ASHTON.
If there ever something to set the sheer and utter panic off inside of me, then seeing her collapse was my undoing. I could deal with roofs, ladders and scaling heights with ease. But, I couldn't handle seeing Belle drop to the floor like she almost had done.
It was luck that I had moved in time to catch her before there was any real damage done to her head. Five minutes seemed like hours as I sat on the couch with her, waiting for her to wake up. She seemed ok, but I wasn't so sure.
"Ashton, trust me. I feel ok." I didn't care if she thought so. I wasn't letting her move just yet.
"Maybe we should take you to the hospital, just to be sure?" I suggested instead, rubbing my hand over her swollen tummy. "I'm really worried."
"I can tell." She smiled, placing her back over mine. "But, I promise you, that I feel more than ok. I freaked out seeing the alcohol in the fridge, it's nothing else."
That's when it hit me. Fuck.
"You know, I would never ever lay a hand on you." I assured with confidence.
"You're nothing like him." Her words soft, as she closed her eyes again. "I know you would never hurt me like that."
But, I have hurt her. Me and my stupidity hurt her.
There was a moment pause, as I just stared down at her. "I'll move the beer to the fridge outside."
"Thanks. I know it's stupid. I just remember my dad having the fridge always full of alcohol, and I guess my mind went back to one of the nights were he-" her words cut off, and I could see it was hard for her to talk about this.
I never once pushed her to speak about him, or what he had done to her. I just vowed to always love and protect her.
Isabelle had written me a grocery list for what we needed for dinner. It was long, but manageable. I told her to stay on the couch and watch a movie. I didn't want to leave her alone, so I soon made my way up the stairs and towards Jenna's bedroom.
Did I feel guilty about yelling at her?
In one word. Yes.
I hated being the dad who growl's and yells, then grounds the kid. But I also knew, that was what I had to do. It was called parenting. I knew she needed this, she had lost all my trust and I couldn't give in to her. Part of me wanted to cave, but I couldn't.
Isabelle and I were on the same page, and I felt good about where she and I were, at this moment.
Jenna was laying on her bed face down when I walked in "Jenna" I spoke, her head turned away immediately, still not speaking to me.
"I need you to go and sit downstairs with Isabelle while I head out for a moment."
"Why?" she stood up and I knew the attitude was coming back.
"Because she is pregnant and just fainted, so, I want you to make sure it doesn't happen again, just until Parker turns up." I sighed at her as I ran a hand through my hair. "I'm not asking you, I'm telling you to go and sit with her."
"Do I have to call her mum?" she looked, nibbling her lower lip.
Was this all she was worried about? I shook my head. "No. You don't have to call her mum, Isabelle doesn't want you to call her anything other than her name." I raised my hand and pointed to the door. "Now, please get downstairs. I also expect you to have apologised by the time I get back or else."
She stormed past me and down the steps, I followed behind knowing damn well once I leave this house she's going to play up again and I would have taken her with me if Belle hadn't fallen a short time ago.
I was about to go to the door when I spotted her starting to stand. "Hey," I growled. "Lay down, Jenna is going to sit here and if she plays up call me."
"Ashton, I am not crippled" she laid back down, looking annoyed but I didn't miss her smile, I think she is loving being doted on for once.
I needed to do it a lot more often.
Jenna slumped down in a huff crossing her arms over her chest pulling away when I went to give her a kiss on the head.
Ok, that hurt like a bitch.
I didn't bother giving her a reaction so I just turned to Belle who was trailing her fingers over her stomach. "Love you." I whispered against her lips then bent down kissing her stomach.
I officially hate grocery shopping. Isabelle was going to hate me as I had ignored everything on her list and picked out completely different items. Food that looked good, and was easy to make, I didn't even know where to find most of the things she was after anyway.
I was in the checkout waiting for the girl to finish scanning the items, her eyes kept flickering to me every few seconds then she gave a big smile. "I get off in half hour if you want to get a drink?"
I stood there shocked, sure I was used to being checked out and hit on, but she didn't look any older than 20. "Sorry, can't do." I answered not wanting to talk to her any more than I had to.
"Come on just one, I will make it worth your while" she lent in.
I cleared my throat moving closer to her "I am pretty sure my pregnant wife will have a problem with that. So, my answer remains a no."
One thing I would never do would be cheat.
The thought of being with someone else didn't interest me. I was happy. She made me very happy, sexually and with life in general. Even if I were single, I had no interest in one night stands. I had watched Isabelle turn away men, she made it clear she was taken.
If we went out to a bar and she was pretty much glued to my hip anyway, unless we went to a bathroom, then she was stuck to my cock.
Parker was at the house when I arrived back home. The place was completely quiet, I had expected to come in and hear more yelling. But, it was the complete opposite.
I was sitting the bags in the kitchen when Parker walked in, giving me a pointed look. "Isabelle isn't in a good mood. I suggest us leaving and heading to a bar for a few." he said quietly, leaning against the wall and shoving both hands in his pockets.
I stopped unpacking the bag, putting the pies on the counter. "What do you mean? She was fine when I left."
"You may want to speak to your daughter about what happened" he said with a shrug.
Great I knew something was going to happen when I left. I should have just taken her with me. "Tell me, Jenna won't tell me the truth, and Belle won't want to say anything."
He sat down on the stool "I walked in the house and they hadn't noticed I was here, Isabelle asked her to be in the wedding as her bridesmaid. Jenna said no, then told her that she hoped the baby would die so you wouldn't marry her, and that is the only reason you asked her. Isabelle didn't say anything, so then Jenna-" he stopped and his expression looked pained.
"Just fucking say it."
"Look mate, no judgement alright, because I can't say much when I do the same." He ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. "Jenna said that you had a few different women over while she wasn't here."
"Fuck." I hissed, of all the things to say to her, it had to be bullshit that was going to send her into a insecure fit and being pregnant doesn't make things any easier.
"I stepped in, and sent Jenna to her room. Isabelle just walked outside, that reminds me why the fuck is there a smashed up laptop and phone on the lawn?"
I let out a laugh. "Belle went crazy and took the hammer to it."
He blew out a low whistle. "Shit. I bet you've been walking on glass around her all day then."
I shook my head, unable to stop grinning. "The opposite, we haven't stopped fucking all day. She apparently loves it when I'm angry, and dragged me to the bedroom."
His eyes were wide with disbelief. "Fuck I need to piss off a single mother the be then" he grinned slapping my shoulder.
Yeah, I left him alone with that thought, and searched for my own mother to be. I walked outside to Isabelle who was laying on the lounge chair with her phone out, scrolling facebook. "Babe." I spoke hoping she didn't have a hammer beside her. I sat beside her taking the phone from her hand. "You know I didn't sleep with anyone else, I wouldn't do that to you and I didn't propose just because you are pregnant. I've had the ring for a long time. I asked because I love you and I was scared of losing you again, I want a forever with you."
She pulled her glasses off smiling. I frowned, confused. Wasn't she meant to be angry. "I know, she was just trying to get to me, and it worked but I know you wouldn't do that to me because I would shove a screwdriver in the end of your dick and hurt you so goddamn badly if you even thought of touching another woman."
I winced at her reference, unintentionally grabbing my dick. "How the fuck am I meant to pick one of those up again?" I groaned, "and what she said about our baby, that won't happen." I cant believe she would say something like that about her brother or sister.
She started laughing pulling me closer "I love you, Ashton. Don't worry, I'm not mad. Anyway, did you get everything I wrote down?"
"Funny story, I couldn't find anything you wrote down so I improvised" I pushed my mouth to hers before she could growl at me. Her words of frustration cut off as my tongue swept against hers, and she moaned softly. My dick hardened.
Then, I winced as her teeth clamped down on my tongue. "Improvised? What the hell?"
"You asked Jenna to be in the wedding?" I threw out a distracting question to avoid to grocery shop fuck up.
"Of course. She's too old to be a flower girl, but I assumed she would have said no, but I still wanted to ask her. It's ok, plenty of time to change her mind." she stuck her tongue out at me.
"Well, maybe not. I want to get married in two months the latest." I didn't want to wait anymore. "Come inside and check out what I got, lots of unhealthy things that I know you will love." I grinned, running my hand up her inner thigh, over the fabric of her shorts and pushing against her pussy. "I'm going to eat that soon."
"Mm. How about you- Wait, two months?"