Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The fact that Nico bought her a big ass house right next door to his own spoke volumes. Remedie still couldn’t believe it. She hadn’t even had the chance to tour the space, but she knew that ran him a pretty penny.
Nobody had ever needed her presence so badly before.
Nobody had ever loved her so much before.
Nobody had ever cared about her enough to put in so much effort.
Nico’s love suffocated her, but she didn’t mind. She would allow him to love her to death. She would happily overdose on his love. She had gone her entire life without this feeling, and she wouldn’t let it go, . . . not ever.
Tears gathered in her eyes as she lay in bed on his naked chest. They were skin to skin, and Remedie breathed him in as she tried to slow the thoughts bouncing around her mind.
The bath he had ran for her had been perfect. Her body felt more relaxed after soaking with the heated jets for over an hour.
To avoid another kitchen disaster, Nico had a simple breakfast delivered, and they ate pretty much in silence.
Remedie couldn’t really get a read on him.
He didn’t have much of a reaction when she told him about the baby other than being afraid, like her.
She wondered if he was happy or if he regretted anything.
Underneath her fear, she was happy. She hoped the same could be said for him.
As bad as she wanted to talk about their future and this baby growing inside of her, she knew she needed to address something else first.
“Nico . . .”
“There she is,” he muttered before kissing her temple. She had been pretty quiet, but she appreciated him giving her space to speak on her own time. He rubbed her back soothingly, and she melted further into him. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”
“About the other night . . .” She paused so she could gather her thoughts so her words would come out clear. This was important. She sat up and pulled the sheet up with her. She held it up to her chest as she looked down at him. “Zayden was trying to kill me.”
Nico sat up straight and tried to gather her in his arms, but she pulled away. She needed to get this out without being coddled. “Baby . . .”
“Hold on, Nico, let me say this. Zayden was trying to kill me. I couldn’t breathe.” Tears slipped out of her eyes as she gently rubbed her sore neck. “I think what bothers me most is I don’t understand why. I did right by him and took care of him—”
“You took all that away from him, baby. Nigga’s egos are real fragile, even when they’re big. You were his safety net, and you left. That shit’ll drive any bum nigga insane.”
Remedie thought about it. What Nico said made sense, but she still couldn’t wrap her mind around it.
She loved Zayden once. She may not have been in love with him, but even after their breakup, she didn’t want any harm to come to him.
She just wanted him to stay the hell away from her. He clearly didn’t think like she did.
“He wanted me dead, Nico, and if you didn’t step in, it would have been me laid out on that dirty ass floor and not him.
” She wiped her tears and took a deep breath, determined to push through.
“I’m not afraid of you. I’m not mad about what happened.
I’m devastated. I’m sad. And I’m scared you’re going to end up in jail and it’ll be my fault—” Nico opened his mouth like he wanted to speak, but Remedie held her hands up to stop him.
After a brief silence, she took another calming breath and continued.
“You don’t scare me, baby, but I can’t lie and say last night won’t haunt me for the rest of my life.
Seeing you like that . . . it was a lot.
And now we have this baby to think about.
It’s given me a lot of anxiety overnight, and I don’t want to live like this. ”
Remedie felt a panic attack coming on. She didn’t even feel like she said all she needed to say, but she could no longer speak.
This time when Nico pulled her into him, she let him.
“Can I talk now?” She nodded into his chest. “I’m sorry.
” That surprised Remedie. She didn’t expect him to apologize.
She didn’t need him to apologize. The words to express those things didn’t come though.
“I wish I could say that was the first time I blacked out, but it wasn’t.
I need it to be the last though. Coming up out of that and seeing you.
Seeing how you looked at me. Yeah, I can’t ever go through that again.
Fuck dude. If it means keeping you safe, I’ll do what’s necessary, but I don’t want to disappoint you again.
And you’re right. We have a baby to think about now.
” His hand found Remedie’s flat stomach. “I can’t let our baby down.”
Silence settled between them. Nico lay back down, and Remedie followed, resting her head back on his chest and allowing her tears to fall. After a while, she asked, “How do we know you won’t get in trouble for what happened?”
She knew what Isla told her, but she needed to hear the reassurance from Nico.
“I been fucked up about that too, I won’t hold you. I even packed both of us a bag in case we need to go on the run.”
Remedie tried to sit up, but Nico held her in place and kissed her forehead. “You’re serious right now?” Panic rose inside her once again, but Nico simply stroked her hair and continued to kiss her head.
“It was my nerves. It happened last time too.” Remedie wanted to ask about the other times this had happened, but she decided she would rather not know.
“One thing I know is that Gramps would rather go down himself than to watch me go down for this shit. Whatever connections he has are solid.” He paused as if he had to think about his next words.
“I been thinkin’ ’bout hangin’ up my gloves. ”
Remedie shifted her head, so she looked up at him with her brows pulled in. “Quitting boxing?”
He nodded. “Now I have even more of a reason.” His hand caressed her stomach.
“Nico, . . . no. Fighting is your passion. I may not like it, but I would never ask you to quit, just like you wouldn’t ask me to stop cooking.”
“You aren’t askin’, baby. I think it’s time.
Gramps has always been on me not to make fighting my entire life.
I ain’t really listen to him too well until now.
The money is good, but it’s dirty. I think it’s time for me to figure out how to invest what I’ve made so I can keep generating money for our kids.
Maybe buying that house next door was supposed to happen.
Maybe that can be a new way for me to generate money. ”
“You said kids?” Remedie had been stuck on that part. It was wild enough for her to wrap her mind around one child. Nico had said kids as in plural.
He grinned. “Yeah. I’ma fill you with a few of them.”
“Let’s just make it through this pregnancy first.” She smiled a little, and then her smile dropped. “I’m scared, Nico. I always wanted my own family, but I don’t know how to be a part of one. What if I fuck this kid up?”
“If anyone gonna fuck them up, it’ll be me, cookie. But listen, I think it’s okay for us to both be afraid. We can’t let that shit overrule the good shit though. We need to get our heads right before this lil baby gets here.”
That was a fact. The last thing she wanted to do was bring a baby into negative energy.
“I just need to relax,” she uttered, taking another deep breath. Her nerves had been going haywire, and she didn’t want to stress the baby out.
Damn, I’m a whole mother. This shit is wild.
Nico rolled over so he was on top of her. “If you back fuckin’ wit’ me, I can help you relax.” He grinned before he nuzzled her neck.
Despite everything going on, she giggled. Nico always brought the happiness out of her. “I’m always gon’ fuck with you, love. Even when I’m not.”
He kissed her on the lips. “And that’s why I love you. What I say when we first met? I’m gon’ always be here to love and protect you.”
She got chills. She remembered him saying something like that back when they went to get her things from her old place. He had definitely delivered on those words.
“And that’s why you’ll have me for life.”
He kissed her deeply before sliding into her wet pussy. This right here was home for her, and she wouldn’t dare ever leave again.
“Nico, sit your ass down,” Remedie hissed as she snapped her fingers.
Nico turned to her with a lopsided grin on his face.
“Look at you gettin’ that mom voice down.
” He closed the drawer he had been rummaging around in and went to take a seat next to her with a handful of wooden sticks the doctors used to hold patients’ tongues down so they could check their throats. “Put these in your purse.”
“What? For fucking what, Nico? What the hell you need these for?”
“Come on, cookie. Just put them in there. You never know when we might need one.”
“No, I’m not helping you steal from the doctors.” Her face scrunched up.
“They don’t need this shit—”
A knock on the door caused them both to freeze. Remedie quickly grabbed the stupid sticks and stuffed them into her purse before a handsome Black doctor stepped into the room.
She smiled up at him and hoped she looked innocent.
“Good afternoon. Remedie, is it?”
Remedie opened her mouth to reply, but of course, Nico had to be the first one to speak.
“Aye, you gon’ be her doctor?” Nico stood up and dwarfed the doctor with his height.
“You must be the father. Yes, sir. I’m Doctor Nathans.”
Nico peered down at him with a frown and then glanced at Remedie. She already knew something stupid was about to come out of his mouth. It had been a few days since he found out he was going to be a father, and he seemed to become more of a nut as each day passed.
“Yeah, I’m daddy, and that’s my baby right there. She’s carrying my baby, and I don’t need no other nigga lookin’ at her. You feel me? Y’all ain’t got any lady doctors around here?”
“Nico!” Remedie screeched. Her entire face turned red. “Doctor Nathans, I am so sorry. Please excuse my ignorant boyfriend.” Remedie tugged on Nico’s arm until he sat down next to her.
Doctor Nathans chuckled. “It’s fine. I’ve heard worse, trust me.”
“Oh, I can be worse,” Nico grumbled.
Remedie elbowed him in the side while she gave the doctor an apologetic smile.
“We’re just confirming the pregnancy today, right?” the doctor asked.
“Correct. Once it is confirmed, we will schedule you out a couple of weeks so we can do the ultrasound and get some more information. All you have to do is pee in a cup today and ask any questions you may have.”
“When we have sex, do my shit be poking my baby in the head? Because I don’t want to traumatize my baby. I don’t want to come up off her fine ass.” Nico jabbed a finger in Remedie’s direction. “But if I have to, I will.”
Remedie buried her head in her hands and decided to let Nico have this appointment.
She made up her mind right then and there that she would switch doctors.
She only chose Doctor Nathans because he had a good reputation, but it wasn’t worth the way Nico was acting.
He was only doing this shit to embarrass her and to assert dominance.
She would gladly let him win this battle if it meant she never had to sit through something like this again.
Remedie shrank into her seat as Nico asked the dumbest questions. When it was time for her to pee in a cup, Nico insisted on going with her into the bathroom.
She glared at him while she peed. “You are impossible.”
He grinned at her. “You’re cute when you’re embarrassed.”
“Yeah, okay, Nico. Wait ’til I tell your mama how you cut up in this appointment.”
His eyes grew wide like he hadn’t thought Remedie would snitch on him. “You can’t do that.”
“Why not?” she asked as she wiped. She was ready to go home and curl up in bed. Morning sickness had been kicking her ass, and Nico showing his ass at this appointment had her exhausted.
“Because I’m sorry?” He said it more as a question than a statement.
Remedie snorted in response as she flushed and put the cup of her pee inside the mini door on the wall. While she washed her hands, Nico peered at her as if he was innocent.
When she was done, she turned to him and grabbed him by his collar. “Not another word during this appointment. Got it?”
“Long as he don’t ask to look at any body parts, I’m cool.” Nico held his hands up in mock surrender.
Remedie moved around him and out of the bathroom. Once they were back in the doctor’s office, it didn’t take long for them to confirm the pregnancy and hand them some pamphlets. After they scheduled their next appointment, they were on their way.
In the car, it was silent. She felt that Nico kept glancing at her, but she ignored him. Finally, he spoke. “So, you gon’ get a new doctor or . . .”
“You are a damn menace. Yes, Nico. Fine. I’ve heard about this midwife that can do births at home. Harley, I think her name is. I’ll see if we can book her. She costs a lot, though, so I hope you’re ready to come up out of pocket.”
“If it’ll keep that pretty boy doctor from lookin’ at yo’ pussy, I’ll pay whatever.”
Remedie rolled her eyes and looked out the window. She loved this man with everything in her, but she knew before this damn pregnancy was up, he was liable to drive her batshit insane.