Page 22 of Dex

Running out of Castle Ink, I race to my car, freaking the fuck out about what Jay just said over the phone. I know he said that Addy was safe and okay, but a shit load of things are running through my head right now. I press the key fob and my car unlocks, I rip open the door and jump in. Sticking the keys in the ignition I start the car. Young Guns ‘Daylight’ blasts through the radio, scaring the crap out of me. I turn the music down and pull out of the parking space. A shit ton of thoughts run through my head.

Is the baby, okay?

Is Addy, okay?

Did something else happen?

I am driving like a twat, trying to get to the woman I love and who is carrying my baby. Things need to fucking change between us. I am moving her sexy arse back home with me, where I will be there for her and our baby. Fucking hell, I am going to be a dad. My dad was a fuck up, so I know how not to be around my kid. This baby will want for nothing. She will have everything she wants. Fuck, Addy will have everything she wants. It takes me thirty minutes to get to Coverton, where Addy has been staying these last few months. But no fucking more. Her arse is coming home with me.

I pull up outside her building and turn the car off, before climbing out of the car and jogging up to the security door. The door buzzes before I hit the button, Jay must have seen me arrive. I pull the door open and run up the stairs, taking them two at a time. I am outside her door in no time. As soon as I reach her front door, I lift my hand and knock. I wait a fraction of a second before my brother is there with a huge smirk on his face.

“Brother.”

“Jay. Where is she?”

“Pouting on the couch. She’s pissed I phoned you, but brother, you need to be here for this shit.” I frown at him, having no bloody clue what he is talking about. He nods his head in the direction of Addy. “I will leave you to it,” he says. He smirks at me and yells, “Bye, Addy.”

“Fuck off,” comes from the other room. I chuckle and shake my head.

“Later, mate,” I say to my brother, slapping him on the shoulder. “Thanks for calling me.” I close the door behind my brother, flicking the lock before turning around and heading into the living room.

I take in her home. She has photos of all of us planted around the room and lots, and I mean lots, of candles. Very Addy. I turn the small corner and smile to myself. My girl is sitting crossed legged on the couch, dressed in an oversized shirt. She is pouting big time. God help me if our girl follows her mum’s traits. She is going to be a fucking beautiful little girl that I will have to keep the boys from. It’s a good thing she will have three big uncles to watch out for her. I need to pray to the gods, sacrifice whoever I need, to make sure that I get my boy one day.

“Baby,” I say, startling her. I laugh when she scowls at me.

“You cock. You gave me a heart attack. Shit, cock is too good a word for you. Why do people use it as an insult? Cocks are bloody useful. And the same with pussies. Why you would call someone a pussy as an insult? A pussy is a very useful tool and is a sexy part of the female anatomy.” She gabbers that out all in one breath. Well shit, my baby is nervous. I smile at her and walk over to the couch where she is sitting. I watch her watching me, smiling at her as her eyes track my every move. I lick my lips and take in her bare legs. She adjusts herself, pulling her knees up to her chest, guarding herself. I am surprised she can do that with her baby bump.

I see the ankle tattoo that Jay did for her. It’s a quote, it says.‘Before Alice got to Wonderland, she had to fall’.

It wraps around her ankle in a script. She has a Moon Glyph for ‘light’ between the first and last word. It is perfect for her. I love her tattoos. She has little symbols on some of her fingers, and a crown on her right ring finger, and she has a thin string bow tattoo just above the first knuckle on her right index finger. God, she looks fucking beautiful. Her dark hair is piled up on top of her head in a messy looking bush.

“I like where this conversation is going, babe. Cocks and pussies. Sounds like my kind of thing.” I wink at her as I close the gap between us. Taking the seat on the couch beside her, bending my knee so my shin is resting against her barely covered thigh, I lay my left arm across the back of the couch and play with the fine strands of hair at the back of her neck. The TV plays in the background, but I have no clue what is playing. My attention is on the tattooed beauty next to me.

“You want to tell me why my brother phoned me and told me to get my arse down here, ASAP?” She just sits there staring at me. I watch as her eyes scan my face, before coming back to my lustful gaze. I sit and watch to see what she does. No words are spoken between us as she moves her hand over mine and lifts it up. She moves my right hand to her stomach, my rough hands on her smooth, warm skin. She sucks in a breath at the contact, and I feel it too. The electric jolt that runs between us, it has always been there but, like the twat I am, I ignored it.

“Wait,” is all she says. We sit in silence and stare at each other. The TV hums through the room, filling the silence between us. I run my thumb over her silky skin, causing it to break out in goosebumps. I smile at her, knowing the effect that my touch is having on her.

“Addy, what -” I don’t finish my sentence as I feel it. I stop talking and drop my gaze to her stomach where our hands are touching. “Is that…?” I ask, but the feeling cuts off my words and Addy nods at me with tears in her eyes, confirming what I just felt.

HOLY FUCKING SHIT.

I just felt my baby move for the first time. I feel my nose burn and my vision goes blurry. I look back at Ads and see tears running down her beautiful face. I glance back down at her belly and spread my fingers, hoping to feel the baby move again. Every father should experience this: feeling their baby move in its mum’s belly. My heart grows twice its size, making room for my baby’s love.

“Ads,” I whisper her name, emotion clogging up my throat. I cough and try again. “How long has she been moving?” I smile at her.

“About three weeks. I’m sorry I kept her from you. I -” I cut her off. I drop my left hand to the nape of her neck and give her a reassuring squeeze, before I shift closer and kiss the tip of her nose.

“I get it. But that is in the past. We are going to forget everything that has happened. We are moving forward. Me, you and this little girl,” I say, moving my hand over her belly.

“She will wrap you around her little finger, won’t she?” she asks. I smile and nod my head.

“Hell yeah. Babe, there is no way I will be able to tell her no. Oh, and can you imagine all the boys lining up to take her to the school disco? We are going to need a boy – soon - then he can look after his sister,” I tell her. Meaning everything I just said.

“What the fuck are you on, Dexter Castle? We are only now talking properly after you found out I am pregnant withher. What the hell makes you think that we are going to have more babies together?”

I smirk at her and twist a lock of her hair around my left index finger. “Because I said so. We will be together, Addison Cole. We will be a family. You are going to move back to Bell Harbour with me and we will raise this baby girl together. Simple.” I wiggle my eyebrows at her. She straightens her spine and moves back a fraction to look at me better.

“Simple. Are you high or something?”

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