MAYA BROOKE
The sound of something scraping against my wall jolts me awake. I furiously rub my eyes and blink through the darkness of my bedroom. I pause and wait for the noise again, but all I hear is silence.
When I convince myself I must have been dreaming, I place my head back down onto the pillow and close my heavy eyes. The second I snuggle closer into the duvet, the noise becomes louder.
I sit up once more, heart thundering in my throat. I grab my phone lying on my nightstand and tap the screen to find it’s approaching two in the morning. My brows furrow as I glance over at my closed bedroom door.
Then I’m sure I hear a kick to the front door that has me shaking in sudden fear. Bile rises in my throat. It sounds like someone is outside, trying to barge their way in.
I’ve never had trouble living with Nina, but now I’m all alone with my baby, it immediately makes me panic. Something doesn’t feel right. My stomach flips as I climb out of bed and tiptoe through my bedroom before opening the door.
There’s another large bang that makes me jolt and release a low shriek.
I don’t hesitate to call the police. With shaky hands, I walk towards the kitchen and grab the largest knife I can find.
I’m not much of a fighter, but I’ll protect what’s mine without a second thought.
Skye is my everything, and if anyone dares to try and hurt her, I’d kill them.
That’s a mother’s instinct.
My throat burns when another kick to the front door makes it sound like it’s about to snap off its hinges. Tears sting my eyes as I shiver uncontrollably.
“Hello, what emergency service do you require?”
“Police,” I pant. “I need the police here now.”
“Connecting you.”
I nearly cry when I’m transferred over, and then I hear the line cut.
“What’s your emergency?”
“Someone is trying to break into my house,” I whisper as tears leak down my face.
“What’s the address?”
I repeat my address back as my stomach turns to cement. The noises start getting louder and louder until I think I’m about to be sick. I clutch the knife in my hand and hold it out towards the door.
“I-I have my baby with me,” I choke out. “Please get someone here quickly.”
“Stay on the phone,” the guy says. “We have two police cars on the way to you right now.”
Every second feels like an hour, and time is going far too slowly. The person outside could have kicked down the door by now, I’m sure of it. It’s not made of the strongest material.
“Okay,” I swallow. After a few moments, I hear nothing. I frown. “Hello?”
Beep. Beep. Beep.
I pull the phone away from my ear to find the call disconnected. “Shit.”
Without hesitation, I call Finn. For safety. For security. For a familiar voice.
It rings three times before the line cuts.
“Sunshine, what’s wrong?” His voice is croaky from sleep.
“Someone is trying to break into the house,” I whimper. “I-I don’t know what to do.”
The sound of scurrying echoes down the phone. “I’m on my way,” he says. “Have you called the police?”
“Yes. They said they’d be here soon.”
He takes a breath of relief. “It’s okay. Everything is going to be okay. Stay on the phone with me.”
My hand trembles as I clasp it to my chest. “I haven’t heard any noises for a few minutes now.”
“Okay,” he says as I hear the sound of an engine starting.
I glance over at the windows to find blue lights filtering through the blinds. “I think the police are here now.”
“Good,” he says heavily. “Don’t let them leave until I’m there.”
“Okay.”
There’s a knock at the door that makes me jump. I slowly creep forward and place the knife on the table before peeking through the blinds to find two police officers on the doorstep.
I open the door with clammy fingers, the phone still against my ear. “The police are at the door,” I murmur.
“I’ll be there in ten, sunshine. I promise.”
“Okay,” I say as I end the call.
I quickly take in the two police officers as they stare back at me, my heart still thundering inside my chest like there’s no tomorrow.
“There’s been a call to this house for an attempted break-in?” the woman says as she flicks her eyes over me.
I nod desperately. “Yes.”
“Can we come in?”
When I open the door wider, they step inside as two other officers prowl around the house and the area. Before we get started, I check on Skye to find her fast asleep. They ask me to give details, and I tell them as much as I can. It’s not like I saw a face or anyone actually entering the property.
There’s a knock at the door, and the officers seem alarmed.
“It’s okay,” I say as I stand. “It’s a…friend.”
Finn is standing on the other side of the door with wide eyes and crazy hair. Before he says anything, he bundles me into his arms, wrapping them around me tightly. I inhale the calming scent of him and allow myself to take a breath.
He’s here, and nothing will happen.
He cradles my head tenderly. “Are you okay?”
My fingers curl into the back of his hoodie, and I release a long sigh of relief, my eyes closed and body relaxing into him. “I’m glad you’re here.”
I shut the door as Finn asks a thousand questions to the officers about what they’re going to do, but considering we have no cameras and I didn’t see their faces, there isn’t a lot they can do.
“It might be some kids playing tricks,” one officer says, and Finn huffs.
“Are you serious?”
The officer sighs. “We’ll see if there has been anything else going on in the area, but at the moment, all we can suggest is getting a doorbell camera and extra locks. If anything else happens, please call us. We’ll search the area for the time being in case we see anything suspicious.”
Sickness builds in my sternum. “Okay.”
The second they leave, Finn turns towards me with tightened brows and an expression that screams he’s pissed off. “I can’t believe that’s all they can do.”
I shrug. “I didn’t see anyone. What can they do?”
“Something,” Finn grunts as his eyes flick down to the knife I left on the coffee table. He picks it up and sighs. “Do not tell me you were going to fight.”
“I was protecting myself, protecting our baby.”
Finn drags a hand down his face before returning the knife to the kitchen. “You shouldn’t be here alone, Maya. I should take you back to mine.”
“And take everything with us? You live in a house with three guys.”
“They’ll understand.”
“As much as I don’t want to be here, we can’t do that, and you know it.”
Finn sighs. “Then I’m staying. I don’t care what you say.”
My hands wrap around myself as I stare up at him. “I’m sorry for dragging you out here.”
His brows furrow. “Dragging me out here? I want you to call me for these things. I had to know my girls were okay.”
My girls.
I don’t know if I’ll ever get over the sound of that.
My eyes flick down as he walks towards me and cups my jaw. “I-I don’t want to be alone.”
“And I’m not going anywhere,” he says as he tilts my gaze to his. “I’ll sleep on the sofa and stand guard of the door.”
“I don’t know if I’m going to be able to sleep after this,” I sigh.
Finn nods in understanding. “Well, regardless, I’m not leaving. And I meant what I said before, Maya. I want to be here to help out with Skye, and now I definitely want to be here to make sure something like that never happens again. God, I was so scared.”
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” I confess.
“I was fucking terrified, Maya. I barely had my trousers on when I left the house.” His voice is strained.
“I’m sorry.”
Now he looks angry with his clenched forehead and narrowed eyes. “Don’t you dare apologise for something that wasn’t your fault.”
I inhale a shaky breath as he wraps his arms around me again, and I instantly feel at home. I don’t want him to let go. This is all I wanted, his safety.
“Thank you for coming,” I whisper. “I-I just really needed you to hold me.”
“I’ll hold you all night if you want me to.”
My eyes squeeze shut at his words. Yes. Yes. That’s all I want.
I wipe my eyes, which have started to tear up, before pulling away slowly. “Let’s go check on our girl.”
“Okay,” he says before taking my hand and walking us towards my bedroom.
We peer into Skye’s cot to find her fast asleep. Neither of us says anything, we just stare down at our beautiful creation.
“Come on.” He tilts his head. “Sleep.”
“Not sure if I can,” I say again.
“It’s okay,” he whispers. “I’ll hold you, and I’ll stay awake.”
My eyes meet his, and I frown. “You’re not tired?”
“I’ll stay awake if it makes you feel safer.”
It does, but I don’t want him to make that sacrifice for me. Sleep is sacred for parents.
“Don’t even try to fight me on this one, sunshine.” He sighs as he tugs me towards the bed. “I’ve got you. I’ll never let anything happen to you.”
The second we slip beneath the sheets, and he wraps his arms around me, I’m filled with security once more. I close my eyes as he kisses the back of my neck tenderly, and I shudder.
“This just proves another reason I need to stay sober,” he murmurs. “I need to be here at times like this, and I wouldn’t be able to do it if I was off my face. I’m trying so hard to be the man you deserve.”
My throat hurts, and I swallow back the cry that wants to burst out. “You’re already a different man,” I whisper into the darkness.
“Different?”
“Yeah,” I say as I cling to his arm that’s wrapped around my front securely.
“In what way?”
“In the best way.”
The sound of Finn releasing a ragged breath tickles the back of my neck. “I’m not going to miss out on a second of being with my family.”
My heart squeezes at being called his family, but I understand.
We are a family. A family who is trying to work through their shit.
“But you’re also doing it for yourself,” I say softly.
Finn is silent before he says, “Yeah. For my health, but also for everyone who needs me. I never want to feel like a disappointment again.”
I instinctively kiss his knuckles. “No one thinks that.”
“I was once upon a time.”
“That’s in the past, like you said, you need to keep looking forward.”
“Yeah…” He trails off. “And forward looks bright with you two right there in front of me.”
Emotion clogs my chest. “One day at a time?”
“One day at a time.”
My eyes close from the heaviness of today, and when I least expect it, I fall asleep in his arms, where I was always meant to be.