Love Through Pain (9 page)

“Serving my country made me a better man
; do you know how it makes me feel knowing I help change the future for some of those people over there? I will never regret serving in the military.”

She smiled. “My father said the same thing. He was so proud when he wore his uniform.”

“He’s in the military?”

“H
e’s a retired Master Chief.”

“My kind of guy
.” Javier smiled, exposing his perfect smile. “So you know how this life goes.”

“Yep, I know. This baby is going to be a military brat like me.”

Javier chuckled, and then stopped, gawking at her. She felt uncomfortable under his scrutiny; his eyes turned dark, burning into her soul. Javier was making Jazmine nervous, and she didn’t like the feelings he was invoking in her. She cleared her throat and broke their connection.

“Are you going to read to him tonight?”
She stared back at him.

“Yes, why would you ask?”

“It’s almost ten.” She pushed herself up from the table, grabbing her plate and cup.

“If you’re tired, I can skip tonight
.” He stared at her, getting up too and picking up his plate.

She couldn’t get the words out fast enough. “No. I want you to read to him.”

He grabbed her plate and cup. “Go get ready. I’ll wash the dishes.”

He kissed her cheek, and
then walked toward the kitchen.

*
**

Jazmine was on the bed rubbing cocoa butter on her stomach
; she’d gotten big in the last two months. She looked up when he entered, and she was about to cover her belly with her T-shirt.

He wandered in
to her room. “Don’t.” He ogled her round belly, sitting on the edge of the bed next to her.

Jazmine moved over to the middle of the mattress
, and he slid next to her. “May I?” He grabbed the lotion.

He squeezed a little on her belly and rubbed it on, making the baby flutter. Jazmine started laughing.

“Stop, you’re tickling me.” She pulled down her shirt.

He grabbed the book off
of the nightstand, opening it.

“That book again?” Jazmine
chuckled softly.

He placed his hand
back on her belly, feeling a kick. “See, he likes it.”

“If you say so
…” She giggled. “Maybe he’s telling you, please dad, stop. I hate little pigs.” Her laughter made him giddy.

“Dad…”
His fingers, continued to rub her stomach.

She stopped laughing. “Isn’t that what you
’re going to be to him?”

“Yes, it’s the first time you’ve called me his dad
—it just sounds…”

She arched her eyebrow. “Huh
?”

“Nothing
.” he laid on his side, putting his finger to his lips. “Be quiet so I can read to my son.”

He placed his hand around her waist, pulling her closer to him and began reading.

~~~

Jazmine was reading her reports on her gadget when she noticed Javier had stopped reading or even speaking. She took off her glasses and placed the device down. She glanced down
, and he was asleep on her lap with his arms around her waist.

She couldn’t help the smile that crossed her lips. This man
was amazing. She was getting use to his bedtime stories. It was one of the highlights of her day. Jazmine fingered his hair, dozing off too.

They woke up in each other’s arms
; she hadn’t felt when Javier moved up next to her and wrapped his strong large arms around her. She gazed up at him as his eyes fluttered open. As soon as he noticed where he was, his arms released her, and he couldn’t raise up fast enough.

“Jazz, I’m sorry.” He rushed out
of the bed. “I was really tired last night.”

She always slept better when he was nearby. He’d become her safety net.  “It’s okay
.” She smiled, trying to play off her disappointment.

“I have twenty
-four hour duty today, if you need me, call my office.” He handed her a piece of paper, walking into the bathroom.

Chapter Twelve

Javier’s house phone rang, and Jazmine glanced at the caller ID. She read Javier’s name, but it wasn’t his number. She was a little confused, but
she decided to answer it. She picked it up, pushing the ON button. “Hello.”

“Who’s this?” a female asked.

“Jazmine,” she answered with a touch of attitude.

“Oh
, hi, Jazmine,” the woman said.

She knew her name. Who the heck was this?
She heard a hint of surprise in her tone.

“I didn’t know you and my brother…”
It was Javier’s sister. She remembered him telling her he had a sister and a brother.

“It’s nothing like that.” Jazmine hastily corrected her.

“Is my brother there?”

“No, but is there anything I can help you with?”

“I just need to talk to him. He always understands.” Jazmine could hear Lucy sniffling, as though she was crying, and her voice sounded rattled.

“What’s wrong?”
She was concerned.

“I’ll just wait until he comes home
, or call his cell.”

“He has twenty-four hour duty. You can talk to me.”

“I’ve been having an little issue at school, and I just needed his advice.”

“I’m not Javier
, but I’ve been told I’m a good listener, and my job consists of giving advice.”

She heard her take a deep breath. “There is a girl at my school who won’t leave me alone.”

“What does she do?”

“Please don’t tell my mom
; she’ll just blow it out of proportion and embarrass me.”

“Lucy, I can’t promise that. If it’s something really serious
, she needs to know, or at least your brother.” Jazmine sat on the couch.

“You can tell my brother. She’s pushing me around, calling me names, and sometimes even takes my money.”

“Have you told your teacher, or your counselor?”

“I don’t want her to think I’m a punk, or a snitch
,” she said in a high-pitched voice.

“I would prefer to be a punk any day, if it keeps me safe.”

“You see, Javier would tell me to man up and take action.”

“Well
, he would be wrong. Sometimes you can solve a problem without violence.” Jazmine started looking for something she could write on; she opened the little drawer on the side table and found a notepad and pen.

“How?”

“There’s plenty of ways. How long has this been going on?”

“About a month. She seeks me out in the mornings.” Lucy sighed. “I’m getting tired of her, and people laugh at me.”

“What’s the name of your school?”

“Jefferson
High School.”

Jazmine scribbled it down on the piece of paper. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“You’re coming here?”

“My job requires that I be in your area tomorrow. I’ll be handling a focus group
.” She placed the paper down.  “I can promise you, I won’t embarrass you.”

“Jazmine
, you’re awesome. Thanks for listening.”

Lucy hung up
, and Jazmine sat there planning exactly what she would do.

***

Jazmine was a morning person; as soon as her alarm went off, she always hopped out of bed without hitting the snooze button. She never experienced morning sickness—that’s why she didn’t know she’d been pregnant all those months, or she just denied it, but it had been a blessing, because no one around her noticed her pregnancy.

She hit the road bright and early. She was now parked at the corner by Lucy’s school.

She observed the kids walking by, and then spotted Lucy. Three girls trailed right behind her.

They pushed her and started laughing at her.

Jazmine lifted her phone and began recording what the girls were doing to Lucy. She’d had enough when the bigger Hispanic girl grabbed her book bag and emptied her contents on the sidewalk.

She stepped out
of her truck.

Lucy was hunched over
, picking up her things, and when she stood, the black girl pushed her back to the concrete.

“I dare you to touch her again
.” Jazmine voice was stern, as she marched up to them.

The girls turned
, staring at her, and she noticed Lucy watching her protruding belly.

“Who the fuck are you?” the bigger girl asked.

“I’m a bystander who saw you bulling this girl.” She pointed at Lucy.

“What’s it to you?”
the other girl added.

She lifted her phone in the air, and
then pressed play, letting the girls see the video. “If I catch you bullying her, or any other kid, I will send this video to the cops; as you know, they don’t play when it comes to your type of behavior.”

The leader of the group looked a bit nervous. “We don’t want any problems.”

“You need to apologize to her, and give her back her stuff. Now!”

The girl stretched her hand out
, handing Lucy her things. “Sorry for pushing you.”

Jazmine taped the apology. “Just in case, I also have a video of the apology. I bet that would make a good
You Tube video. If I hear you did anything to her, I’ll have no problem posting it.”

The girls rolled their eyes, and strolled away.

Lucy waited until the girls were out of sight, and then rushed over to Jazmine, giving her a huge bear hug. At first it startled her, and then after a few seconds, she accepted her embrace.

“Thank you
.” She had a big smile on her face. “I guess you were right. Did you see their faces?”

“I told you
. Sometimes you can solve issues without violence.”

She touched Jazmine’s stomach. “I didn’t know you were pregnant.”

“Yep.” She tapped her belly. “I’ll pick you up after school.” She wanted the girls to see her giving Lucy a ride, that way they’d know she wasn’t kidding.

“Okay.” Lucy grabbed her bag. “Can I stay with you guys this weekend?”

“If your mom says it’s okay.”

“She will. Bye Jazmine
,” she said after hearing the school bell.

Chapter Thirteen

The sound of rushing water alerted Jazmine she wasn’t alone as she stepped into her bedroom and closed the door. She took small strides to the bed. The driving
had finally gotten to her. She sat down heavily on the edge of the bed, preparing to take off her heels, when the bathroom door swung open, and Javier strolled out.

Her jaw dropped open
; he was completely naked, vigorously rubbing his hair with a towel. He hadn’t noticed she was there.

Jazmine took the time to observe his
well defined, athletic, ripped body. She found herself in awe, gawking at Javier. He was deeply tanned. Damn, she bit her lower lip, and then continued her visual assault down his neck, biceps, and then triceps. He had a colorful tattoo right above his heart of a Puerto Rican and an American flag, crossed in front of an Anchor. Javier’s washboard abs dipped into a V, but he wasn’t overly muscular; he was built just the way she liked her men. She continued her downward perusal. His cock looked like it could provide a hella-sexy workout.

Her lips
became dry as she stared at his gorgeous dick. It jerked. She felt a tingle in her core, and a tiny moaned escaped her mouth, he wasn’t even hard. She continued gawking at his body; his legs were toned, and he had nice toes for a man. Jazmine’s chuckle was soft as she thought about the way her body was reacting to his. She needed a fan, and she blew out a breath.

When her
gaze traveled back up his torso to his face, Javier was staring back at her with a smirk.

His lopside
d smile made her nipples harder
.

“You like what you see?”
he rasped.

She felt her face burning with embarrassment. “Oh my God
, Javier, cover yourself!” Jazmine covered her eyes with her hands, making him chuckle.

“Don’t you think it’s too late for that?”
He placed the towel around his waist as she peaked in-between her fingers.

She dropped her hands to
the side and gazed at him, feeling her heart race. Hoping he couldn’t see what he was doing to her, she tried to get her body in check. If she didn’t calm down, she might have a heart attack. Jazmine tugged on her shirt so he couldn’t see her harden nipples.

Javier just stood there
, watching her with his piercing eyes.

He took two steps closer to her. Jazmine knew if he took another step
, she would jump him. He would think she was crazy, because she would literally devour him. She’d never been this horny before. He was starting to get to her, and she had her hormones to thank for that.

“Your sister’s here.”

He swiveled his head between the door and her. “What?” He rushed to the bathroom, closing the door behind him. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” he yelled through the barrier. After a few minutes, he came out in sweatpants and a T-shirt.

Jazmine chuckl
ed. The look on his face when she’d mentioned that his sister was in the other room—priceless.

“Not funny
.” He combed his hair with his fingers.

“You shouldn’t be stepping
out of the bathroom naked.” Jazmine rolled her head in a joking manner.

His smile wavered
. Stalking to the door, he placed his hand on the knob. “I didn’t know you were home, or I would’ve never insulted you that way,” he said without looking at her.

Javier must have taken her seriously.

“Javy…” She watched as he placed his forehead on the door.

“Jazmine
, I apologize.” His voice was barely above a whisper.

She pushed herself
up with her hands and strolled over to him. Slowly she ran her hand across his shoulders. “Please, look at me.”

He took a deep breath, and
then turned around, gazing down at her.

She cupped his face. “I was just kidding
; you in no way or form have ever disrespected me. In a way,” she giggled, “you made my day.”

His full lips curled into a smile, and his large hand caressed the side of her neck. He gazed at her
mouth as she licked her bottom lip. Javier pulled her closer and bent his head.

“Javier!”
his sister shouted.

They stared at each other, and he released his hold on her
, and for some odd reason she felt disappointed.

“Ya voy
!” he yelled back, breaking their connection.

Jazmine moved out
of the way so he could leave the room. “She’s waiting for you to eat with her. I stopped and picked up some food on the way in.”

He opened the door. “Thank you. Aren’t you going to join us?”

“I’m really tired.” She yawned, now walking to the bed.

“Get some rest then.” His eyes never left her face. “I’ll check up on you later
.” He eased the door open and moved around it. The door was shut with a quiet
click
.

She sat on the bed, moved back
, and lay in the middle of the mattress, touching her belly. Why was her body betraying her? This arrangement was about the baby; once the baby was born, she would never see either one of them again—and that thought made her sad.

***

Javier sat at the table eating with his sister. She told him what happened, and how Jazmine had helped her.
What was she thinking going down there by herself? She could’ve been hurt,
he thought.

“Why didn’t you call my cell?”
He looked at his sister while he opened his burger box.

“I was, but Jazmine listened to me.” Lucy took a bite of her nugget.

“She’s pregnant, what if something would’ve happened?” He put down his sandwich.

She stared at him with big gray eyes. “I didn’t now she was pregnant, or that she was living with you.” She munched on a fry
. “She insisted, and nothing happened, Javy, she’s fine. She taught me that there are other ways to solve problems, besides using your fists.”

Javier smiled. “Well I guess it’s better you spoke to her before me, because my answer would’ve been completely different.”

As his sister kept talking, all he could think about was the way Jazmine’s eyes sparkled when she’d inspected his body. He’d noticed her as soon as he finished drying his hair. He thought she would’ve detected that he’d been staring back at her when his cock jerked, but instead, she’d licked her lips. Fuck, he needed to get laid.

“Javy, did you hear me?” Lucy asked.

“What you say?” He shook his head, paying full attention to his sister.

“Jazmine told me you
’re adopting her baby, that’s so sweet.” She grinned.

“What else did she say?”
he asked curious.

“Nothing much
, she just said she couldn’t care for the baby, and you offered to raise him.” She continued eating.

“What do you think of what she’s doing?”
Curious to hear what his little sister thought about the situation.

“I think it’s wonderful.” Lucy grabbed her drink.

“For real?” He leaned forward on the table.

“Yes, she’s giving this baby a chance. She could’ve killed him, or even given birth
, and then thrown him in a dumpster, like I’ve seen on the news. She’s doing what’s best for her baby.” She took a drink. “She’s a good person, she’s just not ready to be a mom.”

He stared at his sister. “When did you get so wise?”

“When you weren’t looking.” She giggled. “I’m fifteen, I’m not a kid anymore.”

“I’m proud of you
, Lucy. You’ve kept up your grades, and you’re a good kid.” He grabbed her hand.

“Thanks.” Her mouth opened like she wanted to say something, but she closed it. And watched him.

“Say what’s on your mind.”

“Why don’t both of you raise him?”

He was surprised by her question. If only she knew the truth. “What you mean?”

“I mean
, I can tell you like each other. She’s a very nice lady. I know the baby isn’t yours, but that doesn’t matter. Dad raised Jose like he was his own, and he loves mom.”

“Lucy, we don’t have that kind of relationship
. She’s just living here because of the baby.”

“Why don’t you have
that kind
of relationship with her?”

He arched his eyebrow.

“You like each other, but this baby is keeping you apart when it could bring you together.” She threw the wrapper to her food in a paper bag.

“I thought you liked Monica.”

“I didn’t have a choice, she’s like family. Oh, before I forget, they’re having a family dinner. When you take me back, Monica and her family will be there,” she said, standing up. “You haven’t been home in almost three months, Jose will also be there.”

“
Que beno!” he raised his voice.

“Yep, dad convinced him to come to dinner
.” She walked into the kitchen, and he followed her. “Where am I sleeping?”

He threw his box in
to the trash. “I guess with Jazmine.”

His sister crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t think so. I want to watch my novelas
, and I don’t want to bother her.
You
sleep with her.” She wiggled her full eyebrows and left the kitchen.

***

Javier gently knocked on the bedroom door, but there was no answer, so he slowly opened it, stepped in, and shut the door behind him.

“Jazz…” He strolled over to her sleeping form.

He turned on the lamp on the nightstand and smiled, Jazmine looked so peaceful. She didn’t know, but when she was asleep, she always held a protective hand over her belly.

“Hey little man, I didn’t forget about reading to you.” He touched her belly with his finger and felt a thump.

He dragged the computer chair next to the bed, and sat. Javier picked up the child’s book, and opened it.

“In a land far, far away lived three…”
He didn’t get to continue, because Jazmine began snickering as her eyes fluttered open.

Javier closed the book
. “What now?”

“Please get another book.” She pouted her lips.  “I’ve already memorized that damn thing.”

His chuckle came out deep. “I’m not reading to you.”

“Well
, when you annoy me, you’re annoying him too.” She pushed herself up onto her elbows.

“Now
, I’m bothering you.” The side of his mouth curled.

“Not you, that freaking book is.” Jazmine picked it up and threw it.

He watched as it landed on the floor, and then stared at her. “What was that about?”

“Just having a moment.” She sighed and
lay back down on her left side, her back was now turned to him. “I miss my life,” she murmured.

Javier pushed himself out
of the chair, and then got on the bed behind her. “I know how you feel.” He pushed a strand of hair out of her face. “When I’m away from my family, it’s sometimes difficult, but the people around me became my support system. Being away on a ship, or even on land, can get lonely.” He thought about those days; he wasn’t going tell her, but he’d gotten used to being alone, until she’d appeared in his life. Monica couldn’t stay in his house more than one night without him wanting her to leave.

“But I’m here
,” he whispered next to her ear. Javier could feel goose bumps on her skin, and he caressed her arm.

Her whimper, gave
him the idea she was crying. Her body trembled, and she was wiping her face with the sheets.

“Have you called your family and friends lately?”

“Yes, I spoke to them today,” she answered in-between sobs.

He la
y down and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “Is everything good?”

“Yes, they think I’m
away on business. I just miss everything.” She placed her hands over his. “Your sister is sweet.”

“She is.” Now he understood what was going on. The time she spent with his sister made her miss home more. “Do you have siblings?”

“I have two sisters and a brother. I’m the youngest.”

“
What are their names?”

“Janice, Michael
, and Jewel.”

“Interesting
, all the girls’ names start with a J.” He continued to rub her fingers. “Are you close?”

“Yes, but Jewel and me are closer in age.”

“Your parents?”

She caressed his hands. “My mother is a diva, continuously asking me to get married
and have babies.” She rubbed her stomach with her other hand. “If she only knew. I’m a daddy’s girl, my dad is sweet and gentle. Since he retired he has a lot of time on his hands. He’s a deacon in the church, and he always finds the good in everything.”