Casey gives me a dirty look. “You know, if you told their father, I'm sure he would be here to take care of you,” she yells at me.

“He's the one who left me. I was hurt, alone and scared! He left and didn't even look back, so fuck him!” I scream back at her. I feel the babies kick as I stomp down the hall and into my room. She can judge me all she wants. This isn't her life and the decision is already made.

I try texting Brantley again, because I still care about him. Hell, he's the first man I ever loved, and he'll probably be the only person I will ever love like that.

Me:
can we talk? please

I know I should just tell him by text so it's out there, but that's not the kind of person I am. I want to tell him face-to-face. I've been thinking about what to name the twins and I want to put something of his into their names. The first time I got to see them in 3D, I could see mostly his features. They are going to be beautiful, just like him.

Little did I know that Charlie would be the total opposite of the man I knew and my past would come back to haunt me.

Chapter Nineteen

Casey and I haven't really spoken since I told her that I was going to marry Charlie. I really miss her, because she's more like my sister than my friend.

Charlie pressured me to marry him this month, so his insurance will kick in, and I finally agreed. We're getting married at city hall next week and Casey is refusing to go with me. I don't understand why, when she's the one who pushed me to date Charlie. I've made my decision to do what's best for me and the babies, and I'm sticking to it. If Brantley cared about me at all, he would have come back already, or at least picked up the phone when I called. I'm done waiting for him.

Charlie and I have been married for three months now and he's been acting strangely. He’s been moody, angry and distant. I try to stay out of his way when he comes home from work like this.

He's still working as a bouncer at Black, even though I recently learned that he's a trust fund baby who doesn't even have to work. I think he does it just so he can hit on all the girls he meets at the club, but I don't feel jealous like I did when girls would hit on Brantley at the clubhouse. I'm actually glad when Charlie finds someone else to fuck at the club.

The front door slams shut and he comes charging into the bedroom, his eyes crazy looking.

“Have you been talking to those bastards behind my back?” he demands.

I have no idea what he's talking about. “I haven't talked to anyone, sweetheart. Who are you talking about?” I calmly ask.

“Those fucking degenerate bastards you call family. The ones who left you to fend for yourself.” His voice is rising and it's starting to scare me.

I haven't talked to my dad or brothers in months. I don't want them to know about the twins.

“No,” I say firmly.

Looking at me like I've defied him somehow, Charlie pushes me down on the bed and I protectively cover my swollen belly. He grabs my hands and holds them above my head, putting a whole lot of pressure on my stomach and keeping me from moving at all.

“You better not be. That fucking boss of mine is asking a lot of questions about you lately.” He reaches down and pulls up my sundress, the only thing that fits me lately, then rips off my panties.

He lines his cock at my entrance and thrusts into me hard. I cry out in pain, but he doesn't stop, biting my shoulder hard and grunting in my ear. I feel tears burning my eyes. I don't know this monster. This isn't the man I married.

He keeps ramming into me until he finds his release, then he moans loudly and pulls out, shooting his hot, sticky come all over my back. He pulls up his slacks and mumbles that he has somewhere else to go.

I sink down to the floor and cry.

My life has gotten so messed up that I'm not sure what to do anymore.

I pull myself up off the floor and get in the shower, where I wash away his seed and cry out my frustrations. Afterward, I put pajamas on and curl up in bed, willing my body to shut down so I can get some sleep.

I wake up a few hour later sweating and panting, with a sharp pain through my stomach. Crying out, I pull the covers back and see blood all over the sheets. I call out for Charlie, hoping he's here so he can help me. When he doesn't answer, I grab my phone and call 911 and explain what's happening. The operator tells me that an ambulance will be here in a few minutes.

I grab my go bag and sit by the front door, just as another pain shoots through my body. Tears are running down my face, and I'm doubled over in pain by the time the paramedics arrive. As we ride to the hospital in the ambulance, they take my vitals and check to see if I'm dilated yet. One of them tells me that I’m only at four centimeters. It becomes hard to stay awake and eventually everything goes dark.

I wake up in a hospital room, alone and scared. My hands instantly go to my stomach, but the babies aren't there anymore. Tears well up in my eyes because I don't know if they're okay. I press the call button, and a moment later the door opens and in comes a nurse.

“Oh, you're awake,” she murmurs, while checking the machines around me.

I look up at her, confused. “My babies. Are they okay?” I choke out.

“Yeah, sweetheart, they're in the nursery. I'll bring them in soon.”

I sigh in relief.

“Do you have names picked out for the boys yet?” she questions with a smile.

I nod my head yes.

“Okay, we will fill out the birth certificates and then I'll bring them in. They really are beautiful, Mrs. Bennett,” she says cheerily.

“Thank you.” I smile.

“We called your husband, but he hasn't arrived yet. There's a phone next to your bed if you want to make any calls.”

I smile and nod my head. Once we're done filling out the paperwork, the nurse goes to get the babies. I pick up the phone and call Casey.

Ten minutes later, the babies are brought into my room. They're so beautiful, they take my breath away. They look just like mini Brantley replicas.

Casey comes into the room and stops dead in her tracks. “Holy fuck! They look just like him,” she whispers. “They're beautiful, Ans! What did you name them?”

I smile. “Remington Brant and Severye Tate.”

She smiles and reaches out for Remington. His beautiful face looks so small as he yawns and cuddles into Casey.

“Where's Charlie?” she questions.

“Oh, you know, he had something he couldn't miss at work,” I lie.

She just shakes her head at me. She can always tell when I'm lying. “The boys are early. You still had a month to go. What happened? Was something wrong?”

“I woke up to this crazy bad pain and blood all over the sheets and called 911. They rushed me here and that's all I remember. When I woke up, the boys were already delivered and in the nursery.

“The nurse said they were in distress, so they performed an emergency C-Section. I had some internal bleeding, but now I'm okay. I'll be fine and so will they.” What I don't tell her is how scared I was that something had happened to them.

“I can't believe he's not here,” she fumes. I know he's not here because he’s probably out screwing one his many mistresses, but I don't tell her that or really care.

The truth is, I don't love him. I never will. When he touches me I cringe. I'm glad he stayed away - these boys are not his and never will be.