Possessive Mate

44

Maize's pov

It's quite between Derek and I as we ride up the elevator to my apartment. It feels like forever ago since I came back here the first night without him. Now months later it's feels almost foreign as he rides up with me, like I need to guard this from him. I fidget with the sleeves of spikes leather jacket nervously as I watch the red numbers climb.

11,12,13,14.........

It finally stops at floor 15 and the doors slide opened. I go ahead Derek following silently behind me, we havent spoken a word since we left the diner. Spike assured me he would come for moral support but I decided it would probably be better just the two of us.

I fumbled with my keys to unlock the door and walk into the apartment, kicking my shoes off to the side and setting my bag on the counter.

"You can take it off now." Derek murmurs staring at the leather jacket. I nod before awkwardly shrugging it off along side my bag, his gaze still burning through it.  "I just wore it to try and hide it more. That's all." I assure him trying to ease some of his discomfort. he nods then glances around the apartment.

I've changed a lot of the decor after we broke up, if you would even call it that. I needed a fresh start and it seemed like every piece of furniture held a tainted memory. I walk into the kitchen to get a glass of water leaving Derek in the living room.

"What's that?" He asks staring at my face I turn around slightly confused as to what he was referring to. "The thing on your nose." He adds pointing to my nose ring that I nearly forgot about.

"Oh yeah, I got it pierced a few weeks ago." I let out a light laugh remembering back to the night me and Shelly spontaneously decided to pierce our bodies. I decided not to tell him about the tattoo I got as and to save it for another time.  I fiddle with the hoop ring as he stares at it another moment longer before nodding.  "It's different." He says lowly and I'm not quite sure how to take that. "In a good way." He adds with a slight grin.

Silence falls over us again and neither of us know how to handle it. I expected to be bombarded with questions but we both don't know how to act around one another.

His eyes land on the white dish that holds miscellaneous items, my engagement ring being the one he's fixated on.
"I need to use the bathroom." He speaks up after a few moments I give him a slight nod as I watch him walk down the hall towards the bathroom.

I let out a breath I didn't even notice I was holding until now. I grip the sides of the counter top swaying slightly back and fourth. "How you doing down there little?" I whisper down to my bump. I've found it oddly comforting talking to the baby like this.

"Maize!" I hear Derek shout from down the hall  startling me making hold my stomach instinctively. My anxiety builds as I realize why he is upset.

I walk in the baby pink room that holds a crib and tiny bookshelves lining the wall holding tiny books.
Derek turns to me gripping the grey bunny in his giant hand.

"What the hell is this?" He yells looking around the room his face holding the same heart wrenching look as earlier.

"Stop yelling." I tell him softly grabbing the stuffed animal from his hand and placing it back into the crib alongside the fluffy pink blanket. "Stop yelling? Are fucking serious?" He spits out rubbing his face in pure frustration. 

"How dare you." He starts barely above a whisper "You kept this all from me! You decided it was okay to tell my best friend but not me the father. You found out the gender with out me. We are having a daughter and you still didn't think to even mention it to me." His glare is burning through me making me feel so small. "You put together a whole room and still i wasn't even a  thought. Maize how dare you!" He clenches his fist and before I can think it through I'm jumping in front of him.

"Stop stop not the wall." I plead pressing my hands against his heaving chest. He puffs out hot breaths trying to regain his temper. "I just painted them it took forever." I keep talking as he looks down at me confusion covering his face replacing the anger. He turns his back to me as he takes in the rest of the room.

"I'm so sorry." I whisper guilt rushing in "I thought about telling you every single day Derek I swear I did. We had just broken up when I found out and I didn't know if you would be happy." I tell him honestly and out of breath, tears brimming. He turns to me a look covering his face that I cant quite make out.

"How could I not be happy?" He shakes his head before wiping his tear filled eyes and walking towards me. "This is all I've ever wanted Maize. How could I not have been thrilled? Since the moment I laid my eyes on you, you became my future. That's all I could see. The love of my life carrying our daughter, that's the dream."