36. Robrt
thirty-six
Robrt
The air along the Seattle waterfront was chilly as Delia walked beside me, her hands tucked into the pockets of my coat that I’d wrapped around her scant work uniform. Her face was turned slightly away as she admired the horizon.
“So, have you been to a doctor yet?” I asked her.
“Yes, everything is good so far. The doctor gave me a prescription for prenatal vitamins. The first ultrasound isn't recommended for another month or two.”
“And you? Are you okay?” I continued, my voice low as we walked along the paved path. It was too simple a question for what had just happened and what I’d just learned.
A few people passed us, couples holding hands or friends chatting quietly, but I didn’t pay them any mind. My focus was on her.
Delia turned her head slightly, giving me a small, wistful smile. “Yeah. Just thinking.”
“Dangerous habit,” I teased lightly, trying to ease her out of whatever had a hold on her.
She shook her head. “Oh, no. This from the king of overthinking himself? I’m done for.”
Ahead of us, the water lapped against the wooden docks, the gentle sound somehow calming.
I spotted a gondola docked further down, the kind that was reserved for tourists or couples who wanted to pay for the romance of it. The man working there was half-dozing under a canopy, clearly not expecting customers this late.
“Come on,” I said, tilting my head toward the gondola. “Let’s take a ride.”
Delia raised her brows, pausing mid-step. “I think they’re probably closed.”
“Not for us.” I nodded in the direction of the gondola operator, who was now sitting up, blinking in confusion. “Wait here.”
I pulled my wallet out of the coat pocket she was wearing, and I brought it over to the man. “How much to take us out for an hour?”
“We’re done for the night,” he said, his tone polite but firm.
“I’ll make it worth your while,” I said smoothly. “Double your rate.”
He snorted. “I only charge $20 per person.”
I looked at my wallet, at the pithy amount I had left after my scene at the bar. “How about $500? One hour.” He glanced back at Delia, sighed, and accepted the cash.
Grinning, I turned back to Delia. “Come on.”
I offered her my hand as she climbed into the gondola, my hand a ball of light where she touched, and I steadied her as she sat down.
I settled across from her, and the operator pushed us gently off the dock, the boat swaying softly as it glided into the water.
Delia leaned back, exhaling slowly as she looked up at the sky. “What’s going to happen with you and Jeremy?”
I swallowed hard, watching her profile illuminated by the moonlight. “I think we’re probably done for.”
She sighed, “I guess I’ll have to get a different practicum supervisor, move to a different clinic. I’ll put in the request, but it’ll take ages, I bet. I might have to just avoid the clinic. I’m behind, anyway, with my missing hours.”
“Your missing hours?”
“Oh, right. You don’t know. That’s what Jeremy came to see me about. Apparently, the clinic is missing months of my recorded hours. Basically, six months. Two semesters. Gone. Just like that.”
Her voice cracked, and I reached for her hand without looking at her, offering her silent comfort.
“I can help you with that, you know. I have a lawyer on retainer. I could fix it for you.”
She had worked hard, and the hard work was gone. I’d been there before. It could be crushing.
“No, I can do it myself. Thank you, though,” she said quietly.
“Are you sure? I know how important—”
“You have to let me do some things on my own.” Her voice was still quiet but firmer this time, and she squeezed my hand slightly.
I grimaced, but I let it go. I’d done enough as it was. If she thought she could handle it, I would have to trust her.
We both stayed lying on the boat, one hand behind our head, one arm at our side, our fingers intertwined. It felt so natural, more natural than anything had felt in a long time.
After a moment of quietly watching the sky, Delia asked, “You really think your friendship is over with Jeremy? You’ve been through a lot. Maybe it could pull through.”
“It probably had a chance before I punched him. Now, yeah, I’m thinking it’s dead and in the ground.” I sighed, looking up at the sky, a sky which used to be dark, but now the city wouldn’t allow for it. The lights from people’s apartments left it so bright only a few stars were visible.
“I’ll probably have to find a different therapist.”
Delia turned to me and propped up on her elbow. When I glanced over, she looked serious, her brown eyes moving quickly over my face.
“That’s probably a good thing. I didn’t think it was appropriate for him to be your therapist, being your best friend. It’s a conflict of interest. It isn’t healthy.”
She reached out and stroked my face, and I flinched before relaxing under her hand.
“Eventually, it got that way. But, you know, when we met, he was my therapist only, and I guess I just…started to be afraid of telling someone else about what I had been through.” Her hand was warm on my cheek, and I leaned into it. “Not you, though. You’re easy to talk to.”
“I can’t be your therapist either,” she teased, bumping my shoulder with her hand. My cheek was cold in the absence of her palm.
I chuckled. “Well, good. Because what I really need is a girlfriend.”
Delia’s eyes widened a small amount, and her top lip covered her bottom, as though she was afraid to smile. “Do you mean that?”
I stretched my hand out and wrapped it around her head, pulling her close to me and craning my neck to kiss her gently on her wind-chapped lips. “I mean that,” I whispered against her mouth, as my heart pounded in my chest.
The silence between us felt charged, heavy with things unsaid. Delia bit her lip, her brows pulling together like she wanted to argue, but I didn’t give her the chance.
“When you were with Jeremy,” I continued quietly, “I thought you were too young for him. I thought he was out of line for dating you—his student—but I didn’t realize how much of that was jealousy.”
Her eyes widened slightly. “I didn’t know that.”
“I didn’t know how to say it without sounding like a hypocrite,” I admitted. “Maybe there is no way to say it. It does make me a hypocrite.”
“You’re not a hypocrite,” she said softly, letting me off the hook.
I took a breath, holding her gaze. “I don’t care anymore. I want you.”
Her lips parted slightly, but she didn’t say anything, and the boat rocked gently as the gondola operator guided us through the dark water.
“Corinne told me something this morning,” I said after a moment, breaking the silence. “There’s this boy she has a crush on—”
“You told me. Benny,” she chuckled, putting her hands behind her head and looking up at the sky. “That’s a good crush name.”
“Right. Benny. Still can’t believe my daughter has a crush. Anyway, apparently his parents are divorced, and he has two stepparents. He told her he has two Christmases, and now she likes the idea of a bonus mom.”
Delia smiled faintly, tilting her head, encouraging me. “It made me think,” I admitted, my voice low. “That could be a good thing for her. Having someone around who knows what to say when she has a crush. Someone like you.”
Delia looked at me, her expression softening. “Robert…”
“I’m serious,” I said, my voice steady. “I know you’re young, and I don’t expect you to want the same things I do. I’m not asking you to be her stepmom today. But I need you to know that I’m here for you. And I’ll do anything for you and that baby. I’m not going anywhere.”
She held my gaze, her lips curving into the smallest of smiles. “I believe you.”
When the gondola docked again, neither of us moved right away. We sat there, the boat swaying gently beneath us, and I realized how much I wanted her— needed her—to know how serious I was about all of this.
“Come back with me,” I said gently, reaching for her hand.
Delia hesitated, her eyes searching mine. “Are you sure? Isn’t Corinne home?”
“She’s at a friend’s house, celebrating.” I smiled. “Sleepovers on a school night aren’t something I usually do, but she earned it.”
She laughed. “So you’re a strict parent, how’d I know?” She squeezed my hand gently and nodded, a quiet “Okay” slipping from her lips.
When we got back to my house, I didn’t take her to the kitchen this time. I led her upstairs, into my room, and for the first time in a very long time, I let someone in—truly in.
We undressed in silence, her eyes bright circles of white in the quiet darkness. For a moment, we stood a foot away from each other, admiring each other’s bodies as they came into focus, fuzzy outlines at first, then finally, distinguishable forms.
She stepped forward first, her hand reaching out and tracing a finger down my chest to my stomach. It was a shock of cold against my warm skin, and I shuddered at the chill. I grasped her wrist and pulled her into me as I sat down on the edge of the bed.
Her steps staggered toward me until she dropped into my lap, straddling me with her strong legs. I could feel her stomach pressing against me, and for the first time since she’d told me, I felt like I really understood what it meant that she was pregnant.
I looked at her stomach and ran my hand over it in circles. Her skin was so soft, gentle, and naked, like innocence itself.
Keeping my hand pressed against her abdomen, I looked up at her and whispered, “My baby is really in here?”
She answered with a kiss, a kiss that felt purposeful, tears crashing down onto my cheeks. I wiped at her cheeks with my thumbs, kissing her back with the same intensity.
Inhaling deeply, I ran my hands up her back and over her shoulders, holding her tightly. I could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and I could feel the heat from her pussy in my lap, the wetness just grazing my cock as she rocked back and forth.
I pulled her hair back out of her face, into a ponytail, so that I could hold her face while our tongues touched. Delia wrapped her arms around my head, holding me so closely that I could barely breathe except to smell her scent, the watermelon shampoo.
I reached down and grabbed her ass to lift her up and plop her down on my member, and she let out a small gasp, her eyes widening a fraction then rolling up to the ceiling.
We continued our embrace, our kiss deepening as she rocked on my cock. She let out small moans of satisfaction as I pumped into her from my seated position. My hands gripped her shoulders, pushing her as far down onto me as I could.
“Delia,” I groaned, grabbing her face, “I will always be here for you.”
Her face turned as I kissed down her neck, and with every kiss, I punctuated a word, “I. Will. Never. Leave. You. Needing.”
Her mouth opened in a silent moan, and she grabbed my chin, moving my face up to hers to kiss her again.
I gave her one small kiss and then dipped my head back down to take one of her nipples in my mouth. She cried out in enjoyment and bounced on my shaft, and I grew inside her, my cock throbbing in pain as I stroked.
Her nipple was hard in my mouth, and I twirled my tongue around it, feeling the way it stiffened in my mouth.
She rose up like she was levitating, so that her pussy was only swallowing an inch of my cock, and my head was tipped back to keep her nipple in my mouth. I reached out and grabbed her breast, making sure to hold on as she started to gyrate harder.
Sweat matted the hair on the back of her neck, and I felt it as I grabbed her, steadying her, reeling her in.
Delia looked down at me, and the sudden eye contact sent a jolt shivering through my erection. I felt it twitch inside her, and she gasped, her hands flying to cup my face. She closed her eyes, but I growled at her, “Look at me. I want to see you react.”
She opened her eyes and whined at the intensity of our mutual gaze, her fingers jerking and pressing into my jawline. A stray pinkie ran along my mouth.
We watched each other with open mouths as our rhythm caught up to each other’s. We moved as if one, and she grunted, “I loved the way you stood up for me.” Her voice was breathy with effort.
“Is that what you’re thinking about now?” I asked, my hands steady on her back, forcing her body to move with me. I pulled her into me, thrusting my length up into her.
“I’m always thinking about you. I love the way you protect me,” she mumbled, her words almost a slur as lust took over her cognition.
“I’ll always protect you, Delia,” I whispered, slowing down to really feel her warm, wet pussy drag along my shaft.
I could hear the sounds of her juices suctioning me, and I almost couldn’t take the intimacy of the speed. I forced myself to keep moving slowly, as agonizing as it was. “I love you.”
She stopped moving for a second, her strawberry blonde hair tumbled around her shoulders in waves, stray pieces covering some of her breasts. She didn’t say anything.
Still inside her, almost unbearably still, I moved her hair behind her shoulders and said it again. “I love you, Delia Sturgess. I’m sorry you ever doubted it.”
I felt her pussy spasm, and I smirked. “Seems like your pussy loves me back, at least.”
“I love you, too, Robert,” she said finally, breathlessly. She remained still as if to preserve the moment.
“I’m going to take care of you and our baby,” I told her, taking her face in my hands and looking deeply into her eyes, trying to mentally show her how much I meant it. It was the first time I had said our baby.
“I’m going to let you,” she murmured against my mouth, and when we kissed again, I felt her orgasm explode inside her in a frenzied convulsing that squeezed my shaft tightly.
I held her close to me, letting her ride it out, my arms wrapped around her back as she tipped her head back and moved on me, using me for her orgasm.
When she finished, my lap was sticky with her cum, but I stayed holding her, taking in the moment.
I knew that everything had changed.