Devil's Backbone (Muke)

22

"We need to talk," I tell Michael as soon as I walk in the front door.

When I came in, he was laying sprawled on the couch. When I said that, however, he sat right up.

I set my two bags on the coffee table and sit down on the couch. We have each other and I take a deep breath. This is a scary and difficult conversation.

"Is everything okay?" He asks me.

I shrug.

"I don't know, if I'm being honest."

He frowns and scoots closer to me.

"What's going on?" He asks.

I adjust my position. How can I mention anything Calum and I talked about without sounding demanding, nosy, or untrusting?

"Do you have any debts? At your... job or whatever?" I blurt.

He furrows his eyebrows and shakes his head.

"No, honey. Why?" He responds.

I ignore his question and ask another of my own.

"Does anyone hate you? Have a grudge against you, anything?" I demand.

When I think of the possibility of my baby being at risk, it isn't hard to demand answers. This child already means everything to me. I will not allow anything to hurt them or endanger them, no matter what.

"No. Luke, why are you asking?"

I sigh and look down at my lap.

"I need to make sure that our kid is safe. We can't have anybody showing up hurting them or threatening them. I can't have you die or anything," I state. Tears form in my eyes and I try to blink them away. It doesn't work, and they spill out.

Why am I crying?

"Luke, look at me," he says.

I sniffle and look up at him, my eyes meeting him.

"What?" I breathe.

"You and this baby mean everything to me. I would never do anything to put either of you in danger," he says.

I sigh and look at him for a few seconds. More questions pop into my head.

"What about you? I don't want you to get hurt," I mention.

He laughs. "I'll be fine. I'm not dumb enough to put myself in danger. Not with anyone incredible fiance waiting for me at home and a baby on the way."

I kiss his soft lips.

"Are you sure? I'm really worried about all of this."

He kisses me again, this one lasting a little bit longer. When he pulls away, he kisses my jaw.

"I am one hundred percent certain."

I nod and kiss him again.

His lips trail to my neck and his cold hands work their way under my shirt, grabbing my hips.

"Mike," I mumble. He kisses me again and pulls my shirt over my head.

After I connect our lips once again, he pulls my body against his. He slips his tongue into my mouth and lays down, pulling me down with him. I straddle his hips and start moving against him.

"I love you so much," he sighs.

"I love you more," I say, eager for his touch.

An hour and a half later, we finish getting ready to go to dinner. He's taking me to a restaurant that's thirty minutes away. There are multiple places that are closer, but this one is a favorite of ours and is more than worth it.

I spray on a little perfume, put on shoes, and grab my phone and wallet. We leave a few minutes later.

"I was wondering," I mention as we exit the driveway. "do you want a boy or a girl?"

He thinks about it for probably five minutes. When he decides, he looks at me for a second.

"A boy. I'll still be happy if it's a girl, but a large part of me really wants a son," he tells me.

I nod.

"What about you?" He asks me.

"I don't care either way. I'm just excited to finally be having a baby."

"I get that. Have you considered any names or anything?" He wonders.

I shrug.

"I've been thinking, but haven't thought of any that I particularly like. We said we'd use Ariel if it's a girl, but I don't know about a middle name. Or a boy name," I respond.

He purses his lips and thinks over what I've said.

"We'll figure it out, honey. There's plenty of time."

I nod in agreement, looking out the window. How will we even choose a name? There are so many that I adore. Good thing Michael has to help me pick.

He's right, though. We've got plenty of time.