Chapter Thirty
MARCO
Ever since Bella and I talked the other night, it seems like we’ve moved into a new type of comfort.
We aren’t back to where we were before I fucked it all up by leaving, but I’d like to think we’re at least back on track and heading in the right direction.
We watch TV together at night, converse during dinner more, and we have been to my parents’ house to visit several times.
It’s like we’re back to being friends again except we have a baby together. It’s been nice.
I do have to say I’m kind of shocked that Bella hasn’t pushed me more since I admitted to her my fears about fighting.
We haven’t even spoken again regarding my admission.
So, when she stumbles into the house trying to carry a big box inside, while I’m in the middle of folding clothes, I’m not at all suspicious.
“Whoa, there! Let me help you.” I grab the box from her tiny hands and pick it up to bring inside. Once I set it down in the living room, I take a look at the picture and see it’s a stroller. “Don’t we already have a stroller, Belles?”
She closes the door behind her and smiles. “It’s a better stroller. Will you help me set it up?”
I’m not sure why we need a better stroller for a three-month-old baby that weighs like ten pounds dripping wet, but I’m not going to argue. Bella rarely buys anything other than what’s needed. She’s not your typical female and it’s one of the things I love about her.
“Sure.” We spend the next hour putting the stroller together.
Once we’re done, I check it out. Instead of four wheels, it has three huge ones, the front one being able to swivel.
It has a couple cup holders, a large area underneath the seat for storage, and the thick handlebar goes across the top.
It’s a sturdy stroller, but I’m still not sure why we needed another one.
“What do you think?”
Bella jumps up and down squealing, clapping her hands together. “I love it! Let’s try it out now.”
“Okay…” I’m still confused as to why we can’t just take Micaela for a walk in her other stroller. “I’ll grab her from her room. She’s due to wake up from her nap anyway. Once you feed her, we can head to the park. But afterward I have to go to my meeting. It’s important I’m there tonight.”
“Oh, Marco! Are you getting your six-month tag tonight?”
“Yeah.” I shrug nonchalantly. “Any chance you might want to go?”
“Yes! I am so proud of you. While I get ready, call your mom to see if she wants to spend some time with Micaela and then I can go with you.”
“Okay, Belles.”
“Oh! And I want to go somewhere else besides the usual park. Make sure you put on comfortable shoes.” She gives me a wink then walks away, picking up Micaela to feed her.
After I’ve gotten dressed and confirmed with my mom she can hang out with Micaela for a little bit, I come out to find Bella putting our daughter into her car seat.
We throw the stroller in the back of my SUV, and since Bella insists on driving, I jump into the passenger seat.
About twenty-five minutes later, we pull up to Red Rock.
I haven’t been here since the day I kissed Bella.
God, it seems like that was a lifetime ago.
“Wanting to take a walk down memory lane?” I joke.
She frowns but quickly recovers and says, “I was thinking more like a jog.” And then it hits me. She’s just tricked me into working out. She’s fucking slick, I’ll give her that much. I should have seen this coming.
“Belles, I don’t think…”
“Nope, don’t think. We are going for a jog, that’s it.
” She jumps out of the vehicle and grabs the stroller from the back, popping it open.
I can’t help but stare at the way her spandex pants mold around her tight round ass.
She bends over to put the diaper bag underneath and her full tits, which barely fit in her sports bra thanks to her breastfeeding, practically spill out from the top.
When she stands back up, her belly ring glitters in the sun.
The woman is completely unaware that she’s like a walking billboard for MILF porn.
Of course, she catches me staring at her. “What?” She looks down at herself. “Do I have something on me?”
“No, you’re just fucking gorgeous.”
Her nose scrunches up and she rolls her eyes. “Shut up.”
“I’m serious.” I grab her hips and pull her over to the side of the vehicle, pressing my body against hers.
She blushes the cutest shade of pink when my hard-on makes its presence known against her stomach.
Nuzzling my face into her neck, I murmur softly into her ear, “Your sexy ass, babe. It’s on fire.
” My hands glide over her hips and land on her ass, giving it a squeeze.
“And those perky fucking tits are just begging to be sucked.” My mouth goes down to her cleavage and I give the top of each tit a soft kiss.
“Fuck, and that goddamn belly ring that I want to lick. Belles, you are one hot mom.”
“Oh, my God! Marco!” She giggles and swats at my chest. “You are too much.”
She grabs Micaela from her car seat and plops her inside the stroller as I attempt to adjust myself.
“Okay, all ready!” Notice she doesn’t ask me if I’m ready; she just says she is as she grabs two water bottles from the car and places them in the cup holders while I check out Micaela in her seat all buckled in.
She looks adorably tiny in the huge stroller, but she’s smiling and ready to rock and roll just like her mom.
I bend down to stretch and make sure my shoe laces are tied tight and notice my hands are shaking. Taking a deep breath, I stand and nod. “Okay, I’m ready.”
We start off slow, neither of us saying a word, eventually picking up speed.
I focus on the trail in front of me, occasionally stealing a glance at Bella, and she focuses on running.
I recognize the area where we kissed when we get to it and smirk before I pretend to trip.
I fall to the ground and roll a few feet.
Bella parks the stroller and crouches down next to me. “Oh no! Marco, are you okay?” When she hears my laughter spill out, she slaps me in the chest. “You scared me!”
“Don’t you recognize this place?” I look around. “It’s where you conned me into kissing you.” I laugh harder when she glares at me.
“I didn’t con you! I really did fall!”
“And so did I… for you.” I waggle my brows and give her a wink. Her face breaks out into a wide grin and she throws her head back in laughter.
“You are so damn cheesy, Marco!” she says once she’s caught her breath.
“I think I might need some mouth-to-mouth, Belles. I’m seriously hurt.” I roll over dramatically and she giggles.
“And how will giving you mouth-to-mouth help you?” Her one brow quirks up.
“Don’t parents say that kisses make the boo-boos all better?”
“Umm… yeah… but I’m pretty sure they mean to kiss the actual boo-boo.”
“My mouth is hurting, Belles. It’s suffering emotional pain from being neglected. It misses you.”
Bella rolls her eyes trying to fight a smile, but when I sit up onto my elbow, her eyes go wide. “Kiss me, Belles,” I whisper. And I am shocked as shit when she does.
She leans in and our lips meet. At first, it’s a soft kiss as I let Bella guide us, but then she grabs the back of my neck and kisses me with such passion I almost come in my pants.
I feel her tongue seek entrance, my lips parting to give her access and that’s when things heat up even more.
Her tongue swirls around with mine and she tastes so damn good.
I sit up without breaking our kiss, and she climbs up onto my lap.
My hand goes to her ponytail, and wrapping my hand around her mane, I pull her face closer to mine.
She lets out a soft groan and starts to grind down on my cock.
That’s when we hear a cooing sound coming from our daughter in her stroller only a couple feet away—snapping us back to where we are.
Bella climbs off me, her breathing erratic, and I stand up needing to adjust myself.
Micaela’s coos get louder by the second, until she’s screeching for attention causing us to laugh.
Once we finish our run, we head home to shower and change before dropping Micaela off with my parents so we can go to my meeting.
I’m nervous as hell about Bella attending one of my meetings.
What if being there makes her realize she is living with a recovering drug addict?
It’s one thing to know it, but it’s another thing to sit in a meeting, surrounded by other recovering addicts.
These meetings will most likely always be a part of my life.
We get to the meeting, arriving only a few minutes before it starts.
We have a seat in the back and listen as the speaker talks.
Bella moves her hand toward mine, entwining our fingers together and places both of our hands in her lap.
When the speaker calls my name to give me my six-month key tag, I stand up and walk over to the podium.
I don’t usually say much, but with Bella sitting in the back smiling at me, I feel like I need to say something.
“Thank you.” I feel myself getting choked up, so I take a calming breath before continuing to speak.
“My mother was an addict. I swore I would never become my mother. One day I woke up and realized I had in fact become my mother. Only looking back, I see I never became her. She refused to get help. She refused to get clean. I am not my mother. I am me and every day I will fight to stay clean for my daughter, my family, and most importantly for myself.”
After the meeting ends, we pick up Micaela and head home. Other than congratulating me, Bella doesn’t bring up the meeting. After putting Micaela to bed, we end up on the couch watching more episodes of The O.C.
“So, today’s run was good, huh?” She thinks she so damn sly.
“Yeah, it was good.”
“And you don’t feel any pain?”
“Nope.”
“So, you might want to join me at the gym tomorrow?”
“Nope.”
She whips her head to me and scowls. “Why not?”