Fighting to Stay (17 page)

I waddle through the door sideways.  Huffing and puffing, I place the chocolate pecan and pumpkin pies on the counter.  Jasper follows me in carrying the dish filled with green beans and new potatoes.

“Thanks, buddy.  You can run along now and play.”

“Lacey, I’m eleven, I don’t
play
,” he tells me.

I roll my eyes at him and he races out the door we just came in.

Jenn comes in and sets a dish of steaming hot food down, then turns to look at me.  “You don’t look so good.”

“Been a busy morning,” I reply.

“You should go on and sit down.  The girls will be here soon, we can take care of everything from here.”

It’s Thanksgiving, and we’re celebrating at the clubhouse with the rest of the family.  I
make my way over to the couch and sink down into it.  I’m exhausted.  This morning, we celebrated Roam’s thirty-fourth birthday.  The kids made him breakfast in bed and then gave him the present that we had gotten made for him.  I had sourced a local artist to paint my favorite picture of Roam, Jasper and Lola.  Roam was sitting on his bike with Jasper behind him and Lola in front.  Lola’s head is thrown back into her father’s chest as she laughs.  Jasper’s body language is full of confidence as he sits with one leg cocked up with his elbow resting on his knee and his closed fist tucked under his chin.  Roam’s smile shows nothing but true bliss.  The artist painted it in on a large canvas and I had it framed in dark wood.  After opening it, Roam immediately got out of bed and walked out to the shed.  He returned minutes later with a bunch of tools and proceeded to hang the painting in the living room.  It looks perfect.

Now, it’s mid-afternoon, and I’ve been on my feet all day baking for tonight’s Thanksgiving feast.  My ankles are swollen
and I feel like shit.  I rest my arms across my gigantic swollen belly and close my eyes.  I must doze off, because I’m awoken by Roam kissing my temple softly. 

“How you feelin’, sugar?  You want to go lie down in a bed?”

I shake my head.  “I’m good.  I didn’t even mean to fall asleep.”

“Food’s ready.  Come on in y’all and eat before it gets cold!”  I hear Jenn shouting outside.  A few minutes later, the room is filled with kids talking over each other and adults
shushing them for being too loud inside.

Roam stands and takes my hand
, lifting me to a standing position.  My stomach tightens, but I ignore it and take my seat at the table.  Roam hands me a plate loaded with food, but I only pick at the turkey and my bread roll. 

“Did my mom tell y’all about the awesome present we got daddy for his birthday?”  Lola asks around the table.  Without waiting for anyone to answer, she tells them all about Roam’s painting.  I tune her out as the tightening’s in my stomach become stronger.  Convinced I’m just in need of some fresh air, I excuse myself from the table and wander outside.  I’m only thirty six weeks pregnant, so I’m positive it’s only Braxton Hicks contractions and I don’t want to raise a false alarm. 

I sit down on the picnic bench outside and take a couple of deep breathes.  The pain eases and I let out a relieved sigh.  After about fifteen minutes, I stand and take a step back in the direction I came, when suddenly, a pain rips through my stomach.  I scream out and double over, gripping my stomach.  The sheer amount of pain, instantly causes me to lose the contents of my stomach over the ground.  Before I can catch my breath, another pain comes.  And then another. And another.

“Lacey,” I hear Roam’s heavy boots hitting the gravel as he runs towards me.

“Roam.”  I’m crying by the time he reaches me.  He scoops me up into his arms and puts me in the backseat of the car.  He jumps into the driver’s seat and wheels out of the compound, with the tires screeching and gravel flying.

My waters break as we pull into the emergency bay of the hospital.  I’m quickly taken into a delivery room and forty five minutes later, I give birth to a dark haired baby boy
named Ryder.  Seven minutes after that, his identical twin brother, Tyler, enters the world.

~*~

ROAM

Two years later

I tug at the collar of my white shirt, unfastening yet another button.  I adjust the waist of my jeans and shuffle on the spot.  Sweat drips off my forehead and into my eye.  I swipe it away and breathe out a heavy breath, laden with nerves.  From the corner of my eye, I see Jenn appear at the end of the makeshift aisle.

Fuck, this is it.

The music starts and two identical terrors, sporting Mohawks, and outfits matching my own, race down the aisle with Jenn hot on their heels trying to control them.

“Daddy, momma looks like a princess”
they giggle, when they reach me, their blue eyes shining with delight.

I ruffle their heads and Jenn takes their hands and stands off to the side with them.  Switch nudges my shoulder and he flicks his head.  I follow his gaze and I spot my princess.  Her dark hair is curled and she’s got a pretty little white dress on.  White sandals cover her feet and she sprinkles flower petals from a basket as she comes towards me.  On her wrist, sits the bracelet that Lacey gave her on my behalf.  Around her neck, sits a necklace that I brought her myself.
  I look into her eyes, and I see it.  I see the twinkling that Lacey says she gets from me.  I bend down and kiss her forehead.  “Most beautiful princess I ever saw,” I whisper to her.

Lacey appears after he
r and my breath catches.  I’ve never seen her look more beautiful.  Her dress is long and white.  Tight around her tits and then it flows off her hips.

As s
he walks toward me, her face lights up in a beautiful smile.  I can’t help but grin back at her.  I’ve never felt so fucking happy.

The celebrant stands between us and after declaring our love for each other in front of our friends and family, the man pronounces us husband and wife.  I grab Lacey’s hips and pull her into me, then my hands find her ass at the same time my mouth finds her
s and I kiss her breathless.  A round of applause and cheers fills the air. 

~*~

Lacey

I put the car
in park and climb out.  Carrying the bunch of flowers and the chocolate cupcake, I kneel down in front of my mother’s grave.  I run my hand over her name.  “Happy birthday, mom,” I whisper.  “You probably already know this, but I met a great man and I married him.  He’s rough around the edges, but he’s so sweet and soft on the inside.  He calls me ‘sugar’,” I laugh, “when really, he’s the one he’s who can give a girl a toothache.”  I start to cry.  “He gave me three beautiful babies, mom.  I wish you were here to see them.  You’d be an awesome Gran to them.”

I kiss my fingers and touch them to her name.  “You were wrong mom.  Sometimes running isn’t the only option.  Sometimes fighting to stay is the right thing to do.”

~*~

The End

~*~

If you enjoyed Fighting to Stay, please consider leaving a review.

~*~

Now, keep reading for a sneak peek at Author S.M Donaldson’s upcoming series, Secrets of Savannah.

Secrets of Savannah

This is unedited and is subject to change before publishing
.

Copyright © 2013, SM Donaldson

Secrets
Behind Those Eyes

Prologue

Scarlet

             
How could I be so dumb? I bust my ass to graduate a year early so I can start SCAD in the fall and now I’m sitting here in a holding cell.  He wasn’t worth this.

             
“Scarlet Johnson.  Come on. You’re bein’ released.”

             
I nod, “Yes sir.”

             
Walking out into the front lobby of the police station I see my brother Gable.  “Hey kid.  What in the hell happened?”

             
I hug him, “I’ll fill you in once we’re in the car.”

Once we are in the safety of our car, Gable looks at me.  “Okay so tell me.”

              “Well when we got back from meeting Cade last week I felt like something between Dustin and I was off.”  Cade is our brother that we’ve just met for the first time.

             
“Okay?”

             
“Well this morning I decided to surprise him.  I stopped by our favorite coffee shop to grab us some coffee and bagels.  When I pulled up to his house I noticed an Audi sitting in the drive way, but I thought it was one of his frat brothers or something.  I walked in his apartment and I heard them.  Walking back to his bedroom I shoved the door open and I saw them.”

             
“Who was he with?”  My big brother with the murderous glare on his face.

             
Shaking my head.  “Well there was him, his friend Brandon and my friend Katie.  They were in the middle of some weird shit.  I screamed they looked at me.  That dick Brandon asked me to join in.  Katie started blubbering and telling me she was sorry.  Dustin’s naked ass jumped up and tried to talk to me I shoved him away.  I took off running out the door, he grabbed me from behind.  Then he had the audacity to ask me not to tell anyone.”

             
“Wow that took balls.  That still doesn’t explain how you ended up in jail.”

             
“Well when he asked me that I saw red.  I grabbed some sort of handle.  I think it was from an ax.  I swung it at him until he backed up.  I was just so angry.  So embarrassed. It was like a switch flipped and I lost it.  The first lick to his car was pure accident, but that one felt so good I couldn’t stop.”

             
“Holy Shit little sister.”

             
“Yeah well the neighbors called the cops about all of the screamin’ and car bashin’.  When they got there who were they going to believe?   Me part of the working class society around here or three blue bloods?  Three blue bloods who don’t want their parents or any of the town to find out they were having some kind of weird sex fantasy shit going on.  Oh and that two of the town’s most beautiful blue blooded men have gay tendencies.”

             
“Whoa what?  I thought they were with Katie?”

             
“Yes but Katie was on bottom, Brandon was on top and Dustin was
in the middle
.”  I get grossed out just thinking about it.

             
“Oh shit!”

             
“Look if he’d just came out and told me he’s gay or bi whatever.  We could’ve went our separate ways, but he embarrassed me.  Then to see my best friend involved.  Then not one of them said a word when the police put me in the car.”

             
“So what are you looking at?”

             
“They said probably probation and community service.”

             
“Well that’s good.  I mean I know mom would worry about trying to come up with money.”

             
“Yeah I know.  All I could think about was the fact that they may take my scholarship to SCAD.”

~*~*~

              Looking out the window of the museum my mother works at she demands my attention.  “Look young lady, you should be glad they just gave you probation and community service.  You did enough damage to that car to constitute a felony.”

             
“I know mom.  It’s just.  If everyone knew the truth of why I flipped-.”

             
“You will not tell anyone his business.”

             
“I’m the one being looked at like the crazy ex-girlfriend.”

             
“Young lady I raised you to be compassionate to people.  You couldn’t tell he was confused when you were together.”

             
“No.  How would I know about being confused anyway?”

             
“Well I just assumed since you two had been seeing each other for so long.  I guess I just thought you guys had been having sex.  You know how I feel about sex and all.”

             
“Yes mother I know you are completely casual about sex most of the time.  But no, we never had sex as a matter of fact I’ve never had sex.”

             
Her mom stops in her tracks, “Really?”

             
“Yes mom really.  Oh my God why am I discussing my non-sex life with my mother?”

             
“Hey I’ve always told you sex is an expression with our bodies.  I’m okay with you discovering that.  Well as a mother I would prefer it be someone who you’ve been with awhile.  But the free spirit my parents raised, says go for it.”

             
“Mom jeez. I’m going to do my community service.”

Ryder

             
“Son you are nineteen years old.  It’s time you get some direction in your life.”  My dad spins around.  “And by direction I mean a plan other than living off your inheritance, booze and whores.”

             
I run my hands through my hair in frustration.  “So you’re sayin’ you won’t talk to Judge Griffin about throwing out my community service.  I mean shit I could pay all the fines for probation and shit.  Hell I’ll even pay that old asshole restitution for the damages.”

             
“No son.  You need to pay with your sweat and hard work.  It’s time that you learned money will not get you out of everything in life.  You can’t go around bein’ hotheaded wreckin’ cars and tearin’ other peoples shit up.  Also money isn’t going to be all you need in your life.  Having friends, family, and people you can trust that’s what matters.”

             
“So you keep sayin’.”

             
My dad makes his way across the room putting his finger on my chest.  “Son let me explain something to you.  I loved your momma with every breath I had in me.  I was an incomplete person when she came along.  There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t wish that she was still here and not a day that goes by that I can’t wait to see her again.  But sometimes I can’t help but wonder if she’d be disappointed in me for how I’ve let you turn out.”  He turns walking out of the room.

             
Feeling like the biggest douche bag in the world I make my way out of the house to my community service. 

~*~*~

              Sometimes it’s hard for me to remember my momma.  I was only nine when she died.  So there’s been a lot of shit since then.  Plus those last couple of years she wasn’t herself.  She was sick from the chemo and radiation.  She wasn’t the momma who would take me pond swimming.  He long sandy blond hair had fallen out, she looked frail, but she always tried to put on a smile for me.  She always made me chocolate chip cookies even when the smell of something cooking made her vomit.  I haven’t ate a chocolate chip cookie since then.  The taste, the smell make me nauseous. 

             
I park at the address given to me for my community service.  I’m going to help build a habitat for humanity house.  I figure doing this would be better than scrubbing toilets or picking up trash on the side of the road.  Plus I get more out of it.  I can actually see what I accomplish and I’ll be able to finish up my time sooner than picking up trash every Saturday.

             
I walk up to the big guy with a clip board in his hand.  “Hey I’m Ryder Abbott.  I’m doing some community service here.”

             
He huffs, “Good I’m Gus. I was hoping I’d get some good strong guys.  They sent me that girl over there and I can tell she’s going to be a hard worker.  But the southern man in me says I can’t have her hauling lumber over her shoulder. My granddaddy would roll over in his grave and come back to haunt my old ass.”

             
I push my shades up on my head laughing, “Yeah I can see that.  So where do I start?”

             
“Well go over there where I’ve got Scarlet handing out hard hats and tool belts and she’ll give you the info.”

             
“So little Miss Blondie over there got community service?”

             
“Yep smashed the shit out of some guy’s car or something.  What did you do?”

             
“Um kinda the same.  Except well I smashed up my car doing about 110. Taking out some guy’s barn and a cow.”

             
“Wow it’s a wonder that man didn’t kill you over that cow.  The price these days.”  He walked off shaking his head.

             
I step up to the table where blondie is handing out everything.  “Hey I’m Ryder.  Gus sent me over here to get some information and stuff from you.”  She has her blonde hair up in messy bun.  She wearing ripped up jeans, a white tank top that accents the gorgeous set of tits she’s got and a pair of cheap mirrored sunshades.  Damn she’s fucking hot.

             
“Yeah.  I’m Scarlet nice to meet you.”  She sticks her hand out to shake mine.  I take her tiny hand shaking it.  She smiles.  “So here is your hard hat, your tool belt, a set of daily instructions and the OSHA guidelines.”

             
“So what did a pretty little thing like you do to get community service?”  Giving her my signature
get a girl into bed smile.

             
Pushing her shades up on top of her head and putting her hands on her hips.  “Well I took an ax handle to my ex’s car.  You?”

             
“Me I was stupid racing a car.  So he was stupid enough to dump you?  He deserved it.”

             
“No I dumped him.”

             
Flags fly up in my head.  She’s a crazy ex.  We all have one.  The one you half expect to come home one day with a rabbit boiling on your stove
fatal attraction
kinda crazy.  “So then what exactly did his car do to you?”

             
“Look I’m not going into this.  I’m here to do my time.  I don’t need to deal with another blue blooded, conceited, spoiled rotten, selfish bastard.  So just stay out of my way.”

             
“Hold on sweet tits.  What gives you the right to think you know a fucking thing about me?”

             
“I don’t and I’d like to keep it that way.”

             
I spin around walking away from her. 
Damn. She’s a crazy bitch.  But the crazy ones are always the hottest in bed.  Self- challenge accepted.