Chapter Three-Hundred-Forty-Five
When Brian managed to find Riley she was sitting in the little office that she deemed her own and she is on the phone venting away. She wasn’t kidding when she told him she was calling his mother.
“Speaking of your son, here he is now” She spoke into the phone and Brian cringed as she spoke the word son like he is the most awful person in the world. She narrowed her eyes at him and held the phone out. “Your mother would like to talk to you.” Brian took the phone from her and placed it to his ear.
“Hi momma,” Brian spoke innocently his sweet Kentucky accent that always turns up when he is either at home or speaking to his mother coming out so strong that it took everything in Riley to hold her glare on him. “How are you?”
“Brian Thomas Littrell what is this I hear about the way you’ve been treating my future daughter and my grandson?!” She spoke so loudly into the phone that Riley could hear and she grinned indignantly.
“I know I messed up Momma, I know. I just came in here with Chris to make things better again right now.”
“Well you had better! There is no excuse at all for the way you’ve been leaving Chris out like that and it is unbelievably childish of you for turning the tables on Riley just because you didn’t want to admit you were wrong! You know she’s been trying her very hardest with Josh, she doesn’t need you making her feel worse! Especially when she is pregnant and needs you more then anything right now!”
“I know ma, I know…” Brian replied while lowering his head shamefully like a little boy and Riley tried her very hardest to ignore that as well. Not only does she have a weakness for his Kentucky accent, but also she absolutely loves how much he adores his mother.
“You hang up this phone with me right now and apologize Brian Thomas or I am going to be on the next plane out there!”
“I know ma I will. I love you.”
“I love you too,” Jackie replied, her voice softening some. “Goodbye” she added and she hung up. Brian hit the off button on Riley’s phone and he looked at her.
“That was cruel.”
“Well you deserved it,” Riley told him indignantly and she looked back down at her work and continued to furiously write the paper she was writing. Bran sighed and went up behind her and he wrapped his arms around her, draping them over her shoulders before leaning forward and planting a kiss at the crook of her neck.
“I’m sorry I was such a butthead,” he told her softly, remembering to keep his vocabulary G rated only for Chris. “You were right and I didn’t want to admit it.” Riley looked up at him, eyes still narrowed and the slightest hint in them that she’s been crying. Such a mild argument wouldn’t normally get to her that much and he knows it but ever since she became pregnant her emotions have gone crazy. Seeing that he made her cry makes him feel ten times worse because he swore to himself and her that he would try to make this pregnancy easy for her. He gently placed his forefinger and thumb to her chin and tilted it back and he brushed his lips lightly over hers. Riley melted in his arms not being able to stay very mad any longer.
“I’m not the only one you need to apologize to.”
“I know…” Brian replied and he looked at Chris. “Come here buddy, pull up a chair.”
“Where is Josh?” Riley wanted to know as she watched Chris pull one of her chairs over. “He should be here. Why is it that we’re never fully together?”
“I would’ve brought him a long but him and Ellie are currently doing time on the bench for lying to me and throwing sand.”
“Well I guess that’s fine then…”
“But you are right we should do more things together as a whole family and from now on we will,” Brian insisted and when Chris was settled in his chair he began to apologize to both of them.
~*~*~*~*~*~
“I found you!” Dakota announced happily when she finally found her sister sitting with her friends in a tunnel.
“AHHH!!!!!” Sarah screamed as if the headless horseman himself just entered their tunnel. “No you haven’t, I’m not here!” she insisted while ducking behind one of her friends.
“What are you all up to?” Dakota asked cheerfully, ignoring her sister’s words as she expected as much. She always pushes her away when she is around her snooty friends. Why she still hangs out with these people she’ll never know. They only keep her around for one thing and it’s ridiculous. She sat down with them ignoring the fact that she hadn’t been invited to and she smiled at them all hoping she was getting the fake thing down, as that is the only key to get into this group. Not that she really wants in it, but somebody has to look out for her sister, it might as well be Dakota.
“Barbie’s and you weren’t invited,” Alana insisted.
“Hey cool it Alana…” Sarah replied not liking her friend’s tone. She looked at Dakota then.
“Kota why aren’t you playing with Ellie?”
“Cause I can never keep her outs of timeout long enough to play with her.”
“Of course not,” Sarah replied while sighing in exasperation. “How about Josh?”
“Nope. Time out as well.”
“Spencer?”
“He wont’s leave his daddy’s side until he gets out of the hospital an’ the doctors don’t want me running around up there.”
“Laila?”
“Right what am I gonna do, play with baby toys?”
“Why don’t you go see if Ashee needs help with Bella?”
“I don’t think so.” Sarah looked at her desperately for a couple of moments. There is no way her friends want a four-year-old hanging around them and she hasn’t played with them in so long.
“Fine…why don’t we play a game of hide n’ seek?”
“Yeah??”
“Yeah why not? You go hide…and we will look for you.” Dakota narrowed her eyes as she suddenly caught on.
“I may be four but I’m not stupid.” Sarah sighed.
“Kota please…I’ll play with you later.”
“But I don’t have anybody to play with,” Dakota insisted and her eyes began to water up.
“Fine…” Sarah replied softly knowing that if she physically kicks her out she’ll just go crying to Nick or Ashley. Most likely Ashley.
“You can be Skipper.” Sarah handed over the skipper doll and Dakota rubbed at her eyes, smiled a little and she moved over and placed herself right next to Sarah. Sarah sighed as she sat there thinking about the good old days when Dakota didn’t even want her around. Don’t get her wrong, she loves her sister very much and couldn’t imagine life without her in it anymore but there is a time for sister bonding and there is a time for being alone and Dakota doesn’t quite get it. Either that or she just doesn’t want to get it. With Sarah’s luck it is probably the latter. She could continue to try and hide from Dakota but why bother? Not only did the kid grow up here but she also spent most of her four year old life friendless and having to find something way to entertain herself. So she knows every nook and cranny of the building – better then anybody else. And the last thing she wants is to force her baby sister to relive those days of playing alone either – she knows how much that hurt her. It’s one thing to ditch her when she has Elenore or Josh to play with, but a completely different story when she is alone. So, for now, she’ll just have to deal with her and so will her friends. Sarah eyed them all at the thought with a look in her eyes like she is daring them to be mean and they quietly looked down at their dolls not saying a word. They’ve all heard the rumor about what she did to the girl in Mc Donalds. And though both girls deny it still to this day, they don’t want to take any chances.
~*~*~*~*~*~
“Joshua, Elenore…I see what you two are trying to do” Howie announced as he sat on the basketball court leaning against the pole with a book in hand. He didn’t even have to look away from it to see the two cousins having a private conversation with their eyes. He didn’t mind that so much so long as they weren’t using actual words but the moment he saw them trying to edge closer to each other he had to intervene. Elenore paused in her crawling position between the two benches and she looked at Howie and smiled at him sweetly. He narrowed her eyes at her.
“Miss Richardson what are you doing on the ground?”
“I fell – ow! Oh man my knee, my knee” she moaned as she fell back and held onto her knee and made a face like she is experiencing incredible pain.
“And how did you fall when you are supposed to be just sitting there quietly, hmm?” Howie asked managing to hide a laugh.
“I…wanted to lie down…cause my bottom was hurting an’…I sorta ran out of bench.”
“Unlikely story,” Howie told her. “Get back up on that bench soldier before I call your father,” he instructed and he pulled out his cell phone to emphasize his threat. Elenore quickly did as she was told not wanting Kevin to come back from wherever it is he went and take her home. “Turn around the other way so you are no longer looking at each other – the both of you,” he told them and both Elenore and Josh scowled as they turned on the bench so their backs were turned to each other. Satisfied that they could no longer communicate and make escape plans Howie started to turn his attention back on his book when Laila approached.
“’Owie”
“Hi pumpkin,” Howie greeted while pulling her into his arms and planting a kiss on her forehead. “Have you come to help me keep an eye on these two jailbirds?”
“Birdies,” Laila repeated happily and Howie grinned and pulled her into a gentle hug.
“Laila loves ‘Owie” she informed as she nestled into him and she leaned up and kissed his chin, the one thing reachable to her.
“Aww…well Howie loves Laila too,” Howie told her. “And he definitely has to teach you your H’s too so it don’t sound like you’re hurt.”
“Laila watches birdies withs ‘Owie?” She asked while looking up at the sky as if expecting to see some.
“Yes you may. A couple of big birdies, right over there” he told her while pointing to Josh and Elenore and Laila looked over at them confused before looking back up at the sky and Howie chuckled.
“Birdie there ‘Owie” She told him when she spotted a couple of black birds sitting in the trees and in such a tone like she is trying to teach him a thing or two about birds.
“Are you sure about that?” Howie asked with a smirk. “Cause I could’ve sworn the little birdie was right here,” he told her, instantly bringing his fingers to her sides and tickling her. Laila howled with laughter and squirmed about and he lifted her up and blew raspberries on her stomach making her squeal even louder.
~*~*~*~*~
“You did really well baby,” Nick encouraged Ashley at the end of her first defense class with Detective Stabler and AJ as they were standing in the hallway of Ashley’s house. They got AJ to go get Bella from Brooke and help everybody keep an eye on the other two so he could run her home to clean up. Marcus of course had gone with them a long with Laney and Drew and Marcus and Laney had gone inside ahead of them while Drew stayed outside with Ashley to do a thorough check of the house just incase.
“You think so?” Ashley asked him self-consciously and Nick tightened his arms around her waist and pulled her near despite the fact that she is sweaty and he kissed her nose ever so softly. “I know so. Maybe on Wednesday you will muster up the strength to get out of AJ’s arms – you were close you just have to be a little more aggressive.”
“But I’m not an aggressive person.”
“I know that baby, but you need to learn how to be so that in situations like that make believe one, you will be able to help yourself.” Ashley nodded quietly and he leaned forward and brushed his lips lightly over hers. “But in the mean time, you and I are going to take a shower.”
“Oh no we are not.”
“Yes we are.”
“No,” Ashley insisted while turning around and she started to walk away but he gently lifted her up, placed her over his shoulder and carried her toward the bathroom.
“Nickolas Gene Carter you put me down right now or I wont speak to you for the rest of the night!” Ashley demanded as she wiggled about in his arms but to no avail. Nick couldn’t help but smirk a little.
“Don’t you wish you were more aggressive? Then you could avoid me.” When he got in the bathroom he set her down on the counter and shut the door behind him and while keeping an eye on her he opened the door to the shower and reached in to turn it on. Ashley watched him as he messed with the temperature for a couple of seconds before slipping off of the counter and making a run toward the door and Nick was in front of her in a second. “I have a four year old my dear, I know how that works.” He gently took hold of her hand and brought her over to the shower with him and he continued to mess with the temperature. When it was just right he turned his attention on her and slid his arms around her waist before lightly pressing her back up against the counter. He placed his thumb to her cheek and delicately caressed it as he looked into her fear-filled eyes. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, you know that,” he reassured gently, making sure she can see the sincerity. “You know I wouldn’t hurt you baby don’t you? This is me we’re talking about here. Don’t let what happened to you this past week destroy all of the great progress that we’ve made” He caught the falling tear that rolled down her cheek and he leaned forward and brushed his lips lightly over hers as he rested his hands at her hips comfortably. Ashley brought her arms up and around his neck and before she knew it she was kissing him back with his kisses, the ones that she reserves just for him. (With an exception of when she had to use them to get herself out of a situation, but he knows all about that). He grabbed hold of the hem of her tanktop and slowly lifted it up only pausing their kisses to pull it over her head and he dropped it to the floor. He gently pushed her ponytail to the side after that and he bent down and placed light kisses on her neck and shoulders. Ashley pulled his shirt up and over his head in return and he took it from her and let it drop before lifting her up and placing her on the counter and instantly taking control. Clothing after clothing was removed from their bodies until they were both fully undressed and Ashley slid her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist and he swiftly lifted her from the counter and carried her toward the awaiting shower. He opened the door and stepped inside and he brought her under the warm water allowing it to cascade over their bodies. The instant the water touched Ashley’s skin she stiffened as if a thousand knives just stabbed her all over her body and she fell right out of Nick’s charm.
“No…” she whimpered.
“Baby its okay…”
“NO!”
“Sweetheart come on I’m not—“
“NO, NO, NO, NO!!!!!!!!” she shrieked, her eyes filling with tears and she managed to wiggle herself free of Nick. She turned around to bolt out of the shower but Nick gently grabbed hold of her hand. He turned her around to reason with her, only to have her flailing first connect with his cheek.
“OW! Damnit Ashley!” he cursed, instantly letting go of her as his hand flew to his cheek and Ashley flew from the shower and made a mad dash out of the bathroom not caring that she is stark naked. Nick got out of the shower, grabbed at his towel and wrapped it around his waist and he opened the door.
“LANEY, MARCUS, AND DREW YOU HAD BETTER NOT BE LOOKING AT THE CAMERAS!” he warned, before running after Ashley in the direction that he hears her in. He rounded the corner to the living room and he heard her over in the corner between the wall and the couch. He went over and peeked in at her and he found her curled up in a ball with her face hidden in her lap and she is sobbing like the world was crashing down all around her. Heartbroken at the sight he squeezed himself between the couch and wall and he got down on his knees in front of her before pulling her into his arms. He then shifted his towel so it was wrapped around the both of them and he held onto her tightly and rocked her in his arms.
“I know…I know…” He soothed softly in her ear, fully understanding the seriousness of her fear now. “I know sweetheart I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…I won’t do that to you again I promise. I love you…” Ashley tightened her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest and she held onto him for dear life. Nick lightly rested his chin on top of her head as he wondered just exactly what he was going to do about this.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter.
Enjoy =)
Enjoy =)
