A few weeks later, I look down at my phone at the message from Carly and Colin, in our secret group chat to plan things where I can see Nova.
It's been alright. It's hard, trying to find time between work and her tight schedule. Most of the time, when Wesley works overnight, Nova goes over to Colin's house and spends the night there. I normally come over and pick her up, or spend the night there with them.
Now, we are trying to plan a day with everyone to spend some time together, like the good ole days. Anna, Jax's fiancée, works today, so we are planning to have a beach day.
Carly: Around what time?
Colin: Nova just said yes. She will be by our house around noon.
Me: We can go then I guess. I'm on the beach so it'll only take me a few seconds to get there
Carly: Okay, that's good. Should we meet you and Jax at your hotel?
Me: Yeah that sounds fine. See you guys soon.
I move to the side of the room, placing my phone on the bedside table and moving into the bathroom. Entering the bathroom, I grab a black tank top and some swim trunks.
I grab my phone and my keys and walk out into the elevator. I ride it down and step out, walking towards my car.
Pulling out of the parking garage under the hotel, I roll the windows down and drive down the street towards the liquor store. I know Jax will drink, probably Carly and Colin too. Greg never drank that much but he might want something.
In the parking lot, I make sure to park far away from the other cars. Walking inside, the smell of axe body spray and incense. Hopefully no one here knows me.
Keeping my head down and my hands in my pockets, I walk towards the back of the store and get a 24 pack of Bud Light. I carry that to the front, where I get an airplane bottle for both Jax and I.
"This all for today?" The old scruffy man says. He looks up and smiles.
"My daughter would never believe this." He says astounded. I laugh and place my things onto the counter.
"You're Dustin Clark, aren't you?"
"Yes sir I am." I mumble, reaching for my wallet in my back pocket.
"Can I please get an autograph for my daughter. She watches your movies all of the time." Inside, my hate for being famous takes over. I cant go to a fucking store without being recognized or harrased or being photographed.
"Sure." He hands me a bottle of whiskey and a sharpie. I scribble my name onto the glass bottle and hand it back to him.
"Thank you." He says. I place a twenty on the counter.
"Keep the change." I tell the man before walking out of the store.
As I'm sliding into the driver's seat of the car, my phone buzzes.
Jax: We still on for today?
Me: yeah, at the liquor store now.
Jax: Okay. Who's all gonna show up?
Me: Carly, Colin, Greg, Nova and her son, me and you and the girls.
Jax: Aight see you in a little bit
Me: yep
I put my phone into the cup holder beside me and pulled out of the parking space, turning onto the main road.
Realizing there are going to be children there, I need beach toys for them. And I don't have a hat or bodyguards. I can't go into the store.
I reach for my phone again and find the number I didn't want to call today. I know she's going to force herself into the situation. I press the dial and listen to the sound of the phone ringing.
"Hello Dustin." Dakota says on the other end.
"Are you at home?" I ask.
"Yes, why? What did you do?" I roll my eyes. When did she become so much more mature than me?
"I need a favor."
"Bail out of jail? Drug money? Hiding a body? Wait!" She giggles and then speaks again. "Relationship advice isn't it?"
"No, wait, what?" As confused as I am, she continues to talk.
"How have things been going with that? I haven't talked to you in a while. How is..." I cut her off.
"Kota, shut up and listen for fucks sake." I groan.
"Fine, I guess we can't talk about this lover of yours." She mumbles.
"Do we still have those beach toys? And how many towels and beach chairs do we have?"
"What's going on?" She questions.
"Nothing."
"Then you get nothing."
"Fine," I pause and run my hand through my hair. "Nova and everyone are coming to the beach and we are going to hang out there." I explained to her. She stays silent.
"Now, can you tell me how many chairs? And if we still have the toys?"
"Yeah as soon as you say I can go." Dakota says in a cocky tone. I roll my eyes. I can't ever deal with her.
"No." I strictly speak into the speaker.
"Dustin pleaseee," she whines. "I'll be sweet I promise! I won't bother you at all. Just please save me from mom and dad."
"You have a car, you know you can just leave right?"
"Stop telling me what I can do. I'm coming today. See you in a few minutes." Without the chance to argue, she hangs up.
I drive into my parking deck and park the car in my assigned spot. I look to the side where Kevin normally parks. His car is gone. I wonder where he went.
My phone buzzes again, and sigh when I look at the phone to see who the caller is.
"Hello?" I mumble.
"Dustin! Hi! What are you doing today" Bella's voice rings.
"Stuff." I lock my car and start to walk towards the elevator.
"Oh come on. You're gonna be that stubborn?" She asks, clicking her tongue.
"If you must know, I'm going to spend time with some friends at the beach. My time here, I haven't been able to explore it enough."
"Oh okay. That sounds like fun. Would you like to get some lunch with me tomorrow? Before work?" She asks kindly.
"Um..." I ponder on the idea. Normally before work, or on my lunch break, I go to Nova's work and spend time with her on the back patio. Thankfully, Ms. Johnson is normally gone at lunch so Nova can run the store. I just don't want Ms. Johnson knowing I'm with Nova.
"Come on, you can't say no." She urges. I sigh.
"See you tomorrow." She coos, hanging up, before I can even make my own decision.
A few minutes later, the elevator door in my penthouse dings. I stand in front of the refrigerator and grab the grapes, strawberries, and blueberries out and sit them on the counter behind me. I hear shoes shuffling down the hallway.
"Hello brother." Dakota says, placing the bag of beach toys and chairs onto the ground beside the island.
"Welcome." She turns around, admiring the space.
"Wow, rich and famous got you places." She snickers.
"You're rich and famous too." I remind her. She turns towards me and beams her million dollar smile.
"Yes, though I am disappointed that there are no portraits of me in here." She frowns.
I place all of the fruit in the cooler and fill it with ice. I stuff a few more things into the cooler, such as snacks and drinks for the kids.
"Grand tour?" Dakota questions, not even bothering to wait on me. She leaves the entryway of the kitchen, walking back down the long hallway. I follow her.
"Bedroom, I assume?" Before I can stop her, the door swings open and reveals the destroyed bed, which I still haven't gotten around to fixing. I've mainly been sleeping on the couch because when I come home, normally, I'm exhausted from work.
"Dustin..." Dakota gasps, turning around with her mouth gaping open.
"It's..." She cuts me off.
"I mean, I knew you were a freak. I didn't know you were breaking the bed kind of freak." She grins and walks father in the room.
"It's not...Uh..." I'm at a loss for words as I stand in front of the bed, remembering Nova's naked body under mine.
"Nova likes it rough doesn't she?" Dakota shrugs her shoulders. "I dig it."
"Shut up." I groan, covering my face with my hands. She laughs and pats me on the back, leaving the room.
My phone rings and I reach to grab it from my back pocket.
"Hello?" I say into the speaker.
"Get your ass down here. Carly, Colin, Greg, the kids, and I are all waiting for your slow ass to get down here." Jax groans into the phone.
"Nova isn't here yet?" I question, instantly getting worried.
"Stop fronting. She just texted Carly saying she was running late. Now hurry up."
He hangs up and I tell Dakota that we are going down to the beach now. She grabs the bag full of beach toys and a few chairs. I grab the cooler and the rest of the chairs that she brought up and we walk into the elevator, going down to the beach.
"Wassup fucker?" Jax says immediately when we get down to the lobby. Aspen and Ren turn around and run up to me, latching their arms around my waist.
"Nothin much. Hey girls." I lean down and pat their heads. Carly smiles at Dakota and flips me off, a normal hello from her.
"Nova told us she's running late. God knows why." Colin expresses, rolling his eyes. Dakota leans over, looking at Colin. He doesn't seem to notice her.
"Colin?" She says sweetly. Colin moves his body into view to see Kota.
"Dakota Clark. Long time no see." They embrace each other into a warm hug.
"Shall we head down there and set up?" I ask the group. They all nod and open the door to the beach access.
We walk down to the beach, following the sprinting children. Colin and Dakota linger behind me, laughing and catching up on life. Jax, as normal, stares at Carly like eye candy as she talks to her brother in law.
Finding a clear spot on the beach, we sit down the chairs and the beach toys. I sit the cooler beside the beach bag and go help Jax with the umbrella that he brought.
"Hey!" I hear Carly yell. Dropping what I was doing, I turn around and spot my beautiful girl walking towards me, her and Elijah holding hands. My heart flutters as if I'm having first date jitters again.
Letting my feelings take over, I move away from the umbrella all together and start sprinting up the beach towards her.
Approaching her, her face twists with pain as she notices me running to her. Elijah, by her side, pulling her down the beach. Finally she drops his hands and allows him to run.
"Hey." I say loud enough for her to hear. She shoots me a glance, and I instantly feel warned. What's wrong? Somethings definitely wrong with her.
When her death stare doesn't fall from her face, I back away and walk back down the beach to assist Jax with the umbrella.
"What the hell's wrong with her?" Jax asks.
"I don't know..." I speak, mumbling.
"Hey boo." Colin says, looking at Nova. He must notice too, because she frowns.
"Nova, what's wrong?" Carly asks, moving away from Greg and turning towards her.
I stand up, and so does Jax, when Nova's head turns towards the sand dunes. Carly sneers and Colin looks ever so disappointed. Nova, well Nova looks broken.
Looking behind me, I stare at the large man making his way down the beach towards us. A scruffy beard, large torso and arms, greasy hair, and a wife beater on. I instantly know who it is.
"Nova?" I whisper in an angered tone. She turns my direction, bowing her head down.
"Don't say anything. You don't know me, okay? Don't get upset and don't start anything." I roll my eyes and she looks up. She looks terrified.
"Please." She begs. I nod my head as she turns away from me, staring at the man walking towards us.
"Give me a hand, Nova." Wesley says. She walks over to him submissively and takes the bag from his hand.
"Get me a beer please." He orders, grabbing a chair and stretching it out. "Hey everyone, I'm Wesley, Nova's husband." He makes sure to point out. Anger boils in my veins.
Nova moves over to the cooler, bending over and opening it, grabbing one of the Bud Lights. She smiles at her husband and places the beer in his hands.
Carly snatches the sunscreen from the bag, already angered by Wesley's presence. She walks down the beach towards the kids in the water.
"Wesley, this is Carly's friend Jax and..." Colin says, but then Dakota steps in front of him.
"Hey, I'm Colin's friend, and the guy over there with Jax is my brother. It's nice to meet you." She extends her hand to him. He takes it and shakes. My eyes look up and meets Nova's for a hot second. I feel Wesley staring at me.
"And what's your name?" His gravelly voice says. I turn my attention towards him when Nova bows her head.
"Dustin." I say it strongly. He nods and takes a sip of his beer.
"I'm gonna go help Carly with Elijah." Nova says calmly, looking at her bastard of a husband and smiling.
"Okay baby." He says, turning towards Dakota to start a conversation. It's apparent he finds my sister attractive. I can't figure out if it's more unsettling that my girl's husband is prowling on my baby sister, or if it's the fact that my girl is married to a pervert.
"Dustin, can you go take care of Ren and Aspen please." Jax says, giving me a small smile. He senses my tension already. If I could sock Wesley in the face right now, I would.
He's ruined Nova. Broken the strong, badass girl I used to know. She was always strong with her dad, fought against him even. She stood up to him and she held her ground. How did this son of a bitch change that about her?
"Yeah I will." I stand up and Wesley watches me as I start to walk towards the beach.
"What are you doing pretty boy?" He asks. I grimace in rage as I turn around to face him.
"I'm going to play with my nieces, do you have a problem?" I growl. He takes another sip of alcohol as Dakota shoots me a look. Is she trying to distract him away from Nova and I?
"I'm sure my wife and Carly have the kids. That's a female's job anyways. Sit down, have a beer." He says, pointing to a chair.
"Thanks, but no thanks. The women shouldn't have to do all the work." I force a smile and turn my back on everyone else and walk down the beach.
"Dustin's coming." I hear Carly murmur as soon as she looks up. Elijah stares up at me, a huge smile.
"Hey..." Nova cuts him off.
"Daddy can hear you, remember? We can't tell daddy about Dustin." Nova assures the small child. He frowns.
"Sorry mama. Hey Dustin." He now whispers. I wave at him and wave Ren and Aspen over.
"Why are you down here?" Nova asks quietly, grabbing another bottle of sunscreen for the girls.
"Because Jax asked me to take care of the girls. Why is he here, Nova?"
"He took off work to spend the day with us. He knew we were going to the beach so he wanted to intrude. I'm so sorry." She mutters, her voice cracking with pain.
"It's fine, don't worry about it Nova." I say, trying to comfort her.
"I want to kiss you." She whispers, I take Ren into my arms as Nova takes Aspen into her grasp. We rub the lotion on the kids.
"And you will. Later, you will go to the bathroom, and I'll say I need to get something from my hotel room. I'll meet you in the bathroom okay?" I whisper to her. She nods slightly.
"Alright! Y'all are good to go!" Nova says, standing up. She blows a kiss to Elijah and turns away, walking back towards everyone. I finish putting the lotion on Ren and follow Nova.
"Who wants to get in the water?" Colin claps after a while of sitting on the beach, watching the children play in the water.
"I do!" Carly yells, standing up, urgent to get away from Wesley. I think she might hate him more than I do. Jax stands up along with her.
"I should too. Ren and Aspen and Elijah probably want to be thrown." He says. Everyone, except Wesley, laughs. Nova, still in all of her clothing, looks over to me while her husband is not gaping over her.
"Can I go to the bathroom?" Nova asks, leaning over to Wesley. She has to ask that bastard for permission to use the restroom? How controlling is he?
"Yeah, hurry up though." Wesley slurs, already drunk. Dakota shoots me a warning look, already knowing that I'm planning something. I wave her off.
Nova gets up and when she disappears into the building, I turn towards Greg.
"Oh Greg, I forgot! I have that thing you asked for upstairs in the penthouse. Let me go get it." I say standing up. Wesley looks up at me and so does Greg.
"Uh..." Greg starts to say. While Wesley's attention is off of Dakota, she kicks Greg in the foot.
"Alright! Thanks!" Greg quickly makes up for it.
I sprint off towards the hotel and slide in through the door. Nova stands in the middle of the lobby and runs to me when she sees me.
"Not here. Upstairs now." I grab her hand and pull her along with me as I run towards the elevator.
I press the button over and over until the door pings open. Thankfully it's empty, I drag Nova inside with me and press the button to the penthouse. I turn around, looking at the gorgeous woman in front of me.
Unable to control myself, I slam her against the steel wall, tasting every inch of her mouth. Melting into me, her hands trail up my back and her fists tug at my hair.
"He's a piece of shit." I say into her mouth. She bites my bottom lip and pulls me back into her.
"Yeah, I know." She gasps into my mouth as I force my lips onto hers again. Her warm lips glide against mine with ease as I get carried away with her. She arches her back, wanting to be closer to me.
Then the fucking door dings.
"We need to hurry." Nova expresses, sliding past me into the hotel.
I grab her by the wrist and pull her back into me.
"What?" She asks.
"You have to ask permission to use the bathroom?" I ask breathlessly. She frowns.
"I was being respectful." I roll my eyes.
"Fuck that." I storm off and search for something I could give to Greg.
"Dustin, I'm sorry!" She yells, when I don't respond, she starts to follow me. "What are you looking for?"
"Something to give Greg. I had to make up an excuse and that's what I had." I say anxiously.
"What about that candle in the living room? It hasn't been burnt yet and Colin loves candles. Colin's birthday is coming up soon anyways." She suggests.
"Sometimes I love that beautiful mind of yours." I walk into the living room and grab the candle that sits on the mantle.
"We gotta go now." Nova urges, making her way towards the elevator. I exhale a long breath before following her.
Inside, I stare at her stressed face as she stands beside me.
"Come here, let me kiss the stress away." I whisper. She smiles and moves towards me. I place my hands on her waist and she winces.
"Nova...?" I question as she moves away from me, clutching her side. As I reach for her again, she quickly moves away. I grab her hand and force her to stand beside me. I lift up the sundress she is wearing over her bathing suit and look on her side.
"What the fuck is this?" I snarl, tracing my finger over the purple welt on her hip. She looks down, avoiding my eyes.
"Nova, tell me what happened." I demand.
"I...He...I denied sex last night and he got angry, so he decided to grab my by my waist as I was walking away. He was drunk and he just lost control of his strength." She explained it to me. I sigh heavily and let her dress down. As I go to speak, the door opens.
"I need to go out first." She runs out of the elevator, leaving me behind.
After a few safe minutes, I walk outside into the blazing sun. I look towards our beach spot and see Nova grabbing a water and another beer for Wesley. Dakota, still sitting beside him, turns around to spot me. She frowns.
Carly walks up the beach towards Nova, and Jax, who stands in the water with his daughter, watches her. Colin lifts Elijah up in the water and the small boy falls into the water with a squeal.
"Hey big brother." Dakota says, standing up.
"Hey." I mumble. She tilts her head towards the ice cream shop, then turns.
"Who wants ice cream?" She yells. The kids, and almost everyone but Wesley and Nova raise their hands.
"Normal orders all around?" Dakota now screams. Everyone nods and turns away from her.
"Nova? Wanna help carry them back with us?" Kota asks. Nova looks towards Wesley and he shakes his head no.
"I don't want you to be with him." Wesley snarls, staring at me. My fist clenches beside me. Dakota grabs my arm and laughs.
"She's with me, Wesley. Come on lighten up. Let's go Nova!" She says, starting to skip off. Sometimes, I wonder how my sister became so much smarter than me.
Nova walks past Wesley and he grabs her arm, yanking her back. He grabs her waist, like she had told me he did last night. I can see her body shake in pain and I almost lose it. Dakota tightens her grip on me.
"I'll be fine." Nova insists, her voice overly shaky. He pulls her down and forcefully kisses her lips. Her lips that belong on mine.
My heart stings and I turn away from him, looking towards the beach where everyone plays. I hear Nova pull away from him, and then hear her stalk towards us.
"Can we walk faster?" Nova begs, looking at Dakota instead of me. Dakota takes her hand and we start to jog down the beach.
At the ice cream parlor, out of sight from most of our friends, Dakota turns towards me with a horrified look on her face.
"Why didn't you tell me that Wesley is this bad?!" She snaps at me.
"Dakota it's not..." Nova starts.
"Why are you letting this happen! You obviously want her more than he does. Why aren't you fighting for her!?" Dakota yells at Dustin.
"I fight for her every day I see her. You don't think..." Nova cuts us both off.
"Stop!" She yells, looking back and forth between us. "Dustin has begged me several times to leave Wesley. He does fight for me, I just can't leave him." Nova explains. Dakota turns towards her, shocked.
"What do you mean?"
"Wesley and I are married. If I tried to file for divorce, he would hurt me, maybe even kill me. I would also lose Elijah, and he is more important than anything. Wesley would take his anger out on Elijah and..." Nova chokes up and I reach for her. She falls into my arms, letting out unsteady pants.
"I'm so sorry you had to see that, Dus." She whispers into my chest. I lean down and kiss her hair.
"What happens when Wesley finds out about this?" Dakota asks, moving up a step in the line for ice cream.
"He won't, and if he does, he won't touch Nova." I say, brushing my girl's hair out of her face. She looks up, worriedness on her face.
"He's a cop, Dustin. He has access to anything. He will kill you and me both."
"This keeps getting worse and worse." Dakota groans. We get up to the counter and order everyone's ice cream, then walk back to the beach in silence.
A few hours later, we all sat on the beach, watching the kids build sandcastles together. Nova smiles at Elijah, which warms my heart.
We ran out of beers, and for the greater good. Wesley finally was cut off by Nova after one too many, and thankfully, he is sobering up quickly.
Nova flinches when Wesley's phone rings in his pocket. It's like everything about him scares her, and that kills me. I can only hope she used to be truly happy and in love with him.
"Hello?" Wesley says into the phone. The group looks around at each other.
"Shit, yeah...I'll be there in a little bit." He hangs up the phone and turns to Nova.
"Work called in, I have to go."
"Oh...do you want me to drive you?" She asks him, smiling.
"No, it's fine. Just get a ride home with Carly or Colin." He tells her, almost like a demand.
"Could she spend the night at our house?" Greg asks, staring at the devil. Wesley shrugs.
"Sure, it'll be nice to come home to peace and quiet." Wesley says. I roll my eyes. Stuck up dick.
"Okay. Love you." Nova says quietly. My heart shatters as she uses the words she once said to me.
"Yeah, love you too." He leans down to kiss her and waves towards Elijah. He walks off.
A few seconds after watching Wesley disappear, everyone seems to relax.
"I fucking hate him." Carly speaks up first. Nova lowers her head, embarrassed. I stood up to sit beside her.
"He's a dick, we all know that. But we can't do anything about it so it's easier just to ignore it all." I say. Nova looks up and half smiles.
"So I'm guessing we aren't taking you home?" Colin says. Nova looks on the ground towards Elijah.
"I...um...Elijah needs to be with me and..." I stopped her.
"He can spend the night here." I suggest. Nova's eyes lighten, but become glossy.
"What...?"
"We can make dinner and watch movies and then have a big sleepover." I tell her. She smiles.
"But what about..." I place a finger over her lips.
"Let me do this for you please." She considers everything for a second and then grins, nodding.
"Well, sorry love birds. I dance tonight so I gotta go." Carly says, standing up.
"Bye sis." Colin says. Goodbyes erupt around the group.
"And I have a date." Kota says, following suit and standing up.
"Wait, you what?" I snap. She rolls her eyes.
"Stop being a brother for once. I already did a background check. And yes, I have my pepper spray on me if I need it." She says sarcastically. I flip her off and she laughs. We tell her goodbye too.
One by one, everyone starts to leave. Colin and Greg soon after Kota and Carly. Jax is the last to leave.
"Bye uncle Dustin!" The two girls say, running up to me.
"Bye girls." Jax punches me in the shoulder and hugs Nova goodbye.
The sun sets over the horizon. I look over at Nova, whose eyes glisten in the orange light.
"Gorgeous." I whisper, staring at her. She turns towards me.
"The sky, I mean." I smile and watch as she blushes. We start to laugh together.
"Hey Elijah?" Nova says, calling him over. I stand up and gather the chairs together.
"Yes mama?" He responds, crawling into Nova's lap.
"We're gonna spend the night with Mr. Dustin, is that okay?" I look behind me at the two people.
"Yeah!" Elijah cheers. Nova smiles and gently lifts him off of her lap. She takes his hand and grabs the cooler. The three of us walk towards the entry door.
When the door rings, indicating that we are on my floor, Elijah jumps with excitement. He runs into the room and dances around. Nova giggles at her son.
"Go get in the shower, we'll cook dinner." I say to Nova. I lean down and kiss her hair. She walks off into my bedroom.
"Wanna help me cook?" I ask Elijah.
"Where's mama?"
"She's taking a shower. Should we hurry up and get dinner ready before she gets out?" The kid grins and runs towards the kitchen.
After a while, Nova still in the shower, Elijah stirs the noodles on the stove while I make the spaghetti sauce. He drops the spoon and I quickly bend down to get it.
"Thank you." He says quietly.
"Of course," I pause and pat his head. "You're a good kid." He smiles and a long minute passes.
"You're a good dad." I stare at him, in shock.
"What?" My body is still. Did Elijah just call me a good dad?
"My dad is always at work. And when he's home, he gets angry at mama. Mama always thinks I'm asleep, but I normally hear them yelling." Elijah says calmly, still stirring the noodles. This kid is seven, and he is growing up just like Nova.
"You never get mad at my mama, and you make her smile." My heart warms with Elijah's small, but big words.
"Is the sauce done yet?" Elijah says, changing the subject. I clear my throat.
"Uh yeah it is."
"I'm sorry." He whispers.
"For what?" I ask. He turns to me and wraps his arms around me.
"Did I make you upset?" He asks me.
"Not at all. You made me happy." I explain to him. He nods and releases me. Stepping off the step stool, he shuffles over towards the dining room table and grabs the plates.
"Here you go." Elijah says, handing me the plates. I smile.
"Hey guys." Nova says.
"Mama! We made spaghetti!" Elijah calls. I lean against the counter, staring at Nova. She wears my t-shirt and my boxers. She's fucking gorgeous.
"Awesome!" She cheers with her son. We gather our plates and walk over to the table, eating as a family. And my thoughts drift off to what we would look like as a family.
Seconds into a movie after dinner, Elijah softly snores as he lays against Nova. The popcorn in his hands starts to tip over and I reach over to catch it.
"Can you pick him up?" Nova asks me. I nod and quietly stand up, swiftly placing my hands under his arms and lifting him up. Nova gets up and follows me to the bedroom.
Laying Elijah down in his pallet on the floor, Nova leans down and kisses her son, whispering something in his ear. I stand in the doorframe, watching Nova be the amazing mother she is.
She stands up and walks towards me, shutting the door behind us. We walk over to the couch and I sit down, her cuddling beside me.
She buries her head into my chest and she wraps her arm around my stomach. I run my fingers up and down her back, lifting up her shirt to feel her bare skin.
"You're so warm." I whisper, and she looks up.
"I'm really sorry about today. It wasn't meant to happen, and you saw a lot of things you weren't supposed to see." I tilt her chin up and force her to look in my eyes.
"It's okay. Stop worrying. The only thing you should be worried about is what I'm going to do to him if he lays another hand on you like that." She laughs.
"I can't believe you still like me. I'm a mess." She snickers. I run my fingers through her hair.
"But you're the mess I wanted." I lean down, watching her lick her lips. She gently places her lips against mine and I press into her, wanting to kiss her deeper.
Nova slides her body on top of my lap, straddling me. Instantly, I feel myself getting hard against her. She backs away, feeling the change.
Grabbing her face gently, I bring her back down to me. She slowly grinds her hips against my length. I hiss into her mouth.
"Nova...stop." I whisper. She backs off, hurt on her face. She starts to climb off of me, but I force her back down onto my lap.
"Elijah talked to me tonight." I confess. I didn't want to tell her what her son had said, but she is his mom. She deserves to know.
"And? You sound upset."
"He told me that I was a good dad..." She gasps and closes her eyes.
"He what?"
"We were cooking, and he said I was a good dad. I asked what he meant by that, and he told me that Wesley is never nice to you, and it makes him upset. He also said that he hears you guys fighting." I tell her. She clasps her hand over her mask, staring down.
"Oh my god." She mumbles.
"But he also said I'm the only person that makes you smile, and that makes him happy..." A tear rolls down Nova's cheek.
"I cant believe this."
"Nova..."She looks up, knowing what I'm gonna say.
"No. I'm not divorcing him. There's no way I can get custody of Elijah without Wesley knowing." She insists.
"Nova, think about it! I can get good lawyers, and as soon as they know the abuse you and Elijah are going through they will fire him and I can get custody. We can be a family. Elijah wants this too."
"Elijah doesn't know what he wants! He's six! He's a child!" She cries. I close my eyes, realizing that I'm going too far.
"Okay, I'm sorry." I whisper. She hits her hands against my chest as tears fall down her face.
"I don't want him anymore Dustin! I want you! But I'm too scared!" She says, falling down onto my chest. I wrap my arms around her shaking body and take her into my embrace.
She finally stops shaking and sits back up. I wipe the tears from her face and take her hands in between mine.
"Nova, I look at you, and I just love you, and it terrifies me. It terrifies me what I would do for you." She sits still, stunned.
"You...you love me?" She whispers.
"Feelings that come back, never left in the first place."
"But...but I'm not yours, Dustin. I'm Wesley's. The ring on my finger says that." She says urgently. I release her hands and cup her face.
"You were always mine, I just had to find you." I whisper. She sighs and her breath hits my face.
"I don't know what to do Dustin. I can't leave Wesley." I pause and contemplate everything.
"Just be with me. We'll figure out the details later." I suggest. She looks up, a glimmer of hope in her eye. She nods.
"Come here." I hold her close to my chest, feeling the rising and falling of her chest.
"I love you too, Dus." She whispers. My heart starts pounding out of my chest. She notices the change in my breathing.
"What..." I cut her off by slamming my lips onto hers and flipping her over on her back, kissing her face robustly. She gasps for air and my lips slide towards her collar bone.
"Say it again." I demand.
"I love you."
"Fuck..." I hiss, instantly becoming rock hard. She notices it, and sits up.
"What are you doing?" I ask. She grabs a hair tie on her wrist and gets on her knees in front of me.
"I love you Dustin." She whispers seductively. Her angelic hands slide up my thighs, reaching the waistband of my gym shorts. Slowly, she slides them down, all while keeping eye contact with me. Fuck, I crave her.
"Do you remember the taste of my lips that night?" She whispers, grabbing the waistband of my boxers and tugging at them.
"The night in the hotel? On Christmas..." She appealingly murmurs. She smiles and she wraps her hand around my length. I hiss and lean my head back.
"Do you remember Dustin? How I made you feel with just my mouth?" She grins, leaning up and licking from bottom to top of my shaft.
"Fuck Nova, yes. Yes I remember." She starts to kiss every inch of me, lingering longer each time.
"Jesus, stop teasing me." I beg. She smiles and licks me again.
"I love you so much." She whispers. I smile down at her as she kisses my tip. With a simple flick of her tongue against my skin, I instantly feel a sense of euphoria.
She takes me into her mouth, slowly but surely. With each inch she fits, the closer I get to a climax. Her warm saliva wraps around me as she quickens her movements on me.
My cock tightens and she backs away, smiling.
"Cumming so quickly?" She teases.
"Don't do that please."
"I like hearing you beg." She laughs quietly. I quickly grab the back of her head, balling her hair in my fist.
"Don't tease me. You can't imagine the things I can do to you." She grins at me, but understands my warning. She takes me into her mouth again, staring up at me with those big, beautiful, amber eyes.
"Fuck, babe, go faster." I tell her. She sits up closer to me and moves her mouth in quicker motions against my ridged cock.
My phone starts to ring and I curse, but she doesn't stop. My cock convulses in her mouth as I reach the brink of climax. Going faster than before, she sucks harder and I release in her mouth. My phone starts to ring again.
"God dammit." I curse. She wipes her mouth and stands up, walking in the kitchen for a glass of water.
"Hello?" I ask without looking at the caller ID. I hear frantic panting.
"Who is it?" Nova asks, sitting beside me.
"Dustin?" Jax says in an angry voice. I hear a zipper and a crying person.
"Jax, what's wrong?" I ask urgently. Nova looks up, worried.
"What's happening?" She asks me. I shake my head.
"Can I come over?" He growls.
"Jax please!" I hear Anna sob. She can barely be heard.
"Yeah, but what's up?" I question. Nova leans up closer to hear the phone.
"Found a fucking condom on the floor of our bathroom." Jax says hatefully.
"It's not what you think!" Anna cries out again.
"Then what the fuck is it! Cause that's not my condom!" He screams.
"Jax just stop!" She yells. Nova stares up at me, shocked.
"You fucking bitch! Get your stuff packed and get out." Jax demands.
"No! This is my house too! We can work this out, we can..." Jax cuts her off.
"We're done." He snarls.
"You piece of shit!" Her voice becomes muffled.
"I'll be there in a minute Dustin." Jax says.
"Jax, calm down for a second. What just happened?" Dustin asks his best friend.
"I came home, found a condom on my bathroom floor. Freshly used and definitely not my size." He explains.
"Bro..." Dustin says weakly. Jax breaks down.
"She cheated on me bro."