Chapter Forty-two
W e finish up dinner and head out of the little diner into the quiet street, walking back toward the hospital where we left our cars.
“Oh shit,” I groan, “I got so caught up, but we’re going to run out of formula!”
“That’s alright,” Dean tucks me in closer as we walk, “We can just stop at the store.”
“It’s so late,” I wince, “I didn’t even think.”
“Hey,” Gently, Dean curls a finger under my chin, pausing on the street, “It’s okay, it’s not your job.”
“It kind of is,” My lips attempt a smile, but the guilt rings heavily.
“I think we’re past contracts, Butterfly.”
“I’m sorry,” I whisper.
“Apologies would require for you to do something wrong,” He tells me, “It’s all fine, listen, you can just grab a ride with Bast and Willow since they’re all set up to take Lily anyway, and I’ll run to the store and meet you at home.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” He agrees, “It’s around the corner. It’s no problem.”
He works it out with Sebastian but like he said it’s no issue at all and when we reach the hospital parking lot, he gives me a quick kiss before he heads to the Porsche and I get Lily into her car seat as carefully as I can, trying not to disturb her since it’s so late and she’ll be going straight to bed when I get back home.
I climb into the back of the SUV, squeezing into the middle seat between the two car seats. Both babies are asleep as Sebastian drives us carefully back to Dean’s place. When we get there, I pull out my keys and go to climb out.
“Thanks for the ride,” I say, “I appreciate it.”
But Willow gets out, opening the door on Lily’s side and starts to unbuckle her.
When I don’t move, shocked at her willingness to help, she quirks a brow, “Are you coming?”
“What are you doing?” I climb out of the car.
“Helping?” She cocks her head. “Oh baby, we’re a team now. This is the standard.”
I swear I’ve been on the verge of crying at least six times already in the past few hours. Even before my whole life imploded, I didn’t have this kind of support. I had my family, but they were never this supportive. The only person I knew I could depend on was Savannah.
My family were there, they loved me, they cared, but they had their own lives and their own problems.
And these people I’ve only truly known for a handful of months act as if I am blood, and it warms me and scares me in the same breath.
I unlock the door, and we both step inside but pause once through the door while she hands Lily over.
I expect her to leave, but she doesn’t, instead she wraps a gentle hand around my wrist. “You belong here, Sloane, even if you think you don’t. We see you as more than just Dean’s girl and Savannah’s best friend; you are family, and I hope you see that one day.”
“Already?” I choke.
“From the second Sav brought you in,” Willow squeezes and then steps back, “Call me if you ever need anything, or think, fuck it, I need a drink after dealing with these dumbasses, I’m down.”
I laugh, “Thank you, I’ll remember that.”
“Night, Sloane,” She smiles and closes the door behind her.
I move to lock it behind her but remember Dean is going to be back any minute anyway, and it feels a little freeing not turning the key or sliding the bolt.
“Come on, sweet girl,” I whisper to the sleeping baby, “Let’s get you to bed.”
I take her up to the spare bedroom and get her swaddled as carefully as I can before I transfer her to the crib and set up her monitor, sneaking from the room.
I watch her carefully on my cell, making sure she remains sleeping and happy, and when five minutes pass and she doesn’t stir, I place the cell down, the feed still running, and begin to undress.
I’m down to my underwear when I hear the door open downstairs.
I don’t call down to him since he’ll likely be up any second, but I do decide not to put my clothes on, remaining in my underwear for him. I glance at the monitor, the sound of his steps echoing throughout the downstairs before he starts to come up the stairs.
My heart always beats a little faster when I hear him coming.
“Hey,” I smile as he pushes open the door, but it falls the moment I see who steps into the room.
“Felix?” I gasp at the familiar face and then scramble because I’m practically naked, and my sister’s husband is standing right in front of me.
“Hello, Sloane,” He kicks the door closed behind him. I pull the sheets to cover myself, my confusion tugging my brows low.
Holding the sheets, I get up so I can tuck them around my body. “Is Shelly here too?” I look behind him, at the closed door, expecting my sister to walk through. How did they even find me? I haven’t spoken to any of them since I left. I didn’t tell them where I was going.
“No, Sloane.”
A memory tickles at the edge of my mind.
“Is everything okay?” My brain is lagging, I can’t fit the pieces together. “Why are you here?”
“I’ve been looking for you.” His head cocks to the side as his dark eyes roll down me. “You left, Sloane, like you always leave.”
My brain lights up.
“I don’t want to die,” I plead, “Stop, please.”
“I can’t,” He sighs, “I can’t, Sloane, because if I stop, you’ll leave. You’ll leave like you always do.”
The memory washes through me, terror following in its wake.
“It was you,” I rasp, stepping back. My knees hit the bed.
No, no, no.
“Why did you leave?” He steps closer, “I couldn’t find you.”
“I — how did you find me?”
There’s a gun. Dean keeps it in the nightstand on the other side of the bed.
“I’ve been waiting,” He sighs, “You know how I am with the sheriff.”
Oh fuck.
“It was only because someone called up a few days ago that I figured out where you were. Asking all kinds of questions about that night.”
Richard .
“The sheriff found it strange, especially since no one has seen or heard from you.”
“Please,” I beg, reminiscent of that night. I begged him then too, but he didn’t stop.
“You left!” He suddenly screams, the tone and boom of his voice echoing through the house and making me flinch. Next to me, from the monitor, Lily begins to cry.
His head turns slowly toward the sound. I’ve never seen anger twist someone’s features before, it’s like a mask slips over his face.
I never suspected Felix, he’s married to my sister.
He was always kind, always helpful. Even after that one date we had, and when I ultimately called it off, he didn’t seem upset about it.
“You had a baby?”
Oh shit.
“Felix,” I hold a hand up, trying to placate him. “It’s not what you think.”
“You’re mine, Sloane!” He booms. “You’ve always been mine!”
“Listen,” I reason, “We can talk about this, yeah? We can figure this out.”
I need to buy time; I need to take his attention off of Lily. I don’t have time to shake or cry; I can’t cower in fear or beg. Lily is the only thing that matters right now, and I will protect her, no matter the cost.
You didn’t lock the door.
The voice in the back of my mind accuses. Just like that night, I didn’t lock the door.
Swallowing thickly, I hold the sheet around me tighter. “Let’s talk.” I try.
“No,” He snarls, “I’m done waiting for you.”
Beyond the door, I hear the sound of the Porsche’s engine, but Felix seems too fixated on me to notice. That’s good. Just a little more time.
He crosses over to me, his six-foot frame towering over mine. “You should have died that night.” He growls, but I keep my shoulders square and hide my fear.
“You don’t get to have me, Felix.” I steel my spine, add venom to my tone.
The back of his hand meets the side of my face in a whack I don’t see coming. Pain bursts across my cheekbone, the hit rattling my brain enough I lose my balance. My knees hit the carpet, and his foot comes up to slam into my ribcage, stealing the breath from my lungs.
“You left!” He cries, “You left me. Again . You went and moved on!”
He’s insane. How long has this obsession fueled him? Does my sister know? Did she know what he had done?
“Felix,” I wheeze, “Please.”
And there’s the begging, the plea for mercy.
He grabs a fistful of my hair and pulls my head up, elongating my neck in a way that makes it difficult to swallow.
“We’re going to fix this, Sloane,” His voice gentles, “We’re going to fix all these mistakes you have made. Giving yourself to someone else, you had his baby.” He snatches away from me as if I have physically offended him.
“Felix,” I try to start to tell him that Lily isn’t mine, but he doesn’t want to hear it.
He cannot be reasoned with. His boot hits me in the face this time, and I feel the crunch of my nose and the immediate blood that rushes from it.
Dizziness forces me onto my stomach, my limbs going numb and weak.
I feel the warmth of my blood, can taste the metallic tinge of it on my tongue.
“Sloane?” Dean’s voice is a light in the darkness.
“Is that him?” Felix asks, “Is that the man you whored yourself to?”
“Dean!” I scream his name with the little strength I have, my ribs smarting, my head pounding, blood dripping from my face. “Dean!”
“Shut up!” Felix snaps, slapping his hand down on top of my head. “You shut up!”
The door to the bedroom slams open, but Felix was ready. He smashes a lamp across Dean’s head, forcing him to stumble back, his spine hitting the wall.
And all I can do is lie there, my head fuzzy, and vision spotty. I’ve no use of my arms or legs, like my brain just can’t function enough to get them to move.
“No,” My voice is nothing but a whisper. Not them. Anyone but them.
But Felix doesn’t stop, and with Dean’s stunned state, he has no chance to stop him from gripping his hair and slamming his head back against the wall.
Dean crumples.
“Dean,” I croak, but his eyes are closed, and there’s blood trickling from a cut in his hairline.
“Stop,” I beg, “I see it now.”
I fight the fog in my head, fight the numbness in my body. “I see.”
Felix’s eyes turn to me.
“You see what?”
“We are meant to be,” The words taste like acid, “I see it.”
I need to give him what he wants, and that’s me. He wants me.