Page 29 of Blue Norther
“I’m okay. I don’t need to invade every part of your life.”
“No.”
“Sorry?”
“No. Youarestaying here. With me. There is no invading, Vi, because you never left. Besides, who the hell else is going to look out for you?”
Her mouth dropped open before it returned to a thin line.
I took two steps back, running my hands through my hair. I could feel the edges of my control fading. Violet stood tall, but her hands moved to her belly and rubbed small, slow circleson her side. I watched her eyes crinkle, but she was fighting whatever was going on inside her mind.
“What you told me in my office was scary. Really scary. It fucking killed me to let you go back on your own tonight. And then you call me, scared and crying. That email they sent you is beyond terrifying, Vi. Saying no one else has a right to you because you belong to them. That is a wild escalation from something that already made me want to vomit. We found out someone was in your place, for fuck’s sake, and there’s no doubt in my mind it’s this bastard! No, Violet. Just no. I’ve tried my hardest to stay out of it, but wherever the fuck the father of your baby is, I hope he knows he’s a piece of shit for leaving you vulnerable like this. For not protecting what’s his. He’s a fool for letting you go.”
I watched the tears sparkle in her eyes, but she didn’t say anything else to me. Violet simply turned and walked up the stairs, and I followed right after her.
Down the hallway I’d walked for years on my own. Past the closed door of my office. Past the closed door of the room I never went in anymore.
And then I was back in our bedroom, withher.For the first time in nine years, Violet was standing in our room with me. I forced my mind to focus on her, and not the thousands of memories pushing on the carefully constructed walls in my mind.
“Vi?”
She turned, sinking down onto the edge of the bed as one tear slipped past her lashes and ran down her face.
“It’s still the same in here.”
I ran my hand over my face. “Yeah. It didn't make much sense to change it around. I knew it was how you liked it.”
Violet stared at me, unblinking. As if I had just stunned her with my admission that I was still living like she was comingback to me. Hadn’t I made that clear when she left? Hadn’t I told her I’d always be here for her, no matter what?
“I’m tired, Colt. I don’t want to do this right now. I just…” She shook her head. “I just want to take a warm bath, and let the water stop these painful Braxton Hicks contractions. I’m tired and I want to try to get some sleep.”
My heart stumbled in my chest. It only took two steps for me to close the distance between us. In the next breath, I was on my knees in front of her, hand held out over her bump. “They aren’t supposed to be painful.”Shit.What was it that I read in that fucking baby book? Braxton Hicks could feel tight, like they were squeezing the baby, but they shouldn’t be painful. Painful contractions were more likely to be real contractions.
“What?” she snapped.
“Braxton Hicks aren’t supposed to be painful.” My hand slid to the other side of her belly, trying to feel the tightening through her shirt. “At least that’s what the book said. How long have you been feeling them? Is there a pattern to how fast they are coming? You’ve been having back pain. I don’t even know how far along you are, and you could be in?—”
Vi’s hand rested on top of mine. “Slow down. I’m not having real contractions. My due date is still weeks away. I just need to take a bath. That always helps them calm down.”
“How often does this happen?” I asked, storming towards the bathroom to start filling up the tub.
“All the damn time,” Vi laughed from over my shoulder, and I felt the pressure in my chest loosen just a bit. “This one just likes to rile me up. Takes after his dad.”
My eyes flew to hers, and all the color I could see in the darkness of the night drained right out of her beautiful face.
“We’ve fucking danced around it enough, Vi. Who is the baby’s father? Is this shit that’s going on…is it possible it’s him? Is it possible he’s the person stalking you?”
“No.” Her tone was fierce. And final.
But that wasn’t enough for me. “No, what? No, he’s not the person? No, you aren’t telling me? Because you mentioned him, and now you look like you’re about to pass out.”
She was annoyingly silent as I moved around the bathroom, grabbing a new set of towels and placing them next to the tub. My jaw ticked as I watched her walk in from the bedroom, waiting for her to say something,anything, to make me feel better about this unknown asshole. But her lips were apparently sealed shut.
Just as I was ready to turn the water off, Violet groaned, bending forward against the sink as her hand circled her belly.
“Christ. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Her hand swatted mine away as I reached for her elbow. “His butt is pressing weird on my side.”
