Healed by Evan Grace

Chapter Sixteen

 

Heidi

 

The bed moves, and then I feel arms wrap around me. I begin to cry again, even though I thought for sure I was all cried out. Colton rolls me over so we are chest to chest. I bury my face in his bare chest.

“Shh…. I’m so sorry I left, baby. I was so upset with myself. I’ll never forgive myself for leaving and making you go through losing our baby all by yourself.” He begins to cry quietly. I wrap my arms around him, letting him get it out.

Together, in the dark of his room, we mourn what we lost. I’m not sure when I fall asleep, but it’s with Colton wrapped around me.

The moment I open my eyes, I know I’m alone. I slide my hand across the bed and feel his side is cold. I climb out of bed and head into the bathroom. After using the toilet, I wash my hands, and then hold in a scream the minute I get a good look at myself.

My hair is a pink cloud on top of my head, my eyes are blood shot and puffy, and I have dried drool on my cheek. I splash cold water on my face a few times until the cobwebs are cleared away.

I leave the bathroom and go search out Colton. I find him sitting on his back deck, on the steps, staring out across the yard. I open the back door and walk across the wood.

I sit behind him, my legs on both sides of him, and wrap my arms around his stomach. “What are you doing out here?” I ask quietly.

He shrugs. “I couldn’t sleep.”

Resting my forehead against his back, I’m not sure what’s going through his head right now, but I hate that he’s beating himself up. “You know it wasn't your fault. It wasn’t my fault either.”

“I should’ve been there holding your hand while you went through it.”

I get up and move around to face him, but he refuses to look at me. Grabbing his face, I tilt it up so he’s looking at me. “Baby, listen to me.” Colton does a slow blink and then nods once. “We can’t go back. It’s over, it happened, and we have to move on.” I brush his hair back. “I love you. I’ve forgiven you, and you need to forgive yourself.”

I pad across the deck toward the door, but turn back to Colton and say, “I’m going back to bed. I hope you come join me. I want to fall asleep in your arms.”

I head back to his bedroom, shutting the door behind me. I sit on the side of the bed, hoping that he’s right behind me. After five minutes I give up and crawl into bed feeling defeated.

I’m in that space between sleep and awake when I feel the bed shift. Colton wastes no time pulling me into his arms. “I just need a little time, baby. I love you.”

I wrap my arm around his waist and snuggle up under his chin. In no time, my eyes get heavy.

 

***

Colton sits next to me, leaning down and kissing Ember on the head. We’re babysitting not only the baby, but Iris and Max too, while Sierra, Mona, Miles and their partners are having dinner together.

We were invited too, but I offered to babysit so the new parents—Nick and Sierra—could have a night out with other adults. Of course, Colton wanted to come with me, and now we are at Mona and Joaquin’s.

Iris and Max are lying on the floor, and we’re watching Ant Man, because Paul Rudd is yummy, hello. Ember is snoozing, unbothered by the action on the TV screen; her little pacifier moves as she sucks it.

Colton leans down. “Have you heard from Greta?” She left the day before for California.

“She called me this morning. They were getting ready to eat and then head to the festival.”

He wraps his arm around my shoulders and hugs me and Ember into his side. “I want to give you as many of her that you want?” Colton signals to the snoozing girl in my arms.

“I want that too.” I tip my back to look at him.

Resting his forehead against mine, he sighs. “Is it crazy that I want to start trying now,” he says before kissing me softly on the lips.

“Okay.” I don’t even need to think about it. I don’t care that it’s too soon—I love him.

His lips tip up into a smile that makes him look so beautiful it takes my breath away.

“Oh my god.” We turn as Sierra, Mona, and Victoria run in, followed by the guys. Sierra holds out her phone. “Look who is right next to our sister.”

Nick takes Ember from me, and I take the phone, enlarging the picture. “I-Is that Jett Hamilton?”

“It totally is. Do you believe it? Our sister is hanging out with a movie star.”

I jump up, and we all start squealing quietly so we don’t wake Ember. I’m not sure what he’s doing standing by her, but I can’t wait to hear that story.

 

***

 

“Are you going to come for me?” Colton whispers into my ear, making my belly flip. “Just think, when I cum inside you, I could be putting my baby inside you.”

That triggers my orgasm. I arch beneath him and cry out as my pussy clenches around his cock. He thrusts inside me, once, twice, and then buries himself to the root.

I can feel it as he comes inside me. Grabbing his face, I pull him down and kiss him slowly. Colton grabs my ass cheeks, and with his cock still buried inside me, he rolls us so he is on his back with me straddling him.

“I want a little boy,” I say, looking down at him, smiling. “I want to stand on the deck and watch you throw the football with him.”

His soft cock slips from my pussy as he shakes his head. “Nope, a little girl who looks just like you. I’ll be wrapped around her teeny, tiny finger.”

I lay on top of him, my breasts pressed against his slick chest. “I never thought I’d have this again with you,” I say and then kiss over his heart.

“Thank you for giving me another chance.” Colton kisses my forehead. “I love you.”

He moves me around until I’m draped across his chest. The beating of his heart soothes me to my soul. It doesn’t take me long before I feel my eyes get heavy.

 

***

 

I’m officially moving in with Colton today. I know it’s sudden, but we have a lot of history, a lot of love. We have five years to catch up on, and he’s not messing around.

Greta and I have talked, and for now she’s going to keep the apartment, even though… Well, I’m not going to share her story. I’ll let her tell that one, and it’s a doozy.

I drag my suitcase into our bedroom and lift it onto the bed. Colton walks in carrying my duffle bag and sets it on the bed. He pulls me into his arms and kisses my neck. “My baby is home.”

He’s been getting back to his normal self, which makes me happy. I hated seeing him blame himself for the miscarriage. It wasn’t meant to be, and every day I hope and pray that when I get pregnant again, I’ll carry the baby to term.

I turn in his arms. “I’m home.” He kisses me deep, and then he helps me unpack. It takes no time to get all my clothes unpacked. While I hang up the last of my clothes, Colton orders us some Thai for dinner.

I put the suitcase and bag in the laundry room, like he told me, and find him in the kitchen drinking a bottle of water. He hands me one when I reach him. “Thank you, and thank you for helping me move my stuff in.”

“Of course.” He leans down and kisses me. “The Tigers emailed me.”

I can’t contain my excitement—I’m so thrilled for him. “Really? What did they say?”

“They’re sending me a packet of information. I’ll have to show up for training camp a week before the regular players. I’ll need to have a physical, they’ll run drills with me, and then I’ll play with some of the guys. They could sign me or cut me at any time.”

I throw my arms around him, smiling up at him. “You know you’re going to make it, right?”

Colton leans down and kisses me softly. “Are you gonna move to Tennessee with me?”

“Of course. I’d go anywhere with you.” It’s the god’s honest truth. I would’ve gone anywhere with him when we were eighteen. That’s how much I love him. My sisters will support me and whatever I need to do for myself.

“Thank you, baby.” Colton kisses me one more time before the doorbell rings, alerting us to the arrival of our food.

We eat in bed while watching The League, and then we celebrate late into the night.